多読 36：The Invisible Man (Level:3)

2021-12-24

またまたH.G.ウェルズ作品

特定の作家の作品群が、英語学習者用の本に使われることが多いらしい。
読みたいリストに今入っている本では、Level３の本の最後の１冊「The Invisible Man（透明人間）」で、これもまたH.G.ウェルズの作品だった。

彼の作品ではダントツで「80日間世界一周」がお気に入りなのだが、こっちの話は明らかに暗～い。
映画で観たし、まぁ有名なお馴染みのダークキャラの物語。
eステーションでの本のジャンルが「ファンタジー」となっているのが謎だけど、ともかく読んでみよう。

知らない or あやふやな単語

・brim：（帽子の）つば　[brím]
・brimmed hat：つば付き帽
　　ex) A stranger dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and very long coat got off a train at Bramblehurst.

・stumble：よろめく、つまづく　[stʌ́mbl]
　　ex) The people in the inn saw a dark figure stumble in.

・bulky：分厚い、かさばった　[bʌ́lki]
　　ex) The strange man had large bulky bandages around his head.

・take a good look at ～：～をよく観察する
　　ex) “You should take a good look at them in the morning,” warned Teddy.

・cut it out：〔望ましくないことを〕やめる
　　ex) “Cut it out now all of you," snapped Mrs. Hall.

・mind one’s own business：他人の私事に干渉しない［口出ししない・構わない］、いらぬおせっかいをしない
　　ex) “You’ll all mind your own business."

・good grief：これは大変、これは驚いた
　　ex) “Good grief!” exclaimed Mrs. Hall. “How many boxes and bags does he have?"

・startle ～：～をびっくりさせる　[stɑ́rtl]
　　ex) He was about to speak when he saw the most startling thing.

・socket：関節部のへこみ　[sɑ́kit]
　　ex) However, he wasn’t wearing his glasses, and his eye sockets were empty.

・tantrum：かんしゃくの爆発　[tǽntrəm]
　　ex) He was usually quiet, but there was the occasional tantrum when he smashed furniture and his equipment.

・propose ～：～を提案する　[prəpóuz]
　　ex) Mr. Hall proposed that they get rid of the stranger.

・stomp：踏み鳴らす、踏みつける　[stɑmp]
　　ex) There was a loud sound of stomping, some laughter and then the door was quickly flung open.

・eerie：不気味な、薄気味悪い　[íri]
　　ex) The eerie sound of the stranger’s laughter could be heard behind him.

・poker：火かき棒　[póukər]
　　ex) He got up, took a poker from the fireplace and crept out into the hallway.

・sneeze：くしゃみをする　[sníːz]
　　ex) He heard the sound of sneezing downstairs.

・be dumb founded ：あぜんとする、驚いて物が言えない
　　ex) Both of them were completely dumb-founded.

・ burglary：押し込み強盗、侵入窃盗　[bə́ːrgləri]
　　ex) It was not long after the burglary when the Halls got up and found that the front door of their inn was unlocked.

・ rubbery：ゴムのような、男性のある　[rʌ́bəri]
　　ex) He put a small rubbery thing in her hand.

・tear off ～：～を引きはがす
　　ex) Then the man tore off his glasses and everything on his face.

・tramp：放浪者　[træmp]
　　ex) Just outside of Iping, a tramp, Thomas Marvel, sat looking at two pairs of shoes, trying to decide which pair to wear.

・intently：夢中で、熱心に　[inténtli]
　　ex) He was studying the boots intently when a voice behind him said, “Both of them are very ugly.”

・stutter：言葉に詰まりながら言う　[stʌ́tər]
　　ex) .“Alright I…won’t betray you," he stuttered.

・commotion：騒動、騒音　[kəmóuʃən]
　　ex) Other people had come to see what the commotion was about.

・portray：言葉で描写［表現］する　[pɔrtréi]
・capitalist class：資本家階級
　　ex) In this novel, Wells invents a time machine and portrays the natural evolution of the capitalist class structure.

・industrialization：産業化、工業化　[indʌ̀striələzéiʃən]
　　ex) process of industrialization was creating great changes in society.

・civilization：文明、文明化　[sìvələzéiʃən]
・descend：降下する、落ちぶれる　[disénd]
　　ex) Others saw human civilization descending into terrible ruin as the rich took advantage of the poor.

・microscope：顕微鏡　[máikrəskòup]
　　ex) In this town, Dr. Arthur Kemp, was looking through a microscope in his study.

・up close：すぐ近くで
　　ex) But the people who saw Marvel up close did not think he was crazy.

・desert ～：～を去る、後にする　[dizə́ːrt]
　　ex) Everyone panicked and deserted the streets.

・regular：常連、常連客　[régjulər]
・brew：コーヒー、ビール　[brúː]
　　ex) The regulars were enjoying their regular brew when Marvel came crashing through the door.

・thump：激しくたたく　[θʌ́mp]
　　ex) No sooner had they bolted the door when a powerful thumping was heard on the door.

・nowhere：実在しない場所、どこだか分からない場所　[nóuhwὲər]
　　ex) From nowhere, something dragged Marvel out from his hiding place.‘

・prank：いたずら、悪ふざけ　[prǽŋk]
　　ex) “No one.” she told him. “It must have been a prank."

・devour：貪り食う　[diváuər]
　　ex) He brought the food back, and watched as an invisible mouth devoured it.

・turn ～ in：～を警察に通報する
　　ex) “I’m such an idiot! I’ve given you the idea to turn me in."

・be capable of ～：～に成り得る、～が出来る　[kéipəbəl]
　　ex) Dr. Kemp thought to himself, “This man is mad and dangerous. He is capable of murder.”

・agitated ：動揺した　[ǽdʒitèitəd]
　　ex) The invisible man seemed very agitated, so Dr. Kemp suggested, “Why don’t we have breakfast in my study?”

・transparent：透明な、透き通った　[trænspérənt]
　　ex) “Yes, but humans aren’t transparent like glass." interrupted Kemp.

・pigment：色素　[pígmənt]
　　ex) “But how did you get the blood and other pigment to become invisible?" Kemp asked.

・puddle：水たまり　[pʌ́dəl]
　　ex) Where there were puddles of water or mud that I walked through, boys would cry out.

・pursuer：追跡者　[pərsúːər]
　　ex) Eventually, I was able to lose my crowd of pursuers."

・desperate：必死の、捨て身の　[déspərət]
　　ex) “I knew I would have to do something desperate.”

・stool：背の低い足載せ台、スツール　[stúːl]
　　ex) “I picked up a stool and hit him on the back of his head."

・gag：猿ぐつわをかませる　[gǽg]
　　ex) “He fell unconscious, and then I gagged him and tied him up with a sheet."

・whisker：ほおひげ　[hwískər]
　　ex) “Then I took some glasses, a wig, some whiskers and all of the money from the man‘s cash register, and then I left."

・disfigure：外観を損なう　[disfígjər]
　　ex) “I explained to the waiter that I didn’t want to eat in public because I was disfigured."

・pace：行きつ戻りつする、ゆったり歩く　[péisi]
　　ex) He seemed to turn and face Kemp who was pacing back and forth in front of the window.

・ formula：化学式　[fɔ́rmjələ]
　　ex) “I wanted to work in peace and make a formula to make me visible again."

・commit：悪事を働く、罪などを犯す　[kəmít]
・up until now：今に至るまで
　　ex) “I won’t help you commit crimes like you have been doing up until now,” replied Kemp.

・catch up with ～：～に追いつく、～についていく
　　ex) “When I catch up with him, he will wish he had never been born."

・pixel：画素　[píksl]
　　ex) This suit, which is still being developed, is made of tiny pixels, like a computer screen that acts like clothing.

・guarantee ～：～が確かだと保障する　[gæ̀rəntíː]
　　ex) It is the best way to guarantee invisibility without going blind!

・let out ～：～を外に出す
　　ex) He let out a laugh that made him seem completely crazy.

・be determined：決心している
　　ex) Kemp was determined to not let Griffin know some men had entered his house.

・cut off：人の話を遮る
　　ex) Griffin cut him off again.

・yank：グイッと引っ張る　[jǽŋk]
　　ex) Griffin managed to yank it open a little.

・wedge：無理やり押し込む、割り込ませる　[wédʒ]
　　ex) Griffin wedged his body between the door and the door frame.

・in a flash：すぐに
・pin：動けなくする
　　ex) In a flash, the dressing gown had Kemp pinned to the floor at the top of the stairs.

・dig into ～：～に押し付ける
・belly：腹　[béli]
　　ex) He felt sharp fingernails digging into his throat and then a sharp pain in his belly as the invisible man drove his knee into the man’s stomach.

・quite a few：相当数
　　ex) It took quite a few minutes for the men to settle their nerves.

・reasoning：推理、根拠
　　ex) “That man is insane. He has lost all of his sense of reasoning."

・reign：統治　[réin]
　　ex) “I will start a reign of terror."

・ execution：処刑　[èksəkjúːʃən]
　　ex) “This rein of terror will begin with the execution of Dr. Kemp."

・bait：罠の餌　[béit]
　　ex) “We will catch him even if I am the bait!"

・rip：もぎ取る　[ríp]
　　ex) He felt the gun being ripped out of his hand.

・midair：空中の　[mìdέə]
　　ex) He looked above him and saw the gun floating in midair.

・deliberately：わざと　[dilíbərətli]
　　ex) He deliberately walked over a road that had broken glass all over it.

・slam into ～：～にぶつかる
　　ex) Kemp was trying to get Griffin’s fingers away from his neck, when a shovel swung through the air and slammed into something soft.

・go limp：だらんとさせる
　　ex) The fingers loosened on his throat. and he felt the body of Griff in go limp on his own.

・willingly：喜んで、進んで　[wíliŋli]
　　ex) He willingly tells the story of the invisible man.

・outsmart ～：～の裏をかく　[àutsmɑ́ːt]
　　ex) He tells his guests how he outsmarted the police who wanted to take the money in his pockets away from him.

・ occasion：時、好機　[əkéiʒən]
　　ex) Kemp and Colonel Adye, who recovered from his gunshot, questioned Marvel about the books on many occasions.

本の感想（ネタバレ注意）

うーん、面白くなかった。
冒頭は割と良かったんだけど、後半はただの捕り物劇で話が単純すぎてすっかり面白みが失せてしまった。
だんだん読むのが苦痛になってきたので、飽きる前にと慌てて読み終えた。
だいたい、これじゃただの空想の作り話だよ。H.G.ウェルズなんだから、人間が透明になる技術についてもっと科学的な根拠がちゃんと含まれているのかと期待したのに、ぜーーんぜんなかった。

単語はそれほど難しくなかったので内容はほぼ全部分かったけれど、知らない語彙の数は多かったので、上の通り読了後にかなりの量を調べなければならなかった。疲れた・・・。
もうめんどくさいから後で調べ直すのはやめたいと何度も思いつつ、今のところはなんとか続けてきた。
でも一応次の本からレベル４へ進む予定で、そっちだと今までよりさらに知らない語彙や表現だらけになるかもしれない。
そしたらもう語彙調べはやめようかなぁ。