2009/06/07
クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」 ＜第８２号＞
============================================================================= クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」 第８２号： ０９年０６月０７日 Official Site: http://www.chrisbelton.com/ ============================================================================= ------------------------------------ 目次 ------------------------------------ ☆ What's New? ☆ Belton's Blog ☆ ワン・ポイント英語 − ＜馬の比喩＞ ☆ Potluck − ＜アイリッシュ・ジョーク＞ ☆ オンライン英字小説 − ＜The Stoning of Hazelbury: Part XXXXI＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ What's New? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ 今月のAsahi Weeklyの連載記事は２１日に発行されます。 今回のテーマは[Police Procedurals]です。 ☆ 「多聴多読マガジンVol.15」は07月06日に出版。今回の連載記事の テーマは[My Stroke of Insight (by Jill Bolte Taylor )] 。 また、連載小説[Gateway to Hell]の第２章が搭載します。 今回は [Chapter Three: Sanctuary and Insight]です。 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ Belton's Blog ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- My son's art event went off very well last week and a good time was had by all. During these events he often gets approached by a lot of people, sometimes with business propositions, and he received a proposition last week that really surprised me. He was approached by a publisher and asked to write a book...!!! Isn't that amazing? I spent many years writing novels and essays and sending them off to publishers, but all were either ignored or rejected. It wasn't until 25 years after I had sent out my first proposal that I was offered a contract and managed to publish my first book. Jamie, on the other hand, has never even thought of writing a book in his life, and yet here he is with a book contract in his hand...:-) But, that'll mean two writers under the same roof. I wonder how my wife will cope with that... ---------------------------------------- The biggest event of the week for me was: I got my hair cut... I haven't been to the barber since last October, so my hair was laying on my shoulders and making me look like a refugee from the 1970s. This is not unusual, however. I dislike the barbers because it consumes one hour of my time, and I'd rather be doing something else. I therefore usually only get my hair cut twice a year at the most, which means for at least a quarter (probably more) of every year I look really scruffy. Right, it's now time for the ladies' finals at the French Open, so I've got to send this off. See you all next week... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ ワン・ポイント英語 ＜馬の比喩＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★ 馬の比喩 ☆ dark horse 隠れた能力や予想外の実力を持っている人を指して使います。この フレーズの起源は19世紀。もともとは、それまでの記録がほとんど 注目されていなかったのに、競馬のレースで好成績をあげる馬のこと。 - I had no idea that he could play the trumpet so well. He’s a real dark horse. 彼がこれほどトランペットがうまいとは知らなかった。まさに隠れた天才だ。 - Displaying his courage in proposing to her, Gerald showed himself up as a real dark horse. 彼女へのプロポーズで見せた勇気によって、ジェラルドの思いがけない 性格が明らかになった。 ☆ eat like a horse / eat a horse eat like a horseは馬のように「大食いをする」、eat a horseは馬が 食べられるほど「腹がすいている」ことを示します。 - It is strange that she should remain so slim, considering that she eats like a horse. 彼女は大食いなのに、あんなにスリムでいられるとは不思議だ。 - He always eats like a horse after playing a round of golf. 彼はゴルフのあと、いつもたくさん食べる。 - I am so hungry I could eat a horse. 腹が減った。いくらだって食べられそうだ。 - I hope they have enough food at this party. I could eat a horse. パーティで食べ物がたくさん出るといいけど。すごくお腹がすいているから。 ☆ from the horse’s mouth 確かな筋から入った情報なので疑いの余地はない、というときに使う フレーズ。馬券を買いにきた人に、自分の情報は馬から直接聞いた ことなのでまちがいはないと保証する馬券屋のせりふに由来します。 - The price of shares in that company will take a dive soon, and that’s straight from the horse’s mouth. あの会社の株価はまもなく暴落するだろう。これは信頼できる筋から の情報なのでまちがいない。 - I heard that she will be getting married this year, and that’s straight from the horse’s mouth. 彼女は今年、結婚するらしい。これは確かな筋から聞いたことだ。 ☆ hold your horses 「心を落ち着かせる」「はやる気持ちを抑える」の意味。馬の速度を 落とすために手綱を引くことから。 - Hold your horses, otherwise we will arrive too early. 急ぐことはない。早く着きすぎてしまうよ。 - I suggest you hold your horses before jumping to mistaken conclusions. まちがった結論に飛びつく前に、心を落ち着けるといい。 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ Potluck − ＜アイリッシュ・ジョーク＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★ アイリッシュ・ジョーク ☆ Mistaken Identity A ventriloquist was on stage one day doing his repertoire of Irish jokes, when an Irishman in the front row of the audience stood up and shouted, “Will you stop telling Irish jokes. We are not all stupid, and I resent the implication that we are.” The ventriloquist was immediately remorseful and was apologizing profusely when the Irishman interrupted him: “I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to that little fellow on your lap!” ある日、腹話術師がステージでアイルランド人を笑い者にしたジョーク を披露していると、観客席の前列にいたアイルランド人が立ち上がって 叫んだ。「おい、アイルランド人をばかにするのはやめてくれ。おれたち みんながばかってわけじゃない。まるでそうだと言わんばかりだ。頭に 来るぜ」 腹話術師はすぐに態度を改め、さかんに謝りだした。するとアイルランド人 がさえぎった。「おれはあんたに言ってるんじゃない。あんたの膝の上に いるそのチビ野郎に言ってるんだ！」 ☆ Drinking to Forget An Irishman's been drinking at a pub all night. When he stands up to leave, he falls flat on his face. He tries to stand one more time, but to no avail. Again, he falls flat on his face. He decides to crawl outside and get some fresh air in the hope that it will sober him up. Once outside, he stands up and, sure enough, he falls flat on his face. The Irishman decides to crawl the four blocks to his home. When he arrives at the door, he stands up and falls flat on his face. He crawls through the door into his bedroom. When he reaches his bed, he tries one more time to stand up. This time, he manages to pull himself upright and he quickly falls right into bed. He is sound asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. He awakens the next morning to his wife standing over him, shouting, "So, you've been out drinking again!" "Why do you say that?" he asks innocently. "The pub called. You left your wheelchair there again." あるアイルランド人が一晩じゅうパブで酒を飲んでいた。帰ろうとして立ち 上がると、彼は顔から床に倒れてしまった。もう一度立とうとしたが無駄で、 また倒れてしまった。そこで、這って外に出ることにした。外の新鮮な空気 を吸えばすっきりするだろうと思ったのだ。外には出たものの、立ち上がった とたん、やはり倒れてしまった。彼は家までの四ブロックを這って進むこと にした。玄関にたどり着き、立ち上がってみたが、また倒れてしまった。彼は 這ったまま玄関を抜け、寝室まで進んでいった。ベッドにたどり着いたとき、 もう一度立ち上がってみようとした。今回はなんとかまっすぐに立つことが でき、彼はすぐさまベッドに倒れこんだ。そして枕に頭をのせるや否や、 ぐっすり眠りについた。翌朝、目が覚めると、妻が立ちはだかっていた。 「またパブで飲んでいたのね！」「え？ なんのことだ？」と、彼はしらばっく れて言った。「パブから電話があったのよ。またあそこに車椅子を置き 忘れてきたんだってね」 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ オンライン英字小説 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★★★★ The Stoning of Hazelbury (by Christopher Belton) ★★★★ 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 Stoning of Hazelburyは出版されていないオリジナル小説です。 毎週ワン・チャプターづつ発行しますので、是非是非最後まで読んでみて ください。 途中からの方はバック・ナンバーでキャッチアップできます。 Part Iはこちらへ： http://archive.mag2.com/0000251837/20080831060000000.html ----- The Stoning of Hazelbury: Part XXXXI ----- Alexander Philip Walters’ face was constructed along the lines of a battleship and contained most of the main features of that formidable man-of-war. The squareness of the jaw reminded one of the stern and the great slice of nose the bows. His nostrils took on the appearance of the barrels of devastating cannons, and his small, beady eyes the portholes. Traveling up until one arrived at the tundra of his bald head, the smoothness of a rivetless hull would suggest itself. “Well, you see, Mr. Walters, some of the boys were a little off color, and…” “I don’t give a damn about what color they were. I employ you in this school to take care of physical exercise, and that includes soccer. If you are expecting me to believe that those boys today exercised themselves physically, then you’re expecting too much.” He stood up and walked over to the window. Stone noticed the back of his head turning a slight shade of pink in his emotion. “Hazelbury! Huh, Hazelbury!” he spat out, “Three-one to Hazelbury! I can’t believe it. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would be more inclined to believe that concrete is a derivative of Devonshire cream. You have failed me, Stone. You have made this school the laughing stock of all Hampshire. What have you got to say for yourself?” Stone examined his shoes with suitable humility. He didn’t really have much to say, but he knew the headmaster was expecting a word or two of apology and decided that the quicker he gave them the quicker he would be able to leave the room. “I am truly sorry, Mr. Walters. It won’t happen again. I can assure you that we will win the next match, for I will start on the boys from Monday and bring them up to scratch before we…” A knock on the door interrupted Stone, and Mr. Walters barked out a brief, “Come in!” A small wizened man with sloping shoulders entered, and Stone froze as he noticed clutched in his hand a photograph from an instant camera. He suddenly felt a desire to be elsewhere as the print caught the light and he recognized himself grappling with Gretel. “Yes, Brooks? What is it?” inquired Mr. Walters. He said it rather sharply, for he was not pleased at the interruption. Brooks, the gardener, glanced over at Jerry Stone and an evil smile turned up the corners of his mouth. He was not a member of Stone’s fan club, for the games coach had, on more than one occasion, used foul language in his presence because he had complained of balls damaging his blooms. “I found this ‘ere photygraph in the second changing room, Mr. Walters, sorr, and thought you’d be interested in passing your eyes across it, seeing as your daughter be in it, loike.” ＜Part XXXXII は来週につづく＞ (C) Christopher Belton, all rights reserved ============================================================================= 発行者の紹介 ------------ 発行者はイギリス人作家クリストファー・ベルトンです。『「ハリーポッター」が 英語で楽しく読める本』シリーズをはじめ、TOEIC、英検、英会話、多読、 ライティングなどの数多くの英語教材を出版する傍ら、海外では小説家として 知られているプロ・ライターです。 オフィシャル・サイトは下記のURLにて、是非アクセスしてみてください。 http://www.chrisbelton.com/ ============================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
