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】
普段から仲が悪い兄とけんかになり、将棋の駒を叩きつけてけがをさせてしまった主人公は、父親に勘当されるところを下女の清(きよ)の取り成しで救われます。
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Then I gave up myself for lost, and expected to be really disinherited. But our maid Kiyo, who had been with us for ten years or so, interceded on my behalf, and tearfully apologized for me, and by her appeal my father's wrath was softened. I did not regard him, however, as one to be afraid of in any way, but rather felt sorry for our Kiyo. I had heard that Kiyo was of a decent, well-to-do family, but being driven to poverty at the time of the Restoration, had to work as a servant. So she was an old woman by this time. This old woman,--by what affinity, as the Buddhists say, I don't know,--loved me a great deal. Strange, indeed! She was almost blindly fond of me,--me, whom mother, became thoroughly disgusted with three days before her death; whom father considered a most aggravating proposition all the year round, and whom the neighbors cordially hated as the local bully among the youngsters. I had long reconciled myself to the fact that my nature was far from being attractive to others, and so didn't mind if I were treated as a piece of wood; so I thought it uncommon that Kiyo should pet me like that. Sometimes in the kitchen, when there was nobody around, she would praise me saying that I was straightforward and of a good disposition. What she meant by that exactly, was not clear to me, however. If I were of so good a nature as she said, I imagined those other than Kiyo should accord me a better treatment. So whenever Kiyo said to me anything of the kind, I used to answer that I did not like passing compliments. Then she would remark; "That's the very reason I say you are of a good disposition," and would gaze at me with absorbing tenderness. She seemed to recreate me by her own imagination, and was proud of the fact. I felt even chilled through my marrow at her constant attention to me.
give oneself up for あきらめる、降参する
intercede 中に入る、とりなす
wrath 激怒
decent 家柄のよい
well-to-do 裕福な
at the time of the Restoration (明治)維新の際に
affinity 縁(ゆかり)
blindly 盲目的に
disgusted with …に愛想がつきた
aggravating proposition 腹が立つ相手
cordially hate 激しく嫌悪する
local bully 地元の暴れ者、がき大将
reconcile oneself to …に甘んずる、あきらめて…する
pet かわいがる
straightforward 素直な
of a good deposition よい気質の
accord 与える
passing 一時的な、ついでの
compliment お世辞
absorbing 心を奪う、興味深い
tenderness 優しさ、愛情
feel chilled through my marrow 骨の髄までぞっとする
夏目漱石による原文はこちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Mouse/Rat(鼠)
Burn not your house to fright the mouse away.
ネズミ退治に家を焼くな(極端な手段をとるな)
Don't make yourself a mouse, or the cat will eat you.
みずからネズミになれば猫に食われる(毅然としないと人にしてやられる)
The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken.
穴一つだけのネズミはすぐにつかまる(一つのことだけにたよるのは危険である)
drunk as a mouse [rat]
酔いつぶれて
like a drowned mouse [rat]
濡れ鼠になって、しょんぼりして
quiet as a mouse
実に静かで
smell a rat
うさんくさく思う、変だと感づく
mouse and man
生きとし生けるもの、あらゆる生き物
rat pack
不良グループ
rat race
激しい生存(勝ち残り)競争、過当競争
【参考】
▽青空文庫