新刊『「赤毛のアン」で英語づけ』
茂木健一郎 著
高校一年のときに「赤毛のアン」を原書で読むことによって英語力が飛躍的に高まったという茂木氏。「とにかく最初から最後まで読み通す」ことで、自信をつけて「英語脳」を身につけることが英語力向上の秘訣。本書を一冊読めば英語力も自然とアップし、「赤毛のアン」という物語が持つ魅力にも触れることができます。名文で「英語脳」を強化する!!
※このコーナーでは脳科学者の茂木健一郎さんが、『赤毛のアン』の原文から特に印象的なシーンを取り上げ、そこに現れる「英語フィーリング」を解説します。「英語脳」を鍛えたい人、必読です！
第一回：『「赤毛のアン」で英語づけ』(1) つらい現実を超える〝想像〟の力
何げないものへの〝感激力〟を育てよう
続けて同じ第2章から、ブライト・リバー駅で出会ったアンとマシューが、馬車でグリーン・ゲイブルズに向かう途中の場面を読んでいきましょう。地元の人が「街道」と名付けている道を通った時に、アンがその美しさに感激するシーンです。
周囲の風景に感動したあまり、黙っているアン。マシューはアンの心を慮り、「疲れちゃったんだね。お腹も空いたでしょう」と話しかけます。それに対してアンが答えるところから、馬車の上で、２人のやりとりが始まります。
それでは、今回の英文です
"I guess you're feeling pretty tired and hungry," Matthew ventured to say at last, accounting for her long visitation of dumbness with the only reason he could think of. "But we haven't very far to go now? only another mile."
She came out of her reverie with a deep sigh and looked at him with the dreamy gaze of a soul that had been wondering afar, star-led.
"Oh, Mr. Cuthbert," she whispered, "that place we came through?that white place?what was it?"
"Well now, you must mean the Avenue," said Matthew after a few moments' profound reflection. "It is a kind of pretty place."
"Pretty? Oh, PRETTY doesn't seem the right word to use. Nor beautiful, either. They don't go far enough. Oh, it was wonderful?wonderful. It's the first thing I ever saw that couldn't be improved upon by imagination. It just satisfies me here"?she put one hand on her breast?"it made a queer funny ache and yet it was a pleasant ache. Did you ever have an ache like that, Mr. Cuthbert?"
"Well now, I just can't recollect that I ever had."
"I have it lots of time?whenever I see anything royally beautiful. But they shouldn't call that lovely place the Avenue. There is no meaning in a name like that. They should call it?let me see?the White Way of Delight. Isn't that a nice imaginative name? When I don't like the name of a place or a person I always imagine a new one and always think of them so. There was a girl at the asylum whose name was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I always imagined her as Rosalia DeVere. Other people may call that place the Avenue, but I shall always call it the White Way of Delight. Have we really only another mile to go before we get home? I'm glad and I'm sorry. I'm sorry because this drive has been so pleasant and I'm always sorry when pleasant things end. Something still pleasanter may come after, but you can never be sure. And it's so often the case that it isn't pleasanter. That has been my experience anyhow. But I'm glad to think of getting home. You see, I've never had a real home since I can remember. It gives me that pleasant ache again just to think of coming to a really truly home. Oh, isn't that pretty!"
venture to～=思い切って～する
dumbness＝無言、沈黙
reverie＝空想、夢想
profound＝心からの、深い
queer＝風変りな、妙な
ache＝うずき、痛み
日本語で、だいたいの意味を見ていきましょう
"I guess you're feeling pretty tired and hungry," Matthew ventured to say at last, accounting for her long visitation of dumbness with the only reason he could think of.
⇒「疲れちゃったんだね。お腹も空いたでしょう」とマシューはついに思い切って聞いた。アンがあまり長い間、黙っているのでそうとしか思えなかったのだ。
"But we haven't very far to go now? only another mile."
⇒でも、この先、長い道のりじゃないよ。あと１マイルくらいだ」
She came out of her reverie with a deep sigh and looked at him with the dreamy gaze of a soul that had been wondering afar, star-led.
⇒アンは、白昼夢から深いため息とともに覚め、遠くへと旅してきた魂の、夢見がちなまなざしでマシューを見た。
"Oh, Mr. Cuthbert," she whispered, "that place we came through?that white place?what was it?"
⇒「ああ、カスバートさん」アンはささやいた。「あの、私たちが通ってきた白い場所は、なんというのんですか」
"Well now, you must mean the Avenue," said Matthew after a few moments' profound reflection. "It is a kind of pretty place."
⇒マシューは「はて、街道のことかな」としばらくの深い思索の後に答えます。「ちょっときれいなところだよね」
"Pretty? Oh, PRETTY doesn't seem the right word to use. Nor beautiful, either. They don't go far enough. Oh, it was wonderful? wonderful.
⇒「ちょっときれい！？ きれいなんて言葉じゃ、足りない。美しいって言葉でもダメだわ。どっちも十分じゃないもの。ああ、素晴らしかったというのは？ そう、素晴らしかった。
It's the first thing I ever saw that couldn't be improved upon by imagination.
⇒想像力を使ってもそれ以上良くできないものなんて、初めて出会ったわ。
It just satisfies me here"-she put one hand on her breast-"it made a queer funny ache and yet it was a pleasant ache. Did you ever have an ache like that, Mr. Cuthbert?"
⇒まるでここがすっきりした感じ―アンは片手を胸に当てた―なんだかおかしな痛みを感じるけど、それは気持ちのいい痛みなの。カスバートさんは、そういうのを経験したことがありますか」
"Well now, I just can't recollect that I ever had."
⇒「そうだね。ちょっと思い出せないな」
"I have it lots of time－whenever I see anything royally beautiful.
⇒「私は何度もある―素晴らしく美しいものを見たときはいつも。
But they shouldn't call that lovely place the Avenue. There is no meaning in a name like that.
⇒でも、あんな素敵な場所を「街道」なんて呼ぶべきじゃないわ。そういう名前って何の意味もない。
They should call it－let me see－the White Way of Delight. Isn't that a nice imaginative name?
⇒ちょっと待って。「歓喜の白路」はどう。すごく想像力にあふれた名前だと思わいません？
When I don't like the name of a place or a person I always imagine a new one and always think of them so.
⇒場所でも人でも、ふさわしくない名前がついていると思ったら、いつも自分で新しい名前を考えて、本当はそういう名前だということにしてしまうの。
There was a girl at the asylum whose name was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I always imagined her as Rosalia DeVere.
⇒孤児院に「ヘプジバ・ジェンキンズ」という名前の女の子がいたけど、ひそかに、「ロザリア・デベール」という名前だって想像していた。
Other people may call that place the Avenue, but I shall always call it the White Way of Delight.
⇒他の人たちはあそこを「街道」って呼ぶかもしれないけど、私は「歓喜の白路」と呼びます。
Have we really only another mile to go before we get home?
⇒本当に家まであと１マイルで着くんですか。
I'm glad and I'm sorry. I'm sorry because this drive has been so pleasant and I'm always sorry when pleasant things end.
⇒うれしいけど、悲しい。悲しいのは、このドライブが楽しくして仕方ないから。楽しいことが終わるときって、いつも悲しいの。
Something still pleasanter may come after, but you can never be sure.
⇒この先、もっと楽しいことが起こるかもしれないけど、それは誰にもわからないもの。
And it's so often the case that it isn't pleasanter. That has been my experience anyhow.
⇒それに、だいたいそんなに楽しいことは起こらないことのほうが多いでしょう。とにかく私の経験ではそう。
But I'm glad to think of getting home. You see, I've never had a real home since I can remember.
⇒でも、家に行くと思うとうれしい。だって、私、思い出せる限り、本当の家というものを一度ももったことがないんですもの。
It gives me that pleasant ache again just to think of coming to a really truly home. Oh, isn't that pretty!"
⇒本当に本物の家に行くところだって思うだけで、またあの気持ちのいい痛みを感じる。ほら、きれい！」
