Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 108

English → Japanese Full Text Level 2/10

Turtle, and it pleased her to see that he was smart enough to think of such a clever way of fooling his enemies.

カメのことを、そして彼が敵を欺くようなそんな賢い方法を思いつくほど頭が良いのを見て、彼女は嬉しく思いました。

So she began to study how she could help Mr. Turtle.

それで彼女はカメさんをどうやって助けられるか考え始めました。

One day she came up behind him just as he sat down to rest.

ある日、彼が休もうと座ったちょうどその時、彼女は彼の後ろにやってきました。

The piece of bark was uncomfortable and scratched his back, 'I wish,' said he, talking to himself, for he didn't know that any one else was near, 'I wish that I had a house of my own that I could carry on my back all the time and be perfectly safe when I was inside of it.'

樹皮の切れ端は不快で彼の背中を引っ掻きました。「ああ願わくば」と彼は独り言を言いました。誰か他の者が近くにいるとは知らなかったので、「いつも背中に背負って運べて、その中にいる時は完全に安全でいられる、自分自身の家があればなあ。」

'You shall have,' said Old Mother Nature, and reaching out, she touched his back and turned the skin into hard shell.

「持てるようにしてあげましょう」と大自然の母は言い、手を伸ばして彼の背中に触れ、その皮膚を硬い甲羅に変えました。

Then she touched the skin of his stomach and turned that into hard shell.

次に彼女は彼のお腹の皮膚に触れ、それも硬い甲羅に変えました。

'Now draw in your head and your legs and your tail,' said she.

「さあ、頭と足と尻尾を引っ込めなさい」と彼女は言いました。

"Mr. Turtle did as he was told to do, and there he was in the very best and safest kind of a house, perfectly hidden from all his enemies!

カメさんは言われた通りにしました。するとそこに、あらゆる敵から完全に隠れた、最高で最も安全な種類の家の中に彼はいたのです！

"'Oh, Mother Nature, how can I ever thank you?' he cried.

「ああ、大自然の母よ、どうやってお礼を申し上げればよいのでしょう？」と彼は叫びました。

"'By doing as you always have done, attending wholly to your own affairs,' replied Old Mother Nature.

「いつもしてきたように、自分自身のことだけに専念することです」と大自然の母は答えました。

"So ever since that long-ago day when the world was young, all Turtles have carried their houses with them and never have meddled in things that don't concern them," concluded Grandfather Frog.

「それで、世界が若かったあの遠い昔の日から、すべてのカメは家を持ち歩き、自分に関係のないことには決して口出しをしてこなかったのです」とカエルじいさんは締めくくりました。

Vocabulary

カメ: kame — Turtle or tortoise, a reptile with a shell.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle in Japanese.
こと: koto — Thing, fact, or matter (abstract concept).
を: wo — Object-marking particle indicating direct object.
そして: soshite — And then; connecting two events or ideas.
彼: kare — He; third-person masculine pronoun.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle in Japanese grammar.
敵: teki — Enemy or opponent; an adversary.
欺く: azamuku — To deceive or trick someone deliberately.
よう: you — Appears like; expresses likeness or manner.
な: na — Adjectival ending or soft negative command particle.
そんな: sonna — Such; that kind of (referring to something mentioned).
賢い: kashikoi — Clever, wise, or intelligent.
方法: houhou — Method, way, or means of doing something.
思いつく: omoitsuku — To come up with an idea; to think of.
ほど: hodo — To the extent that; as much as.
頭: atama — Head; also used to mean intelligence or mind.
良い: yoi — Good, fine, or excellent.
見: mi — See or look (stem form of 見る, miru).
て: te — Connective particle linking sequential actions.
彼女: kanojo — She; third-person feminine pronoun.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle highlighting the subject.
嬉しく: ureshiku — Happily; adverbial form of glad or pleased.
思い: omoi — Thought, feeling, or strong emotion.
まし: mashi — Polite past auxiliary verb stem (from ます).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary indicating completed action.
それ: sore — That; refers to something near the listener.
で: de — Particle indicating location, means, or reason.
さん: san — Honorific suffix added to names, Mr./Ms.
どう: dou — How; in what way or manner.
やっ: yat(te) — Do (contracted form of やって, doing).
助け: tasuke — Help, aid, or rescue (noun/stem form).
られる: rareru — Passive or potential auxiliary verb ending.
か: ka — Question particle added to end of sentences.
考え: kangae — Thought, idea, or thinking (noun/stem form).
始め: hajime — Beginning; to start something (stem form).
ある: aru — To exist; there is (for inanimate things).
日: hi — Day; sun; a particular day or date.
休もう: yasumou — Let's rest; volitional form of to rest.
と: to — Particle meaning and, with, or quotation marker.
座っ: suwat(te) — Sat down (contracted form of sitting).
ちょうど: choudo — Just, exactly, precisely at that moment.
その: sono — That (modifying a noun near the listener).
時: toki — Time, moment, or occasion.
後ろ: ushiro — Behind, back, or rear direction.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or time.
き: ki — Came (contracted literary past form of くる).
樹皮: juhi — Tree bark; the outer covering of a tree.
切れ端: kirehashi — A small scrap or piece of something.
不快: fukai — Unpleasant, uncomfortable, or disagreeable feeling.
背中: senaka — Back of the body; one's back.
引っ掻き: hikkaki — Scratching with nails or claws.
ああ: aa — Ah; exclamation expressing realization or longing.
願わくば: negawakuba — If only; expressing a heartfelt wish or hope.
独り言: hitorigoto — Talking to oneself; a monologue or soliloquy.
言い: ii — Say, speak (stem form of 言う, iu).
誰か: dareka — Someone; an unspecified or unknown person.
他: hoka — Other, another, or different thing or person.
者: mono — Person, one who does something; a being.
近く: chikaku — Nearby, close by, in the vicinity.
いる: iru — To be, to exist (for animate beings).
知ら: shira — Know (negative stem of 知る, shiru).
なかっ: nakat(ta) — Did not (negative past auxiliary stem).
いつも: itsumo — Always, usually, all the time.
背負っ: seot(te) — Carried on one's back (contracted form).
運べ: hakobe — Can carry or transport (potential/imperative form).
中: naka — Inside, within, or the middle of something.
完全: kanzen — Complete, perfect, or total; fully safe.
安全: anzen — Safe, secure, free from danger.
い: i — Informal copula or adjective ending; to be.
自分: jibun — Oneself; referring to the speaker themselves.
自身: jishin — Oneself, personally; emphasizes identity of subject.
家: ie — House, home, or dwelling place.
あれ: are — That thing over there; distal demonstrative pronoun.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning if or when.
なあ: naa — Sentence-ending particle expressing longing or reflection.
持てる: moteru — Can have or hold; potential form of 持つ.
し: shi — And; listing reasons or adding related clauses.
あげ: age — Give (to someone else); stem of あげる.
ましょう: mashou — Let's; polite volitional form suggesting an action.
大自然: daishizen — Great nature; the natural world in its entirety.
母: haha — Mother; one's own mother.
手: te — Hand; used literally or metaphorically for help.
伸ばし: nobashi — Stretched or extended (stem form of 伸ばす).
触れ: fure — Touched or made contact (stem form of 触れる).
皮膚: hifu — Skin; the outer layer of the body.
硬い: katai — Hard, stiff, or tough in texture.
甲羅: koura — Shell of a turtle or crab.
変え: kae — Changed or transformed (stem form of 変える).
次: tsugi — Next, following, or subsequent.
お腹: onaka — Stomach, belly, or abdomen.
も: mo — Also, too, even; inclusive particle.
さあ: saa — Come now; interjection urging action or attention.
足: ashi — Leg or foot; the limb used for walking.
尻尾: shippo — Tail of an animal.
引っ込め: hikkkome — Retract, pull in, or draw back (imperative form).
なさい: nasai — Polite imperative instruction to do something.
言わ: iwa — Said (passive/negative stem of 言う, to say).
れ: re — Passive verb ending; was done to the subject.
通り: toori — As said; in accordance with instructions or direction.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb.
そこ: soko — There; that place near the listener.
あらゆる: arayuru — All, every kind of; without exception.
から: kara — From, because; indicates source or reason.
隠れ: kakure — Hide, conceal oneself (stem form of 隠れる).
最高: saikou — The best, supreme, or highest quality.
最も: mottomo — Most; superlative adverb indicating the highest degree.
種類: shurui — Type, kind, or category of something.
です: desu — Polite copula meaning is, are, or am.
よ: yo — Sentence-final particle asserting or emphasizing information.
お礼: orei — Thanks, gratitude, or an expression of appreciation.
申し上げれ: moushiagere — Humble expression meaning to humbly say or offer thanks.
よい: yoi — Good, fine; can I or would it be okay.
でしょう: deshou — Probably; polite conjecture or seeking agreement.
叫び: sakebi — Shout, cry, or exclamation (noun/stem form).
だけ: dake — Only, just, merely; limiting particle.
専念: sennen — Devote oneself entirely to one thing or purpose.
答え: kotae — Answer, reply, or response to a question.
世界: sekai — World; the entire earth or a domain.
若かっ: wakakat(ta) — Was young (past form of 若い, young).
あの: ano — That (over there); distal demonstrative modifier.
遠い: tooi — Far, distant, or remote in time or space.
昔: mukashi — Long ago; the old days or ancient times.
すべて: subete — Everything, all, the whole of something.
持ち歩き: mochiарuki — Carrying around; taking something with you everywhere.
関係: kankei — Relationship, connection, or relevance between things.
ない: nai — Not; negative form indicating absence or negation.
決して: kesshite — Never, by no means (used with negative verbs).
口出し: kuchidashi — Meddling, butting in, or interfering in others' affairs.
こ: ko — This (abbreviated form); informal near-speaker reference.
カエル: kaeru — Frog; a small amphibian that lives near water.
じいさん: jiisan — Old man or grandfather; informal term of address.
締めくくり: shimekukuri — Conclusion, wrap-up, or closing of a story.

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