図書館で「英語で楽しむ寺田寅彦」を見つけました。高校生あるいは大学生の頃だと記憶していますが、寺田寅彦の随筆、そしてその弟子の中谷宇吉郎の随筆を読んで気に入った事を思い出しましたので借りて読むことにしました。取り上げる随筆を選んだのは松下貢氏で、和文英訳は米国人のTom Gally氏です。この本は学生、科学者が寺田寅彦の様に英文で随筆を書く為の参考書にもなっているので訳文の解説が詳しいので直ぐに読み終えてしまいましたが、その中から覚えたいあるいは興味を覚えた表現、単語を幾つかとりあげます。
Even the Japanese spirit, which has been passed down over two millennia, is now, through the efforts of many, being crushed and fed to the dogs of barbarism. No one gives a rat's tooth now for messages from previous generations.
上に出てきた "No one gives a rat's tooth" は日本語の「歯牙にもかけない」を直ぐに連想させる表現ですが、辞書での説明を見ます。
・Urban Dictinary: 'I don't give a rats ass' is a similar phrase to 'I don't give a shit'. This basicaly means that the person who uses these words doesn't care about the circumstance whatsover. Literally,it means the person doesn't care about that situation even to the extent of a rats ass!: What do you expect me to do? I don't give a rats ass about it!
・TheFreeDictionary: not give a rat's ass (rude): to not care at all Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about
"don't give a rat's ass" は品が悪いので "No one gives a rat's tooth" にしたと訳者のTom Gally氏は説明しています。
Even the Japanese spirit, which has been passed down over two millennia, is now, through the efforts of many, being crushed and fed to the dogs of barbarism. No one gives a rat's tooth now for messages from previous generations.
上に出てきた "No one gives a rat's tooth" は日本語の「歯牙にもかけない」を直ぐに連想させる表現ですが、辞書での説明を見ます。
・Urban Dictinary: 'I don't give a rats ass' is a similar phrase to 'I don't give a shit'. This basicaly means that the person who uses these words doesn't care about the circumstance whatsover. Literally,it means the person doesn't care about that situation even to the extent of a rats ass!: What do you expect me to do? I don't give a rats ass about it!
・TheFreeDictionary: not give a rat's ass (rude): to not care at all Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about
"don't give a rat's ass" は品が悪いので "No one gives a rat's tooth" にしたと訳者のTom Gally氏は説明しています。
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