イギリスの小説家の"James Ｈａｒｒｉｏｔ"氏の小説を少しずつ読み解いていきます。
〇 前回の演習問題 "break in ..." を使った文の英訳です。
〇 彼はその仕事は初めてで、慣れてもらわないといけませんね。
He is new to the job, and we have to break him in.
〇 そのスピーカーは10日くらい使って慣らす必要があります。
We need to use the speakers for ten days or so to break them in.
〇 本文を読み進めましょう！
James Herriot's Dog Stories
But there was not a word about such things in my text book of the thirties.
They hadn’t been invented.
Instead, as I turn the pages, gently lifting the many pressed flowers my little daughter placed in there thirty years ago, I find an almost endless list of medicaments which are never used now.
The Alkalies, the Metals, the Non-metallic Elements, the Acids, Carbon
and its Compounds, the Vegetable Kingdom and, in each group, a frightening catalogue of individual drugs with their Latin names, then a description of
their actions on the horse, then on cattle, then on sheep and pigs and
finally on dogs.
Doctors of humans have to learn only one dosage rate for their patients,
but a vet has to know five.
And the order of importance is there to see in my ancient book, the same depressing litany. Horse, ox, sheep, pig, dog.
But there was nothing depressing in the general ambience of the College.
Instead, there was a glorious insouciance.
Nobody seemed to mind whether we attended lectures or not.
It was pretty well left to us to decide.
Many preferred to play cards on the grand piano and if they did go to
a class they took their game with them.
At times it was difficult to hear the droning of the old professors for
the chink of coins at the back.
本文の解説
But there was not a word about such things in my text book of the thirties.
They hadn’t been invented.
1930年代の私の教科書にはそんなこと一言も書いてありませんでした。
発明されてもいませんでしたから。
Instead, as I turn the pages, gently lifting the many pressed flowers
my little daughter placed in there thirty years ago, I find an almost endless
list of medicaments which are never used now.
medicaments
それどころか、30年前本に娘が挟んでおいてくれた押し花をそっと持ち上げながら
教科書のページをめくれば、今日では使用されていない薬剤のリストが切りがないほど
載っています。
The Alkalies, the Metals, the Non-metallic Elements, the Acids, Carbon
and its Compounds, the Vegetable Kingdom and, in each group, a frightening catalogue of individual drugs with their Latin names, then a description of
their actions on the horse, then on cattle, then on sheep and pigs and
finally on dogs.
アルカリ、金属、非金属元素、酸、炭素、その化合物、植物界、そして、それぞれの
グループにラテン語の名前が付いた個々の薬品の恐ろしいほどのリスト、
それに、その薬品の馬や、牛、また羊に、豚、最後に犬に対する作用の記述
等々。
Doctors of humans have to learn only one dosage rate for their patients,
but a vet has to know five.
人間を診る医者は患者の薬の服用量の割合を一つだけ覚えればいいのでしょうが、
獣医は五つも知っておかなければならないんです。
And the order of importance is there to see in my ancient book, the same depressing litany. Horse, ox, sheep, pig, dog.
litany = a long list of problems, excuses etc used to show disapproval
不容認を表す長いリスト
重要度の順位は、私の古めかしい本では、それと同様に気が滅入るような
リストー馬、雄牛、羊、豚、犬が並んでいます。
But there was nothing depressing in the general ambience of the College.
Instead, there was a glorious insouciance.
ambience = qualities and character of a particular place and the way
these make you feel 雰囲気
insouciance =a cheerful feeling of not caring or worrying about anything
気楽さ、堂々とした
しかし、大学全体の雰囲気は、別に気が滅入ることはなく、
それどころか、輝かしく堂々としたところがありました。
Nobody seemed to mind whether we attended lectures or not.
It was pretty well left to us to decide.
そ学生が講義に出席するかどうかなど誰も気にしていない様子でした。
出席するかどうかは、自分達次第だということでした。
Many preferred to play cards on the grand piano and if they did go to
a class they took their game with them.
多くの学生はグランドピアノの上でトランプをするのを好み、
授業に出席するとしても、トランプを持って教室に行きました。
At times it was difficult to hear the droning of the old professors for
the chink of coins at the back.
drone = make a low, continuous voice
chink = high ringing sound made by metal or glass objects hitting
each other
時々教室の後ろの方でコインのチャリンチャリンいう音がして、教授達のブツブツいう
講義の声が聞き取りにくいこともありました。
〇 演習課題
文中に出てきました"It is left to ... to decide ..." を使う練習をしましょう。
「～かどうか決めるのは、...に任されています」
cf. It is up to ... to decide ... も同じような意味で使われます。
例
It is left to you to decide what to do today.
今日何をするかは、貴方次第です。
It is left to you to decide where to get together.
集合場所はどこにするかは、貴方次第です。
次の和文を英訳しましょう。
〇 いつ始めるかは、貴方次第です。
〇 次に何をするか決めるのは、貴方次第です。
〇 次回に解答します。
