English Collection

日頃目に付いた覚えたい英単語、慣用句などの表現についてのメモです。

pretty pass

2019年12月27日 | 英語の原書を読む
Anthony Horowitz の "The House of Silk" からの引用です。
We left her sitting in misery and Lestrade took his leave. 'I'm sure we'll run into each other again, Mr. Holmes,' he said. 'And if you need me, you know where to find me.'
'If I should ever find myself in need of Inspector Lestrade,' Holmes muttered after he had gone, 'then things will have come to a pretty pass. But let us step into the alleyway, Watson. My case is complete and yet there is still one small point which must be addressed.'
"then things will have come to a pretty pass" の個所ですが、知らない単語はないのにさっぱり意味が分かりません。私の英語の先生(辞書)に相談します。
"pass" の項に次の説明がありました。
・Oxford English Dictionary: A state or situation of a specified, usually undesirable, nature.: If this was what was being taught these days in colleges things had come to a pretty pass.
・Collins Dictionary: a state of affairs or condition, esp a bad or difficult one (esp in the phrase a pretty pass)

・Cambridge English Dictionary: a difficult or unpleasant condition: If I'd been aware things had reached such a pass, I'd have told the police.
"pass" にこんな意味があるのですね。 "come to a pretty pass" が慣用句のようなので "come to a pretty pass" で調べると、英国で使われる表現のようです。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Reach a bad or regrettable state of affairs.: Things have come to a pretty pass indeed when the UK's ‘human rights envoy’ disgraces herself and her party by exhibiting such naked racism toward the subjects of colonial rule.
・Cambridge English Dictionary: UK It's come to a pretty pass (= it's a bad situation) when you can't even have a few quiet drinks with some friends.
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