今日の単語もDIPLOMACY Memories & Visions by George Siorisにあったもので、Sioris氏のLATER STAGESの章にありました。
This time in Athens, I found myself dealing with an area generally inexistent in other chancelleries: I became Director of the Department of Religious Affairs.
...
During my time in Athens I was not exclusively charged with ecclesiastical duties. In the spring of 1993, a pleasant B>parenthesis</B> opened: the Crown Prince of Thailand came to Greece on a long formal visit, and as an old Thailand hand, I was "attached to his person".
"<B>parenthesis</B>" は括弧の意味のはずなのに何でこんな所に出てきたのと思いますが、こう言う場合は括弧以外の意味で使われているのに違いありません。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: interlude, interval: regarded her husband's brief fling with a coworker as no more than a <B>parethesis</B> in an otherwise solid marriage
・American Heritage Dictionary: An interruption of continuity; an interval: "This is one of the things I wasn't prepared for the amount of unfilled time, the long <B>parentheses</B> of nothing"
・Oxford English Dictionary: an interlude or interval: the three months of coalition government were a lamentable political <B>parenthesis</B>
なるほど、大抵の人にこの様な時期はありますね。私も二十代の最後の年に、会社から富士山の裾野にあった貿易研修センターに一年弱送り込まれて仕事から解放された事があります。その期間は括弧の中にいたのですね。
つい最近私の住んでいるマンションのエレベータが地震発生の際には最寄の階で停止する（当たり前と思っていましたが）などの機能を持つ新しいタイプに取替えられました。さて、今日のジョークは、緊急時にはエレベーターを使うのは止めましょうという話です。
The boss who was on the 25th floor of the building called up the clerk on the ground floor for an important file.
Since it was rather urgent the boss told the clerk it was an emergency and that he should hurry with the file.
After more than 30 minutes the clerk appears all tired and panting for breath.
The Boss asks him why he was panting and what caused the huge delay. The clerk replies, 'Boss when I went to the lift it said' during an emergency please use the staircase'!!!
The boss who was on the 25th floor of the building called up the clerk on the ground floor for an important file.
Since it was rather urgent the boss told the clerk it was an emergency and that he should hurry with the file.
After more than 30 minutes the clerk appears all tired and panting for breath.
The Boss asks him why he was panting and what caused the huge delay. The clerk replies, 'Boss when I went to the lift it said' during an emergency please use the staircase'!!!
NOCTURNESを読み終えたので次ぎの本が入手できるまで、ASJの総会で頂いたDIPLOMACY Memories & Visions by George Siorisを読んでいます。ギリシャの元駐日大使、Sioris氏の自叙伝のMiddle Periodの一節を引用します。
But I was not to be a witness to the implementation of emergency rule: after three and a half years, a nomadic life pushed me to new horizons. For a while, I was to "betray" my Far Eastern predilections and proceed to the continent of my roots, Europe, and to the country of my youthful yearnings, France!
今日はこの "predilection" を覚えたいと思います。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: an established preference for something: a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales
・Cambridge English Dictionary: a strong liking: Ever since she was a child, she has had a predilection for spicy food.
・V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionaryに次ぎの様な注がありました。
Tips: Predilection comes from pre, "before" and diligere, "choose, love." Therefore, predilection means "first choice or first love." It is a more sophisticated way of denoting preference. Predilection is synonymous with penchant. Predilection is more often used to describe a preference or an affinity for something: "She has a predilection for chocolate." A penchant is more of a habit that others may not like: "A penchant for drama and overreacting."
But I was not to be a witness to the implementation of emergency rule: after three and a half years, a nomadic life pushed me to new horizons. For a while, I was to "betray" my Far Eastern predilections and proceed to the continent of my roots, Europe, and to the country of my youthful yearnings, France!
今日はこの "predilection" を覚えたいと思います。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: an established preference for something: a young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales
・Cambridge English Dictionary: a strong liking: Ever since she was a child, she has had a predilection for spicy food.
・V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionaryに次ぎの様な注がありました。
Tips: Predilection comes from pre, "before" and diligere, "choose, love." Therefore, predilection means "first choice or first love." It is a more sophisticated way of denoting preference. Predilection is synonymous with penchant. Predilection is more often used to describe a preference or an affinity for something: "She has a predilection for chocolate." A penchant is more of a habit that others may not like: "A penchant for drama and overreacting."
Kazuo Ishiguroの短編集、NOCTURNESの最後の短編はCELLISTSですが、そこから取り上げる単語は一つだけです。
NOCTURNESの最初の短編、CROONERと同様に舞台はイタリアの観光地で、観光地のレストランで演奏をしているチェリストと観光に来た米国婦人が主要な登場人物で、しかし語り手はそのどちらでもなく、チェリストの同僚なのが、他のIshiguro作品とは違います。 三十ページ強の話なのでここから取り上げたい単語は話の終わりに近い次ぎの場面にあった一つだけです。 主人公のチェリストは話の舞台である観光地から７年前に去ったのですが、話の語り手である元同僚のチェリストがレストランで演奏中に、客の中に主人公のチェリストがいるのを見つけました。
Until I spotted him in the piazza the other day, I hadn't thought about our young Hungarian maestro for a long time. He wasn't so hard to recognize. He'd put on weight, certainly, and was looking a lot thicker around the neck. And the way he gestured with his finger, calling for a waiter, there was something - maybe I imagined this - something of the impatience, the off-handedness that comes with a certain kind of bitterness.
"off-handedness" とは何でしょう？ 辞書を見ます。 "off-handedness" を見出しにしている辞書は見当たらず、Wordnikに "off-handed" の項目があり、次ぎの注記がありました。
Note that, according to Partridge, off-handed is unnecessary for off-hand; off-handedly is unnecessary for off-hand. These terms may be written as one word.'
とありましたので、今度は "off-hand" で辞書を見ると、
・Vocabulary.com: without preparation: “I don't know the figures off-hand”
・Wordnik: alternative spelling of offhand
そして "offhand" で辞書をもう一度見直すと、今度はほとんどの辞書に掲載されています。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: casual, informal: a relaxed, offhand manner
・Cambridge English Dictionary: not friendly, and showing little interest in other people in a way that seems slightly rude: I hope I didn't appear offhand with her - it's just that I was in such a hurry.
ハイフンの無い "offhandedness" なら次ぎの辞書に載っていました。
・Wiktionary: the property of being offhand : Your offhandedness is completely inappropriate in such an important situation.
NOCTURNESの最初の短編、CROONERと同様に舞台はイタリアの観光地で、観光地のレストランで演奏をしているチェリストと観光に来た米国婦人が主要な登場人物で、しかし語り手はそのどちらでもなく、チェリストの同僚なのが、他のIshiguro作品とは違います。 三十ページ強の話なのでここから取り上げたい単語は話の終わりに近い次ぎの場面にあった一つだけです。 主人公のチェリストは話の舞台である観光地から７年前に去ったのですが、話の語り手である元同僚のチェリストがレストランで演奏中に、客の中に主人公のチェリストがいるのを見つけました。
Until I spotted him in the piazza the other day, I hadn't thought about our young Hungarian maestro for a long time. He wasn't so hard to recognize. He'd put on weight, certainly, and was looking a lot thicker around the neck. And the way he gestured with his finger, calling for a waiter, there was something - maybe I imagined this - something of the impatience, the off-handedness that comes with a certain kind of bitterness.
"off-handedness" とは何でしょう？ 辞書を見ます。 "off-handedness" を見出しにしている辞書は見当たらず、Wordnikに "off-handed" の項目があり、次ぎの注記がありました。
Note that, according to Partridge, off-handed is unnecessary for off-hand; off-handedly is unnecessary for off-hand. These terms may be written as one word.'
とありましたので、今度は "off-hand" で辞書を見ると、
・Vocabulary.com: without preparation: “I don't know the figures off-hand”
・Wordnik: alternative spelling of offhand
そして "offhand" で辞書をもう一度見直すと、今度はほとんどの辞書に掲載されています。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: casual, informal: a relaxed, offhand manner
・Cambridge English Dictionary: not friendly, and showing little interest in other people in a way that seems slightly rude: I hope I didn't appear offhand with her - it's just that I was in such a hurry.
ハイフンの無い "offhandedness" なら次ぎの辞書に載っていました。
・Wiktionary: the property of being offhand : Your offhandedness is completely inappropriate in such an important situation.
Kazuo Ishiguroの短編、NOCTURNEも終わりに近づいてきました。主人公の妻から電話がかかって来ました。事情は込み入っていて、手術を受ける前から二人は別居中でした。 しかも、妻が提案した整形手術の費用は妻が現在付き合っている男性、Prendergastが払う事になっているのです。
We talked a lot of unimportant stuff - what she'd watched on TV, how her friend had stopped by with her baby. Then she said Prendergast was asking for me, and when she said that, there was a noticeable tightening in her voice. And I almost said: 'Hello? Do I detect a note of irritation associated with lover boy's name?' But I didn't. I just said to say hi to him, and she didn't bring him up again. I'd probably imagined it anyway. For all I know, she was just angling for me to say how grateful I was to him.
最後の文に出てきた "angling" ですが、原形の "angle" の意味としては角度に関係する意味と、確か魚を釣る意味があったと思いますが、引用文での意味にはどちらも合わない様なので、辞書を見ます。
・Wiktionary: (informal) (with for) To attempt to subtly persuade someone to offer a desired thing.: He must be angling for a pay rise.
・Dictionary.com: to attempt to get something by sly or artful means; fish: to angle for a compliment.
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: to present (as a news story) from a particular or prejudiced point of view
・Century Dictionary: To try by artful means to catch or win over a person or thing, or to elicit an opinion: commonly with for.
"angle" には「仕向ける」と言う様な意味もあるのですね。色々な辞書を良く見ると、"angle" に角度を付ける、魚を釣るなどの意味と共通な角度があるのが分かり気がします。
We talked a lot of unimportant stuff - what she'd watched on TV, how her friend had stopped by with her baby. Then she said Prendergast was asking for me, and when she said that, there was a noticeable tightening in her voice. And I almost said: 'Hello? Do I detect a note of irritation associated with lover boy's name?' But I didn't. I just said to say hi to him, and she didn't bring him up again. I'd probably imagined it anyway. For all I know, she was just angling for me to say how grateful I was to him.
最後の文に出てきた "angling" ですが、原形の "angle" の意味としては角度に関係する意味と、確か魚を釣る意味があったと思いますが、引用文での意味にはどちらも合わない様なので、辞書を見ます。
・Wiktionary: (informal) (with for) To attempt to subtly persuade someone to offer a desired thing.: He must be angling for a pay rise.
・Dictionary.com: to attempt to get something by sly or artful means; fish: to angle for a compliment.
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: to present (as a news story) from a particular or prejudiced point of view
・Century Dictionary: To try by artful means to catch or win over a person or thing, or to elicit an opinion: commonly with for.
"angle" には「仕向ける」と言う様な意味もあるのですね。色々な辞書を良く見ると、"angle" に角度を付ける、魚を釣るなどの意味と共通な角度があるのが分かり気がします。
私が参加するレースは秋までないので最近は全くジョッギングをしていませんが、私のジョッギングコースの途中にある葛西臨海公園内の水族館から1匹のペンギンが逃げたニュースを聞きました。暇なら探しに行くところですがそんな時間はありません。
さて、Kazuo Ishiguroの短編、NOCTURNEを読んでいます。 主人公の整形手術をした医者はセレブリティが多く利用する医者で、手術後患者は顔の包帯が外せるまで指定の高級ホテルに滞在することになっています。主人公は隣室に滞在しているやはり整形手術を受けたセレブ女性(Lindy)と懇意になりました。治療の薬のせいか二人は寝れない夜にホテル内をうろつき回ります。話は複雑で長くなるので短縮しますと、ホテルで開かれる予定のジャズプレイヤーの授賞式用のトロフィーを、なんとLindyが会場から持ってきてしまいました。 二人でそれを元の場所に返しに行った時に警備員に見つかりそうになり、宴会用のターキーの内側にとっさに隠して一端その場をしのぎましたが、そのままではまずいと考え、その後またターキーからトロフィーを取り出しに戻りました。次ぎの場面は、トロフィーを隠したターキーが見つかったのですが、また誰かが来たので慌てているところです。
I wihispered to Lindy to turn off the flashlight and it went dark. She said in my ear: 'Let's get out of here,' and I could hear her creeping away. I tried again to pull the statuette out of the turkey, but now I was afraid of making noise, and beside, my finger just couldn't get any purchase.
最後に出てきた "purchase" はビジネスで使う "buy" の意味しか知らないので辞書を見るしかありません。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:
A (1): a mechanical hold or advantage applied to the raising or moving of heavy bodies (2): an apparatus or device by which advantage is gained
B (1): an advantage (as a firm hold or position) used in applying one's power (clutching the steering wheel for more purchase) (2): a means of exerting power
Examples: 1.The ice made it impossible for the car's wheels to gain a purchase on the road. 2. The surface was so slick that the wheels couldn't gain purchase.
・Cambridge English Dictionary: a firm hold which allows someone or something to be pulled or lifted without sliding or falling: Dancers use a special powder on their shoes to help them get a better purchase on the floor.
・Wiktionary:
1. (uncountable) Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.: It is hard to get purchase on a nail without a pry bar or hammer.
2. The apparatus, tackle or device by which such mechanical advantage is gained.
3. (rock climbing, uncountable) The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.
"purchase" にこんな意味・用法があるとは、何か大きな買い物をした気がします。
さて、Kazuo Ishiguroの短編、NOCTURNEを読んでいます。 主人公の整形手術をした医者はセレブリティが多く利用する医者で、手術後患者は顔の包帯が外せるまで指定の高級ホテルに滞在することになっています。主人公は隣室に滞在しているやはり整形手術を受けたセレブ女性(Lindy)と懇意になりました。治療の薬のせいか二人は寝れない夜にホテル内をうろつき回ります。話は複雑で長くなるので短縮しますと、ホテルで開かれる予定のジャズプレイヤーの授賞式用のトロフィーを、なんとLindyが会場から持ってきてしまいました。 二人でそれを元の場所に返しに行った時に警備員に見つかりそうになり、宴会用のターキーの内側にとっさに隠して一端その場をしのぎましたが、そのままではまずいと考え、その後またターキーからトロフィーを取り出しに戻りました。次ぎの場面は、トロフィーを隠したターキーが見つかったのですが、また誰かが来たので慌てているところです。
I wihispered to Lindy to turn off the flashlight and it went dark. She said in my ear: 'Let's get out of here,' and I could hear her creeping away. I tried again to pull the statuette out of the turkey, but now I was afraid of making noise, and beside, my finger just couldn't get any purchase.
最後に出てきた "purchase" はビジネスで使う "buy" の意味しか知らないので辞書を見るしかありません。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:
A (1): a mechanical hold or advantage applied to the raising or moving of heavy bodies (2): an apparatus or device by which advantage is gained
B (1): an advantage (as a firm hold or position) used in applying one's power (clutching the steering wheel for more purchase) (2): a means of exerting power
Examples: 1.The ice made it impossible for the car's wheels to gain a purchase on the road. 2. The surface was so slick that the wheels couldn't gain purchase.
・Cambridge English Dictionary: a firm hold which allows someone or something to be pulled or lifted without sliding or falling: Dancers use a special powder on their shoes to help them get a better purchase on the floor.
・Wiktionary:
1. (uncountable) Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.: It is hard to get purchase on a nail without a pry bar or hammer.
2. The apparatus, tackle or device by which such mechanical advantage is gained.
3. (rock climbing, uncountable) The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.
"purchase" にこんな意味・用法があるとは、何か大きな買い物をした気がします。
Kazuo Ishiguroの短編集はNOCTURNESとなっていますが、この４番目の作品名はNOCTURNEとなっています。この作品の主人公はサックスのプレイヤーで、顔の整形手術を受けました。
'What are you, if you're not a jazz player?' he says. But only in my innermost dreams am I still a jazz player. In the real world - when I don't have my face entirely wrapped in bandages the way I do now - I'm just a jobbing tenor man, in reasonable demand for studio work, or when a band's lost their regular guy.
"jobbing tenor man" の "jobbing" の意味を調べます。
・Macmillan Dictionary: a jobbing worker does not have a permanent job and does individual pieces of work for money: a jobbing builder
・Cambridge English Dictionary: a jobbing actor/builder/gardener, etc.: someone who does not work regularly for one person or organization but does small pieces of work for different people
・Collins English Dictionary: working on occasional jobs or by the piece rather than in a regular job ⇒ a jobbing gardener
日本語のサラリーマンと英語の "salaried man" はニュアンスが違うと聞いた事がありますが、この "jobbing worker" に対応する日本語があるのかと思います。 「臨時/日雇い」ではニュアンスが違う気がします。
Kazuo Ishiguroの短編MALVERN HILLSの主人公は姉夫婦のカフェーの手伝いをしていますが、無給なので忙しいと逃げて作曲に取り掛かったりします。
I came down off the window sill, put away the guitar, and threw myself down on my mattress. Then for the next little while I stared at the pattern on the ceiling. It seemed clear I'd been invited here on false pretences, that this had all been about getting cheap help for the busy season, a mug they didn't even have to pay. And my sister didn't understand what I was trying to achieve any better than did her moron of a husband. It would serve them both right if I left them here in the lurch and went back to London.
"in the lurch" は知らない表現ですが、文脈からすると、「突然」あるいは「黙ってそっと」でしょうか？ 辞書で確認します。
i・American Heritage Dictionary: in the lurch: In a difficult or embarrassing position.
私の勘ははずれですね。他の辞書をよく見ると "leave someone in the lurch" で次ぎの説明がありました。
・Macmillan Dictionary: leave someone in the lurch: to leave someone in a difficult situation without helping them
・Collins English Dictionary: to desert someone in trouble: To leave someone in the lurch, just like all those Enron employees.
I came down off the window sill, put away the guitar, and threw myself down on my mattress. Then for the next little while I stared at the pattern on the ceiling. It seemed clear I'd been invited here on false pretences, that this had all been about getting cheap help for the busy season, a mug they didn't even have to pay. And my sister didn't understand what I was trying to achieve any better than did her moron of a husband. It would serve them both right if I left them here in the lurch and went back to London.
"in the lurch" は知らない表現ですが、文脈からすると、「突然」あるいは「黙ってそっと」でしょうか？ 辞書で確認します。
i・American Heritage Dictionary: in the lurch: In a difficult or embarrassing position.
私の勘ははずれですね。他の辞書をよく見ると "leave someone in the lurch" で次ぎの説明がありました。
・Macmillan Dictionary: leave someone in the lurch: to leave someone in a difficult situation without helping them
・Collins English Dictionary: to desert someone in trouble: To leave someone in the lurch, just like all those Enron employees.
I've been living with this woman for some time.
She's quite a bit older than me and we don't get on.
...
It's my mum.
She's quite a bit older than me and we don't get on.
...
It's my mum.
今日は朝早くから卓球の試合に行っていました。下位のグループの試合でしたがダブルスもシングルスもどちらも準優勝でした。なかなか優勝はできません。
さて、Kazuo Ishiguroの短編小説MALVERN HILLSを読んでいます。主人公がギターを持って曲の練習と作曲のために景色の良い場所に行くと。その日の朝カフェで泊まるホテルを推薦してあげた老夫婦に会いますが、この夫婦も音楽家でした。
'Oh yes, we enjoy our work,' said Tilo.' 'It's everything to us. Even so, we very much appreciate a vacation. Do you know, this is our first proper vacation in three years.'
This made me feel really bad all over again, and I thought about having another go at persuading them to change hotels, but I could see how ridiculous this would look. I just had to hope Hag Fraser pulled her finger out.
主人公が推薦したのは実は余り評判の良くないホテルでした。Hag Fraser がそのホテルの女主人ですが、その人が "pulled her finger out" とはどんな事でしょう。
・Wiktionary: To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task: You've been sitting there all week, it's time you sorted yourself out and pulled your finger out!
・Cambridge Idioms Dictionary: get/pull your finger out (British & Australian very informal) if you tell someone to get their finger out, you mean they should start working hard You'd better pull your finger out, you should have finished this job hours ago.
命令形の "Pull your finger out!" は「もっと真面目にやれ！」でしょうか。
さて、Kazuo Ishiguroの短編小説MALVERN HILLSを読んでいます。主人公がギターを持って曲の練習と作曲のために景色の良い場所に行くと。その日の朝カフェで泊まるホテルを推薦してあげた老夫婦に会いますが、この夫婦も音楽家でした。
'Oh yes, we enjoy our work,' said Tilo.' 'It's everything to us. Even so, we very much appreciate a vacation. Do you know, this is our first proper vacation in three years.'
This made me feel really bad all over again, and I thought about having another go at persuading them to change hotels, but I could see how ridiculous this would look. I just had to hope Hag Fraser pulled her finger out.
主人公が推薦したのは実は余り評判の良くないホテルでした。Hag Fraser がそのホテルの女主人ですが、その人が "pulled her finger out" とはどんな事でしょう。
・Wiktionary: To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task: You've been sitting there all week, it's time you sorted yourself out and pulled your finger out!
・Cambridge Idioms Dictionary: get/pull your finger out (British & Australian very informal) if you tell someone to get their finger out, you mean they should start working hard You'd better pull your finger out, you should have finished this job hours ago.
命令形の "Pull your finger out!" は「もっと真面目にやれ！」でしょうか。
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