MORTALITY(2)

  mortalityは2014/08/19のGetUpEnglishで学習したように「死亡者数、死亡率」の意味でも使われるが、「死ぬべき運命[性質]」の意味でも使われる。 　

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/getupenglish/e/74a58d730cbd0b772fac000808cb7a27

　今日のGetUpEnglishではこの表現のこの意味の使い方を学習する。

〇Practical Example

  "I am of an age when I begin to notice signs of mortality in myself."

「生あるものの運命のきざしを自分自身に認めはじめる年齢だ」

●Extra Point

  もう一例。現在公開中の映画『ベストセラー　編集者パーキンズに捧ぐ』（Genius）で、Maxwell PerkinsとThomas Wolfeの関係が話題になっているが、ウルフがパーキンズにあてた手紙に、このmortalityが使われている。

◎Extra Example

  — I’ve made a long voyage and been to a strange country, and I’ve seen the dark man very close; and I don’t think I was too much afraid of him, but so much of mortality still clings to me —

　「――わたしは長い旅をし、見知らぬ国へ行きました。そして暗黒の人をすぐ近くで見ました。彼がおそろしいと感じたわけではありませんが、それ以来、人間は死すべきものだという思いに取りつかれています」

   ウルフのパーキンズへの最後の手紙は非常に美しい……

On Aug. 12, 1938, Thomas Wolfe wrote:

Dear Max: I’m sneaking this against orders — but “I’ve got a hunch” — and I wanted to write these words to you.

— I’ve made a long voyage and been to a strange country, and I’ve seen the dark man very close; and I don’t think I was too much afraid of him, but so much of mortality still clings to me — I wanted most desperately to live and still do, and I thought about you all a 1000 times, and wanted to see you all again, and there was the impossible anguish and regret of all the work I had not done, of all the work I had to do — and I know now I’m just a grain of dust, and I feel as if a great window has been opened on life I did not know about before — and if I come through this I hope to God I am a better an, and in some strange way I can’t explain I know I am a deeper and wiser one — If I get on my feet and out of here, it will be months before I head back, but if I get on my feet, I’ll come back.

— Whatever happens — I had this “hunch” and wanted to write you and tell you, no matter what happens or has happened, I shall always think of you and feel about you the way it was that 4th of July 3 yrs. ago when you met me at the boat, and we went out on the cafe on the river and had a drink and later went on top of the tall building and all the strangeness and the glory and the power of life and the city were below — Yours Always,

Tom