年金制度改革を目指すサルゴジ大統領の人気低迷を報じたSarkozy Under Pressure as French Strikes ContinueというTIME誌の記事の２頁目、結論部分に以下のようなくだりがあります。
True, polls indicate that were the election held today, Sarkozy would lose to either Socialist Party leader Marine Aubry or Dominique Strauss-Kahn, now head of the International Monetary Fund and once a leading Socialist minister. On the right, he might be challenged by his archenemy, Dominique de Villepin, Prime Minister under Chirac. But it isn't in Sarkozy's makeup to back down.
（中略）
On the other hand, for all the things that the French say they don't like about him today, Sarkozy has shown himself to be a formidable political talent. It's way too early to write him off.
makeupの意味は「性質」、write him offの意味は、あきらめる、ここでは「（サルゴジ大統領を）死に体と見なす」くらいの意味になります。makeup「化粧」、write off「帳消しにする」という意味も辞書に出ていて、前者は日本語化しています。ただこの文脈には全然合いません。大切なのは知っている意味を強引に文脈に合わせるのではなく、文脈に合った自然な意味を推測してから辞書で確認することです。
多義語の意味を推測するのは未知語の意味を推測するよりも難しいことがあります。なぜならば、既知の意味のイメージが邪魔になって文脈にあった意味を想像できないことがあるからです。その意味で、「一語一義主義」と呼ばれる受験英語の流儀は非常に弊害の多い学習法です。ネイティブの書いた英文には多義語が頻出する以上、早い段階から多義語への対応力を養成する必要があります。 年金制度改革を目指すサルゴジ大統領の人気低迷を報じたSarkozy Under Pressure as French Strikes ContinueというTIME誌の記事の２頁目、結論部分に以下のようなくだりがあります。
True, polls indicate that were the election held today, Sarkozy would lose to either Socialist Party leader Marine Aubry or Dominique Strauss-Kahn, now head of the International Monetary Fund and once a leading Socialist minister. On the right, he might be challenged by his archenemy, Dominique de Villepin, Prime Minister under Chirac. But it isn't in Sarkozy's makeup to back down.
（中略）
On the other hand, for all the things that the French say they don't like about him today, Sarkozy has shown himself to be a formidable political talent. It's way too early to write him off.
makeupとwrite him offの意味がおわかりでしょうか？解説は次回。全文が長いので思考時間の目安は２０分としてみます。
Just as the U.S. struggled throughout the 19th century to resolve its contradictions, so will China in coming years. It needs both tighter regulation of the economy and looser control of society, and while the Chinese have ever greater choices to make and spend money, they still do not have sufficient say about how they are governed.
The analogy outlined here is far from perfect. But imperfect historical analogies have value — if they help us see the present in a new light.
Just as the U.S. struggled throughout the 19th century to resolve its contradictions, so will China in coming years. It needs both tighter regulation of the economy and looser control of society, and while the Chinese have ever greater choices to make and spend money, they still do not have sufficient say about how they are governed.
The analogy outlined here is far from perfect. But imperfect historical analogies have value — if they help us see the present in a new light.
①They meet twice a year to address challenges that affect the global economy.
②Obama lived in the Southeast Asian island nation for four years as a child. "Let me begin with a simple statement: Indonesia is part of me," the President said in the native language as he addressed the cheering crowd.
③He urged the Islamic world to stand united with the U.S. against terrorist acts committed by Muslim extremists.
④"We can be defined by our differences and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust . . . or commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress."
①のaddressの意味は「取り組む」、②のaddressの意味は「話しかける」です。これは基本的にして重要な多義語ですので大学受験であれTOEICであれ英検であれしっかり押さえておきたいところです。
③のcommitは「（罪などを）犯す」の意味で、④のcommitに関しては、 ロングマンオンラインの定義と用例を引用します。 (引用開始）
4 say you will do something[intransitive and transitive] to say that someone will definitely do something or must do something
（中略）
commit yourself to (doing) something
The banks have committed themselves to boosting profits by slashing costs.
（引用終了）
①They meet twice a year to address challenges that affect the global economy.
②Obama lived in the Southeast Asian island nation for four years as a child. "Let me begin with a simple statement: Indonesia is part of me," the President said in the native language as he addressed the cheering crowd.
③He urged the Islamic world to stand united with the U.S. against terrorist acts committed by Muslim extremists.
④"We can be defined by our differences and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust . . . or commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress."
While we're too aware of how regularly — and speedily — bold forecasts about China are proved wrong to offer one of our own, our research into 19th century America and contemporary China, respectively, leads us to flag a third possibility: China could stumble but keep climbing upward, much like the U.S. did about a century and a half ago.
leads us to flagという部分におけるflagの意味は、「〈・・・ということを〉伝える」という研究社新英和大辞典の意味が合います。
英英辞典ではMSNencartaに以下のような定義と用例があります。
3. indicate something: to draw somebody's attention to something
The report flagged items for concern.
While we're too aware of how regularly — and speedily — bold forecasts about China are proved wrong to offer one of our own, our research into 19th century America and contemporary China, respectively, leads us to flag a third possibility: China could stumble but keep climbing upward, much like the U.S. did about a century and a half ago.
leads us to flagという部分におけるflagの意味がおわかりでしょうか？ 記事全体が面白く２０分位かけて味読する価値があります。解説は次回。
