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】
竿も浮きも使わない沖釣りにはじめて挑戦した主人公は、3人のうちで最初に魚を釣り上げますが、魚をつかんだ手がぬるぬるして生臭くなり嫌気がさしてしまいます。
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"To say that one is unable to fish without a float shows that he is a novice," piped up Clown.
"See? When the line touches the bottom, you just manage it with your finger on the edge. If a fish bites, you could tell in a minute. There it goes," and Red Shirt hastily started taking out the line. I wondered what he had got, but I saw no fish, only the bait was gone. Ha, good for you, Gov'nur!
"Wasn't it too bad! I'm sure it was a big one. If you miss that way, with your ability, we would have to keep a sharper watch to-day. But, say, even if we miss the fish, it's far better than staring at a float, isn't it? Just like saying he can't ride a bike without a brake." Clown has been getting rather gay, and I was almost tempted to swat him. I'm just as good as they are. The sea isn't leased by Red Shirt, and there might be one obliging bonito which might get caught by my line. I dropped my line then, and toyed it with my finger carelessly.
After a while something shook my line with successive jerks. I thought it must be a fish. Unless it was something living, it would not give that tremulous shaking. Good! I have it, and I commenced drawing in the line, while Clown jibed me "What? Caught one already? Very remarkable, indeed!" I had drawn in nearly all the line, leaving only about five feet in the water. I peeped over and saw a fish that looked like a gold fish with stripes was coming up swimming to right and left. It was interesting. On taking it out of the water, it wriggled and jumped, and covered my face with water. After some effort, I had it and tried to detach the hook, but it would not come out easily. My hands became greasy and the sense was anything but pleasing. I was irritated; I swung the line and banged the fish against the bottom of the boat. It speedily died. Red Shirt and Clown watched me with surprise. I washed my hands in the water but they still smelled "fishy." No more for me! I don't care what fish I might get, I don't want to grab a fish. And I presume the fish doesn't want to be grabbed either. I hastily rolled up the line.
pipe up 不意に声を張り上げる
swat ピシャリと打つ、殴る
carelessly ぞんざいに、無頓着に
tremulous びくびくする
jibe あざける、からかう
presume …と思う
夏目漱石による原文はこちら。
＊＊＊ 慣用句を覚えよう ＊＊＊
Hand（手）‐３
keep one's hand in ...
…の練習を続ける、腕を鈍らせない、…から手を引かない
keep one's hands off
手を出さない、盗まない
keep one's hands to oneself
手を出さない、手でなにもさわらない
know ... like the back of one's hand
…をよく知っている、熟知している
lay a hand on ...
…に手をかける、傷つける
lay hands on oneself
自殺する
let someone's left hand know what his right hand is doing
自分のやっていることを相手に知らしめる、協力者に仕事の内容をよく説明する
lift [raise] a hand
ちょっとした労を取る
lift one's hand
片手を上げて宣誓する
lift [raise] a [one's] hand against [to] ...
…に向かって手を振り上げる、攻撃する、殴りかかる、おどす
lift (up) one's hands
両手を上げて祈る
【参考】
▽青空文庫
