小説を読みながら語彙を増やすということで、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)” を併せて見てきたボキャビルですが、今回が最後となります。
【あらすじ】
温泉へ行くために停車場で汽車を待っている間に、初めて噂の「マドンナ」を見た主人公は、その美しさに目が離せなくなります。
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Hubbard Squash, appearing much awe-struck, said; "Don't mind me, Sir," and whether out of polite reluctance or I don't know what, remained standing.
"You have to wait for a little while before the next train starts; sit down; you'll be tired," I persuaded him again. In fact, I was so sympathetic for him that I wished to have him sit down by me somehow. Then with a "Thank you, Sir," he at last sat down. A fellow like Clown, always fresh, butts in where he is not wanted; or like Porcupine swaggers about with a face which says "Japan would be hard up without me," or like Red Shirt, self-satisfied in the belief of being the wholesaler of gallantry and of cosmetics. Or like Badger who appears to say; "If 'Education' were alive and put on a frockcoat, it would look like me." One and all in one way or other have bravado, but I have never seen any one like this Hubbard Squash, so quiet and resigned, like a doll taken for a ransom. His face is rather swollen but for the Madonna to cast off such a splendid fellow and give preference to Red Shirt, was frivolous beyond my understanding. Put how many dozens of Red Shirt you like together, it will not make one husband of stuff to beat Hubbard Squash.
"Is anything wrong with you? You look quite fatigued," I asked.
"No, I have no particular ailments......."
"That's good. Poor health is the worst thing one can get."
"You appear very strong."
"Yes, I'm thin, but never got sick. That's something I don't like."
Hubbard Squash smiled at my words. Just then I heard some young girlish laughs at the entrance, and incidentally looking that way, I saw a "peach." A beautiful girl, tall, white-skinned, with her head done up in "high-collared" style, was standing with a woman of about forty-five or six, in front of the ticket window. I am not a fellow given to describing a belle, but there was no need to repeat asserting that she was beautiful. I felt as if I had warmed a crystal ball with perfume and held it in my hand. The older woman was shorter, but as she resembled the younger, they might be mother and daughter. The moment I saw them, I forgot all about Hubbard Squash, and was intently gazing at the young beauty. Then I was a bit startled to see Hubbard Squash suddenly get up and start walking slowly toward them. I wondered if she was not the Madonna. The three were courtesying in front of the ticket window, some distance away from me, and I could not hear what they were talking about.
awe-struck 恐れかしこまった
hard up 非常に困る
bravado 虚勢
ransom 身代金
frivolous 浅はかな、軽薄な
ailment （慢性的な軽い）病気
peach 魅力的な女の子
high-collared ハイカラ（ここでは西洋風の婦人の髪形を指す）
belle 美人
夏目漱石による原文はこちら。
＊＊＊ 慣用句を覚えよう ＊＊＊
Face（顔）‐３
set [put] one's face against
…に断固として反抗（反対）する、峻拒する
set one's face to [toward]
…の方に向く、…に志す、…に着手する
stand there with one's bare face hanging out
（なにもせず（言わず）に）ぼうっと（ばかづら下げて）突っ立っている
straighten one's face
真顔になる
stuff one's face
がっついて食う
talk [scream, complain, laugh, work, etc.] till one is blue [black] in the face
際限もなく（疲れはてるまで）無益に話す（わめく、文句を言う、笑う、働くなど）
was someone's [one's] face red
（…だったのには）すっかり困って（とまどって）しまった
wipe [take] the smile [grin] off one's [someone's] face
にやにや笑いをやめる（人にやめさせる）、（急に）まじめになる（させる）
【参考】
▽青空文庫
ボキャビルに参加させていただいた当初から、ずっと日本の小説の英訳を教材として取り上げたいと思っていました。日本独特の表現や文化がどのように英語で言い換えられているかを学ぶことで、逆に直訳やカタカナ表記だけではわかりにくい、英語独特の表現や日本人になじみの薄い事柄を翻訳する時のヒントになるだろうと考えたからです。
残念ながら小説の途中で最終回を迎えることになりましたが、長い間お付き合いいただき、本当にありがとうございました。
