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'll take your word for it.

SHERLOCK

（君の言葉を信じるよ。）
　BBCドラマ「シャーロック」エピソード2 "The Blind Banker" より。殺されていた銀行員のスーツケースに入っている洗濯物の状態から、死後3日くらいは経っているだろうと推理するホームズ。ワトスンにも確認するよう促すが、人の下着なんか嗅ぎたくないよ！と断るワトスン。

  • have my/your/someone's word＝「〜の言うことを信じる」という言い方は何度か耳にしたことあったけど（Do I have your word? : 04/11/6）、takeも使うのか。他にもkeepやgiveなどとも使う。
  • someone's wordで、「何かをすると言った約束」や「言っていることが本当だと請け負うこと」という意味になる。その"word"をhaveしたりtakeしたりkeepしたりする。だから日本語だと状況に応じて「信じる」になったり「約束する」になったり。（a sincere promise to do something, or a promise that what you say is true／a promise or guarantee that you will do something or that something will happen or is true）
    • I'll be there. I give you my word.
    • You'd better keep your word.
    • I trust him to keep his word.
    • I give you my word that this won't happen again.
    • I give you my word that it won't happen again.
    • We only have his word for it that he has already paid.
    • We only have his word for it that the check is in the mail.
    • The business is doing very well. You can take my word for it.
    • You'll have to take my word for it.
    • I can't prove it—you'll have to take my word for it.
    • We never doubted her word.
  • 熟語的な例文も。
    • Delors claimed that Johnson had gone back on his word (=not done what he had promised to do).
    • I told her I'd help. I can't go back on my word. (=I can't break my promise)
    • I trusted her not to go back on her word (= break her promise).
    • I never know whether to take him at his word (=believe what he says).
    • His word is his bond.=He is a man of his word. =He always does what he promises to do.
    • She was true to her word. (=she did what she said she would do)
    • He promised to help and was as good as his word (= did what he promised).
  • ちなみにワトスンが「人の下着なんか嗅ぎたくない」と言っているセリフではrootという動詞が使われていて、「（秘密・真実などを）明るみに出す、探し出す」という意味なんだけど、「豚などが食べ物をあさるために鼻で地面をほじくりかえす」という意味もあって、ワトスンの心情を表してる単語なんじゃないかなと思ってみたり。