Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 18
He was always very sly, and he played a great many tricks on his neighbors, and sometimes he got them into trouble.
彼はいつもとても狡猾で、近所の者たちに数多くのいたずらを仕掛け、時には彼らを困らせることもありました。
But when he did, he always managed to keep out of their way until they had forgotten all about their anger.
しかしそうした時には、相手が怒りをすっかり忘れるまで、うまく姿をくらますのでした。
"One morning the very imp of mischief seemed to get into old Mr. Possum's head.
「ある朝、いたずらの悪魔そのものが、年老いたポッサムさんの頭に入り込んだようでした。
Yes, Sir, it certainly did seem that way.
ええ、確かにそう見えたのです。
And when you see Mischief trotting along the Lone Little Path, if you look sharp enough, you'll see Trouble following at his heels like a shadow.
そして、いたずらが一本道をトコトコ歩いているのを見たとき、よく目を凝らせば、その後ろに影のようにトラブルがついてくるのが見えるでしょう。
I never knew it to fail.
それが外れたことは一度もありませんでした。
It's just as sure as a stomach-ache is to follow overeating."
食べ過ぎの後に腹痛が来るのと同じくらい確かなことです。」
Just here Grandfather Frog paused and looked very hard at Peter Rabbit.
ちょうどここで、カエルのおじいさんは話を止めて、ピーター・ラビットをじっと見つめました。
But Peter pretended not to notice, and after slowly winking one of his big, goggly eyes at Johnny Chuck, Grandfather Frog continued:
しかしピーターは気づかないふりをして、ジョニー・チャックに大きなくりくりとした目でゆっくりとウインクしてから、カエルのおじいさんは続けました。
"Anyway, as I said before, the imp of mischief seemed to be in old Mr. Possum's head that morning, for he began to play tricks on his neighbors as soon as they were out of bed.
「とにかく、先ほど申し上げたように、あの朝はいたずらの悪魔が年老いたポッサムさんの頭に入り込んでいたようで、彼は近所の者たちが起き出すやいなや、いたずらを仕掛け始めました。
He hid Old King Bear's breakfast, while the latter had his head turned, and then pretended that he had just come along.
彼はクマの王様が頭を背けている間に、その朝食を隠してしまい、それからちょうど通りがかったばかりのふりをしました。
He was very polite and offered to help Old King Bear hunt for his lost breakfast.
彼はとても礼儀正しく、なくなった朝食を探すのを手伝いましょうと申し出ました。
Then, whenever Old King Bear came near the place where it was hidden, old Mr. Possum would hide it somewhere else.
そして、クマの王様が隠し場所に近づくたびに、年老いたポッサムさんはそれを別の場所に隠してしまうのでした。
Vocabulary
- 彼
- kare — He; third-person masculine pronoun.
- は
- wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the subject.
- いつも
- itsumo — Always; at all times; habitually.
- とても
- totemo — Very; extremely; highly.
- 狡猾
- kōkatsu — Cunning; sly; crafty and deceitful.
- で
- de — Particle indicating means, location, or cause.
- 近所
- kinjo — Neighborhood; nearby area; vicinity.
- の
- no — Possessive or linking particle connecting nouns.
- 者
- mono — Person; individual; one who does something.
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, time, or indirect object.
- 数多く
- kazuōku — Many; numerous; a large number of.
- いたずら
- itazura — Prank; mischief; playful trick.
- を
- wo — Object-marking particle indicating direct object.
- 仕掛け
- shikake — Set up a trick or mechanism; contrive.
- 時
- toki — Time; moment; occasion when something happens.
- 彼ら
- karera — They; plural third-person pronoun.
- 困ら
- komara — Trouble; cause difficulty (stem form of 困る).
- せる
- seru — Causative auxiliary; make or let someone do.
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; abstract nominalizer for actions.
- も
- mo — Also; too; even; inclusive particle.
- あり
- ari — Exist; there is (stem form of ある).
- まし
- mashi — Polite past auxiliary (part of ました).
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending.
- しかし
- shikashi — However; but; nevertheless; contrast conjunction.
- そう
- sō — So; that way; like that.
- し
- shi — And; do (conjunctive or verb stem form).
- 相手
- aite — Partner; opponent; the other party.
- が
- ga — Subject-marking particle; but (contrast).
- 怒り
- ikari — Anger; rage; fury.
- すっかり
- sukkari — Completely; entirely; totally; all the way.
- 忘れる
- wasureru — Forget; fail to remember something.
- まで
- made — Until; up to; as far as.
- うまく
- umaku — Skillfully; cleverly; successfully; well.
- 姿
- sugata — Figure; appearance; one's form or shape.
- くらます
- kuramasu — Hide oneself; vanish; make oneself scarce.
- ある
- aru — A certain; one particular; there is/are.
- 朝
- asa — Morning; the early part of the day.
- 悪魔
- akuma — Devil; demon; evil spirit.
- そのもの
- sono mono — Itself; the very thing; in person.
- 年老い
- toshioi — Aged; grown old; elderly.
- さん
- san — Polite honorific suffix for names.
- 頭
- atama — Head; top part of the body.
- 入り込ん
- hairikomu — Enter deeply; get inside; intrude.
- だ
- da — Plain copula; informal 'is/are/was'.
- よう
- yō — Seems; appears; like; as if.
- ええ
- ē — Yes; indeed; affirmative exclamation.
- 確か
- tashika — Certainly; surely; if I recall correctly.
- 見え
- mie — Visible; can be seen (stem of 見える).
- です
- desu — Polite copula meaning 'is' or 'are'.
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verbs or clauses.
- 一本道
- ippondō — Straight single road; straightforward path.
- トコトコ
- tokotoko — Trotting; walking with small quick steps.
- 歩い
- arui — Walking (conjunctive form of 歩く).
- いる
- iru — To be; to exist (animate beings).
- 見
- mi — See; look (stem form of 見る).
- とき
- toki — Time; moment; when something occurs.
- よく
- yoku — Well; carefully; often; thoroughly.
- 目
- me — Eye; eyesight; vision.
- 凝らせ
- korase — Focus intently; strain one's eyes or attention.
- ば
- ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'.
- その
- sono — That; the (demonstrative modifier).
- 後ろ
- ushiro — Behind; the back; rear side.
- 影
- kage — Shadow; silhouette; shade.
- トラブル
- toraburu — Trouble; problem; difficulty (loanword).
- つい
- tsui — Closely following; just; unintentionally.
- くる
- kuru — Come; to arrive; approach.
- 見える
- mieru — Can see; be visible; appear.
- でしょ
- desho — Probably; right? (informal conjecture form).
- う
- u — Volitional/presumptive ending; let's; probably.
- それ
- sore — That; it; that thing over there.
- 外れ
- hazure — Miss; stray; be off target; deviate.
- 一度
- ichido — Once; one time; a single occasion.
- ん
- n — Negative or explanatory sentence-ending particle.
- 食べ過ぎ
- tabesugi — Overeating; eating too much.
- 後
- ato / nochi — After; later; behind; subsequent to.
- 腹痛
- fukutsū — Stomachache; abdominal pain.
- 来る
- kuru — To come; to arrive; to approach.
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle; conditional.
- 同じ
- onaji — Same; identical; equal; alike.
- くらい
- kurai — About; approximately; to the extent of.
- な
- na — Sentence-ending particle for assertion or emotion.
- ちょうど
- chōdo — Exactly; just; precisely at that moment.
- ここ
- koko — Here; this place; this spot.
- カエル
- kaeru — Frog; amphibian that jumps and croaks.
- おじいさん
- ojīsan — Grandfather; old man; elderly gentleman.
- 話
- hanashi — Story; talk; conversation; tale.
- 止め
- tome — Stop; halt; bring to an end.
- じっと
- jitto — Steadily; motionlessly; staring without moving.
- 見つめ
- mitsume — Stare at; gaze fixedly at someone.
- 気づか
- kizuka — Not notice; unaware (negative stem of 気づく).
- ない
- nai — Not; negative auxiliary for verbs.
- ふり
- furi — Pretense; acting as if; feigning.
- 大きな
- ōkina — Big; large; great in size.
- くりくり
- kurikuri — Round and bright (describing large eyes).
- ゆっくり
- yukkuri — Slowly; leisurely; without hurrying.
- ウインク
- uinku — Wink; closing one eye as a signal.
- から
- kara — From; because; after; starting point.
- 続け
- tsuzuke — Continue; keep doing; carry on.
- とにかく
- tonikaku — Anyway; in any case; regardless.
- 先ほど
- sakihodo — A short while ago; just previously.
- 申し上げ
- mōshiage — Humbly say; respectfully tell (honorific form).
- あの
- ano — That (over there); well… (hesitation word).
- 起き出す
- okidasu — Get up and start moving; rise from bed.
- や
- ya — And; or; listing particle; exclamation.
- いなや
- inaya — No sooner than; as soon as (literary).
- 始め
- hajime — Beginning; start; commence doing something.
- クマ
- kuma — Bear; large omnivorous forest mammal.
- 王様
- ōsama — King; ruler; monarch of a kingdom.
- 背け
- sorake / somuke — Turn away; avert (one's face or gaze).
- 間
- aida / ma — Between; during; interval of time or space.
- 朝食
- chōshoku — Breakfast; the morning meal.
- 隠し
- kakushi — Hide; conceal; keep secret.
- しまい
- shimai — End up doing; finish; complete (auxiliary sense).
- 通りがかっ
- tōrikakatte — Pass by; happen to walk past.
- ばかり
- bakari — Just; only; having just done something.
- 礼儀
- reigi — Etiquette; manners; polite behavior.
- 正しく
- tadashiku — Correctly; properly; in a proper manner.
- なくなっ
- nakunatte — Disappear; run out; no longer exist.
- 探す
- sagasu — Search for; look for; seek out.
- 手伝い
- tetsudai — Help; assistance; lending a hand.
- ましょ
- mashō — Let's; polite volitional (part of ましょう).
- 申し出
- mōshide — Offer; proposal; coming forward to suggest.
- 隠し場所
- kakushiba sho — Hiding place; spot where something is concealed.
- 近づく
- chikazuku — Approach; draw near; come closer.
- たび
- tabi — Each time; whenever; every occasion.
- 別
- betsu — Different; separate; another; distinct.
- 場所
- basho — Place; location; spot; area.
- しまう
- shimau — Put away; end up doing; finish completely.
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