aesopreadingのブログ

Aesop読むよ　日本語下手過ぎて恥ずかしい

今日からRenaat DeclerckのA Comprehensive Descriptive Grammar of Englishを読み始めます。

今日からRenaat DeclerckのA Comprehensive Descriptive Grammar of Englishを読み始めます。

英語版は著者本人が公開されていますので、興味がある方はつぎのURL からどうぞ。

Declerck, Renaat. (1991). A Comprehensive Descriptive Grammar of English.

www.researchgate.net

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES.　難易度:★

本文
A HUNGRY FOX one day saw some tempting Grapes hanging at a good height from the ground. He made many attempts to reach them, but all in vain. Tired out by his failures, he walked off grumbling to himself, "Nasty sour things, I know you are, and not at all fit for a gentle man's eating."
tempting魅力的な
goodは「かなり」の意味
◆but all in vainはbut all attempts were in vainということ。こんなの可能なのでしょうか。
grumbleぶつぶつ文句を言う
nasty嫌な,不潔な
◆おそらくここは補語の前置が起こっていて、You are nasty sour thingsということです。

p.100 THE SOW AND THE WOLF.　難易度:★

本文
A Sow had just farrowed, and lay in the sty with her whole litter of pigs about her. A Wolf who longed for a little. one, but knew not how to come by it, endeavoured to insinuate herself in the good opinion of the mother. "How do you find yourself to-day, Mrs. Sow?" said she. "A little fresh air would certainly do you great good. Now, do go abroad and air yourself a little, and I will with pleasure mind your young ones till you return." Many thanks for your offer," replied the Sow. "I know very well what kind of care you would take of my little ones. If you really wished to be as obliging as you pretend to be, you would not show me your face again."

・A Sow had just farrowed, and lay in the sty with her whole litter of pigs about her.
farrow子供を生む(雌豚が)
sty/staɪ/豚小屋,汚い場所
withは付帯状況のwith
aboutは「Oの周りに」の意味
・A Wolf who longed for a little one, but knew not how to come by it, endeavoured to insinuate herself in the good opinion of the mother.
"knew not how to come by it"は"didn't know how to come by it"と同意の古い表現
例えばシェイクスピアには次の表現がある
"You speak a language that I understand not"「あなたは私の理解できない言葉を話す」
またforget-me-not「忘れ草」という表現もある
endeavour to Vしようと熱心に試みる
insinuate oneself取り入る
of Ｏについての
the motherは他のものとの区別を意識しながら一般論を述べる際に用いられる総称のtheだと思います。
good有益な,もっともな,説得力のある
「母親に関するもっともな意見で」などと訳せばいいでしょうか。◆
・"How do you find yourself to-day, Mrs. Sow?" said she.
howは形容詞でfind youself {t}ということだと思います。「今の自分をどう思いますか？」ということです。
・"A little fresh air would certainly do you great good. Now, do go abroad and air yourself a little, and I will with pleasure mind your young ones till you return."
air Oを換気する「今回は風に当たりなさい」という意味
mind Oの世話をする
・Many thanks for your offer," replied the Sow. "I know very well what kind of care you would take of my little ones. If you really wished to be as obliging as you pretend to be, you would not show me your face again."
obliging親切な
ここは仮定法ですね

第53話　THE FOX AND THE BRAMBLE.　難易度:★

本文
A Fox, hotly pursued by the Hounds, jumped through a hedge, and his feet were sadly torn by a Bramble that grew in the midst. He fell to licking his paws, with many a curse against the Bramble for its unkind treatment. "Softly, softly, good words if you please, Master Rey nard," said the Bramble. "I thought you knew better than to lay hold of one whose nature is to lay hold of others."

・A Fox, hotly pursued by the Hounds, jumped through a hedge, and his feet were sadly torn by a Bramble that grew in the midst.
hotly激しく　
sadly残念ながら
tear Oを裂く
a bramble木苺
grew in the midstはgrew in the midst of the hedgeの意味
・He fell to licking his paws, with many a curse against the Bramble for its unkind treatment.
fall to Oし始める
・"Softly, softly, good words if you please, Master Rey nard," said the Bramble. "I thought you knew better than to lay hold of one whose nature it is to lay hold of others."
if you pleaseもしよろしければ
「キツイ言葉を使わないで」ということ
reynardは狐の名前です
know better than to Vしないだけの分別がある,するほど馬鹿じゃない
lay hold of Oを掴む
I thought you knew better than to lay hold of one whose nature it is to lay hold of others."は"I thought you knew better than to lay hold of one whose nature it is {t} to lay hold of others."
他者を掴むことが特性であるものを掴むほど馬鹿ではないと思っていたということです
上は一般論ですが、me(木苺)に置き換えて表現すると次のようになります。
I thought you knew better than to lay hold of me.
It is my nature to lay hold of others.

第52話 THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL.　難易度:★

THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL.

A Fox was once caught in a trap by his tail, and in order to get away, was forced to leave it behind. Knowing that without a tail he would be a laughing-stock for all his fellows, he resolved to try to induce them to part with theirs. So at the next assembly of Foxes he made a speech on the unprofitableness of tails in general, and the inconvenience of a Fox's tail in particular, adding that he had never felt so easy as since he had given up his own. When he had sat down, a sly old fellow rose, and waving his long brush with a graceful air, said, with a sneer, that if, like the last speaker, he had lost his tail, nothing further would have been needed to convince him ; but till such an accident should happen, he should certainly vote in favour of tails.

・A Fox was once caught in a trap by his tail, and in order to get away, was forced to leave it behind. Knowing that without a tail he would be a laughing-stock for all his fellows, he resolved to try to induce them to part with theirs.
la aughing-stock笑いの種
induce O to Vbするよう仕向ける
part with Oを捨てる
・So at the next assembly of Foxes he made a speech on the unprofitableness of tails in general, and the inconvenience of a Fox's tail in particular, adding that he had never felt so easy as since he had given up his own. 　
unprofitable無益な
in general一般的にー対応してーin particularとりわけ
一般的に尻尾とか無益であり、狐のしっぽに関してはとりわけ不便ということ
easy気楽な
・When he had sat down, a sly old fellow rose, and waving his long brush with a graceful air, said, with a sneer, that if, like the last speaker, he had lost his tail, nothing further would have been needed to convince him ; but till such an accident should happen, he should certainly vote in favour of tails.
slyあくどい、陰険な
a brush尾
a sneer冷笑
till節のshouldは仮定法現在の代用でしょうか。
最後のshouldはshallの意味で意志を表しています
in favour of Oに賛成で

第51話　THE TWO CRABS.　難易度:★

本文
"My dear," called out an old Crab to her daughter one day, "why do you sidle along in that awkward manner? Why don't you go forward like other people?" "Well, mother," answered the young Crab, "it seems to me that I go exactly like you do. Go first and show me how, and I will gladly follow."
sidle/sáɪd(ə)l/ 横歩きする,ゆっくり歩く
awkward不器用な