小説を読みながら、語彙を増やしましょう。
夏目漱石の小説『坊っちゃん』の原文と毛利八十太郎が英訳した “Botchan (Master Darling)” を併せて見ていきます。
【あらすじ】
四国に旅立つ3日前に、実家の下女だった清(きよ)を病床に訪ねた主人公は、主人公の家で働く日を待ち望んでいる清をなんとか元気づけようとします。
●----------------------------------------------------------
After settling about my new position, I called upon her three days previous to my departure. She was sick abed in a small room, but, on seeing me she got up and immediately inquired;
"Master Darling, when do you begin housekeeping?"
She evidently thought as soon as a fellow finishes school, money comes to his pocket by itself. But then how absurd to call such a "great man" "Darling." I told her simply that I should let the house proposition go for some time, as I had to go to the country. She looked greatly disappointed, and blankly smoothed her gray-haired sidelocks. I felt sorry for her, and said comfortingly; "I am going away but will come back soon. I'll return in the vacation next summer, sure." Still as she appeared not fully satisfied, I added;
"Will bring you back a surprise. What do you like?"
She wished to eat "sasa-ame"[1] of Echigo province. I had never heard of "sasa-ame" of Echigo. To begin with, the location is entirely different.
[Footnote 1: Sasa-ame is a kind of rice-jelly wrapped with sasa, or the bamboo leaves, well-known as a product of Echigo province.]
"There seems to be no 'sasa-ame' in the country where I'm going," I explained, and she rejoined; "Then, in what direction?" I answered "westward" and she came back with "Is it on the other side of Hakone?"
This give-and-take conversation proved too much for me.
call upon (人)を(短時間)訪問する
sick abed 病臥して
blankly ぼんやりして
smooth なでつける
sidelocks 鬢(頭の左右側面の髪)
comfortingly 励ますように、元気づけるように
rejoin 応答する、言い返す
give-and-take 意見の交換、やりとり
夏目漱石による原文は
こちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Sheep(羊)
One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.
子羊を盗んで絞首刑になるくらいなら、親羊を盗んで絞首刑になるほうがましだ(毒を食わば皿まで)
follow like sheep
盲従する
like [as] a sheep to the slaughter
ひどく柔順に、おとなしく
return to one's sheep
本題に立ち返る
separate [tell] the sheep from [and] the goats
善人と悪人(すぐれた者と劣った者)とを区別する
cast [make] sheep's eyes at
…に色目をつかう
sheep that have no shepherd
烏合[うごう]の衆
count sheep
羊を数える(眠れない時に、垣根を飛び越える羊の数を数える)
black sheep
厄介者、はみ出し者
sheep-dip
ひどい安酒
【参考】
▽
青空文庫