Piccolissima — Page 13

English → Japanese Full Text Level 3/10

The look, gloomy, and a little sullen, of the fly, recalled somewhat the funny mask of a harlequin, and Piccolissima was on the point of showing how one laughs with the lips, by laughing in the fly's face, when the latter forced air slightly through the breathing holes which open under the wings; the two little double scales, the winglets, which unfold at birth, began to vibrate; and Piccolissima, who just now remarked that this was the method that her new acquaintance took to emit sounds, was eager to listen to what he might say; so she made an effort to command herself, and became serious.

ハエの、陰鬱で少し不機嫌そうな顔つきは、道化師のおかしな仮面をいくぶん思わせるものがあり、ピッコリッシマはハエの顔に向かって笑うことで、唇で笑うとはどういうことかを見せてやろうとしたところ、ハエは翅の下に開いている呼吸孔からわずかに空気を押し出した。生まれたときに広がる二枚一対の小さな鱗片、すなわち小翅が振動し始めた。そして、これが新しい知り合いが音を発するときの方法であることをたった今気づいたピッコリッシマは、彼が何を言うのかを聞きたくてたまらなくなり、自分を抑えようと努め、真剣な顔になった。

"Do you not see, with your dull human intelligence, that my trunk is a pump, a hollow tube, an instrument for sucking which I stretch out and draw in at my pleasure?"

「あなたの鈍い人間の知性では、私の吻が、ポンプであり、中空の管であり、思いのままに伸ばしたり引っ込めたりできる吸引のための器官であることが分からないのですか？」

While speaking thus, the fly thrust half way out from the cavity in the middle of his head, just under his eyes, a trunk with two or three joints in it; at the end was an opening like two black lips, folded over, with grooves or little hollows.

そう言いながら、ハエは目のすぐ下、頭の中央にある空洞から、二、三の節を持つ吻を半分ほど突き出した。その先端には、二つの黒い唇のような開口部があり、折り重なって、溝や小さなくぼみが付いていた。

The fly, thus urged to show the use of his trunk, or, more probably, forgetting the sequel of a discourse upon which he had entered in such a pompous style, flew upon the sugar, and set himself again to sucking it.

こうして吻の使い方を見せるよう促されたハエは、あるいはむしろ、あれほど大仰な口ぶりで始めた話の続きを忘れてしまったのか、砂糖の上へと飛んでいき、再びそれを吸い始めた。

Piccolissima again observed the little drops fall which she had noticed before.

ピッコリッシマは、以前に気づいていた小さな雫が落ちるのを再び観察した。

Vocabulary

ハエ: hae — A fly; common winged insect.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
陰鬱: in'utsu — Gloomy, melancholy, or depressing in nature.
で: de — Particle indicating location, means, or manner.
少し: sukoshi — A little; a small amount or degree.
不機嫌: fukigen — Bad mood; sulky or displeased in manner.
そう: sō — Appearing to be; seeming like something.
な: na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
顔つき: kaotsuki — Facial expression; look or appearance of face.
は: wa — Topic marker particle indicating the subject.
道化師: dōkeshi — A clown or jester; comic entertainer.
おかしな: okashina — Strange, funny, or peculiar in character.
仮面: kamen — A mask; covering worn over the face.
を: wo — Object marker particle for direct objects.
いくぶん: ikubun — Somewhat; to some extent or degree.
思わせる: omowaseru — To make someone think of; evoke or suggest.
もの: mono — Thing; used to nominalize or add nuance.
が: ga — Subject marker particle; also marks contrast.
あり: ari — There is; exists (continuative form of ある).
顔: kao — Face; the front part of the head.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or purpose.
向かっ: mukatte (mukau) — Facing toward; turning in a direction.
て: te — Connective particle linking sequential actions.
笑う: warau — To laugh or smile; express amusement.
こと: koto — Thing; nominalizer turning verbs into noun phrases.
唇: kuchibiru — Lips; the fleshy edges of the mouth.
と: to — And; quotation particle; connecting or quoting.
どういう: dōiu — What kind of; what sort of thing.
か: ka — Question particle; marks interrogative sentences.
見せ: mise (miseru) — To show; let someone see something.
やろう: yarō — Volitional form of やる; let's do it.
し: shi — Connective particle listing reasons or actions.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary; indicates completed action.
ところ: tokoro — Place, moment, or point in time/situation.
翅: hane — Wing; an insect's wing or appendage.
下: shita — Below, under, or beneath something.
開い: hiraite (hiraku) — Opened; in a state of being open.
いる: iru — To exist; be present (for animate things).
から: kara — From; because; indicating origin or reason.
わずか: wazuka — A tiny amount; just a little; barely.
空気: kūki — Air; the atmosphere surrounding us.
押し出し: oshidashi — Pushing out; forcing something outward.
生まれ: umare (umareru) — Birth; being born into the world.
とき: toki — Time; moment or period when something occurs.
広がる: hirogaru — To spread out; expand or extend widely.
二枚: nimai — Two flat sheets or thin pieces.
一対: itsui — A pair; one matched set of two.
小さな: chīsana — Small; little in size or scale.
すなわち: sunawachi — That is; in other words; namely.
振動: shindō — Vibration; rapid back-and-forth oscillating movement.
始め: hajime (hajimeru) — Beginning; start of an action or event.
そし: soshi (soshite) — And then; subsequently (connective conjunction).
これ: kore — This; referring to something nearby or mentioned.
新しい: atarashii — New; recently made or newly encountered.
知り合い: shiriai — Acquaintance; someone one has come to know.
音: oto — Sound; noise produced by vibration or action.
発する: hassuru — To emit; produce or send out sound.
方法: hōhō — Method; way of doing something.
ある: aru — To exist; there is (inanimate subject).
たった今: tatta ima — Just now; this very moment.
気づい: kidzuite (kidzuku) — Noticed; became aware of something.
彼: kare — He; him; third-person male pronoun.
何: nani — What; an interrogative pronoun.
言う: iu — To say; to speak or utter words.
聞き: kiki (kiku) — Listening; hearing what someone says.
たく: taku — Wanting to (desiderative suffix form).
たまらなく: tamaranaku — Unbearably; can't stand it; irresistibly.
なり: nari (naru) — Became; continuative form of なる.
自分: jibun — Oneself; one's own self or person.
抑えよう: osaeyo (osaeru) — Try to suppress or hold oneself back.
努め: tsutome (tsutomeru) — Endeavoring; making effort to do something.
真剣: shinken — Serious; earnest in attitude or approach.
なっ: natte (naru) — Became; connective form of なる.
あなた: anata — You; second-person pronoun (polite).
鈍い: nibui — Dull; slow-witted or not sharp in perception.
人間: ningen — Human being; a person or mankind.
知性: chisei — Intelligence; intellectual capacity or faculty.
私: watashi — I; first-person singular pronoun.
ポンプ: ponpu — Pump; device that moves fluid.
中空: chūkū — Hollow; empty inside; having a cavity.
管: kan / kuda — Tube; pipe-like hollow cylindrical structure.
思い: omoi — Thought; feeling; desire or intention.
まま: mama — As is; in the state of; just as.
伸ばし: nobashi (nobasu) — Extending; stretching something out longer.
たり: tari — Alternating actions particle (doing A or B).
引っ込め: hikkorome (hikkoromu) — Retracting; pulling something back inward.
できる: dekiru — Can do; to be possible or able.
吸引: kyūin — Suction; drawing in by creating vacuum.
ため: tame — For the purpose of; in order to.
器官: kikan — Organ; biological structure with specific function.
分から: wakara (wakaru) — Not understanding; failing to comprehend something.
ない: nai — Not; negation of existence or action.
です: desu — Polite copula; is, am, or are.
言い: ii (iu) — Saying; connective form of 言う.
ながら: nagara — While doing; simultaneously performing two actions.
目: me — Eye; organ used for seeing.
すぐ: sugu — Immediately; right away; without delay.
頭: atama — Head; uppermost part of the body.
中央: chūō — Center; the middle of something.
空洞: kūdō — Cavity; hollow empty space inside something.
二: ni — Two; the number 2.
三: san — Three; the number 3.
節: setsu / fushi — Segment; joint or section of a structure.
持つ: motsu — To have; hold or possess something.
半分: hanbun — Half; one of two equal portions.
ほど: hodo — About; approximately; to the extent of.
突き出し: tsukidashi — Protruding; sticking out from a surface.
その: sono — That; referring to a nearby or known thing.
先端: sentan — Tip; the very end or extremity.
二つ: futatsu — Two (things); a count of two items.
黒い: kuroi — Black; dark in color.
よう: yō — Like; resembling; seeming to be.
折り: ori (oru) — Folding; bending something over itself.
重なっ: kasanatte (kasanaru) — Overlapping; layered on top of each other.
溝: mizo — Groove; narrow channel or furrow.
や: ya — And; listing particle connecting multiple items.
くぼみ: kubomi — Hollow; indentation or small depression.
付い: tsuite (tsuku) — Attached; stuck or affixed to something.
い: i (iru) — Being; existing (shortened form of いる).
こうし: kōshi (kōshite) — By doing this; in this way (connective).
使い方: tsukaikata — How to use; manner of using something.
見せる: miseru — To show; to display or demonstrate something.
促さ: unagasa (unagasu) — Urged; prompted or encouraged to act.
れ: re — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
あるいは: aruiwa — Or; alternatively; on the other hand.
むしろ: mushiro — Rather; more accurately; preferably instead.
あれほど: arehodo — To that extent; that much; so greatly.
大仰: ōgyō — Exaggerated; pompous or overly dramatic manner.
口ぶり: kuchiburi — Manner of speaking; tone or way of talking.
話: hanashi — Story; talk; conversation or speech.
続き: tsuzuki — Continuation; what follows next in sequence.
忘れ: wasure (wasureru) — Forgetting; failing to remember something.
しまっ: shimatte (shimau) — Ended up doing; completed unintentionally.
砂糖: satō — Sugar; sweet crystalline substance used in food.
上: ue — Above; top; upper surface of something.
へ: e — Toward; directional particle indicating movement.
飛ん: tonde (tobu) — Flying; moving through the air.
いき: iki (iku) — Going; moving away toward a destination.
再び: futatabi — Again; once more; a second time.
それ: sore — That; referring to something previously mentioned.
吸い: sui (suu) — Sucking; drawing in liquid or air.
以前: izen — Before; previously; formerly in the past.
雫: shizuku — Droplet; a small drop of liquid.
落ちる: ochiru — To fall; drop down due to gravity.
観察: kansatsu — Observation; careful watching and examining something.

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