Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 69

English → Japanese Full Text Level 2/10

said Grandfather Frog, folding his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat, "if you will sit still until I finish, I'll tell you; but if you move or ask any foolish questions, I'll stop right where I am, and you'll never hear the end of the story, for no one else knows it."

カエルのおじいさんは、白と黄色のチョッキの上で手を組み合わせながら言いました。「わしが話し終わるまでじっとしておれば、教えてやろう。だが、動いたり、くだらない質問をしたりすれば、ここで話をやめてしまう。そうなれば、お話の結末は永遠にわからないぞ。ほかに知っている者はおらんのだから。」

Of course Peter and Johnny promised to sit perfectly still and not say a word.

もちろん、ピーターとジョニーは、完全にじっとして一言も言わないと約束しました。

After they had made themselves comfortable, Grandfather Frog cleared his throat as if to begin, but for a long time he didn't say a word.

ふたりが落ち着いた後、カエルのおじいさんは話し始めるかのように咳払いをしましたが、長い間、一言も言いませんでした。

Once Peter opened his mouth to ask why, but remembered in time and closed it again without making a sound.

一度、ピーターはなぜかと聞こうと口を開けましたが、すんでのところで思い出し、声も出さずにまた口を閉じました。

At last Grandfather Frog cleared his throat once more, and with a far-away look in his great, goggly eyes began:

ついに、カエルのおじいさんはもう一度咳払いをして、大きなぎょろりとした目に遠くを見るような表情を浮かべながら、話し始めました。

"Once upon a time, long, long ago, when the world was young, lived old Mr. Snake, the grandfather a thousand times removed of little Mr. Greensnake and all the other Snakes whom you know.

「昔々、はるか遠い昔、世界がまだ若かった頃、ヘビのおじいさんが住んでいました。彼は、みなさんの知っている小さなミドリヘビくんや他のすべてのヘビたちの、千代も前の先祖でした。

Of course he wasn't old then.

もちろん、その頃の彼はまだ老いていませんでした。

He was young and spry and smart, was Mr. Snake.

ヘビさんは若くて、活発で、賢い存在でした。

Now there is such a thing as being too smart.

しかし、賢すぎるというのも考えものです。

That was the trouble with Mr. Snake.

それが、ヘビさんの問題でした。

Yes, Sir, that was the trouble with Mr. Snake.

そうです、それがヘビさんの問題だったのです。

He was so smart that he soon found out that he was the smartest of all the meadow and forest people, and that was a bad thing.

彼はあまりにも賢かったため、草原や森のすべての仲間の中で自分が一番賢いということをすぐに知ってしまいました。それは良くないことでした。

It certainly was a very bad thing."

それは確かに、とても良くないことでした。」

Grandfather Frog shook his head gravely.

カエルのおじいさんは、重々しく首を振りました。

Vocabulary

カエル: kaeru — Frog; a common amphibian found near water.
の: no — Possessive or linking particle connecting nouns.
おじいさん: ojiisan — Old man; grandfather or elderly male person.
は: wa — Topic marker particle indicating the sentence topic.
白: shiro — White; the color white or something white.
と: to — And; connects nouns or indicates quotation.
黄色: kiiro — Yellow; the color yellow.
チョッキ: chokki — Vest; a sleeveless garment worn over a shirt.
上: ue — Above, top, or upper surface of something.
で: de — Particle indicating location of action or means.
手: te — Hand; the body part at the end of the arm.
を: wo — Object marker particle indicating the direct object.
組み合わせ: kumiawase — Combination; joining or interlocking things together.
ながら: nagara — While doing; simultaneous action conjunction.
言い: ii — Say; stem form of the verb to say.
まし: mashi — Polite past auxiliary verb stem form.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary indicating completed action.
わし: washi — I; old-fashioned first-person pronoun used by elderly men.
が: ga — Subject marker particle identifying the grammatical subject.
話し: hanashi — Talk, story; the act of speaking or a tale.
終わる: owaru — To finish, to end; completion of an action.
まで: made — Until, up to; indicates a limit in time or space.
じっと: jitto — Staying still, motionless; remaining quiet without moving.
し: shi — Do; conjunctive or stem form of the verb suru.
て: te — Te-form conjunction connecting sequential or simultaneous actions.
おれ: ore — I; casual masculine first-person pronoun.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning if or when.
教え: oshie — Teaching, instruction; stem of the verb to teach.
やろう: yarou — I'll do it for you; volitional form of yaru.
だが: daga — But, however; conjunction showing contrast or condition.
動い: ugoi — Move; conjunctive form of the verb to move.
たり: tari — Listing actions particle, doing things like or such as.
くだらない: kudaranai — Trivial, worthless; describing something of no value.
質問: shitsumon — Question; an inquiry or something asked of someone.
すれ: sure — Do; conditional or conjunctive form of suru.
ここ: koko — Here; this place, referring to a nearby location.
話: hanashi — Story, talk; a narrative or act of speaking.
やめ: yame — Stop, quit; stem form of the verb to stop.
しまう: shimau — To end up doing; completing or finishing regrettably.
そう: sou — So, like that; indicating resemblance or agreement.
なれ: nare — Become; imperative or conditional form of naru.
お話: ohanashi — Story, tale; polite form of hanashi, a narrative.
結末: ketsumatsu — Ending, conclusion; the final outcome of a story.
永遠: eien — Eternity, forever; existing without end or limit.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, time, location, or purpose.
わから: wakara — Not understand; negative stem of the verb wakaru.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary meaning not or does not exist.
ぞ: zo — Emphatic sentence-ending particle adding strong assertion.
ほか: hoka — Other, else; referring to something different or additional.
知っ: shitte — Know; te-form of the verb shiru, to know.
いる: iru — To exist, to be; existence of animate beings.
者: mono — Person, one who; referring to an individual.
おらん: oran — There is not; dialectal negative of oru (to be).
だ: da — Copula meaning is or are in plain form.
から: kara — Because, from; indicating reason or starting point.
もちろん: mochiron — Of course, naturally; expressing obvious agreement.
完全: kanzen — Complete, perfect; total without any exception or flaw.
一言: hitokoto — One word; a single word or brief remark.
も: mo — Also, even, too; inclusive or emphatic particle.
言わ: iwa — Say; negative or conjunctive stem of the verb iu.
約束: yakusoku — Promise, agreement; a commitment made between people.
ふたり: futari — Two people; referring to a pair of individuals.
落ち着い: ochitsui — Calm down, settle; becoming settled or composed.
後: ato — After, later; following a certain point in time.
始める: hajimeru — To begin, to start; initiating an action or event.
か: ka — Question particle placed at the end of a sentence.
よう: you — Seem, appear; volitional or resemblance expression.
咳払い: sekibarai — Clearing the throat; a deliberate cough to get attention.
長い: nagai — Long; describing something of great length or duration.
間: aida / ma — Interval, space, period; time or gap between events.
ませ: mase — Polite imperative auxiliary used in formal expressions.
ん: n — Negative or explanatory contraction of nai or no.
でし: deshi — Polite copula stem form preceding ta in desu.
一度: ichido — Once, one time; happening a single time.
なぜ: naze — Why; asking for the reason behind something.
聞こう: kikou — Let's ask or hear; volitional form of kiku.
口: kuchi — Mouth; the opening in the face used for speaking.
開け: ake — Open; imperative or stem form of the verb akeru.
すんで: sunde — About to; almost completed, on the verge of doing.
ところ: tokoro — Place, point; moment or situation in context.
思い出し: omoidashi — Recall, remember; stem of the verb to recollect.
声: koe — Voice; the sound produced when speaking or singing.
出さ: dasa — Put out, emit; negative or conjunctive stem of dasu.
ず: zu — Without doing; negative conjunctive form of a verb.
また: mata — Again, also; indicating repetition or addition.
閉じ: toji — Close, shut; stem form of the verb tojiru.
ついに: tsuini — Finally, at last; after a long wait something occurs.
もう: mou — Already, now, anymore; indicating a changed state.
大きな: ookina — Big, large; an attributive adjective describing great size.
ぎょろり: gyorori — Glaring; rolling eyes wide open in a staring manner.
目: me — Eye; the organ used for seeing.
遠く: tooku — Far away, into the distance; a remote place or point.
見る: miru — To see, to look; the act of using one's eyes.
な: na — Sentence-ending particle expressing emotion or prohibition.
表情: hyoujou — Facial expression; the look on someone's face.
浮かべ: ukabe — Show, display; stem of ukaberu, to float or show.
始め: hajime — Beginning, start; the initial point of something.
昔々: mukashimukashi — Once upon a time; traditional story-opening phrase.
はるか: haruka — Far, distant; something very remote in time or space.
遠い: tooi — Far, distant; describing great physical or temporal distance.
昔: mukashi — Long ago, old times; a distant past era.
世界: sekai — World; the entire earth or a domain of existence.
まだ: mada — Still, not yet; continuing state or incomplete action.
若かっ: wakakatta — Was young; past tense form of the adjective wakai.
頃: koro — Around the time; an approximate period or era.
ヘビ: hebi — Snake; a legless reptile that slithers on the ground.
住ん: sunde — Live, dwell; te or conjunctive form of sumu.
い: i — Be, exist; stem of the verb iru for animate beings.
彼: kare — He, him; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
みなさん: minasan — Everyone, ladies and gentlemen; polite term for all people.
小さな: chiisana — Small, little; attributive adjective describing small size.
ミドリヘビ: midorihebi — Green snake; a snake with a green-colored body.
くん: kun — Honorific suffix used for younger males or boys.
や: ya — And, or; listing particle connecting nouns loosely.
他: hoka / ta — Other, another; something or someone different.
すべて: subete — All, everything; the entirety without exception.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people or animals.
千代: chiyo — A thousand generations; a very long period of time.
前: mae — Before, in front; earlier in time or space.
先祖: senzo — Ancestor; a person from whom one is descended.
その: sono — That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby.
老い: oi — Old age, aging; the process of growing old.
さん: san — Polite honorific suffix used with names.
若く: wakaku — Youthfully; adverbial form of the adjective wakai.
活発: kappatsu — Active, lively; full of energy and vitality.
賢い: kashikoi — Wise, clever; having or showing great intelligence.
存在: sonzai — Existence, being; the state of existing or presence.
しかし: shikashi — However, but; a conjunction indicating contrast.
賢: kashiko — Wise; root form of the adjective meaning clever.
すぎる: sugiru — Too much, excessive; going beyond a reasonable degree.
いう: iu — To say, to call; expressing speech or naming.
考えもの: kangaemono — Something to think about; a matter worth reconsidering.
です: desu — Polite copula meaning is, are, or am.
それ: sore — That; demonstrative pronoun for something near the listener.
問題: mondai — Problem, issue; a matter causing difficulty or concern.
だっ: datta — Was, were; past tense form of the copula da.
あまり: amari — Too, excessively; to a degree that is beyond normal.
賢かっ: kashikokatta — Was clever; past tense of the adjective kashikoi.
ため: tame — Because of, for the sake of; indicating cause or purpose.
草原: sougen — Grassland, meadow; an open field covered with grass.
森: mori — Forest, woods; a dense area with many trees.
仲間: nakama — Companion, fellow; a person in the same group.
中: naka — Inside, among, middle; within a group or space.
自分: jibun — Oneself; referring to one's own self.
一番: ichiban — Number one, most; indicating the highest rank or degree.
こと: koto — Thing, fact; a nominalized concept or abstract matter.
すぐ: sugu — Soon, immediately; happening without delay.
良く: yoku — Well, often; adverbial form of the adjective good.
確か: tashika — Certain, sure; being reliable or definite.
とても: totemo — Very, quite; an intensifying adverb.
重々しく: omoomoshiku — Gravely, solemnly; in a weighty and dignified manner.
首: kubi — Neck; the part of the body connecting head and torso.
振り: furi — Shake, swing; the act of shaking or waving something.

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