Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 30
They romped and raced and danced away, some one way, some another, to see whom they could find to play with.
彼らははしゃぎ回り、駆け回り、踊りながら散っていきました。あちらへこちらへと、一緒に遊べる相手を探しながら。
Presently some of them spied Jimmy Skunk slowly ambling down the Crooked Little Path, stopping every few steps to pull over a loose stone or stick.
やがて、そのうちの何人かが、ジミー・スカンクがくねくねした小道をゆっくりとぶらぶら歩いているのを見つけました。彼は数歩ごとに立ち止まっては、ゆるんだ石や枝をひっくり返していました。
They knew what he was doing that for.
彼らには、彼がなぜそうしているのかわかっていました。
They knew that he was looking for fat beetles for his breakfast.
彼が朝食用に太った甲虫を探しているのだと、彼らは知っていたのです。
They danced over to him and formed a ring around him while they sang:
彼らは踊りながら彼のそばへ近づき、歌いながら彼の周りに輪を作りました。
"Who is it never, never hurries? Who is it never, never worries? Who is it does just what he pleases, Just like us Merry Little Breezes? Jimmy Skunk! Jimmy Skunk!"
「決して、決して急がないのは誰？決して、決して心配しないのは誰？私たち陽気な小風と同じように、ただ自分の好きなことをするのは誰？ジミー・スカンク！ジミー・スカンク！」
Now not so far away but that he could hear them very plainly sat Peter Rabbit, just finishing his breakfast in a sweet-clover patch.
そのすぐ近く、はっきりと彼らの声が聞こえるところに、ピーター・ラビットが座っていました。彼はシロツメクサの茂みで朝食を食べ終えたところでした。
He sat up very straight, so as to hear better.
彼はよく聞こえるように、背筋をぴんと伸ばして座りました。
Of course some of the Merry Little Breezes saw him right away.
もちろん、陽気な小風たちの何人かはすぐに彼に気づきました。
They left Jimmy to come over and dance in a circle around Peter, for Peter is a great favorite with them.
彼らはジミーのそばを離れ、ピーターのところへやって来て、彼の周りで輪になって踊りました。ピーターは彼らのお気に入りだったからです。
And as they danced they sang:
そして踊りながら、彼らは歌いました。
"Who is it hops and skips and jumps? Who is it sometimes loudly thumps? Who is it dearly loves to play, But when there's danger runs away? Peter Rabbit! Peter Rabbit!"
「跳ねて、スキップして、ジャンプするのは誰？時々大きな音を立てるのは誰？遊ぶことが大好きなのに、危険が迫ると逃げ出すのは誰？ピーター・ラビット！ピーター・ラビット！」
Peter grinned good-naturedly.
ピーターはにこにこと笑いました。
He is quite used to being laughed at for always running away, and he doesn't mind it in the least.
彼はいつも逃げ出すことで笑われることにすっかり慣れており、少しも気にしていませんでした。
Vocabulary
- 彼ら
- karera — They; refers to a group of people.
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar.
- はしゃぎ
- hashagi — Frolicking; being excited and playful noisily.
- 回り
- mawari — Around; surrounding area or vicinity.
- 駆け
- kake — Running; dashing at speed.
- 踊り
- odori — Dancing; a dance or act of dancing.
- ながら
- nagara — While doing; simultaneous action conjunction.
- 散っ
- chit(te) — Scattered; dispersed in various directions.
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
- いき
- iki — Going; proceeding (auxiliary verb usage).
- まし
- mashi — Polite past auxiliary verb stem form.
- た
- ta — Past tense grammatical ending marker.
- あちら
- achira — Over there; that direction far away.
- へ
- e — Directional particle meaning toward or to.
- こちら
- kochira — This way; this direction or side.
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle in Japanese.
- 一緒
- issho — Together; in the same place or company.
- に
- ni — Location, direction, or purpose particle.
- 遊べる
- asoberu — Can play; potential form of to play.
- 相手
- aite — Partner; companion or playmate to interact with.
- を
- wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar.
- 探し
- sagashi — Searching; looking for something or someone.
- やがて
- yagate — Before long; soon; eventually in due time.
- その
- sono — That; demonstrative adjective for nearby things.
- うち
- uchi — Among; within a group or set.
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle in Japanese.
- 何人
- nannin — How many people; a certain number of people.
- か
- ka — Question marker or indefinite particle.
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar.
- スカンク
- Sukanku — Skunk; a small striped odorous mammal.
- くねくね
- kunekune — Winding; twisting and turning in shape.
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form; and also connector.
- 小道
- komichi — Narrow path; small trail or footpath.
- ゆっくり
- yukkuri — Slowly; at a leisurely unhurried pace.
- ぶらぶら
- burabura — Wandering; strolling aimlessly without purpose.
- 歩い
- arui(te) — Walking; moving on foot at normal pace.
- いる
- iru — To be; existing or being (animate).
- 見つけ
- mitsuke — Found; discovered someone or something.
- 彼
- kare — He; him; referring to a male person.
- 数歩
- suuho — Several steps; a few paces forward.
- ごと
- goto — Every; each; at each interval.
- 立ち止まっ
- tachitomatt(e) — Stopped; came to a halt while moving.
- ゆるん
- yurun(da) — Loosened; became slack or relaxed.
- だ
- da — Informal copula meaning is or are.
- 石
- ishi — Stone; rock found on the ground.
- や
- ya — And; listing particle connecting nouns loosely.
- 枝
- eda — Branch; a limb of a tree or plant.
- ひっくり
- hikkuri — Flipping over; turning upside down.
- 返し
- kaeshi — Turning over; reversing something upside down.
- い
- i(ru) — Being; existing (part of progressive form).
- なぜ
- naze — Why; for what reason or cause.
- そう
- sō — So; like that; in that manner.
- わかっ
- wakatt(e) — Understood; knew; comprehended something.
- 朝食
- chōshoku — Breakfast; the first meal of the day.
- 用
- yō — For use; purpose; intended for something.
- 太っ
- futott(a) — Fat; plump; having grown large in size.
- 甲虫
- kabutomushi — Beetle; a hard-shelled insect species.
- 知っ
- shitt(e) — Knowing; being aware of something.
- です
- desu — Polite copula meaning is, are, or am.
- そば
- soba — Nearby; close beside someone or something.
- 近づき
- chikazuki — Approaching; drawing closer to someone.
- 歌い
- utai — Singing; performing a song vocally.
- 周り
- mawari — Surroundings; the area around something.
- 輪
- wa — Ring; circle; loop formed by people.
- 作り
- tsukuri — Making; creating or forming something.
- 決して
- kesshite — Never; not at all (with negative verb).
- 急が
- isoga — Hurrying; rushing (negative base form here).
- ない
- nai — Not; negative verb or adjective ending.
- 誰
- dare — Who; which person; someone unspecified.
- 心配
- shinpai — Worry; anxiety; being concerned about something.
- 私
- watashi — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or living things.
- 陽気
- yōki — Cheerful; merry; having a lively disposition.
- な
- na — Adjectival linking particle for na-adjectives.
- 小風
- kofū — Light breeze; a gentle small wind.
- 同じ
- onaji — Same; identical; not different from another.
- よう
- yō — Like; as if; resembling something else.
- ただ
- tada — Simply; just; only; merely that.
- 自分
- jibun — Oneself; one's own self or person.
- 好き
- suki — Like; fond of; having preference for.
- こと
- koto — Thing; matter; nominalizer for verb phrases.
- する
- suru — To do; to perform an action.
- すぐ
- sugu — Right away; immediately; very close by.
- 近く
- chikaku — Nearby; close in distance or proximity.
- はっきり
- hakkiri — Clearly; distinctly; without ambiguity or vagueness.
- 声
- koe — Voice; the sound produced when speaking.
- 聞こえる
- kikoeru — Can hear; to be audible to someone.
- ところ
- tokoro — Place; location; point in time or action.
- 座っ
- suwatt(e) — Sitting; seated in a particular place.
- シロツメクサ
- Shirotsumekusa — White clover; a small flowering ground plant.
- 茂み
- shigemi — Thicket; dense growth of bushes or plants.
- で
- de — Location or means particle in Japanese.
- 食べ
- tabe — Eating; consuming food (stem form).
- 終え
- oe — Finished; completed an action fully.
- でし
- deshi — Polite past copula stem (part of でした).
- よく
- yoku — Well; often; frequently; in a good manner.
- 背筋
- sesuji — Spine; back muscles; posture of the back.
- ぴん
- pin — Straight and taut; perfectly upright posture.
- 伸ばし
- nobashi — Stretching; extending something outward or upright.
- 座り
- suwari — Sitting; being in a seated position.
- もちろん
- mochiron — Of course; naturally; without a doubt.
- 気づき
- kizuki — Noticing; becoming aware of something.
- 離れ
- hanare — Separating; moving away from something.
- やっ
- yatt(e) — Coming over; doing (colloquial contracted form).
- 来
- ki(te) — Coming; arriving at a place.
- なっ
- natt(e) — Became; turned into a certain state.
- お
- o — Honorific prefix added to nouns or adjectives.
- 気に入り
- ki ni iri — Favorite; something one has grown fond of.
- だっ
- datt(a) — Past informal copula; was or were.
- から
- kara — Because; from; since; starting point particle.
- そして
- soshite — And then; after that; furthermore connecting events.
- 跳ね
- hane — Jumping; hopping; springing upward energetically.
- スキップ
- sukippu — Skip; light hopping movement forward.
- ジャンプ
- janpu — Jump; leaping upward into the air.
- 時々
- tokidoki — Sometimes; occasionally; from time to time.
- 大きな
- ōkina — Big; large; great in size or volume.
- 音
- oto — Sound; noise; an audible vibration.
- 立てる
- tateru — To make a sound; to produce noise.
- 遊ぶ
- asobu — To play; to enjoy leisure or recreation.
- 大好き
- daisuki — Love; like very much; extremely fond of.
- 危険
- kiken — Danger; risk; a hazardous situation or threat.
- 迫る
- semaru — To approach threateningly; danger closing in.
- 逃げ出す
- nigedasu — To flee; to run away from danger.
- にこにこ
- nikoniko — Smiling; beaming with a cheerful expression.
- 笑い
- warai — Laughter; a smile or act of laughing.
- いつも
- itsumo — Always; usually; all the time habitually.
- 笑わ
- warawa — Laughed at; made fun of (passive base).
- れる
- reru — Passive voice suffix indicating being acted upon.
- すっかり
- sukkari — Completely; entirely; fully and thoroughly.
- 慣れ
- nare — Accustomed; used to something through experience.
- おり
- ori — Being; existing (formal or literary auxiliary).
- 少し
- sukoshi — A little; a small amount or degree.
- も
- mo — Also; too; even; inclusive particle.
- 気
- ki — Spirit; feeling; mood; attention or notice.
- ませ
- mase — Polite verb ending used in formal speech.
- ん
- n — Negative contraction; informal negative ending particle.
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