■命の水(THE WATER OF LIFE)


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［英文の出典］http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm
グリム童話集：命の水(THE WATER OF LIFE) 一部引用
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Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great way off, a king who had three sons.
reign［自動詞］[réin]君臨する, way off：遠く離れて,
This king once fell very ill--so ill that nobody thought he could live.
fall ill：病気になる,
His sons were very much grieved at their father's sickness; and as they were walking together very mournfully in the garden of the palace, a little old man met them and asked what was the matter.
grieve［自動詞］深く悲しむ, mournfully［副詞］悲しげに, what is the matter：どうしたのか
They told him that their father was very ill, and that they were afraid nothing could save him.
'I know what would,' said the little old man; 'it is the Water of Life.
If he could have a draught of it he would be well again; but it is very hard to get.'
draught［名詞］=draft一飲み
 息子たちは父が重病で、助からないのではないかと話した。

王は重い病気なので誰もが助からないと思った。

小さな老人は、命の水で助かると言った。

昔、王様に３人の息子がいた。

一滴でも飲めば回復するが、それを得るのは困難だと言った。

息子たちが悲しみながら宮殿の庭を歩いていると、小さな老人がどうしたのかと尋ねた。
Then the eldest son said, 'I will soon find it': and he went to the sick king, and begged that he might go in search of the Water of Life, as it was the only thing that could save him.
beg［他動詞］請い願う
'No,' said the king. 'I had rather die than place you in such great danger as you must meet with in your journey.'
place［他動詞］置く
But he begged so hard that the king let him go; and the prince thought to himself, 'If I bring my father this water, he will make me sole heir to his kingdom.'
sole［形容詞］唯一の, heir［名詞］相続人
Then he set out: and when he had gone on his way some time he came to a deep valley, overhung with rocks and woods; and as he looked around, he saw standing above him on one of the rocks a little ugly dwarf, with a sugarloaf cap and a scarlet cloak; and the dwarf called to him and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' 'What is that to thee, you ugly imp?' said the prince haughtily, and rode on.
set out：出発する, overhang［他動詞］突き出る(過去分詞overhung), ugly［形容詞］醜い, dwarf［名詞］小人,
sugarloaf［形容詞］円錐形の, scarlet［形容詞］緋色（深紅色）,cloak［名詞］マント, call to：声をかける,
whither［副詞］どこへ, thee［代名詞］そなた, limp［名詞］小僧,haughtily［副詞］傲慢に,横柄に
But the dwarf was enraged at his behaviour, and laid a fairy spell of ill-luck upon him; so that as he rode on the mountain pass became narrower and narrower, and at last the way was so straitened that he could not go to step forward: and when he thought to have turned his horse round and go back the way he came, he heard a loud laugh ringing round him, and found that the path was closed behind him, so that he was shut in all round.
enraged［形容詞］激怒した, fairy［形容詞］妖精の, ill-luck：不幸,
laid a fairy spell of ill-luck：呪いの呪文をとなえた, straiten［他動詞］狭める,
He next tried to get off his horse and make his way on foot, but again the laugh rang in his ears, and he found himself unable to move a step, and thus he was forced to abide spellbound.
abide［自動詞］とどまる, spellbound［形容詞］呪文で縛られた
Meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son's return, till at last the second son said, 'Father, I will go in search of the Water of Life.'
meantime［副詞］一方, lingering［形容詞］いつまでも残る
 息子は馬から降りて歩いて進もうとしたが、笑い声が耳に響いて歩けなくなり、やむなく呪文に縛られたままになった。

息子が強く願うので王は許した。息子は、自分がこの水を持ってきたら自分が王国の唯一の後継者になれうだろうと思った。

王はいつまでも息子の帰りを待っていたが、２番目の息子が、私は命の水を探しに行きますと言った。

最年長の息子が深い谷にさしかかったとき、小人が声をかけたが息子は横柄に答えて馬に乗り続けた。

最年長の息子が自分が探すと言って、命の水を探しに行かせてくれと願った。

小人は息子の態度に激怒して呪文を書いたので、息子が進んでいくと道が狭くなり進むことも戻ることもできなくなった。

王は、息子を危険な場所に行けせるくらいなら死んだ方がましだ言った。
For he thought to himself, 'My brother is surely dead, and the kingdom will fall to me if I find the water.'
fall to　〜：〜のものになる
The king was at first very unwilling to let him go, but at last yielded to his wish.
unwilling［形容詞］気が進まない, yield［自動詞］譲歩する
So he set out and followed the same road which his brother had done, and met with the same elf, who stopped him at the same spot in the mountains, saying, as before, 'Prince, prince, whither so fast?' 'Mind your own affairs, busybody!' said the prince scornfully, and rode on.
elf［名詞］小人, Mind your own affairs：人の事に口出しするな,
busybody［名詞］おせっかい焼き, scornfully［副詞］軽蔑して
But the dwarf put the same spell upon him as he put on his elder brother, and he, too, was at last obliged to take up his abode in the heart of the mountains.
be obliged to：〜せざるをえない,take up：受け入れる, abode［名詞］滞在
Thus it is with proud silly people, who think themselves above everyone else, and are too proud to ask or take advice.
proud［形容詞］高慢な, silly［形容詞］愚かな
When the second prince had thus been gone a long time, the youngest son said he would go and search for the Water of Life, and trusted he should soon be able to make his father well again.
So he set out, and the dwarf met him too at the same spot in the valley, among the mountains, and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' And the prince said, 'I am going in search of the Water of Life, because my father is ill, and like to die: can you help me? Pray be kind, and aid me if you can!' 'Do you know where it is to be found?' asked the dwarf.
pray［自動詞］懇願する, aid［他動詞］助ける
 王は、初めは気が進まなかったが、ついに息子の願いに譲歩した。

いばって他人の助言を聞かない高慢で愚かな人はこうなる。

兄はきっとなくなっているから、自分が命の水を見つけたら王国は自分のものになるだろうと考えた。

最年少の息子は谷の同じ場所で小人に会い、小人に父が病気なので命の水を探しに行く、どこにあるか知らないかと尋ねた。

小人は、年長の兄に行ったのと同じように呪文を書き、２番目の息子も山の中心に滞在せざるを得なくなった。

息子は兄と同じように出発し、小人に会い、小人の話に対して「他人ことに構うな」と軽蔑して答えた。

２番目の息子が出かけて長らく経過したとき、最年少の息子が命の水を探しに行くと言った。
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