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】
新しい下宿先のお婆さんと話していた主人公は、「マドンナ」が芸者ではなく、うらなり(英語教師)の婚約者だったことを知ります。
●----------------------------------------------------------
"Really? You bet! I can't help wanting to get married."
"I should suppose so. Everybody is just like that when young." This remark was a knocker; I could not say anything to that.
"But I'm sure you have a Madam already. I have seen to that with my own eyes."
"Well, they are sharp eyes. How have you seen it?"
"How? Aren't you often worried to death, asking if there's no letter from Tokyo?"
"By Jupiter! This beats me!"
"Hit the mark, haven't I?"
"Well, you probably have."
"But the girls of these days are different from what they used to be and you need a sharp look-out on them. So you'd better be careful."
"Do you mean that my Madam in Tokyo is behaving badly?"
"No, your Madam is all right."
"That makes me feel safe. Then about what shall I be careful?"
"Yours is all right. Though yours is all right......."
"Where is one not all right?"
"Rather many right in this town. You know the daughter of the Toyamas?
"No, I do not."
"You don't know her yet? She is the most beautiful girl about here. She is so beautiful that the teachers in the school call her Madonna. You haven't heard that?
"Ah, the Madonna! I thought it was the name of a geisha."
"No, Sir. Madonna is a foreign word and means a beautiful girl, doesn't it?"
"That may be. I'm surprised."
"Probably the name was given by the teacher of drawing."
"Was it the work of Clown?"
"No, it was given by Professor Yoshikawa."
"Is that Madonna not all right?"
"That Madonna-san is a Madonna not all right."
"What a bore! We haven't any decent woman among those with nicknames from old days. I should suppose the Madonna is not all right."
"Exactly. We have had awful women such as O-Matsu the Devil or Ohyaku the Dakki.
"Does the Madonna belong to that ring?"
"That Madonna-san, you know, was engaged to Professor Koga,--who brought you here,--yes, was promised to him."
"Ha, how strange! I never knew our friend Hubbard Squash was a fellow of such gallantry. We can't judge a man by his appearance. I'll be a bit more careful."
By Jupiter! おやまあ、とんでもない
This beats me. これは参った
O-Matsu the Devil 鬼神のお松(越後の笠松峠にいたという女賊)
Ohyaku the Dakki 妲妃のお百(毒婦といわれた江戸時代の女性)
ring 仲間
gallantry 色事、情事(原文では「艶福(のある)」)
夏目漱石による原文は
こちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Heel(かかと)‐2
drag one's heels [feet]
足をひきずって歩く、故意にぐずぐず(のろのろ)する、(協力を)しぶる
have [get] the heels of
…を追い越す、…に勝つ
heel and toe
普通に歩いて
heels foremost
死体となって
kick up one's heels
(自由になって)はねまわる、浮かれる、(仕事のあと)くつろぐ、存分に羽を伸ばす
kick up someone's heels
人を突き倒す、やっつける
lay [clap, set] someone by the heels
人に足かせをかける、監禁(投獄)する、無力にする、動けなくする
make a heel
(足で)ける
【参考】
▽
青空文庫