Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 101
She had given him night-seeing eyes, and he no more had to go hungry.
彼女は彼に夜目の利く目を与えたので、彼はもう空腹で苦しむことはなくなりました。
"Mr. Bat was very grateful, and from that day to this, Bats have been content to live in caves and fly in the evening.
「コウモリさんはとても感謝して、その日からずっと、コウモリたちは洞窟に住み、夕方に飛ぶことで満足するようになりました。
You ask Flitter if it isn't so."
フリッターに聞いてみればわかりますよ。」
Peter grinned.
ピーターはにやりと笑いました。
"He never stays in one place long enough for me to ask him anything," said he.
「あいつは一か所にじっとしていないから、何も聞けないんだよ」と彼は言いました。
"I'm ever so much obliged for the story, Grandfather Frog.
「お話をしてくれてどうもありがとう、カエルおじいさん。
It pays to make the best of what we have, doesn't it?"
あるものを最大限に活かすことが大切ですよね？」
"It certainly does. Chug-a-rum! It certainly does!" replied Grandfather Frog.
「まったくそのとおりです。ゲロゲロ！まったくそのとおりです！」とカエルおじいさんは答えました。
XV
第十五章
WHY SPOTTY THE TURTLE CARRIES HIS HOUSE WITH HIM
なぜスポッティというカメは家を背負っているのか
Spotty the Turtle sat on an old log on the bank of the Smiling Pool, taking a sun-bath.
カメのスポッティは、スマイリング・プールのほとりにある古い丸太の上に座って、日光浴をしていました。
He had sat that way for the longest time without once moving.
彼はずっとそこに座ったまま、一度も動いていませんでした。
Peter Rabbit had seen him when he went by on his way to the Laughing Brook and the Green Forest to look for some one to pass the time of day with.
ピーター・ラビットは、笑い川や緑の森へ話し相手を探しに行く途中で彼を見かけていました。
Spotty was still there when Peter returned a long time after, and he didn't look as if he had moved.
ずいぶん後にピーターが戻ってきても、スポッティはまだそこにいて、まるで動いた様子がありませんでした。
A sudden thought struck Peter.
ふと、ピーターはあることを思いました。
He couldn't remember that he ever had seen Spotty's house.
スポッティの家を見たことがないと気づいたのです。
He had seen the houses of most of his other friends, but think as hard as ever he could, he didn't remember having seen Spotty's.
他のほとんどの友だちの家は見たことがあるのに、どんなに考えてみても、スポッティの家を見た記憶がありませんでした。
"Hi, Spotty!" he shouted.
「やあ、スポッティ！」と彼は叫びました。
"Where do you live?"
「どこに住んでいるの？」
Vocabulary
- 彼女
- kanojo — She; her; girlfriend
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle
- 彼
- kare — He; him; boyfriend
- に
- ni — Direction, location, or indirect object particle
- 夜目
- yome — Night vision; ability to see in darkness
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle
- 利く
- kiku — To function well; to be effective
- 目
- me — Eye; eyesight
- を
- wo — Direct object marker particle
- 与え
- atae — To give; to grant; to provide
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb
- ので
- node — Because; since; conjunction showing reason
- もう
- mou — Already; anymore; soon
- 空腹
- kuufuku — Hunger; empty stomach
- で
- de — By means of; at; particle of means or location
- 苦しむ
- kurushimu — To suffer; to be in pain
- こと
- koto — Thing; matter; fact (nominalizer)
- なく
- naku — Without; not having; negative te-form
- なり
- nari — Became; to become (conjunctive form)
- まし
- mashi — Polite past auxiliary verb stem
- コウモリ
- koumori — Bat (flying mammal)
- さん
- san — Polite honorific suffix for names
- とても
- totemo — Very; extremely; quite
- 感謝
- kansha — Gratitude; thanks; appreciation
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form; and; also
- て
- te — Te-form connective particle
- その
- sono — That; those (near listener)
- 日
- hi — Day; sun
- から
- kara — From; since; because
- ずっと
- zutto — All along; continuously; the whole time
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or animals
- 洞窟
- doukutsu — Cave; cavern
- 住み
- sumi — Living; residing (conjunctive form)
- 夕方
- yuugata — Evening; dusk; late afternoon
- 飛ぶ
- tobu — To fly; to jump; to leap
- 満足
- manzoku — Satisfaction; contentment
- する
- suru — To do; to perform
- よう
- you — Like; as if; in order to; it seems
- 聞い
- kiite — Asking; hearing (conjunctive form of 聞く)
- みれ
- mire — If you look; if you try (conditional form)
- ば
- ba — Conditional particle meaning if
- わかり
- wakari — Understanding; comprehension (stem form)
- ます
- masu — Polite verb ending
- よ
- yo — Sentence-final particle asserting information
- にやり
- niyari — Smirking; grinning slyly
- と
- to — With; and; quotation particle
- 笑い
- warai — Laugh; smile
- あいつ
- aitsu — That guy; that person (informal, rude)
- 一
- ichi — One; the number one
- か所
- kasho — Place; location; spot (counter)
- じっと
- jitto — Motionlessly; fixedly; staying still
- い
- i — To be; to exist (for animate things)
- ない
- nai — Not; does not exist; negative form
- 何
- nani — What; something
- も
- mo — Also; even; too; emphatic particle
- 聞け
- kike — Can hear; can ask (potential/imperative form)
- ん
- n — Explanatory or colloquial contracted form
- だ
- da — Casual copula meaning is or are
- 言い
- ii — Saying (conjunctive form of 言う)
- お話
- ohanashi — Story; tale; conversation (polite)
- くれ
- kure — Give me; please do for me
- どうも
- doumo — Thanks; somehow; very much
- ありがとう
- arigatou — Thank you; expression of gratitude
- カエル
- kaeru — Frog
- おじいさん
- ojiisan — Grandfather; old man (polite)
- ある
- aru — To exist; to have (inanimate things)
- もの
- mono — Thing; object; person
- 最大限
- saidaigen — Maximum; to the fullest extent
- 活かす
- ikasu — To make use of; to put to good use
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle
- 大切
- taisetsu — Important; precious; valued
- です
- desu — Polite copula meaning is or are
- ね
- ne — Sentence-final seeking agreement or confirmation
- まったく
- mattaku — Exactly; entirely; completely; indeed
- とおり
- toori — Just as; in the same way; as stated
- 答え
- kotae — Answer; response; reply
- 第
- dai — Ordinal number prefix (chapter, rank, etc.)
- 十五
- juugo — Fifteen; the number 15
- 章
- shou — Chapter; section of a book
- なぜ
- naze — Why; for what reason
- という
- to iu — Called; named; known as
- カメ
- kame — Turtle; tortoise
- 家
- ie — House; home; family
- 背負っ
- seotte — Carrying on one's back (conjunctive form)
- いる
- iru — To be; to exist (animate); progressive form
- か
- ka — Question particle; or
- プール
- puuru — Pool; swimming pool
- ほとり
- hotori — Beside; near the edge of water
- 古い
- furui — Old; aged; not new
- 丸太
- maruta — Log; uncut timber
- 上
- ue — Above; on top; upper
- 座っ
- suwatte — Sitting; seated (conjunctive form)
- 日光浴
- nikkoukyoku — Sunbathing; basking in sunlight
- そこ
- soko — There; that place
- まま
- mama — As is; unchanged; remaining in that state
- 一度
- ichido — Once; one time
- 動い
- ugoite — Moving; having moved (conjunctive form)
- ませ
- mase — Polite negative or imperative auxiliary
- でし
- deshi — Polite past copula stem form
- 川
- kawa — River; stream
- や
- ya — And; or; listing particle (informal)
- 緑
- midori — Green; greenery
- 森
- mori — Forest; woods
- へ
- e — Directional particle meaning toward or to
- 話し相手
- hanashiaite — Conversation partner; someone to talk to
- 探し
- sagashi — Searching; looking for (conjunctive form)
- 行く
- iku — To go; to head toward
- 途中
- tochuu — On the way; midway; in the middle of
- 見かけ
- mikake — Happened to see; noticed by chance
- ずいぶん
- zuibun — Considerably; quite; a great deal
- 後
- ato — After; later; behind
- 戻っ
- modotte — Returning; having come back (conjunctive)
- き
- ki — Came (conjunctive form of 来る)
- まだ
- mada — Still; not yet; even now
- まるで
- marude — Just like; as if; entirely
- 様子
- yousu — Appearance; situation; state; manner
- あり
- ari — There is; existing (conjunctive of ある)
- ふと
- futo — Suddenly; by chance; unexpectedly
- 思い
- omoi — Thought; feeling; thinking (noun/conjunctive)
- 見た
- mita — Saw; looked at (past tense)
- 気づい
- kidzuite — Noticed; realized; became aware (conjunctive)
- 他
- hoka — Other; another; else
- ほとんど
- hotondo — Almost; mostly; nearly all
- 友だち
- tomodachi — Friend; companion
- どんな
- donna — What kind of; what sort of
- 考え
- kangae — Thought; idea; opinion
- み
- mi — Try doing; look at (suffix/conjunctive)
- 記憶
- kioku — Memory; recollection; remembrance
- やあ
- yaa — Hey; hi (casual greeting exclamation)
- 叫び
- sakebi — Shout; cry; exclamation (noun/conjunctive)
- どこ
- doko — Where; what place
- 住ん
- sunde — Living; residing (contracted conjunctive form)
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