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。

This man got me off a murder charge.

(彼が殺人の嫌疑を晴らしてくれたんだ。)
 BBCドラマ「シャーロック」エピソード1 "A Study in Pink" より。犯人をメールでおびきだしたホームズとワトスンは、レストランバーで通りを見張る。ホームズに昔助けてもらったというオーナー(多分)のアンジェロが、ワトスンにホームズとの過去を話すシーンで。

  • get off にはいろんな意味がある。ここでは "get someone off" の形で「(人に)処罰を免れさせる/嫌疑を晴らす」という意味。(to help someone avoid being punished for a crime/to get someone cleared of a criminal charge)
    • Her lawyers were confident that they could get her off.
    • Ted's lawyer got him off, although we all knew he was guilty.
    • I hope someone can get her off. She is innocent no matter how it looks.
    • His lawyer got him off.
    • A good lawyer might be able to get you off.
  • "S+get off" ならSが罪を免れる、軽い罪で済む(この場合はwithと一緒に使う)、ということ。(if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive only a small punishment)
    • He's been arrested several times, but he always gets off.
    • Let's hope John gets off with a light sentence.
    • Max got off with only a few years in prison.
    • He got off with a light sentence.
    • His lawyer tried to get him off with a light sentence.
    • If you're lucky, you'll get off with a fine.
    • In the end he got off because there wasn't enough evidence against him.
    • He was lucky to get off with a small fine.


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