Bleak House — Page 2

English → Japanese Preface Level 9/10

The Close of Esther's Narrative

エスターの物語の終わり

PREFACE

序文

A Chancery judge once had the kindness to inform me, as one of a company of some hundred and fifty men and women not labouring under any suspicions of lunacy, that the Court of Chancery, though the shining subject of much popular prejudice (at which point I thought the judge's eye had a cast in my direction), was almost immaculate.

衡平法裁判所のある判事がかつて親切にも私に教えてくれたことがあった。その場には百五十人ほどの男女がいたが、誰一人として精神異常の疑いをかけられているわけではなく、判事が言うには、衡平法裁判所は世間の多くの偏見の輝かしい的となっているものの（その時点で私は判事の目が私の方に向いたように思った）、ほぼ申し分のないものであるとのことだった。

There had been, he admitted, a trivial blemish or so in its rate of progress, but this was exaggerated and had been entirely owing to the "parsimony of the public," which guilty public, it appeared, had been until lately bent in the most determined manner on by no means enlarging the number of Chancery judges appointed—I believe by Richard the Second, but any other king will do as well.

確かに、その進捗の速さにおいてささいな欠点がいくつかあったことは認めるが、それは誇張されており、すべては「公衆の吝嗇」によるものだと言うのだった。その罪深き公衆とは、つい最近まで、衡平法裁判所の判事の数を――私はリチャード二世によって任命されたと思うが、他のどの王でも同様だが――決して増やさないよう、最も断固たる態度で臨んでいたというのだ。

This seemed to me too profound a joke to be inserted in the body of this book or I should have restored it to Conversation Kenge or to Mr. Vholes, with one or other of whom I think it must have originated.

これは本書の本文に挿入するには深すぎる冗談のように私には思われた。さもなければ、カンバセーション・ケンジかヴォールズ氏のどちらかに返すべきだったろう。この冗談はそのどちらかから生まれたものに違いないと私は思う。

In such mouths I might have coupled it with an apt quotation from one of Shakespeare's sonnets:

そのような人物の口からであれば、私はそれをシェイクスピアのソネットの一つからの適切な引用と結びつけることができたかもしれない。

"My nature is subdued To what it works in, like the dyer's hand: Pity me, then, and wish I were renewed!

「わが性質は染められてしまった／染物師の手のように、働く中に染まりきって：／されば哀れと思い、我が蘇らんことを願え！

Vocabulary

の: no — Possessive or attributive particle linking nouns.
物語: monogatari — Story, tale, or narrative account.
終わり: owari — End, conclusion, or finish of something.
序文: jobun — Preface, foreword, or introductory text.
裁判所: saibansho — Court of law; judicial institution.
ある: aru — To exist; there is/are (for inanimate things).
判事: hanji — Judge; official presiding over a court.
が: ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar.
かつて: katsute — Once, formerly, at some time in the past.
親切: shinsetsu — Kindness, friendliness, or warm helpfulness.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or indirect object.
も: mo — Also, too; inclusive particle meaning 'as well'.
私: watashi — I, me; first-person singular pronoun.
教え: oshie — Teaching, lesson, or instruction given to someone.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases or clauses.
くれ: kure — To give (to me); receiving a favor from someone.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb suffix in Japanese.
こと: koto — Thing, fact, or matter (nominalizer for verbs).
あっ: a' — Contracted form of ある; existed or there was.
その: sono — That; demonstrative adjective for nearby referent.
場: ba — Place, scene, situation, or gathering spot.
は: wa — Topic marker particle highlighting sentence subject.
百五十: hyakugojū — One hundred and fifty; the number 150.
人: hito / nin — Person, people; human being or counter for people.
ほど: hodo — About, approximately; indicates degree or extent.
男女: danjo — Men and women; people of both sexes.
い: i — Stem of いる; to be, exist (animate beings).
誰: dare — Who; interrogative pronoun asking about a person.
一人: hitori — One person; alone or a single individual.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or quotation marker.
し: shi — Conjunctive verb form; also, and furthermore.
精神: seishin — Mind, spirit, or mental faculty.
異常: ijō — Abnormality, disorder; something unusual or aberrant.
疑い: utagai — Suspicion, doubt, or mistrust toward someone.
を: wo / o — Object marker particle indicating direct object.
かけ: kake — To apply, cast, or place (suspicion) on someone.
られ: rare — Passive auxiliary; being acted upon by someone.
いる: iru — To be, to exist (for animate beings).
わけ: wake — Reason, meaning; 'it means that' or 'of course'.
で: de — Particle indicating place, means, or reason.
なく: naku — Without; negative connective form of ない.
言う: iu / yuu — To say, speak, or express in words.
世間: seken — Society, the world, public opinion or norms.
多く: ooku — Many, much; a large number or quantity.
偏見: henken — Prejudice, bias, or preconceived unfair judgment.
輝かしい: kagayakashii — Brilliant, glorious, or radiant in achievement.
的: teki — Suffix meaning '-like', '-al', or '-ic'; relating to.
なっ: na' — Contracted form of なる; to become something.
もの: mono — Thing, object; nominalizer indicating a general thing.
時点: jiten — Point in time; a specific moment or juncture.
目: me — Eye; also used as ordinal suffix (e.g., second).
方: kata / hō — Person (polite); direction or way of doing something.
向い: mukai — Facing, turning toward; opposite or across from.
よう: yō — Appears to, seems like; expressing resemblance or intent.
思っ: omo' — Thought, felt; past conjunctive of 思う.
ほぼ: hobo — Almost, nearly, approximately; close to complete.
申し分: mōshibun — Objection, fault; used as 'flawless' when negated.
ない: nai — Not; negative auxiliary or adjective in Japanese.
だっ: da' — Past copula (contracted); was or used to be.
確か: tashika — Certain, sure; probably, if I remember correctly.
進捗: shinchoku — Progress, advancement; how far something has proceeded.
速さ: hayasa — Speed, quickness; the rate of motion or progress.
ささい: sasai — Trivial, minor, petty; of little importance.
な: na — Adjectival suffix; or negative imperative particle.
欠点: ketten — Flaw, defect, or shortcoming in something.
いくつ: ikutsu — How many; some, a few (unspecified small number).
か: ka — Question particle; or 'some' when used mid-sentence.
認める: mitomeru — To acknowledge, admit, or recognize something.
それ: sore — That (thing); mid-distance demonstrative pronoun.
誇張: kochō — Exaggeration; overstating beyond actual facts.
さ: sa — Nominalizing suffix; or filler particle 'well, you see'.
れ: re — Passive or potential verb suffix in Japanese.
おり: ori — Connective of おる/いる; is/was (humble or written).
すべて: subete — All, everything; entirely without exception.
公衆: kōshū — The public; the general population or community.
よる: yoru — To be due to, caused by; depending on something.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'it is'; plain form.
つい: tsui — Unintentionally, just recently; before one realizes it.
最近: saikin — Recently, lately; the near past or present time.
まで: made — Until, up to; indicating a limit of time or space.
数: kazu / sū — Number, count; quantity of things or people.
二世: nisei — The second; second generation or monarch numbered II.
よっ: yo' — By means of; contracted form of によって.
任命: ninmei — Appointment, nomination to an official position.
思う: omou — To think, feel, or believe something.
他: hoka / ta — Other, another; the rest or different from this.
どの: dono — Which (of several); interrogative determiner.
王: ō — King, monarch, or ruler of a kingdom.
同様: dōyō — Same, similar; in the same way or manner.
決し: kesshi — Decidedly; stem of 決して (never, by no means).
増やさ: fuyasa — To increase, multiply; causative stem of 増える.
最も: mottomo — Most; superlative adverb indicating highest degree.
断固: danko — Resolute, firm, determined; with strong conviction.
態度: taido — Attitude, manner, or bearing toward something.
臨ん: nozon — To face, confront, or attend to a situation.
いう: iu — To say, call; used to quote or label something.
これ: kore — This (thing); proximal demonstrative pronoun.
本書: honsho — This book; the present volume or document.
本文: honbun — Main text, body text; the principal written content.
挿入: sōnyū — Insertion, interpolation; placing something within text.
する: suru — To do; all-purpose action verb in Japanese.
深: fuka / shin — Deep; prefix or root indicating depth or profundity.
すぎる: sugiru — Too much; to exceed an appropriate degree or limit.
冗談: jōdan — Joke, jest; a humorous or playful remark.
思わ: omowa — Think; negative or passive stem of 思う.
なけれ: nakere — Conditional negative form; if there is not/were not.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'.
氏: shi — Mr./Ms.; honorific suffix for a person's name.
どちら: dochira — Which (of two); polite form of どっち.
返す: kaesu — To return, give back; to repay or restore.
べき: beki — Should, ought to; expressing obligation or expectation.
ろう: rō — Probably, likely; volitional or speculative suffix.
この: kono — This; proximal demonstrative adjective modifying a noun.
から: kara — From, because; indicating origin or reason.
生まれ: umare — Birth, origin; to be born or arise from.
違い: chigai — Difference, discrepancy; something that differs.
人物: jinbutsu — Person, character, figure; notable individual.
口: kuchi — Mouth; opening, or means of speaking.
あれ: are — That (over there); distal demonstrative pronoun.
一つ: hitotsu — One (thing); the number one for general objects.
適切: tekisetsu — Appropriate, suitable, fitting for the context.
引用: in'yō — Quotation, citation; using another's words.
結びつける: musubitsukeru — To connect, link, or tie two things together.
でき: deki — Can do, be able; stem of できる.
かも: kamo — Maybe, perhaps; expressing uncertainty (かもしれない).
しれ: shire — Might, may; part of かもしれない (perhaps).
わが: waga — My, our; literary/formal first-person possessive.
性質: seishitsu — Nature, character, disposition; inherent quality.
染め: some — To dye, tint; to color or stain something.
しまっ: shima' — Ended up doing; regrettable completion (しまう).
手: te — Hand; also means means or skill in something.
働く: hataraku — To work, labor; to be employed or active.
中: naka / chū — Inside, among; the middle or interior of something.
染まり: somari — To be dyed, stained; to become colored or influenced.
きっ: ki' — Surely, certainly; contracted form of きっと.
され: sare — Passive form of する; to be done or made.
哀れ: aware — Pity, pathos; something pitiful or moving.
思い: omoi — Thought, feeling, emotion; a sense of longing.
我: ware / ga — I, me, self; literary first-person pronoun.
蘇ら: yomigaera — To revive, resurrect; stem of 蘇る.
ん: n — Negative or nominalizing particle; contracted のだ.
願え: negae — Wish, hope, pray; imperative of 願う.

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