Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 91

English → Japanese Full Text Level 2/10

But he didn't say anything, so Grandfather Frog went on.

しかし彼は何も言わなかったので、カエルのおじいさんは続けました。

"Old King Bear pretended to wake up just then, and right away Mr. Fox and Mr. Wolf were as polite and smiling as you please and began to flatter him.

「クマの古い王様はちょうどそのとき目を覚ましたふりをしました。するとすぐにキツネさんとオオカミさんはこれ以上ないほど礼儀正しく微笑みながら、王様をおだて始めました。

They told him how proud they were of their king, and how handsome he was, and a lot of other nice things, all of which he had heard often before and had believed.

彼らは王様のことをどれほど誇りに思っているか、王様がどれほど立派かということや、その他たくさんの良いことを言いました。それらはすべて王様がこれまでに何度も聞いて信じてきたことでした。

He pretended to believe them now, but after they were through paying their respects and had gone away, he kept turning over and over in his mind what he had overheard them say when they thought he was asleep.

王様は今もそれらを信じているふりをしました。しかし彼らが挨拶を終えて立ち去った後、王様が眠っていると思っていたときに小耳に挟んだことを、王様は何度も何度も心の中で繰り返し考え続けました。

"After that he couldn't think of anything but the fact that he hadn't any tail.

「それ以来、王様は自分にしっぽがないという事実のことしか考えられなくなりました。

He took particular notice of all who came to pay him tribute, and he saw that every one of them had a tail.

王様は貢ぎ物を持ってやって来るすべての者に特別な注意を払い、そのすべてにしっぽがあることに気づきました。

Some had long tails; some had short tails; some had handsome tails and some had homely tails; but everybody had a tail of some kind.

長いしっぽを持つ者もいれば、短いしっぽを持つ者もいました。立派なしっぽを持つ者もいれば、不格好なしっぽを持つ者もいました。しかし誰もが何らかのしっぽを持っていました。

The more he tried not to think of these tails, the more he did think of them.

それらのしっぽのことを考えまいとすればするほど、ますます考えてしまいました。

The more he thought of them, the more discontented he grew because he had none.

考えれば考えるほど、自分にはしっぽがないということで不満が募っていきました。

He didn't stop to think that probably all of them had use for their tails.

王様はおそらく彼ら全員がしっぽを役立てているのだということを立ち止まって考えようとはしませんでした。

No, Sir, he didn't think of that.

いいえ、王様はそのことを考えませんでした。

Everybody else had a tail, and he hadn't.

他のみんなにはしっぽがあるのに、自分にはないのです。

Vocabulary

しかし: shikashi — Conjunction meaning 'however' or 'but'.
彼: kare — Third-person pronoun meaning 'he' or 'him'.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the sentence topic.
何: nani — Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'.
も: mo — Particle meaning 'also', 'even', or 'nothing' with negative.
言わ: iwa — Stem form of 'iu'; to say or speak.
なかった: nakatta — Past negative auxiliary; 'did not' occur.
ので: node — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'since'.
カエル: kaeru — Noun meaning 'frog'.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
おじいさん: ojiisan — Noun meaning 'grandfather' or 'old man'.
続け: tsuzuke — Stem of 'tsuzukeru'; to continue or keep doing.
まし: mashi — Polite past auxiliary stem, part of 'mashita'.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending.
クマ: kuma — Noun meaning 'bear' (the animal).
古い: furui — Adjective meaning 'old' or 'aged'.
王様: ousama — Noun meaning 'king' or 'ruler'.
ちょうど: choudo — Adverb meaning 'just' or 'exactly at that moment'.
その: sono — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (near listener).
とき: toki — Noun meaning 'time' or 'moment'.
目: me — Noun meaning 'eye' or 'eyes'.
を: wo — Object-marking particle indicating direct object.
覚まし: samashi — Stem of 'samasu'; to wake up or awaken.
ふり: furi — Noun meaning 'pretense' or 'acting as if'.
し: shi — Conjunctive form of 'suru'; to do.
する: suru — Verb meaning 'to do' or 'to perform'.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or 'when'.
すぐ: sugu — Adverb meaning 'immediately' or 'right away'.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or time.
キツネ: kitsune — Noun meaning 'fox'.
さん: san — Honorific suffix used after names or titles.
オオカミ: ookami — Noun meaning 'wolf'.
これ: kore — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this'.
以上: ijou — Noun meaning 'more than' or 'beyond this level'.
ない: nai — Negative adjective or auxiliary meaning 'not exist'.
ほど: hodo — Particle meaning 'to the extent of' or 'as much as'.
礼儀: reigi — Noun meaning 'etiquette', 'manners', or 'courtesy'.
正しく: tadashiku — Adverb meaning 'correctly' or 'properly'.
微笑み: hohoemi — Noun meaning 'smile' or 'gentle smiling'.
ながら: nagara — Conjunction meaning 'while doing' simultaneously.
おだて: odate — Stem of 'odateru'; to flatter or butter up someone.
始め: hajime — Stem of 'hajimeru'; to begin or start something.
彼ら: karera — Pronoun meaning 'they' or 'them'.
こと: koto — Noun meaning 'thing', 'fact', or 'matter'.
どれ: dore — Interrogative pronoun meaning 'which one'.
誇り: hokori — Noun meaning 'pride' or 'sense of honor'.
思っ: omot(te) — Stem of 'omou'; to think or feel something.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting sequential actions.
いる: iru — Verb meaning 'to be' (for animate subjects).
か: ka — Question particle placed at end of a sentence.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle identifying the grammatical subject.
立派: rippa — Na-adjective meaning 'splendid', 'fine', or 'admirable'.
という: to iu — Expression meaning 'called' or 'that says'.
や: ya — Particle listing examples, meaning 'and' among others.
その他: sonohe / sonota — Expression meaning 'other things' or 'et cetera'.
たくさん: takusan — Adverb/noun meaning 'many', 'a lot', or 'plenty'.
良い: yoi / ii — Adjective meaning 'good' or 'fine'.
言い: ii — Stem of 'iu'; to say or speak.
それら: sorera — Pronoun meaning 'those things' or 'they' (objects).
すべて: subete — Pronoun/adverb meaning 'all' or 'everything'.
まで: made — Particle meaning 'until', 'up to', or 'even'.
何度: nando — Noun meaning 'how many times' or 'many times'.
聞い: kii — Stem of 'kiku'; to hear or listen.
信じ: shinji — Stem of 'shinjiru'; to believe or trust.
き: ki — Stem of 'kuru'; to come (auxiliary usage).
でし: deshi — Polite copula stem, part of 'deshita' (was/were).
今: ima — Noun/adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment'.
挨拶: aisatsu — Noun meaning 'greeting' or 'salutation'.
終え: oe — Stem of 'oeru'; to finish or complete something.
立ち去っ: tachisart(te) — Stem of 'tachisaru'; to leave or walk away.
後: ato / nochi — Noun meaning 'after' or 'afterward'.
眠っ: nemut(te) — Stem of 'nemuru'; to sleep or be asleep.
い: i — Stem of 'iru'; to be or exist (animate).
小耳: komimi — Noun meaning 'overhearing' as in 'catch a snippet'.
挟ん: hasan — Stem of 'hasamu'; to catch between or overhear.
だ: da — Plain form copula meaning 'is' or 'are'.
心: kokoro — Noun meaning 'heart', 'mind', or 'spirit'.
中: naka / chuu — Noun meaning 'inside', 'middle', or 'within'.
で: de — Particle indicating location of action or means.
繰り返し: kurikaeshi — Noun/adverb meaning 'repeatedly' or 'over and over'.
考え: kangae — Noun/stem meaning 'thought', 'idea', or 'to think'.
それ: sore — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (near listener).
以来: irai — Noun meaning 'since then' or 'ever since'.
自分: jibun — Pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'one's own'.
しっぽ: shippo — Noun meaning 'tail' of an animal.
事実: jijitsu — Noun meaning 'fact' or 'reality'.
しか: shika — Particle meaning 'only' (used with negatives).
られ: rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
なく: naku — Conjunctive negative form meaning 'not being'.
なり: nari — Stem of 'naru'; to become or turn into.
貢ぎ物: mitsugi mono — Noun meaning 'tribute' or 'offering given to someone'.
持っ: mot(te) — Stem of 'motsu'; to hold or carry something.
やっ: yat(te) — Stem of 'yaru'; to do or come (colloquial).
来る: kuru — Verb meaning 'to come'.
者: mono / sha — Noun meaning 'person' or 'one who does'.
特別: tokubetsu — Na-adjective meaning 'special' or 'particular'.
な: na — Na-adjective linking particle or casual negative.
注意: chuui — Noun meaning 'attention', 'caution', or 'notice'.
払い: harai — Stem of 'harau'; to pay or give attention.
ある: aru — Verb meaning 'to exist' or 'to have' (inanimate).
気づき: kizuki — Stem of 'kizuku'; to notice or become aware.
長い: nagai — Adjective meaning 'long' in length or duration.
持つ: motsu — Verb meaning 'to hold', 'carry', or 'possess'.
いれ: ire — Conditional stem of 'iru'; if one is or has.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'.
短い: mijikai — Adjective meaning 'short' in length or duration.
不格好: bukakkou — Na-adjective meaning 'ugly', 'clumsy', or 'awkward-looking'.
誰: dare — Interrogative pronoun meaning 'who'.
何らか: naniraka — Expression meaning 'some kind of' or 'some sort'.
まい: mai — Negative volitional auxiliary meaning 'will not'.
すれ: sure — Conditional stem of 'suru'; if one does.
ます: masu — Polite verb ending for present or future tense.
しまい: shimai — Stem of 'shimau'; to end up doing (often regrettably).
れ: re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix indicating being acted upon.
考える: kangaeru — Verb meaning 'to think', 'consider', or 'reflect on'.
不満: fuman — Noun meaning 'dissatisfaction', 'discontent', or 'complaint'.
募っ: tsunot(te) — Stem of 'tsunoru'; to grow stronger or accumulate.
いき: iki — Stem of 'iku'; to go (as auxiliary, progressive).
おそらく: osoraku — Adverb meaning 'probably' or 'most likely'.
全員: zen'in — Noun meaning 'all members' or 'everyone present'.
役立て: yakudatete — Stem of 'yakudateru'; to make use of or utilize.
立ち止まっ: tachidomat(te) — Stem of 'tachidomaru'; to stop walking or pause.
考えよ: kangaeyo — Volitional form of 'kangaeru'; let us think or consider.
う: u — Volitional auxiliary meaning 'let's' or 'shall'.
ませ: mase — Polite imperative ending; please do (formal).
ん: n — Contracted form of 'no' or negative 'nai'.
いいえ: iie — Interjection meaning 'no' (polite or formal).
他: hoka / ta — Noun meaning 'other' or 'another' person or thing.
みんな: minna — Pronoun meaning 'everyone' or 'all of them'.
です: desu — Polite copula meaning 'is', 'are', or 'am'.

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