2018年07月

2018年07月31日06:00

カテゴリ: コラム; 英文法

コンサルティング（consulting）

最近の文科省を巻き込んだ汚職事件に「コンサルティング会社」の役員が絡んでいるようです。

「consulting」は「consult」に「ing」がついたものです。

「consult」は「（人が）専門家・権威者に意見を求める、助言・情報を求める」が基本的な意味です。「コンサルティング会社」は「助言・情報を求める」人にそれを提供する会社です。会社ではなくて個人を指す場合は「コンサルタント」です。著者は「language consultant」を名乗っています。

医者も専門家の一種ですから「医者に意見を求める、助言・情報を求める」場合には「診察して貰う」意になります。「consult a doctor」で「医者に診てもらう」。

辞書とか本も専門家・権威者が執筆したものですので「consult」が使えます。「consult a dictionary」は「辞書で調べる、辞書を引く」の意。

専門家・権威者ではなく、対等の人・同僚に意見を求める、助言・情報を求める場合には日本語では「相談する、協議する、話し合う」の意になります。「consult with a friend about a matter of study」は「勉強のことで友人に相談する」。

似たような語で「consul」がありますが、こちらは「領事」の意。「領事館」は「consular office」。

eigoakahige

2018年07月30日06:00

カテゴリ: 教材; When We Were Orphans

Kazuo Ishiguro: When We Were Orphans (209)

The young man’s face flushed with anger, and he spun away from the money as though I were proffering something quite repulsive. He sullenly got back into the car and slammed his door.
I saw I had made a miscalculation of some sort, but at that moment could not be bothered to worry about it. Besides, for all his anger, the young man had not started up the engine. I stuffed money back into my jacket, picked up the suitcase again and crossed the street.
Inside, the shop was very cramped. The afternoon sun was streaming in, but somehow only a few patches were lit by it. To one side was an upright piano with discoloured keys, and several gramophone records displayed without their sleeves along the music stand. I could see not only dust but cobwebs on the records. Elsewhere there were odd pieces of thick velvet – they appeared to be off-cuts from theatre curtains – nailed up on the walls, together with photographs of opera singers and dancers. I had perhaps expected Sarah to be standing there, but the only person present was a spindly European with a dark pointed beard sitting behind the counter.
‘Good afternoon,’ he said in a Germanic accent, glancing up from a ledgerbook spread before him. Then looking up and down carefully, he asked: ‘You are English?’
‘Yes, I am. Good afternoon.’
‘We have some records from England. For example, we have a recording of Mimi Johnson singing “I Only Have Eyes for You”. Would you appreciate?’
Something in the cautious way he had spoken suggested this was the first part of an agreed code. But though I searched my memory for some password or phrase Sarah might have told me, I could remember nothing. In the end, I said:
‘I have no phonograph with me here in Shanghai. But I’m very fond of Mimi Johnson. In fact, I attended a recital of hers in London a few years ago.’
‘Really? Mimi Johnson, yes.’
I got the distinct impression I had puzzled him with the wrong response. So I said: ‘Look here, my name is Banks. Christopher Banks.’
‘Banks. Mr Banks.’ The man said my name neutrally, then said: ‘If you appreciate Mimi Johnson, “I Only Have Eyes for You”, I shall play it for you. Please.’

註釈：

The young man’s face flushed with anger, and he spun away from the money as though I were proffering something quite repulsive.
「flush」は「赤く染まる」。「spin away from …」は「・・・からきびすを返す」。「proffer」は「を申し出る」。「repulsive」は「嫌悪感を起こさせる」。

He sullenly got back into the car and slammed his door.
「sullenly」は「むっつりと」。「his door」は「運転席側のドア」のことを言っています。

I saw I had made a miscalculation of some sort, but at that moment could not be bothered to worry about it. Besides, for all his anger, the young man had not started up the engine.

I stuffed money back into my jacket, picked up the suitcase again and crossed the street.
「stuff」はここでは「を詰め込む」

Inside, the shop was very cramped.
「cramped」はここでは「狭苦しい」。

The afternoon sun was streaming in, but somehow only a few patches were lit by it.
「patch」はここでは「区画」。

To one side was an upright piano with discoloured keys, and several gramophone records displayed without their sleeves along the music stand.
「discoloured」は「変色した」。「sleeve」はここでは「レコードのジャケット」。「music stand」は「譜面台」。

I could see not only dust but cobwebs on the records.
「cobweb」は「クモの巣」。

Elsewhere there were odd pieces of thick velvet – they appeared to be off-cuts from theatre curtains – nailed up on the walls, together with photographs of opera singers and dancers.
「off-cut」は「切れ端」。

I had perhaps expected Sarah to be standing there, but the only person present was a spindly European with a dark pointed beard sitting behind the counter.
「spindly」はここでは「きゃしゃな」。

‘Good afternoon,’ he said in a Germanic accent, glancing up from a ledgerbook spread before him.
「ledgerbook」は「記録台帳」。

Then looking up and down carefully, he asked: ‘You are English?’
‘Yes, I am. Good afternoon.’

‘We have some records from England. For example, we have a recording of Mimi Johnson singing “I Only Have Eyes for You”. Would you appreciate?’
「recording」はここでは「レコード盤」。「appreciate」はここでは「を鑑賞する」。

Something in the cautious way he had spoken suggested this was the first part of an agreed code. But though I searched my memory for some password or phrase Sarah might have told me, I could remember nothing. In the end, I said:
‘I have no phonograph with me here in Shanghai. But I’m very fond of Mimi Johnson. In fact, I attended a recital of hers in London a few years ago.’
‘Really? Mimi Johnson, yes.’
I got the distinct impression I had puzzled him with the wrong response. So I said: ‘Look here, my name is Banks. Christopher Banks.’

‘Banks. Mr Banks.’ The man said my name neutrally, then said: ‘If you appreciate Mimi Johnson, “I Only Have Eyes for You”, I shall play it for you. Please.’
ここの「shall」は「意志未来」。

『今日のイデイオム』

「spin away from …」
「・・・からきびすを返す」

eigoakahige

2018年07月29日06:00

カテゴリ: コラム; 英単語

ノート（notebook）

英語の「note」の発音は「ノウト」の感じで、決して「ノート」ではありません。ネイチヴなら「ノート」と聞いたら「零」を意味する「naught」を真っ先に思い浮かべると思います。「naughty（いたずらな）」を思い浮かべる人もいるかもしれません。

「note」の語源は「印をつける、書き留める」で現代でも動詞としては「を書き留める、のメモをとる」、そこから派生して「に注意する、気づく、に注目する」の意で使われます。「Note what he says. （彼の言うことをよく聞きなさい）」「I noted that her answer was incorrect.（彼女の答えが間違っていることに気がついた）」「Note how to fasten the handle.（どのように柄を固定するかよく見ていなさい）」

名詞では「覚書、メモ、講義などの記録、草稿」「短いエッセイ」「短い手紙」「注」「短信」など凡そ書き留めるイメージのものには使えます。イメージが直接的には結びつきませんがイギリスでは「紙幣」（アメリカではbill）、商売の話では「手形」の意にもなります。これらも「印をつける、書き留める」を引きずっていることが後付けではありますが分かります。

形容詞の「noteworthy」は「書き留める価値がある」ということで「注目すべき、顕著な」の意になります。

「notebook」は「書き留めるためのbook=紙をとじた物」のイメージです。

eigoakahige

2018年07月28日06:00

カテゴリ: 教材; When We Were Orphans

Kazuo Ishiguro: When We Were Orphans (208)

Then after we had been travelling for perhaps ten minutes, I suddenly learnt forward to the young man and said: ‘I say, excuse me. This is something of a long shot. But do you happen to know of anyone called Yeh Chen?
The young man did not take his gaze from the traffic before him and I was about to repeat my question when he said:
‘Yeh Chen. Blind actor?’
‘Yes. Well, I know he’s blind, though I didn’t know he was an actor.’
‘Not famous actor. Yeh Chen. He was actor once, many years ago, when I was a boy.’
‘Do you mean … you know him?’
‘Not know him. But I know who he is. You interest in Yeh Chen, sir?’
‘No, no. Not especially. Someone just happened to mention him to me. It really doesn’t matter.’
I did not say anything else to the young man for the remainder of our journey. We travelled down a baffling series of little alleys and I had quite lost any sense of where we were by the time he pulled up in a quiet back street.
The young man opened my door and gave me my suitcase.
‘That shop,’ he said, pointing. ‘With phonograph.’
Across the street was a small shop with a grimy window, within which indeed a phonograph was displayed. I could see too a sign in English: ‘Gramophone Records. Piano Rolls. Manuscripts.’ Glancing up and down the street, I saw that apart from two rickshawmen squatting beside their vehicles and exchanging banter, the young man and I were alone. I picked up the suitcase and was about to cross the street, when something made me say to him:
‘I wonder, could you wait here a little?’
The young man looked puzzled. ‘Lady Medhurst say only to bring you here.’
‘Yes, yes. But I’m asking you now, you see. I’d like you to wait just a little longer, just in case I need your services further. Of course, I may not need you. But you know, just in case. Look here’ – I reached into my jacket and took out some bills – ‘look, I’ll make it worth your while.’

註釈：

Then after we had been travelling for perhaps ten minutes, I suddenly learnt forward to the young man and said: ‘I say, excuse me.
「I say」はイギリス用法で「おい、ねえ、そうだ」。

This is something of a long shot.
「long shot」はここでは「望みの薄い企て」。

But do you happen to know of anyone called Yeh Chen?
The young man did not take his gaze from the traffic before him and I was about to repeat my question when he said:
‘Yeh Chen. Blind actor?’
‘Yes. Well, I know he’s blind, though I didn’t know he was an actor.’
‘Not famous actor. Yeh Chen. He was actor once, many years ago, when I was a boy.’
‘Do you mean … you know him?’
‘Not know him. But I know who he is. You interest in Yeh Chen, sir?’

‘No, no. Not especially.
「not especially」は「いや、特には」。

Someone just happened to mention him to me. It really doesn’t matter.’

I did not say anything else to the young man for the remainder of our journey.
「remainder」は「残り」。

We travelled down a baffling series of little alleys and I had quite lost any sense of where we were by the time he pulled up in a quiet back street.
「baffling」は「当惑させる、不可解な」。「alley」は「狭い通り」。「pull up」は「を止める」。「back street」は「裏通り」。

The young man opened my door and gave me my suitcase.

‘That shop,’ he said, pointing. ‘With phonograph.’
「phonograph」は「蓄音器」。

Across the street was a small shop with a grimy window, within which indeed a phonograph was displayed.
「grimy」は「汚い」。「display」は「を陳列する」。

I could see too a sign in English: ‘Gramophone Records. Piano Rolls. Manuscripts.’
「piano roll」は「オルガン式オルゴールや自動ピアノに取り付けて使用する、演奏情報が穿孔された紙製のロール（巻き紙）」。「manuscript」は「manuscript paper（五線紙）」。

Glancing up and down the street, I saw that apart from two rickshawmen squatting beside their vehicles and exchanging banter, the young man and I were alone.
「apart from …」はここでは「・・・を除いては」。「rickshawman」は「人力車夫」。「squat」は「しゃがむ」。「banter」は「冗談」。

I picked up the suitcase and was about to cross the street, when something made me say to him:
‘I wonder, could you wait here a little?’
The young man looked puzzled. ‘Lady Medhurst say only to bring you here.’
‘Yes, yes. But I’m asking you now, you see. I’d like you to wait just a little longer, just in case I need your services further. Of course, I may not need you. But you know, just in case.

Look here’ – I reached into my jacket and took out some bills – ‘look, I’ll make it worth your while.’
「while」は「（短い）時間」。

『今日のイデイオム』

「I say」
「おい、ねえ、そうだ」

「long shot」
「望みの薄い企て」

「not especially」
「いや、特には」

「pull up」
「を止める」

「apart from …」
「・・・を除いては」

eigoakahige

2018年07月27日06:00

カテゴリ: コラム; 英単語

アウト（out）

日本のプロ野球も今年から「リクエスト」制度が導入され、「アウト」「セーフ」の微妙な判定に対して監督は「ビデオ判定」をリクエストすることが出来るようになり、最初の判定がしばしば覆っています。

「アウト」「セーフ」はそのまま英語でも使えます。

野球関係の「out」について辞書を引いてみるとつぎのような使い方が紹介されています。
① セカンドフライ・ゴロを打ってアウトになる⇒fly [ground] out to second
② 彼はアウトお宣告された⇒He was given out.
③ 走者は３塁でアウトになった⇒The runner was called out at third.
④ ２塁・ホームでアウトになる⇒be thrown out at second [the plate]

「out」の基本的なイメージは「外へ」です。野球の場合は「有効な場」から「外へ」放り出されるイメージです。ホームでアウトは得点に加えてもらえないので、やはり「有効な場」から「外へ」のイメージが適用できます。

「safe」は反対に「安全な」「無事な」のイメージです。

eigoakahige

「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