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。

Lately I've taken to kissing the floor when I see her coming, just to save time.

The Sound of Music

（時間がもったいないので、近頃は彼女が来るのを見ただけで床にキスするようになりました。）
　ミュージカル映画「サウンド・オブ・ミュージック"The Sound of Music"」より。修道女見習いのマリアは、規律を守れず、修道院の問題児。Sister Berthe は規則違反の罰にマリアに床にキスさせる。今となってはSister Bertheがやってくるのを見ただけで、自発的に床にキスします、というマリアのセリフ。

  • "take to doing something" で「〜が習慣になる」（to start doing something regularly／to begin (doing something) as a habit）。例文を見ると、過去形・現在完了形で使われることが多いよう。
    • He's taken to getting up at 6 and going jogging.
    • He took to drinking after he lost his job.
    • She had taken to sleeping on the floor.
    • We've taken to calling him “Mr. Dependable.”
    • When did you take to biting your nails?
    • I've taken to waking up very early.
  • いつも迷う"lately, recently, these days"の使い分けもおさらい。イギリス英語では否定文・疑問文での使い分けがあるなどあるようだけど、とりあえず基本だけ。
  • lately（in the recent period of time） は、現在完了形で使う。過去形でも使えるが、基本現在完了形。過去から今までの間（period）を指すため。
    • He has been feeling better lately.
    • Lately, she has been worrying about her son.
    • What have you been doing lately?
    • Lately, I've had trouble sleeping.
  • recently（during the period of time that has just passed : not long ago）は、現在完了形・過去形で。英英辞書で見ると"ago"が使われていることから、過去形となじみがいいのがわかる。
    • She recently graduated from college.
    • We received a letter from him recently.
    • I was going to paint the room white, but more recently I've been considering a light blue.
    • I saw him recently for the first time in many years.
    • Only recently did they decide to move.
    • He has recently been promoted to Assistant Manager.
  • these days（at the present time／used to talk about the present, especially when you are comparing it with the past） は、現在形・現在進行形で使う。英英辞書で見ても、"present" という言葉があてられている。特に過去と比べての現在というニュアンス。
    • It seems that everyone has a cell phone these days.
    • These days kids grow up so quickly.
    • What kind of music are you listening to these days?
    • These days, she has a very busy social life.
    • I am watching baseball games these days.
    • I don't smoke much these days.
  • 使い分けに関して、辞書も含めていくつかのサイトを参考にしたけれど、こちらのサイトがわかりやすかった。