Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 29
Fox became aware that everybody was looking at him, and in every face was hate.
フォックスは、みんなが自分を見ていることに気づきました。そして、どの顔にも憎しみが浮かんでいました。
He glanced at his coat.
彼は自分の上着をちらりと見ました。
It was bright red!
それは真っ赤でした！
Then Mr. Fox knew that he had been found out, and he sneaked away with his tail between his legs.
そのとき、フォックスさんは自分がばれてしまったことを悟り、しっぽを足の間に挟んでこそこそと逃げ去りました。
The first chance he got, he went to Old Mother Nature and begged her to give him back his old coat.
最初の機会に、彼は大自然の母を訪ねて、元の上着を返してくれるように懇願しました。
She promised that she would when his heart changed, and he changed his ways.
大自然の母は、彼の心が変わり、生き方が変わったときに返すと約束しました。
But his heart never did change, and his children and his children's children were just like him.
しかし、彼の心は決して変わらず、彼の子供たちも、その子供たちも、彼と同じでした。
They have always been the smartest and the sliest and the most feared and disliked of all the little people on the meadows or in the forest.
彼らはいつも、草原や森に住む小さな仲間たちの中で、最も賢く、最もずる賢く、最も恐れられ、嫌われる存在でした。
And now you know why Reddy Fox wears a red coat," concluded Grandfather Frog.
「これで、レディ・フォックスがなぜ赤い上着を着ているかがわかりましたね」と、カエルのおじいさんは話を締めくくりました。
Peter Rabbit drew a long breath.
ピーター・ラビットは長く息を吸いました。
"Thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog!" said he.
「ありがとう、ありがとう、カエルのおじいさん！」と彼は言いました。
"I--I think hereafter I'll be quite content with my own suit, even if it isn't handsome.
「私は――これからは、たとえ見栄えがよくなくても、自分の服で十分満足しようと思います。
Jenny Wren was right.
ジェニー・レンは正しかったのです。
A good heart and honest ways are better than fine clothes."
善い心と正直な生き方は、立派な服よりも大切なのです。」
V
五
WHY JIMMY SKUNK NEVER HURRIES
ジミー・スカンクがなぜ急がないのか
The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind had just been released from the big bag in which she carries them every night to their home behind the Purple Hills and every morning brings them back to the Green Meadows to romp and play all day.
西風の大母が毎晩紫の丘の向こうの家へと運び、毎朝緑の草原へと連れ戻す大きな袋から、陽気な小さな風たちがちょうど解き放たれたところでした。彼らは一日中はしゃぎ回って遊ぶのでした。
Vocabulary
- フォックス
- fokkusu — Fox; a cunning animal often featured in stories
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar
- みんな
- minna — Everyone; all people present
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar
- 自分
- jibun — Oneself; one's own self or identity
- を
- wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar
- 見
- mi — To see or look at something
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases
- いる
- iru — To exist; indicates ongoing action or state
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; abstract noun nominalizer
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or target
- 気づき
- kizuki — Noticing; becoming aware of something
- まし
- mashi — Polite past tense auxiliary verb component
- た
- ta — Past tense verb ending particle
- そして
- soshite — And then; connecting events sequentially
- どの
- dono — Which; used to select among multiple options
- 顔
- kao — Face; one's facial appearance or expression
- も
- mo — Also; too; even; inclusive particle
- 憎しみ
- nikushimi — Hatred; strong feeling of dislike or hostility
- 浮かん
- ukan — Floating up; rising to the surface or mind
- で
- de — Particle indicating location, means, or cause
- い
- i — Shortened form of いる indicating ongoing state
- 彼
- kare — He; him; referring to a male person
- の
- no — Possessive or linking particle between nouns
- 上着
- uwagi — Jacket; outer garment worn over other clothing
- ちらり
- chirari — A quick glance; a brief fleeting glimpse
- と
- to — Particle meaning and, with, or quotation marker
- それ
- sore — That; referring to something near the listener
- 真っ赤
- makka — Bright red; completely or vividly crimson colored
- でし
- deshi — Polite copula component preceding た
- そのとき
- sono toki — At that moment; right then in time
- さん
- san — Honorific suffix added to names or titles
- ばれ
- bare — Being found out; having a secret exposed
- しまっ
- shimatt — Indicates an action completed with regret
- 悟り
- satori — Realization; enlightenment; sudden understanding
- しっぽ
- shippo — Tail; the rear appendage of an animal
- 足
- ashi — Foot; leg; lower limb used for walking
- 間
- aida — Between; interval of space or time
- 挟ん
- hasan — Tucking between; sandwiching something in place
- こそこそ
- kosokoso — Sneakily; moving or acting in a furtive manner
- 逃げ去り
- nigesari — Running away; fleeing from a place quickly
- 最初
- saisho — First; the very beginning of something
- 機会
- kikai — Opportunity; a chance to do something
- 大自然
- daishizen — Great nature; the vast natural world
- 母
- haha — Mother; one's female parent
- 訪ね
- tazune — Visiting; going to see someone or a place
- 元
- moto — Origin; former state; returning to original
- 返し
- kaeshi — Returning something; giving back what was taken
- くれる
- kureru — To give to me; to do a favor for speaker
- よう
- you — In order to; indicates purpose or appearance
- 懇願
- kongan — Earnest plea; begging fervently for something
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form connecting multiple actions
- 心
- kokoro — Heart; mind; one's inner feelings or spirit
- 変わり
- kawari — Change; alteration in state or character
- 生き方
- ikikata — Way of living; one's lifestyle or life philosophy
- 変わっ
- kawatt — Changed; transformed from a previous state
- とき
- toki — Time; moment when something occurs
- 返す
- kaesu — To return something; to give back
- 約束
- yakusoku — Promise; commitment made to another person
- しかし
- shikashi — However; but; indicates a contrasting statement
- 決し
- kesshi — Absolutely; used with negative meaning never
- 変わら
- kawara — Not changing; remaining the same state
- ず
- zu — Negative verb ending meaning without doing
- 子供
- kodomo — Child; children; young people generally
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or living things
- その
- sono — That; the aforementioned noun modifier
- 同じ
- onaji — Same; identical; unchanged from before
- 彼ら
- karera — They; them; referring to a group of people
- いつ
- itsu — When; at what time; questioning time
- 草原
- sougen — Grassland; open plain covered with grass
- や
- ya — And; listing particle for non-exhaustive list
- 森
- mori — Forest; woods; area densely covered with trees
- 住む
- sumu — To live; to reside in a place
- 小さな
- chiisana — Small; little; tiny in size or amount
- 仲間
- nakama — Companion; fellow member; group member
- 中
- naka — Inside; among; in the middle of
- 最も
- mottomo — Most; the superlative degree of an adjective
- 賢く
- kashikoku — Cleverly; wisely; in an intelligent manner
- ずる賢く
- zurugashikoku — Cunningly; slyly; in a crafty scheming way
- 恐れ
- osore — Fear; dread; being afraid of something
- られ
- rare — Passive or potential verb suffix in Japanese
- 嫌わ
- kirawa — Being disliked; hated by others around
- れる
- reru — Passive verb ending indicating action upon subject
- 存在
- sonzai — Existence; being; presence of something or someone
- これ
- kore — This; referring to something near the speaker
- レディ
- redi — Lady; a polite form of address for women
- なぜ
- naze — Why; for what reason; questioning cause
- 赤い
- akai — Red; having the color red
- 着
- ki — Wearing clothing; putting on a garment
- か
- ka — Question particle placed at end of sentence
- わかり
- wakari — Understanding; comprehending something clearly
- ね
- ne — Sentence-ending particle seeking agreement or confirmation
- カエル
- kaeru — Frog; a small amphibian creature
- おじいさん
- ojiisan — Grandfather; elderly man; grandfather figure
- 話
- hanashi — Story; talk; conversation or narrative
- 締めくくり
- shimekukuri — Conclusion; wrapping up; final summary of something
- ラビット
- rabitto — Rabbit; a small furry long-eared animal
- 長く
- nagaku — Longly; for a long time or length
- 息
- iki — Breath; breathing in or out air
- 吸い
- sui — Inhaling; drawing in breath or liquid
- ありがとう
- arigatou — Thank you; expressing gratitude to someone
- 言い
- ii — Saying; speaking words to another person
- 私
- watashi — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
- これから
- korekara — From now on; henceforth into the future
- たとえ
- tatoe — Even if; supposing that; hypothetical conjunction
- 見栄え
- mibare — Appearance; how something looks to others
- よく
- yoku — Well; often; adverb modifying adjectives or verbs
- なく
- naku — Without; not having; negative adverbial form
- 服
- fuku — Clothes; clothing; garments worn on body
- 十分
- juubun — Sufficient; enough; fully adequate amount
- 満足
- manzoku — Satisfaction; contentment; being fully pleased
- しよ
- shiyo — Volitional verb form meaning let's do
- う
- u — Volitional suffix expressing intention or suggestion
- 思い
- omoi — Thought; feeling; what one thinks or feels
- ます
- masu — Polite verb ending used in formal speech
- 正しかっ
- tadashikatt — Was correct; was right about something
- です
- desu — Polite copula meaning is, am, or are
- 善い
- yoi — Good; morally virtuous or ethically sound
- 正直
- shoujiki — Honest; truthful; not deceiving others
- な
- na — Adjectival noun ending linking to a noun
- 立派
- rippa — Splendid; admirable; impressive in appearance or character
- より
- yori — Than; more than; comparing two things
- 大切
- taisetsu — Important; precious; something greatly valued
- 五
- go — Five; the number 5
- スカンク
- sukanku — Skunk; a small black-and-white odorous animal
- 急が
- isoga — Hurrying; rushing; moving quickly somewhere
- ない
- nai — Not; negative form of verbs or adjectives
- 西風
- nishikaze — West wind; wind blowing from the west
- 大母
- daibo — Great mother; maternal nature or earth mother
- 毎晩
- maiban — Every evening; each night without exception
- 紫
- murasaki — Purple; violet color or hue
- 丘
- oka — Hill; a small elevated landform
- 向こう
- mukou — Beyond; over there; the other side
- 家
- ie — House; home; one's dwelling place
- へ
- he — Directional particle indicating movement toward destination
- 運び
- hakobi — Carrying; transporting something from place to place
- 毎朝
- maiasa — Every morning; each morning without exception
- 緑
- midori — Green; the color of leaves and plants
- 連れ戻す
- tsuremodomsu — To bring back; to return someone somewhere
- 大きな
- oukina — Big; large; great in size or scale
- 袋
- fukuro — Bag; sack; a container made of flexible material
- から
- kara — From; because; indicating origin or cause
- 陽気
- youki — Cheerful; merry; lively and in good spirits
- 風
- kaze — Wind; moving air; breeze outdoors
- ちょうど
- choudo — Just; exactly; precisely at that moment
- 解き放た
- tokihanata — Released; set free from confinement or restraint
- れ
- re — Passive verb suffix indicating being acted upon
- ところ
- tokoro — Place; point in time; just about to
- 一日中
- ichinichijuu — All day long; throughout the entire day
- はしゃぎ
- hashagi — Frolicking; being boisterous and playfully excited
- 回っ
- mawatt — Going around; moving in circles or spinning
- 遊ぶ
- asobu — To play; to have fun; to enjoy leisure
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