「社会人のための英語回路構築トレーニング自習帖」著者のブログ

A Possible Conversion (2)

For me, personally, the possible conversion of the elder son is of crucial importance. There is much in me of that group of which Jesus is most critical: the Pharisees and the scribes. I have studied the books, learned about the laws, and often presented myself as an authority in religious matters. People have shown me a great deal of respect and even called me "reverend." I have been rewarded with compliments and praise, with money and prizes, and with much acclaim. I have been critical of many types of behavior and often passed judgment on others.
So when Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, I have to listen with the awareness that I am closest to those who elicited the story from him with the remark: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Is there any chance for me to return to the Father and feel welcome in his home? Or am I so ensnared in my own self-righteous complaints that I am doomed, against my own desire, to remain outside of the house, wallowing in my anger and resentment?
Jesus says: "How blessed are you when you are poor . . . blessed are you who are hungry . . . blessed are you who are weeping . . . ," but I am not poor, hungry, or weeping. Jesus prays: "I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things [of the kingdom] from the learned and the clever." It is to these, the learned and the clever, that I clearly belong. Jesus shows a distinct preference for those who are marginal in society - the poor, the sick, and the sinners - but I am certainly not marginal. The painful question that arises for me out of the Gospel is: "Have I already had my reward?" Jesus is very critical of those who "say their prayers standing up in their synagogues and at street corners for people to see them." Of them, he says: "In truth I tell you, they have had their reward." With all my writing and speaking about prayer and with all the publicity that I enjoy, I cannot help but wonder if these words are not meant for me.
Indeed they are. But the story of the elder son puts all of these agonizing questions in a new light, making it very plain that God does not love the younger son more than the elder. In the story the father goes out to the elder son just as he did to the younger, urges him to come in, and says, "My son, you are with me always, and all I have is yours."
These are the words I must pay attention to and allow to penetrate to the center of myself. God calls me "my son." The Greek word for son that Luke uses here is teknon, "an affectionate form of address," as Joseph A. Fitzmyer says. Literally translated, what the father says is "child."
This affectionate approach becomes even clearer in the words that follow. The harsh and bitter reproaches of the son are not met with words of judgment. There is no recrimination or accusation. The father does not defend himself or even comment on the elder son's behavior. The father moves directly beyond all evaluations to stress his intimate relationship with his son when he says: "You are with me always." The father's declaration of unqualified love eliminates any possibility that the younger son is more loved than the elder. The elder son has never left the house. The father has shared everything with him. He has made him part of his daily life, keeping nothing from him. "All I have is yours," he says. There could be no clearer statement of the father's unlimited love for his elder son. Thus the father's unreserved, unlimited love is offered wholly and equally to both his sons.

注釈：
For me, personally, the possible conversion of the elder son is of crucial importance.
「conversion」は「回心」。「of」はここでは「・・・の性質を持つ」の意。「of＋名詞」が限定的（例えば「a person of courage」）にも、上記のように叙述的にも用いられます。「crucial」はここでは「きわめて重要な（essential）」。

There is much in me of that group of which Jesus is most critical: the Pharisees and the scribes.
「the Pharisees」は「パリサイ人（古代ユダヤ教の一派の人々）」。「scribe」はここでは「律法学者」。

I have studied the books, learned about the laws, and often presented myself as an authority in religious matters.
「book」はここでは「聖書」。「law」は「宗教上のおきて」。ここで両方に冠詞がつき、複数形になっているのは、前者は「福音」を説いた聖書に含まれる全ての文書、後者ではモーセの五書、更には口伝のものも含むユダヤ教の律法全てを意識しているものと思います。「present」はここでは「を紹介する」。

People have shown me a great deal of respect and even called me "reverend."
「reverend」はここでは、聖職者への呼びかけ、尊称で「・・・師」。

I have been rewarded with compliments and praise, with money and prizes, and with much acclaim.
「acclaim」は「賞賛（praise、applause, cheers, ovation）」。

I have been critical of many types of behavior and often passed judgment on others.
「passed judgment on …」は「・・・を批判する」。

So when Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, I have to listen with the awareness that I am closest to those who elicited the story from him with the remark:
「elicit」はここでは「聞き出す」。「with the remark」は「次の所見（非難）でもって（この話を聞き出した人々）」⇒放蕩息子の帰郷の話は、イエスがこの"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."という所見（非難）に対して応えたものです。

"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Is there any chance for me to return to the Father and feel welcome in his home?

Or am I so ensnared in my own self-righteous complaints that I am doomed, against my own desire, to remain outside of the house, wallowing in my anger and resentment?
「ensnare」はここでは「を陥れる（capture, catch, trap）」。「self-righteous」は「ひとりよがりの、独善的な」。「doom」は「を運命づける（destine, fate）」。「wallow」は「のたうつ（roll）」。「resentment」は「憤り、憤慨（anger）」。

Jesus says: "How blessed are you when you are poor . . . blessed are you who are hungry . . . blessed are you who are weeping . . . ," but I am not poor, hungry, or weeping. Jesus prays: "I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things [of the kingdom] from the learned and the clever." It is to these, the learned and the clever, that I clearly belong.

Jesus shows a distinct preference for those who are marginal in society - the poor, the sick, and the sinners - but I am certainly not marginal.
「marginal」はここでは「重要でない、影響力を持っていない（）」。

The painful question that arises for me out of the Gospel is: "Have I already had my reward?" Jesus is very critical of those who "say their prayers standing up in their synagogues and at street corners for people to see them." Of them, he says:

"In truth I tell you, they have had their reward."
「in truth」は「実は、本当に、実際に」。

With all my writing and speaking about prayer and with all the publicity that I enjoy, I cannot help but wonder if these words are not meant for me.
Indeed they are.

But the story of the elder son puts all of these agonizing questions in a new light, making it very plain that God does not love the younger son more than the elder.
「agonizing」は「苦しめる（extremely painful）」。

In the story the father goes out to the elder son just as he did to the younger, urges him to come in, and says, "My son, you are with me always, and all I have is yours."
These are the words I must pay attention to and allow to penetrate to the center of myself. God calls me "my son."

The Greek word for son that Luke uses here is teknon, "an affectionate form of address," as Joseph A. Fitzmyer says.
「an affectionate form of address」は文字通り訳せば「呼びかけの愛情こもった形」。

Literally translated, what the father says is "child."
This affectionate approach becomes even clearer in the words that follow.

The harsh and bitter reproaches of the son are not met with words of judgment.
「harsh」はここでは「無情な（cruel）」。「bitter」は「辛辣な（resentful）」。「reproach」は「非難（reprimand）」。「judgment」はここでは「審判」。

There is no recrimination or accusation.
「recrimination」は「非難、けんか、しっぺ返し（accusation）」。

The father does not defend himself or even comment on the elder son's behavior. The father moves directly beyond all evaluations to stress his intimate relationship with his son when he says: "You are with me always." The father's declaration of unqualified love eliminates any possibility that the younger son is more loved than the elder. The elder son has never left the house. The father has shared everything with him. He has made him part of his daily life, keeping nothing from him. "All I have is yours," he says. There could be no clearer statement of the father's unlimited love for his elder son.

Thus the father's unreserved, unlimited love is offered wholly and equally to both his sons.
「both」が「両方の」の意で使われる場合には「the, these, those, 所有格など」があれば、その前に置かれます。

（２６１）wash up
Said he must have been from eight to ten hours in the water before his body was washed up.

「wash up」はここでは「・・・を岸に打ち上げる」。自動詞で「手・顔を洗う」「食器を洗う」の意もあります。

（２６２）that’s to say
It must have been deposited there at high water on the 11th - that’s to say round 11 o’clock a.m.

「that’s to say」は「即ち」。

（２６３）polish off
“You might say, I suppose, that Armstrong managed to polish off the other three before he went into the sea that night.”

「polish off」はここでは「を殺す」。「をさっさと終えてしまう」「をさっさと平らげる」の意もあります。

（２６４）get over
But there’s another point and one you can’t get over.

「get over」はここでは「（事）を理解する」。

（２６５）let’s say / push over
Let’s say he pushed over that lump of marble on to Blore - then he doped Vera Claythorne and strung up.

「let’s say」は「例えば」。「push over」はここでは「落す」。「押し倒す」の意もあります。

「社会人のための英語回路構築トレーニング自習帖」著者のブログ

And Then There Were None 成句集 (５４)

放蕩息子の帰郷（５４）

And Then There Were None 成句集 (５３)