2009/10/11
クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」 ＜第１００号＞
============================================================================= クリストファー・ベルトンの「英語の世界」 第１００号： ０９年１０月１１日 Official Site: http://www.chrisbelton.com/ ============================================================================= ------------------------------------ 目次 ------------------------------------ ☆ What's New? ☆ Belton's Blog ☆ ワン・ポイント英語 － ＜[bet]は日本語でこう言うの＞ ☆ Potluck － ＜イギリスのジョーク＞ ☆ オンライン英字小説 － ＜Koropokkuru: The End of a Colony/Chapter #15＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ What's New? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ 今月のAsahi Weeklyの連載記事は18日に発行されます。 今回のテーマは[Fantasy]です。 ☆ 「多聴多読マガジンVol.17」は11月06日に出版されます。 今回の連載記事のテーマは[The Lost Symbol (by Dan Brown)」 また、連載小説[Gateway to Hell]の第５章が搭載します。 今回は [Chapter Five: The Quest for the Sword]。 ☆ 出版スケジュール： ※ 「語源はドラマだ！」（コスモピア) － １１月末 ※ 「再生者（仮名）」（幻冬舎） － 未定（年末前後） ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ Belton's Blog ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey, this is the 100th edition of the mag! That's a lot of words! Thanks for reading it everybody...! ------------------------------------ Although working from home usually means that there are very few remarkable events to report in a usual week, quite a lot of things happened this past week. First of all, my wife had bought tickets to go and see the Japan Open tennis tournament in Ariake for Friday, and she suddenly realized earlier in the week that she couldn't find them. Unfortunately, she not only lost her own tickets, she also lost the tickets she was holding for her two friends. Panic! We searched around for several hours and basically turned the house upside down, but we still couldn't find them. In the end she decided that the only option was to purchase more tickets, but a check on the Internet showed that they were all sold out. We found the missing tickets eventually (in the drawer where they should have been... :-) and it turned out that the problem was the size of the envelope. For some inexplicable reason she was looking for a small brown envelope, whereas the tickets had arrived in a large white envelope. On Tuesday I traveled up to Tokyo for a meeting. Nothing unusual about that, I guess, but I've been so busy recently that it was the first opportunity to get away from my desk for months, so I quite enjoyed it. It poured with rain, but then it always does when I go up to Tokyo... On Thursday was the typhoon, but I guess nobody wants to be reminded about that. And, today (Saturday) was my grandson's kindergarten sports day. The day started off cloudy, but by lunchtime the sun was shining and very hot! As Liam (my grandson) begins elementary school next spring, it was his last of three sports days at the kindergarten, and he gave this last chance his best shot. His team even won the relay race (and I've got about 100 photographs to prove it... :-) All in all it was a great day, and it's made me realize that I should get away from my computer more often. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ ワン・ポイント英語 ＜[bet]は日本語でこう言うの＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★ [bet]は日本語でこう言うの betという語は一般に、動詞としては「賭ける」、名詞としては 「賭けたもの」「賭け金」の意味で使われます。 - I enjoy betting on horse races. / I enjoy placing bets on horse races. 私は競馬で金を賭けるのが好きだ。 - I bet on that horse, but it lost. / I put a bet on that horse, but it lost. 私はあの馬に金を賭けたが、負けてしまった。 しかし会話では、実際に賭け事をするわけではなくても、「きっと…… になる」という確信を表すのにbetを使うことができます。とてもよく使われる ので、ぜひ覚えておきましょう。 - He bet that I would not pass the examination, but I did. 彼は私が試験に受からないにちがいないと言っていたが、 私は受かった。 - My wife has gone shopping with her friend, so I bet she comes home with a huge pile of packages. 妻は友人とショッピングに出かけた。きっと買った品物を山のように かかえて帰ってくるにちがいない。 - I bet it rains on Saturday. It always does when we arrange a picnic. 土曜日はきっと雨が降る。ピクニックの計画を立てるといつだって必ず 降るのだから。 betとほかの語と組み合わせ、「ぜったい……になる」という確信をさらに 強調することがよくあります。 - bet your bottom dollar 最後に残った金を賭ける - bet your life 命を賭ける このふたつのイディオムは、全財産や命を賭けてもいいほど確実、という 意味です。 - You can bet your bottom dollar that they will be divorced within a year. 彼らが年内に離婚することに、全財産を賭けてもいい。 - I would bet my life that she’ll never learn to speak German fluently. 彼女は決してドイツ語を流暢に話せるようにはならないだろう。命を 賭けたっていい。 このほか、質問への答えとして、“Yes, definitely.”（もちろん）の代わりに 使うこともできます。 - Q: Are you going for a drink after work? 仕事の帰りに飲みにいかない？ A: You bet! もちろん行く！ - Q: Do you want sugar and milk in your coffee? コーヒーに砂糖とミルクを入れますか。 A: You bet! もちろん！ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ Potluck － ＜イギリスのジョーク＞ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★ イギリスのジョーク ☆ Literal Thinking Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine they were exhausted and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." "What does that tell you, Watson, old friend?" Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that the lord is all- powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have, a beautiful day tomorrow. Why, what does it tell you?" Holmes was silent for a minute, and then spoke. "What it tells me, Watson, is that somebody has stolen our tent." シャーロック・ホームズとワトソンが一緒にキャンプに出かけた。ワイン を飲みながらおいしい食事をしたあと、疲れたふたりは寝ることにして テントに入った。数時間後、ホームズは目を覚まし、忠実な友を 突っついた。「ワトソン君、空を見上げ、何が見えるか聞かせてくれ」 「それはそれは数え切れないほどの星が見えます」「ワトソン君、君に とってそれは何を意味するのかね？」ワトソンは一瞬考えこんで答えた。 「天文学的にいえば、何百万もの銀河、潜在的に何十億もの惑星が あるということです。占星術的にいえば、土星が獅子宮にあります。 時間についていえば、今は三時十五分頃ではないかと思われます。 神学的にいえば、主は全能であり、わたしたちは取るに足らない小さな 存在にすぎません。気象学的にいえば、あすはよく晴れるでしょう。 そしてあなたにとっては、これは何を意味するのですか」ホームズは しばし沈黙し、そして言った。「つまりこれはだね、誰かがわれわれの テントを盗んだということだ」 ☆ A Long Way from Home Mr. Jones visited his doctor to say that his marriage was on the rocks owing to a recent bout of impotence. The doctor examined him and told him that his problem was a lack of exercise. “Now, I want you to get up early tomorrow morning and run exactly ten miles. No more, no less,” said the doctor. “And then, I want you to run ten miles the next day, and the next day and the next day. Keep this up for one week, and then let me know how things are going.” Exactly one week later, the doctor received a telephone call. “Good morning, Mr. Jones. How are things with you and your wife?” he asked. “How should I know,” replied Mr. Jones, “I’m seventy miles from home.” ジョーンズ氏は医者をたずね、このところのインポテンツのせいで 結婚生活が暗礁に乗り上げていると言った。医者は彼を診察し、 問題は運動不足にあると言った。「あしたの朝早く起きて、きっちり 十マイル走りなさい。それより多くても少なくてもいけませんよ」と 医者は言った。「そして次の日も十マイル。次の日も、また次の 日も。一週間続けたら、結果を知らせてください」そのちょうど 一週間後、医者は電話を受けた。「おはよう、ジョーンズさん。 あなたと奥さんの状況はいかがですか」と医者はたずねた。 「そんなの知るわけないだろ」とジョーンズ氏は答えた。「おれは 家から七十マイルも離れたところにいるんだから」 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆ オンライン英字小説 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ★★★★ Koropokkuru: The End of a Colony ★★★★ (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！ 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。 --------------------- あらすじ ---------------------- 今井幸樹と千秋は双子で、年齢は１１歳。二人は北海道の中央部に位置 する大きな農場に住んでいる。残念なことに、農場は大き過ぎて一人では 手に負えなくなり、父親は売る決心をした。物件が売れたらすぐに、札幌 へ移り、ラーメン店を始めるつもりでいる。今のところ、購入希望者は、その 土地にホテルを建設することを計画している不動産開発業者のみである。 取引が成立するのを待っている間、幸樹と千秋の父親は全ての作物を 作ることを止めてしまった。夏には、畑一面にトウモロコシやジャガイモ、 その他の野菜などが実っているのに、今年の夏は、地面を覆っているの は雑草だけになってしまった。 幸樹と千秋は農場の生活が気に入っていて、引越たくないと思っている。 そして、農場に住んでいるのは自分たちだけではないことを発見し、そこ を離れたくないという決心をさらに強くしたのだった。農場は、コロポックル という小さな生き物の居留地でもあり、彼らは蕗のとうの葉の下に巣を作り 住んでいる。農場で食物を作らなくなってしまったため、コロポックル達は お腹を空かし、幸樹と千秋に助けを求める。ホテルが建ってしまったら、 彼らは行く場を失い、居留地は破壊されてしまうことになる。 幸樹と千秋はホテルの建設を阻止し、彼らを救えるのか．．．？ --------------------------------------------------- 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/0000251837/20090706103319000.html ----- Koropokkuru: The End of a Colony ----- Chapter Fifteen The Secret Tunnel Just as the sun was sinking behind the mountains in the west and long fingers of darkness were creeping toward the farmhouse, Koki and Chiaki heard a small grating noise coming from outside their window. They both turned their heads just in time to see the round head and large eyes of Yup, which were open even wider than usual, as he disappeared from sight. Two quick bumps on the slanted roof outside the window could be heard together with a small yelp. Koki and Chiaki shook their heads and raised their eyes to the ceiling. They were getting used to Yup’s clumsiness. They hurried over to the window and quickly opened it. Outside, Yup was sitting on the slanted roof with a dazed expression on his face and Tresi was standing over him admonishingly with her hands on her hips. Hearing the window open, Trusi turned to them and, holding a finger over her lips, beckoned them out onto the roof with her other hand. ‘Do you think we should?’ asked Chiaki of Koki. ‘Papa will be furious if he finds out.’ Koki thought for a moment, but the sight of the two tiny Koropokkuru eagerly beckoning them from the roof was too much for him. ‘He’ll never find out,’ he said with a grin. ‘Come on! Just for a few minutes.’ As they stepped out on the roof, Tresi and Yup moved over to the edge, jumped across to the bough of a tree and slithered down to the ground. Realizing that this expedition was going to take more than a few minutes, the two children followed the Koropokkuru down to the ground with ease, for they had been using the tree for the same purpose for several years. Having reached the ground, they ran after Tresi and Yup, who were heading for the woods. They entered from a different point to where the butterbur leaves were located and penetrated deeper than Koki and Chiaki had ever been before. A few moments later they came to a huge oak tree. The Koropokkuri ran around the back and, as if by magic, suddenly disap- peared. Koki and Chiaki looked around in surprise, but a small noise coming from ground level caused them to turn their attention to the large tree roots. They pushed aside some ferns and saw a relatively large hole running down through the roots and into the ground. They looked inside and saw a light a few meters below. Nipa was standing at the bottom of some rough-hewn steps holding a torch, gesturing to them to descend the steps. Exchanging a glance of anxiety, the two children gingerly began to walk down the steps. When they arrived at the bottom, Nipa greeted them with a big grin. Beside him stood Tresi and Yup. ‘Thank you for coming,’ said Nipa with a slight bow. ‘There is something I want to show you. Follow me.’ The three Koropokkuru turned and began to walk into the dark depths of a tunnel that led from the bottom of the steps. Having come this far, both Koki and Chiaki were too intrigued to refuse the offer, so they cautiously followed along the dark, narrow tunnel that was more suited to the height of the tiny Koropokkuru than human children. Crouched over most of the way, the two children followed, and followed, and followed, but the tunnel never seemed to end. After they had been underground for what seemed like ages, Nipa suddenly halted, pressed a finger to his lips and pointed to another set of steps that led up to the surface. Not knowing what to expect and not able to ask, Koki and Chiaki began to climb the steps. ＜Chapter #16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・ベルトンをTwitterでトラッキングもできます。 http://www.twitter.com/beltonwriter/ ============================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
