続 今日の英語

はてなダイアリーで地味に続けていた「今日の英語」の続き。日常出会った気になる英語表現を、オンライン辞書の例文などとともにメモしています。

I'm having a ball

I'm having a ball

(楽しんでるところなんだ)

ロックバンドQUEENの伝記的映画「ボヘミアン・ラプソディ」観てきました。最高!クイーンの歌は昔から好きなんですが、歌詞は雰囲気でしか聞いてなかったのでこれを機に歌詞を見ながら名曲を聴いたりしています。「Don't Stop Me Now」より。

 

Don't stop me now/I'm having such a good time/I'm having a ball という流れで歌われる通り、"have a ball" = "have a good time" という意味。
●英英辞書では "to enjoy yourself very much" "to have a very enjoyable/exciting time" など
●ここでいうballは「球」ではなく「舞踏会」で、舞踏会で楽しい時間を過ごす、というところから来ていると説明されていたサイトもあった。

 

○"So, how was the party last night?" "Oh, it was great! we had a ball!"
○It was a great trip. I had a ball!
○I thought I'd be travelling the world by now, having a ball.
○Everyone had a ball at the party.

 

I jumped at it.

I jumped at it.
(私はその申し出に飛びついたわ)
 ジュリー・アンドリュースが4月からNetflixで子供向け番組を始める、というニュース記事より。何か芸術に関する番組を一緒にやりませんか?という話がHenson Companyから持ちかけられた時の話でジュリー・アンドリュースが言った言葉。

  • "jump at something" は物理的に何かに飛びつく時だけでなく、「チャンスなどに飛びつく」時にも使える(to seize the opportunity to do something/to quickly and eagerly accept an opportunity)。日本語でも同じように使うけれど、英語を話していてもこういう表現がさらっと使えたらいいな。…と思ってまとめておこうかなと思ったら、以前にも一度まとめていた。→Rainer jumped at the suggestion. - 今日の英語
    • When I heard about John's chance to go to England, I knew he'd jump at it. (Freedictionary)
    • If something you really want to do comes your way, jump at it.(Freedictionary)
    • She jumped at every invitation she got to speak about her discovery.(Freedictionary)
    • She jumped at the chance to go to Paris.(Freedictionary)
    • When Dad said he'd help pay for my vacation, I jumped at the offer.(Freedictionary)
    • When the lead singer became ill, Sheila jumped at the chance to replace her.(Freedictionary)
    • They offered a large reward, hoping that someone would jump at the bait.(Freedictionary)
    • She jumped at the chance/opportunity to show her boss what she could do.(Merriam)
    • He jumped at the offer of a better job.(Merriam)
    • I jumped at the chance of a trip to Hong Kong.(Longman
    • His company proposed to send him to England, and John jumped at the chance.(Freedictionary)
  • 前回の記事と同じ内容だとつまらないので、同じように使える "leap at the opportunity/chance" の例文も。
    • Frank leapt at the opportunity to become a commercial artist. (Freedictionary)
    • It was a great idea and we leapt at the opportunity. (Freedictionary)
    • I would leap at the chance to go to Moscow. (Free dictionary)
    • I leapt at the chance of studying abroad.(Longman
    • She leaped at the chance/opportunity to show her boss what she could do.(Merriam) ※leapの過去形はアメリカ英語ではleaped、イギリス英語ではleaptが多い
    • He leapt at the offer of a better job.(Merriam)


 
ジュリーアンドリュースが子供向け教育番組、というとどうしても思い出すこの珠玉の2作品。記事中でも、「何度も見返してもらえるような番組にしたい」というジュリーへのコメントにからめて、この2作品を我々が何度も見返してきたのと同じようですね、と締めていた。

Please keep your mobile phones switched off for the duration of the flight.

Please keep your mobile phones switched off for the duration of the flight.
(飛行中は携帯電話の電源はお切りください)
 ベネディクト・カンバーバッチ出演のラジオドラマ「Cabin Pressure」S1E2 Boston 冒頭キャロリンの機内放送より。このあと「携帯の電源が入っていても別に機器に問題はないけど私がイライラするんです」と続いて面白い。(http://d.hatena.ne.jp/tiki-tiki/20140323

  • for the duration of〜というカタマリで「〜の期間中」という意味に。duringとほぼ同じ使い方?その期間が"終わるまでずっと"という部分が強い印象。
    • The package includes cycle hire for the duration of your holiday.(Longman
    • The camera remained on the President for the duration of his speech.(Merriam)
    • The school was used as a hospital for the duration of the war.(Oxford)
    • She stayed there for the duration of the journey.(Oxford)
    • The museum will remain open for the duration of the restoration.(Collins)*restoration/修復
  • "for the duration"とofがない状態だと「〜が終わるまでずっと、〜が続く限り(until the end of something)」で、特に戦争期間中を指すことも。
    • He was living in England when the war began and remained there for the duration.
  • duration=「持続期間(the length of time that something lasts or continues」単体でも使われる。
    • Taking antibiotics will shorten the duration of the illness.(Oxford)
    • The next contract will be of shorter duration.(Oxford)
    • The overall duration of the flight was 11 hours.(Oxford)
    • You should gradually increase the duration of your workout.(Merriam)
    • He planned a stay of two years' duration.(Cambridge)


In the very unlikely event of an emergency landing, your inflatable safety jacket is under your seat – and that is precisely where I recommend it stay, given that the largest body of water between here and Luton is an open-air swimming pool in Daventry.

In the very unlikely event of an emergency landing, your inflatable safety jacket is under your seat – and that is precisely where I recommend it stay, given that the largest body of water between here and Luton is an open-air swimming pool in Daventry.
(万一の緊急着陸時に備えて、救命胴衣は座席の下にございます。ここからルートンまでの間の最大水域がダベントリーの屋外プールであることを考えれば、そここそがお勧めの置き場所だと言えますけれど。)
 ベネディクト・カンバーバッチ出演のラジオドラマ「Cabin Pressure」S1E2 Boston 冒頭キャロリンの機内放送より。何度も聞き込んでるお話だけど、ここで出てくるgive that...という言い方について今まで流していて、今回初めてちゃんと調べたのでメモ。

  • given that...で「もし...(that以下)ならば/...(that以下)だということを考えれば」という意味になる。givenだけで同じような使い方ができるようだけど、thatを伴って使われることが多い、ということみたい。(used to indicate something that is being assumed or considered/knowing about or considering a particular thing)類語としてconsidering。
    • Given the circumstances, you’ve done really well.(Longman
    • Given his age, he's a remarkably fast runner.(Cambridge)
    • Even given that the house is not in perfect condition, it's still a great buy!(Merriam)
    • Given that the patients have some disabilities, we still try to enable them to be as independent as possible.(Longman
    • It was surprising the government was re-elected, given that they had raised taxes so much.(Oxford)
    • Given (the fact) that he's had six months to do this, he hasn't made much progress.(Cambridge)

 ついでにここで出てくる "the very unlikely event of..." という部分、私は聞いていて、キャロリンらしい、「そんなことはありえないんだけど」を強調した言い方のように受け止めていたけれど、このキャロリンらしい(?)veryをはずした "the unlikely event of..." 「万が一〜だった場合に備えて」という表現は一般的によく使われる言い回しのよう。

    • In the unlikely event of my getting the job, I'll have to buy a car to get there every day.(free dictionary.com)
    • In the unlikely event of a fire, please walk quickly to an exit.(free dictionary.com)
    • In the unlikely event of a fire, passengers should move to the top deck.(Longman
    • In the unlikely event of a problem arising, please contact the hotel manager.(Oxford)


Lots of freebies!

Lots of freebies!
(無料特典もいっぱい!)
 NHKラジオ「ラジオ英会話」に出てきたCM聴き取りコーナーで出てきた表現。コンビニとカフェを併設したガソリンスタンドのコマーシャルで、いろいろなサービスが紹介されていた。

  • freebieは「無料サービス(something that you are given free, usually by a company)」という意味。
    • The company paid for the minister to fly out to Australia on a freebie. (Longman)
    • A waiter was handing round freebie glasses of wine.(Longman)
    • On the store's opening day, the manager gave out hats, small toys, and other freebies.(Merriam)
    • He took all the freebies that were on offer.(Oxford) ※on offer: for sale for a short time at a cheaper price than usual

気になった英単語

half brother=「異母兄弟」

金正男氏殺害のニュースで。別に見たまま聞いたままなんだけど、日本語で「異母兄弟って何ていうのかな?」とかはじめに考えちゃったら出てこなそう。