クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」＜第４号＞ [まぐまぐ！]

2007/12/06

クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」＜第４号＞

=================================================================

             クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」

                   第４号：０７年１２月０６日

           Official Site: http://www.chrisbelton.com/

=================================================================

------------------------------ 目次 -----------------------------

☆ What's New?
☆ 出版スケジュール
☆ クリ坊の英文日記
☆ 今週のスポットライト－＜The Mountain of Adventure (by Enid Blyton)＞
☆ ワン・ポイント英語
☆ オンライン英字小説－＜The Henderson Arrows (by Chris Belton＞

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ What's New?
-----------------------------------------------------------------

★ 『「ハリーポッター」Vol.7が英語で楽しく読める本』
    By Christopher Belton / 訳：渡辺順子

　　好評発売中！！！

　　増刷決定！

　　詳細はこちらへ：
　　http://www.chrisbelton.com/book_har_v7.html

-------------------------

★ 「多聴多読マガジン Vol.6 [冬号]」（コスモピア）は12月6日に発売開始。
    今回の私の連載記事のテーマは[Rita Hayworth and Shawshank
    Redemption (by Stephen King)]。

-------------------------

★ 「SPACE ALC 洋書ガイド2007」公開中

　　リンクはこちらへ：
　　http://www.alc.co.jp/eng/feature/index.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ 出版スケジュール
-----------------------------------------------------------------

★ [Listening Strategies for the TOEIC Test] (アスク) は1月20日に出版。

★ 出版予定日は未定ですが、「新TOEICテストスーパー・トレーニング／
    リスニング編」（研究社）は（多分）来年の春あたりに出版。

★ 「新TOEICテストスーパー・トレーニング／基本暗唱例文５５５」（研究社）
    の出版予定日が大幅遅れて、現在のところでは来年の７月に出版予定
    となりました。

★ 「教養のある人と思われるための英会話集（仮称）」（DHC)は７月に出版。

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ クリ坊の英文日記
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Last Thursday was the 5th anniversary party for CosmoPier, a
publishing company with which I have published twelve books
(including my Harry Potter series.) The party was held on the
54th floor of the Opera City building in Shinjuku, and 170 people
involved in the publishing industry attended. The wine flowed
like water, and it didn't take long for everybody to become friendly.
In fact, I have never seen so many editors, authors and booksellers
looking so relaxed and happy within the same room...:-)

CosmoPier is an amazing publisher. Despite only five years having
passed since its foundation, it has already grown into a formidable
publisher with an enviable track record. From an authors point of
view, it is an extremely easy company to work for. Everybody in
the office is helpful and friendly, and they always make me feel
welcome, even if I drop in unannounced for a cup of coffee when
in the neighborhood.

At the moment I have two more books in the planning stages for
CosmoPier, but I hope I will have many more in the future.

Congratulations on your anniversary, CosmoPier!

And thanks...!!!

                  -----------------------------------

Is it my imagination, or is the entire world moving towards a
culture of "cuteness?" To be perfectly frank, I have never been
comfortable with cuteness. I have nothing against it as a concep,
but I believe that it is the domain of children and should not be
forced upon adults (especially middle-aged men...:-) I find it
extremely embarassing to have to carry a bank book with cute
pictures of Disney characters on it, and I always avoid buying
things in shops that wrap purchases in "cute" paper and place
them in "cute" bags.

I can still clearly remember the look of shock horror on the
face of the counter clerk at KFC a few years ago when I refused
a free gift. At that time they were giving out gifts of mugs
decorated with cute characters to customers who spent more
than a certain amount of money, and the clerk duly announced
that I qualified for this gift and put it in the bag together with
my fried chicken. When I told her "No, thank you," she looked
at me as if I were crazy. I gently explained to her that I was
close to fifty years old and would rather run naked through the
streets than drink out of a cup decorated with Daffy Duck,
but she obviously had trouble understanding my point of view.
In the end I asked her if she would accept the gift on my behalf
as a token of gratitude for the fine service she had provided,
and she immediately cheered up a bit and accepted.

Problem solved...

So, imagine my chagrin to read in the newspaper that Vancouver
had revealed three of the ugliest-looking "cute" creatures I
have ever set eyes on as the mascots for the 2010 Winter
Olympic Games. These three strange-looking oddities are
supposed to have been inspired by Canadian aboriginal myths
and legends, which is a fine thing, but they have been seeped
in this awful concept of "cuteness" which, in my mind, robs them
of every last vestige of dignity.

My heart goes out to the poor people who have to put on these
sickly-sweet Miga, Quatchi and Suma costumes and then walk
around the streets as if they were enjoying it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ 今週のスポットライト－＜The Mountain of Adventure (by Enid Blyton)＞
-----------------------------------------------------------------

★ The Mountain of Adventure
　　Enid Blyton

今週のスポットライトはイギリス人なら誰でも知っているEnid Blytonの
作品、The Mountain of Adventureに照らせたいと思います。

イギリスの子供達にとって、Enid Blytonは欠かせない存在です。The
Famous FiveシリーズやThe Secret SevenシリーズやThe ○○○ of
Adventureシリーズや単独の小説など、７０年以上も子供達を喜ばせた
Enid Blytonの本は実に面白い。

子供の頃に特に気に入ったのはThe ○○○ of Adventureシリーズ
で、その中のThe Mountain of Adventureは２０回以上も読んだこと
があります。

たまたま私のブック・コレクションの中に、1949年に出版した初版の
The Mountain of Adventureが入っていて、暇つぶしの目的で
今週読み直しました。で、驚くほどに子供の時の楽しさと夢が蘇て
きた！！！

チャンスさえあれば、是非読んでもらいたいな、と思って、今週の
スポットライトにこの本を選びました。

子供向きの本とはいえ、舞台はイギリスの西部に位置するウェールズ
なので、表現や言い回しは特徴があり、最初は難しいかもしれません。
しかし、この特徴の大半は文章の最後に下記にリスト・アップした
わけわからない単語を付け加えるのが癖ですから、コツさえ覚えれば
特に問題はないと思います。

- indeed to goodness.

- look you.

- whateffer

また、[s]の発音は[ss]で、[v]の発音は[ff]で強調している場合も多く、
文法の逆順もよく見えます。

- "It iss very welcome you are"
   ("You are very welcome")

- "It iss a big ham I must give him to take back."
   ("I must give him a big ham to take back.")

- "It iss early you are."
   ("You are early.")

他の部分の殆どは標準英語を使っていますが、舞台は1930年代
に設定していますので、時々違和感が感じるかもしれない。たとえば、
英語がわからないウェールズ人が登場したり、飛んでいるヘリコプター
を見てびっくりしたりするとか、「あれっ？」と思わせるような場面は
少なくもない。

しかし、本当に楽しい子供がらみのミステリーですから、読む甲斐が
絶対あると思います。是非試してみてください。

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ ワン・ポイント英語
-----------------------------------------------------------------

★ 「カッコイイ」は英語でこう言うの

　「カッコイイ」を英語で表現する場合、何かが漠然と「カッコイイ」のか、
何か特定のものや概念が「カッコイイ」のかによって、使われる表現が
違ってきます。日本での「カッコイイ」の使い方は、欧米社会でこれに
相当する語を使う場合のニュアンスと同じではないことを、ぜひ覚えて
おきましょう。欧米では、単に大きな家を買ったとか、重要な場での
スピーチを頼まれたとかいう理由で、その人を「カッコイイ」と呼ぶこと
はありません。ふつうこのような場合には、その人の成し遂げたことを
たたえて、“Well done!”（よくやった）、“Congratulations!”（おめでとう）
などの言葉をかけます。

☆ 状況＃１:　よく似合ってるわ

　ジョンは買ってきたばかりの新しいスーツを、家に帰ってさっそく
着てみました。そして居間にいたメアリに見せると、メアリも「カッコイイ
わよ」と言ってくれました。英語では次のように言うでしょう。

- Very nice indeed.　とても素敵じゃない

- Very smart.　すごくかっこいい

- It suits you.　よく似合ってるわ

- You look great.　かっこよく見えるわよ

- That’s a great choice.　いい選択ね

注：こんなときは、着ているスーツについてコメントをすることも、その
スーツを着ている人についてコメントすることもできます。「カッコイイ」
はhandsomeという語によく訳されますが、handsomeは後者の場合
にしか使えないことにご注意。つまりメアリはジョンに “You look very
handsome” と言うことはできても、スーツがhandsomeだと言うことは
できないのです。

☆ 状況＃２:　あの人、カッコいいわね

　メアリと友人はレストランでランチを食べています。隣のテーブル
にすわっている男性はハンサムで身なりがよく、ふたりとも彼を見て
「カッコイイわね」と意見が一致しました。英語ならば次のように
言うでしょう。

- What a handsome-looking man!　なんてハンサムな人なの！

- He is very good-looking.　彼、すごくハンサムね

- What a great-looking guy!　なんてかっこいいの！

- What an attractive guy!　なんて魅力的な男性なの！

注： good-looking、great-looking、attractiveは、男性にも女性
にも使うことができますが、handsome-looking は、一般に男性
にのみ使います。女性にはprettyやbeautifulを使うことが多い
ようです。しかし handsome-looking woman という言い方もない
わけではありません。なんらかのカリスマ性がある中年の女性、
ただしすでにbeautifulと呼ばれる年頃を過ぎた女性をこう呼ぶ
ことがあるのです。そう考えると、若い女性をhandsomeと呼ぶ
のは、少しばかり失礼かもしれませんね。

★ 上記の文は元々 [この日本語、英語ではこう言うの」の原稿に
　　含まれていましたが、スペースの都合によって出版物に載り
　　ませんでした。
　　実際本に載った英語になりにくい日本語の詳細はこちらへ：
　　http://www.chrisbelton.com/eng/book_eng_04.html

★ 異なる内容の「ワン・ポイント英語」はOfficial Siteのトップ・ページに
    毎週月曜日に更新しています。 http://www.chrisbelton.com/

-----------------------------------------------------------------
☆ オンライン英字小説の知らせ
-----------------------------------------------------------------

　　　　　　★★★★★★　今週からスタート　★★★★★★

　　　　メルマガ限定オリジナル作品の「オンライン英字小説」の
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　連載を毎週提供します！

　　　　　　　The Henderson Arrows (by Christopher Belton)

　　The Henderson Arrowsは出版されていないオリジナル・コメディー
　　小説です。

　　書き方はかなりイギリスっぽく、多少難しいかもしれませんが、典型的な
　　イギリスを描写しているストーリーです。

　　毎週毎週ワン・チャプターを部分的に発行しますので、是非是非、
　　最後まで読んでみてください。

               ----- The Henderson Arrows: Part I -----

Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth
does not, as erroneously thought by some of the more jealous
members of the public, hand out knighthoods to every man who
has left British shores for more than a two week package tour
in Torremelinos, and Sir Edward Horseworthy, in receiving his,
had had to stay in the humid sugarcane fields of Malay for a good
thirty years. And now, in the evening of his life, back in England
and comfortable in suburbia, he could still remember the morning
when he had discovered the news of his rise to Debrett’s as
clear as he could remember the time when he had shot out on
one-hundred-and-seventy at the British Embassy’s darts
tournament in the year of the Great Monsoon. He had been
relaxing, he remembered, on the porch of his stucco house
deep in the sugarcane lanes of Pgeeplethingum when a native boy
had burst through the jungle at a run shouting, “Ughinchun mando
phinku blim! Ughinchun mando phinku blim!” Sir Edward--then a
mere Ted--had replied, “Kringo Phut,” grabbed his pith helmet
and then followed the boy on to see the consulate.

The consulate, an old friend of Horseworthy’s and whom on more
than one occasion had partnered him in the New Year doubles
championships, had greeted him cordially and said, in essence,
“Get your carcass back to London, for the Queen, God bless
her, wants to stick you on the knight’s list for slipping it across
the natives.”

Ah, those were the days, he mused, leaning over his great
expanse of stomach to secure a piece of toast between a
dumpy forefinger and an obscene thumb, for we are, in case you
are confused, back in the evening of his life, back in England
and comfortable in suburbia.

Having inserted the toast into his face and munched heartily
with, he would be willing to prove, the original set of teeth that
had accompanied him to Malay, he sucked down some tea and
sat back replete.

On this particular Thursday morning, as on the first Thursday
of every month, there was an air of excitement around Sir
Edward Horseworthy, for it was the day on which his favorite
magazine was delivered to his residence. To say that he
champed at the bit for this literary masterpiece would be a
slight elastication of the truth, for men of Sir Edward Horse-
worthy’s dimensions do not, as a rule, find champing at the
bit an easy thing to do. However, a gleam shone in his eyes
and a ripple worked itself saucily over his body like a gentle
breeze playing over a field of ripe wheat.

He pulled himself ponderously to his feet, walked with an
almost light and airy step over the expanse of Axminster,
out into the hall, across the oak parquet and into the library,
where he closed the door reverently and cast questing eyes
over the warm-smelling room for the journal that, apart from
his collection of Darts Through the Ages, was the only thing
that could soothe away an entire day of indulgent pleasure
without leaving him constipated, bilious or severely gout-
stricken.

Being a late autumn morning, the fire was crackling and
spitting in the grate like a sugarcane plantation’s overseer,
and Sir Edward Horseworthy noted with quiet satisfaction
that Gregg, the butler, had placed the magazine, a box of
Havana cigars, a large ashtray and an extension push-
button-butler-summoner on a table between the fire and
a deep--and oversized--armchair.

Sir Edward eased his frame into the chair--which merely
creaked a little and said ‘whoosh!’ like a chair well used
to abuse--and pressed the butler-summoner with a feeling
of contentment and good will to all men and a few select
females.

“Your coffee, sir,” announced Gregg after a discreet knock
on the door. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

“Certainly not!” answered Sir Edward with the air of a man
who believes there could be nothing else. “And if anything
disturbs me, I shall beat you about the head. Got that?”

Gregg said yes, he had got that, and went back to the
kitchen to continue writing the letter to his brother, a
chauffeur in the employ of a shipping magnate. He wrote
to his brother on the first Thursday of every month, for
it was the only time he knew that his day would not be
disturbed by his employer’s constant use of the butler-
summoner. Butler-summoners, felt Gregg, were the grit
in life’s Vaseline. Especially if the power on the end of
the cord belonged to belligerent fat men who wouldn’t
recognize the word ‘courtesy’ if it jumped up and took a
vicious grip on the flab that concealed their epigloti. Sir
Edward Horseworthy was, in Gregg’s considered opinion,
the thundercloud in a butler’s life, but the first Thursday
of every month was the silver lining. The first Thursday
of every month was, decided Gregg, all right.

＜Part IIは来週につづく＞

-----------------------------------------------------------------

                 クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」

発行者：                   クリストファー・ベルトン
オフィシャル・サイト：   http://www.chrisbelton.com/

発行システム：          『まぐまぐ！』  http://www.mag2.com/
配信中止はこちら：    http://www.mag2.com/m/0000251837.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------