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。

Every glowing path that goes astray, shows you how to find a better way.

(輝かしい道が迷い道になっても、それはすべてもっといい道筋を見つける手がかりとなるのだ。)
 映画「チキ・チキ・バン・バン」より。発明家ポッツの作った空飛ぶ車チキチキバンバン号を欲しがるボンバースト男爵は、ポッツの父親を、発明家ポッツと間違えて誘拐する。人違いされ「飛ぶ車をつくれ」と脅されたおじいちゃんポッツは落胆するが、同じく囚われの身の発明家(?)たちが彼を励ましながら歌う歌「Roses of Success」の歌詞。

  • go astray=「道に迷って、道をそれて、道を踏み外して、無くなって(to be lost or stolen/ if a plan or action goes astray, it goes wrong/to wander off the road or path/[for something] to get lost or misplaced/to turn bad or wander from the way of goodness; to make an error)」
    • The letter had gone astray in the post.
    • My glasses have gone astray again.
    • We went astray but a man redirected us.
    • Stick to the path and try not to go astray.
    • I couldn't see the trail and I almost went astray.
    • Mary's book went astray or maybe it was stolen.
    • I'm afraid your son has gone astray and gotten into a bit of trouble.
    • The best-laid plans can go astray.
    • I went astray with the computer program at this point.
  • 「のら猫」のことstray catって言うけど関係あるのかな?と思ったらstrayに「(道から)それる、迷う/(仲間・群れから)はぐれる」という意味があった。
  • lead somebody astrayという形で「道を踏み外させる(to encourage someone to do bad or illegal things that they would not normally do/to influence someone so that they do bad things)/真実でないことを信じさせる( to make someone believe something that is not true/to cause someone to make a mistake)」という使い方もできる。
    • The older boys led him astray.
    • He was led astray by boozy colleagues.
    • Parents always worry about their children being led astray by unsuitable friends.
    • I am afraid that this young man has been leading you astray.
    • No one can lead me astray. I know what I am doing.
    • It's easy to be led astray by the reports in the papers.
    • The police were led astray by false information from one of the witnesses.
  • この歌は他の歌詞もいちいちいい。この部分もすごく好き。

...So when it gets distressing it's a blessing!
Onward and upward you must press!
Till up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success.