第20話 THE FROGS AND THE FIGHTING BULLS. 難易度:★ 敗北

本文

A FROG one day peeping out of a lake, saw two Bulls fighting at some distance off in the meadow. Calling to his companions, "My dear friends," said he, "whatever will become of us?" "Why, what are you frightened at?" asked one of the Frogs; "what can their quarrels have to do with us? They are only fighting which shall be master of the herd." "True," answered the first, "and it is just that which causes my fear, for the one that is beaten will take refuge here in the marshes, and will tread us to death." And so it happened; and many a Frog, in dying, had sore proof that the fears which he had thought to be groundless were not so in fact.

・A FROG one day peeping out of a lake, saw two Bulls fighting at some distance off in the meadow.

peep out of Oから覗いている、見えている

meadow草地,川辺の低湿地

・Calling to his companions, "My dear friends," said he, "whatever will become of us ?"

What become of Oどうなると思う？

call to Oに声をかける

・"Why, what are you frightened at?" asked one of the Frogs; "what can their quarrels have to do with us? They are only fighting which shall be master of the herd."

be frightened at Oを怖がる

what can their quarrels have to do with usでwhatはhaveの目的語。

元となっている表現はhave something to do with Oと関係がある

a herd群れ

◆shallは「～するものとすべし」とかの命令や指図を表す用法でいいのだろうか。よくわかっていません。

fightは次のようにfight Oを争う　のように他動詞として機能しています。

fight the next general election 次期総選挙を戦う

・"True," answered the first, "and it is just that which causes my fear, for the one that is beaten will take refuge here in the marshes, and will tread us to death."

thatは単に「物事」の意味でthat whichでwhatと同じ意味を表すことがある

wisdomより例を

You should write about that which matters to you. 君は君にとって重要なことを書くべきだ

しかし今回のthatは直前の内容を指していて、分裂文の焦点になっています。

知識に振り回されずに内容を理解することが重要ですね。誤読したので【反省】。

a marsh沼地

take refuge in Oに避難する

tread Oを踏みつける

・And so it happened; and many a Frog, in dying, had sore proof that the fears which he had thought to be groundless were not so in fact.

and soそして、さて

many a frog = many frogs

sore痛み、痛い

have proof that SVが今回は「実感する」の意味でつかわれている

soreがついているため「痛感した」などと訳せばよい

groundless根拠のない

heは最初に疑問を投げかけていたカエル

were not soはwere not groundlessのこと