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】
校舎の2階から飛び降りたり、隣に住む少年と取っ組み合ったり、無鉄砲な主人公のいたずらはまだまだ尽きません。
●----------------------------------------------------------
Besides the above, I did many other mischiefs. With Kaneko of a carpenter shop and Kaku of a fishmarket, I once ruined a carrot patch of one Mosaku. The sprouts were just shooting out and the patch was covered with straws to ensure their even healthy growth. Upon this straw-covered patch, we three wrestled for fully half a day, and consequently thoroughly smashed all the sprouts. Also I once filled up a well which watered some rice fields owned by one Furukawa, and he followed me with kicks. The well was so devised that from a large bamboo pole, sunk deep into the ground, the water issued and irrigated the rice fields. Ignorant of the mechanical side of this irrigating method at that time, I stuffed the bamboo pole with stones and sticks, and satisfied that no more water came up, I returned home and was eating supper when Furukawa, fiery red with anger, burst into our house with howling protests. I believe the affair was settled on our paying for the damage.
Father did not like me in the least, and mother always sided with my big brother. This brother's face was palish white, and he had a fondness for taking the part of an actress at the theatre.
"This fellow will never amount to much," father used to remark when he saw me.
"He's so reckless that I worry about his future," I often heard mother say of me. Exactly; I have never amounted to much. I am just as you see me; no wonder my future used to cause anxiety to my mother. I am living without becoming but a jailbird.
mischief いたずら、悪さ
carrot patch にんじん畑
sprout 芽
shoot up 急速に成長する
straw わら
fill up 埋める
devised 工夫された
bamboo pole 竹ざお
irrigate 水を引く、灌漑する
fiery 火のような
burst into (部屋などに)乱入する、飛び込んでくる
howl わめいて言う
protest 文句、苦情
in the least 少しも(…ない)
side with …の側につく、味方する
palish やや青ざめた
have a fondness for …が好きだ、…に目がない
amount to much 役に立つ、物になる
jailbird 囚人、前科者
夏目漱石による原文はこちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Cat(猫)
Curiosity killed the cat.
好奇心もほどほどに。
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
鬼の居ぬ間に洗濯
rain cats and dogs
雨が激しく降る、どしゃ降り
bell the cat
猫の首に鈴をつける、進んで危険なことを引き受ける
like a cat on hot bricks
like a cat on a hot tin roof
そわそわして、落ちつきがない
let the cat out of the bag
秘密を漏らす
play cat and mouse with…
…をもてあそぶ、なぶりものにする
put [set] the cat among the pigeons [the canaries]
騒ぎを引き起こす(ようしむける)
turn cat in the pan
裏切る
【参考】
▽青空文庫