Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 110
The only time he ever sees it is when he is back to the Smiling Pool and looks over his shoulder at his reflection in the water, and then, of course, he really doesn't see his tail itself.
彼がそれを見るのは、微笑みの池に戻って水面に映る自分の姿を肩越しに眺めるときだけで、そのときでさえ、もちろん本当に自分のしっぽそのものを見ているわけではありません。
So sometimes when Peter sees the fine tails of his neighbors, a little bit of envy creeps into his heart for just a little while.
それで時々、ピーターが隣人たちの立派なしっぽを見ると、ほんのしばらくの間、少しばかりのうらやましさが心に忍び込んでくるのでした。
Why, even little Danny Meadow Mouse has a real tail, short as it is.
なんと、小さなダニー・メドウマウスでさえ、短いながらも本物のしっぽを持っているのです。
And as for Happy Jack Squirrel and Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk, everybody knows what beautiful tails they have.
そして、ハッピー・ジャック・リスやレディー・フォックス、ボビー・アライグマ、ジミー・スカンクにいたっては、彼らがどれほど美しいしっぽを持っているか、みんなが知っています。
Once Peter thought about it so much that Grandfather Frog noticed how sober he was and asked Peter what the trouble was.
あるとき、ピーターがそのことをあまりにも深く考え込んでいたので、カエルじいさんは彼がひどく暗い顔をしていることに気づき、どうしたのかと尋ねました。
When Peter told him that it seemed to him that Old Mother Nature had not been fair in giving him such a foolish little tail when she had given others such beautiful ones, Grandfather Frog just opened his big mouth and laughed until he had to hold his sides.
ピーターが、他のみんなにはあんなに美しいしっぽを与えたのに、自分にはこんなにみっともない小さなしっぽしか与えなかったのは、大いなる自然の母が不公平だったと思うのだと話すと、カエルじいさんは大きな口をあけて、わき腹を抱えるほど笑い転げました。
"Why, Peter," said he, "you look so sober, that I thought you really had something to worry about.
「これはこれは、ピーター」と彼は言いました。「そんなに暗い顔をしているから、本当に深刻な悩みがあるのかと思いましたよ。
What would you do with a big tail, if you had one?
もし大きなしっぽがあったとして、いったいどうするというのですか？
It would always be in your way.
それはいつでもじゃまになるだけでしょう。
Just think how many times Reddy Fox or old Granny Fox have almost caught you.
レディー・フォックスや年老いたグラニー・フォックスに、何度もあやうく捕まりそうになったことを考えてみなさい。
They certainly would have before this, if you had had a long tail sticking out behind for them to get hold of.
もし後ろにつかまれるような長いしっぽが飛び出していたなら、きっともうとっくに捕まっていたことでしょう。
Vocabulary
- 彼
- kare — He; third-person masculine pronoun.
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle.
- それ
- sore — That; referring to something near the listener.
- を
- wo — Object marker particle.
- 見る
- miru — To see; to look at something.
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle.
- 微笑み
- hohoemi — A smile; gentle facial expression of happiness.
- 池
- ike — A pond; small body of still water.
- に
- ni — Direction, location, or indirect object particle.
- 戻っ
- modot(te) — Returned; went back to a previous place.
- て
- te — Conjunctive verb form particle connecting actions.
- 水面
- minamo — Surface of the water.
- 映る
- utsuru — To be reflected; image appears on surface.
- 自分
- jibun — Oneself; referring to one's own self.
- 姿
- sugata — Figure; one's appearance or form.
- 肩越し
- katagoshi — Over one's shoulder; glancing behind oneself.
- 眺める
- nagameru — To gaze at; to look at something leisurely.
- とき
- toki — Time; moment when something occurs.
- だけ
- dake — Only; just; limiting to one thing.
- で
- de — At; by means of; location or method particle.
- そのとき
- sono toki — At that time; at that moment.
- さえ
- sae — Even; emphasizing an extreme or unlikely case.
- もちろん
- mochiron — Of course; naturally; certainly.
- 本当
- hontou — Truth; reality; truly; really.
- しっぽ
- shippo — A tail; animal's rear appendage.
- そのもの
- sono mono — The thing itself; the very object mentioned.
- 見て
- mite — Looking at; seeing (conjunctive form).
- いる
- iru — To be; to exist (animate beings).
- わけ
- wake — Reason; meaning; it means that.
- ありません
- arimasen — Is not; does not exist (polite negative).
- 時々
- tokidoki — Sometimes; occasionally; from time to time.
- 隣人
- rinjin — Neighbor; person living nearby.
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
- 立派
- rippa — Splendid; fine; magnificent; impressive.
- な
- na — Adjectival linking particle (na-adjective form).
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle.
- ほんの
- hon no — Just a little; merely; only a bit.
- しばらく
- shibaraku — For a while; for some time.
- 間
- aida / ma — Between; interval; period of time.
- 少し
- sukoshi — A little; a small amount.
- ばかり
- bakari — Only; just; approximately; nothing but.
- うらやましさ
- urayamashisa — Feeling of envy; jealousy toward others.
- 心
- kokoro — Heart; mind; spirit; inner feelings.
- 忍び込ん
- shinobikon(de) — Crept into; sneaked inside stealthily.
- くる
- kuru — To come; to arrive.
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending.
- なんと
- nanto — How; what; expressing surprise or admiration.
- 小さな
- chiisana — Small; little; tiny.
- 短い
- mijikai — Short; brief in length or duration.
- ながら
- nagara — While doing; simultaneously performing two actions.
- も
- mo — Also; too; even; as well.
- 本物
- honmono — The real thing; genuine; authentic object.
- 持っ
- mot(te) — Held; possessed; had (conjunctive form).
- です
- desu — Polite copula; is; are; am.
- そして
- soshite — And then; and also; furthermore.
- や
- ya — And; listing particle for non-exhaustive lists.
- いたっ
- itat(te) — Was there; existed (past conjunctive form).
- 彼ら
- karera — They; them; third-person plural pronoun.
- どれほど
- dorehodo — How much; to what extent.
- 美しい
- utsukushii — Beautiful; lovely; aesthetically pleasing.
- か
- ka — Question marker particle; or; whether.
- みんな
- minna — Everyone; all; everybody together.
- 知っ
- shit(te) — Knew; was aware of (conjunctive form).
- い
- i — Continuative form of いる; being; existing.
- ます
- masu — Polite verb ending for present or future.
- ある
- aru — To exist; to be (inanimate objects).
- その
- sono — That; the (modifying noun close to listener).
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; matter; abstract concept.
- あまりにも
- amari ni mo — Too much; excessively; far too greatly.
- 深く
- fukaku — Deeply; profoundly; to a great depth.
- 考え込ん
- kangaekon(de) — Became lost in thought; brooded deeply.
- ひどく
- hidoku — Terribly; severely; awfully; very much.
- 暗い
- kurai — Dark; gloomy; dim; depressed.
- 顔
- kao — Face; facial expression.
- し
- shi — Did; conjunctive verb form; and also.
- 気づき
- kizuki — Noticed; became aware of something.
- どう
- dou — How; in what way.
- 尋ね
- tazune — Asked; inquired; questioned someone.
- 他
- hoka — Other; another; the rest.
- あんなに
- anna ni — So much like that; to that extent.
- 与え
- atae — Gave; granted; provided to someone.
- こんなに
- konna ni — This much; to this extent; so much.
- みっともない
- mittomonai — Disgraceful; unsightly; shameful-looking.
- しか
- shika — Only; nothing but (used with negative).
- なかっ
- nacat(ta) — Did not have; was not (past negative stem).
- 大いなる
- ooi naru — Great; mighty; grand; vast.
- 自然
- shizen — Nature; the natural world.
- 母
- haha — Mother; female parent.
- 不公平
- fukouhei — Unfair; unjust; lacking fairness.
- だっ
- dat(ta) — Was; were (past copula stem form).
- 思う
- omou — To think; to feel; to believe.
- だ
- da — Casual copula; is; am; are.
- 話す
- hanasu — To speak; to talk; to tell.
- 大きな
- ookina — Big; large; great.
- 口
- kuchi — Mouth; opening; entrance.
- あけ
- ake — Opened; spread wide (conjunctive form).
- わき腹
- wakibara — Side of the abdomen; flank; ribs area.
- 抱える
- kakaeru — To hold; to hug one's sides laughing.
- ほど
- hodo — To the extent of; as much as.
- 笑い転げ
- warai koroge — Rolled around laughing; laughed uproariously.
- これ
- kore — This; referring to something near the speaker.
- 言い
- ii — Said; spoke; expressed (conjunctive form).
- そんなに
- sonna ni — So much; to that degree; that way.
- から
- kara — Because; from; since; after.
- 深刻
- shinkoku — Serious; grave; deeply concerning.
- 悩み
- nayami — Worry; trouble; personal concern or problem.
- 思い
- omoi — Thought; feeling; deep sentiment.
- よ
- yo — Sentence-final particle adding assertion or emphasis.
- もし
- moshi — If; supposing; in the event that.
- あっ
- at(te) — Had; there was (conjunctive past form).
- いったい
- ittai — What on earth; just what; ever.
- する
- suru — To do; to make; to perform.
- いう
- iu — To say; to call; to be called.
- いつ
- itsu — When; what time; which time.
- でも
- demo — But; however; even; anytime; anyone.
- じゃま
- jama — Hindrance; nuisance; obstacle; in the way.
- なる
- naru — To become; to turn into.
- でしょ
- desho — Probably; right? (seeking agreement, polite).
- う
- u — Volitional ending; let's; probably.
- 年老い
- toshioi — Aged; grown old; elderly.
- 何度
- nando — How many times; several times.
- あやうく
- ayauku — Narrowly; barely; almost (near a danger).
- 捕まり
- tsukamari — Was caught; was captured (conjunctive form).
- そう
- sou — So; like that; seeming to be.
- なっ
- nat(te) — Became; turned into (conjunctive past form).
- 考え
- kangae — Thought; idea; consideration.
- み
- mi — Try doing; attempt (part of てみる).
- なさい
- nasai — Please do; imperative polite command.
- 後ろ
- ushiro — Behind; the back; rear direction.
- つかまれる
- tsukamareru — To be grabbed; to be seized by someone.
- よう
- you — Like; as if; in order to; seems.
- 長い
- nagai — Long; lengthy; extended in length or time.
- 飛び出し
- tobidashi — Jumped out; leaped out suddenly.
- なら
- nara — If; in the case of; since.
- きっと
- kitto — Surely; certainly; definitely; without doubt.
- もう
- mou — Already; anymore; soon; by now.
- とっくに
- tokkuni — Long ago; already long since; way before.
- 捕まっ
- tsukumat(te) — Got caught; was captured (conjunctive past form).
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