多読 35:Romeo and Juliet (Level:3)

淡々とした口調でなら読みたいシェイクスピア

ここまで読んできたeステーション内の本は、いったんレベル3まで上げた後、レベル2に戻して新しい追加本を数冊読んだ。
でもその新しい本たちも、読みたいものの中ではレベル2の本は全て読み終わったので、またレベル3に戻ろうと思う。

次は、あまりに有名な「Romeo and Juliet(ロミオとジュリエット)」。
シェイクスピアは別に好きでも嫌いでもどっちでもないけれど、 あの独特な言い回しはパスしたい。
でもきっとこういう英語学習者向けの本ならそういうのはなく、普通の物語として書かれているはず。
思いのほか良かった「The Merchant of Venice(ヴェニスの商人)」がそうだったから。

もうストーリーはおおよそ知っているので、なんとなく後回しにしていたけれど、とっとと読もう。

[シリーズ] Happy Readers
[出版社] Happy House

[著者] William Shakespeare
[総語数] 9982語

知らない or あやふやな単語

・charm ~:~をうっとりさせる
  ex) “You mean you’d charm them?"

・strut:もったいぶって歩く [strʌ́t]
  ex) Sampson watched the two men strut through the square.

remarks:意見、批評
  ex) They were making nasty remarks among themselves about Sampson and Gregory.

・hatred:憎しみ、嫌悪 [héitrid]
  ex) He could not hold in his hatred.

stick out:突き出す
  ex) As soon as the men passed, he stuck out his middle finger and went, “AARRRRRRR!”

・ feud :不和、敵意、抗争 [fjúːd]
  ex) He didn’t really like the feud between his family and the Capulets.

・twisted:ひん曲がった
  ex) Tybalt spoke with a twisted smile.

・lunge:突く [lʌ́ndʒ]
  ex) Benvolio barely had time to defend himself before Tybalt lunged at him.

・hobble:足を引きずって歩く [hɑ́bəl]
  ex) Another old man hobbled across the square.

near:(動)近づく
  ex) Then the crowd went silent as some horses neared.

・onlooker:見物人、観衆 [ɑ́nlùkər]
  ex) The onlookers hurried off.

rebel:反逆者、謀反人 [rébl]
  ex) “Rebels!" roared the prince.

・moral:道徳的な [mɔ́rəl]
  ex) “You are leaders in this city and are supposed to be moral."

・noble:気高い、高潔な [nóubəl]
  ex) But instead of teaching the people how to be noble, you force them to participate in your pointless feud.

clasp:握りしめる [klæsp]
  ex) “Oh, my poor Romeo.” Lady Montague clasped her hands.

・toss:軽く放り投げる [tɔs]
  ex) “Is it still morning?" said Romeo, tossing a stone into the fountain.

・excessive:過剰な、法外な [iksésiv]
  ex) But he knew that Romeo was right and that the problem with the family was because of excessive passion.

・kinsman:血縁者 [kínzmən]
  ex) “Why?” asked Capulet’s kinsman. Paris.

blessing:承認、賛成 [blésiŋ]
  ex) If she agrees to marry you, then you will have my blessing.

conflict:対立、衝突 [kɑ́nflikt]
  ex) Although the “ancient feud" between the Montagues and the Capulets is never explained in Shakespeare’s play, it probably dates back this conflict, which was over 200 year old at the time of Romeo and Juliet.

・hostile:敵意を持った、非友好的な [hɑ́stəl]
・evident:明白な [évidənt]
  ex) The fact that many noble families in Verona were hostile to one another is evident even today.

・fortify:要塞化する [fɔ́rtəfài]
  ex) Vlsitors to Verona can find hundreds of old houses with thick walls and fortified entrances.

roam:うろつく [róum]
  ex) These buildings are left over from the time when armed men, similar to Tybalt and Mercutio, roamed the streets of Verona.

・awkward:気まずい [ɔ́kwərd]
  ex) Juliet thought the question was awkward.

・defy:逆らう [difái]
  ex) She didn’t want to defy her mother, so she chose her words carefully.

・brief:短い
  ex) “I will be brief."

・brave:優れた、立派な
  ex) The brave Paris wants to marry you.

・burdensome:重荷となる、厄介な、面倒な [bə́ːrdənsəm]
  ex) “Love is burdensome, so a lover’s feet are slow.”

・reason with ~:~に事を分けて話す
  ex) Capulet didn’t like that Tybalt was being rude, but he tried to reason with him.

・ tolerate:容認する、大目に見る [tɑ́lərèit]
  ex) “I cannot tolerate him.”

・ lace A’s fingers through B’s :Aの指をBの指に組み合わせる
  ex) Then she gently laced her fingers through his and held his hands tightly.

・stroke ~:~をなでる [stróuk]
  ex) “Don’t angels have lips?" he said as he stroked her hand.

・bold:ずうずうしい、あつかましい [bóuld]
  ex) But she didn’t want to be too bold.

・ bachelor:独身男性 [bǽtʃələr]
  ex) “A bachelor!" interrupted Benvolio.

・ crouched:しゃがむ、身をかがめる [kráutʃ]
  ex) he crouched in the bushes

・fall backward:仰向けに倒れる
  ex) Romeo fell backward.

・endure ~:~に耐える [endúər]
  ex) Romeo couldn’t endure it anymore.

・demand:説明を求める [dimǽnd]
  ex) “How did you get here?” she demanded.

・ boundless:無限の、果てしない [báundləs]
  ex) “My love is boundless and as deep as the sea."

・boldly:大胆に、はっきりと
  ex) “Tomorrow,” promised Romeo boldly.

・sorrow:悲しみ [sɑ́rou]
  ex) “Parting is always sweet sorrow, but I will see you tomorrow.”

・friar:修道士 [fráiər]
  ex) Friar Lawrence was working in the garden

・prune:切り取る、刈り取る [prúːn]
  ex) He pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket and began to prune the flowers, humming as he worked

・exclaim:叫ぶ、大声で言う [ikskléim]
  ex) “Dancing with my enemy!” Romeo exclaimed.

・everlasting:永遠に続く、いつまでも変わらない [èvərlǽstiŋ]
  ex) “We’ve just met, but our love is everlasting."

・sworn:(swearの過去分詞)誓う [swɔ́rn]
  ex) We have sworn to marry.

・idolize ~:~を崇拝する、心酔する [áidəlàiz]
  ex) “I scolded you for idolizing her.”

・passionate:情熱的な [pǽʃənət]
  ex) “Yes, but not to fall in love again so quickly. You are too passionate.”

・insist:主張する、断言する [insíst]
  ex) “We live by reason.” insisted Friar Lawrence.

・praise ~:~を褒める [préiz]
・reasonable:理性的な、合理的な [ríːznəbl]
  ex) “Well then praise me for being reasonable."

・consent:承諾、同意 [kənsént]
  ex) How could he marry someone so young and naive? And without the parents’ consent?

・persuade ~:~を説得する [pərswéid]
  ex) “You have not persuaded me, Romeo," said Friar Lawrence at last.

・snarl:うなる、ガミガミ言う [snɑ́rl]
  ex) “I know. I know!" she snarled.

・confession:告解、ざんげ [kənféʃən]
  ex) “Do you have to go to confession today?”

・amen:その通り、よろしい [éimén]
  ex) “Amen already,” said Romeo.

・moderately:控えめに、つつましく [mɑ́dəritli]
  ex) You need to live and love moderately.

・newlywed:新婚者 [njúːliwèd]
  ex) “They are newlyweds. They want to be together.”

・infatuation:心酔、のぼせあがり [infæ̀tʃuéiʃən]
  ex) type of love in this play is “infatuation" .

・puppy love:ままごとの恋愛
  ex) Sometimes this love is called “puppy love“.

・obsession:妄想 [əbséʃən]
  ex) They don’t realize that their feelings are actually an obsession. not true love.

・sacrifice ~:~を犠牲にする [sǽkrəfàis]
  ex) This love is so strong that Romeo and Juliet will even sacrifice their lives for it.

・address ~:~に取り組む [ǽdres]
  ex) Finally, Shakespeare addresses the idea of fate.

・star-crossed:星周りの悪い、薄幸な
  ex) At the begining of the play, the author mentions that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed" lovers.

・doom A to B:AをBの運命に追い込む
  ex) They are doomed to never be happy together.

・dishonorable:恥ずべき、不名誉な [disɑ́nərəbəl]
  ex) “He’s being dishonorable! Why is be acting like this?”

・strut:もったいぶって歩く、気取って歩く [strʌ́t]
  ex) Tybalt strutted up to Romeo.

・strike:〔拳や道具を使って~を〕突く、打つ
  ex) “My sword is strong!” Romeo said, and he struck at Tybalt.

・avenge:報復する、借りを返す [əvéndʒ]
  ex) It soon became clear that he was not fighting a man, but an avenging angel.

rage:怒る、暴れる [réidʒ]
  ex) He kept raging forward.

・chant:詠唱する、唱える [tʃǽnt]
  ex) “Please leave us, sun,” she chanted.

・plead:嘆願する [plíːd]
  ex) “Nurse?" pleaded Juliet.

・stiffly:堅苦しく、頑固に [stifli]
  ex) “Thank you, nurse,” said Juliet stiffly.

・sin:罪 [sín]
  ex) “I will go to Friar Lawrence in the morning and confess my sins.”

・unlawful:違法の、不道徳な [ʌnlɔ́fəl]
  ex) “But now you won’t prevent this second, unlawful marriage."

・determined:決心している、覚悟している [ditə́ːrmənd]
  ex) A determined look came over Juliet’s face.

・suffocate:窒息死する、息苦しくなる [sʌ́fəkèit]
  ex) Wouldn’t she suffocate in the family tomb?

・surrounded by ~:~で取り囲まれる [səráunded]
  ex) Worse, what if, surrounded by horrible images of death, she became crazy?

・gag:吐き気を催す、息が詰まる [gǽg]
  ex) Her throat burned. She gagged.

numb:無感覚な、麻痺した、しびれた [nʌ́m]
  ex) Her body went numb.

・universal:普遍的な、全員に共通する [jùnəvə́ːrsəl]
  ex) William Shakespeare’s plays are very famous even today because the themes about which he writes are universal.

・adaptable:順応できる、適合性のある、調整できる [ədǽptəbl]
  ex) Romeo and Juliet is probably Shakespeare’s most adaptable work.

・ associate with ~:~と関連付ける [əsóuʃièit]
  ex) Tony and Maria are associated with rival gangs.

・crossroad:交差路 [krɔ́sròud]
  ex) He walked faster until he arrived at the crossroads where he had instructed Romeo to meet him.

・crowbar:バール [króubɑ̀r]
  ex) When Romeo felt his hand, he spun around and swung the crowbar, hitting Paris in the head.

・fall down:(地面)に倒れて死ぬ
  ex) Paris fell dead to the ground.

whimper:泣き言を言う、ブツブツ不平を言う [hwímpər]
  ex) “I cannot stay!” whimpered Friar Lawrence.

・grudge:悪意、恨み、わだかまり [grʌ́dʒ]
  ex) “See what has happened because of your ancient grudge."


本の感想(ネタバレ注意)

「とっとと読もう」と思った割にはちょっと長く、上記の通り読み終わった後の単語調べが多くて大変だった。

で、ロミオとジュリエット。
あぁ・・・・なんてセンチメンタルな人たちなんだろう。
なんか次から次へと人があっさり死んでいっちゃうし、二人をお世話する修道士が本当にいたらないヒト。
最後に皆が死んでいる二人を発見し、修道士をとっつかまえてきて自白させると、一番えらい人が「お前のせいではない。いがみ合っている両家のせいだ」って言っていたけど、

いやいや、修道士、アンタの行き当たりばったりの計画のせいだよ。

と、思った。

「ベニスの商人」の方が断然いいね。
でもやっぱりさすがは我が(?)「Happy Readers」シリーズ。
グチャグチャしたストーリーと言い回しを、綺麗に整理しつつも読みやすく上手に書いていた。