Pride and Prejudice — Page 5

English → Japanese Preface Level 7/10

But if the attempt were made, it would certainly not be hampered by any of those loosenesses of construction, which, sometimes disguised by the conveniences of which the novelist can avail himself, appear at once on the stage.

しかし、もしその試みがなされたとしても、それは小説家が利用できる便宜によって時に隠される構成の緩さによって妨げられることはなく、そのような欠点は舞台の上ではたちまち明らかになるであろう。

I think, however, though the thought will doubtless seem heretical to more than one school of critics, that construction is not the highest merit, the choicest gift, of the novelist.

しかしながら、この考えは複数の批評家の流派にとって異端に見えることは疑いないが、私は構成が小説家の最高の長所、最も優れた才能ではないと考える。

It sets off his other gifts and graces most advantageously to the critical eye; and the want of it will sometimes mar those graces--appreciably, though not quite consciously--to eyes by no means ultra-critical.

構成は批評家の目には他の才能や美点を最も有利に引き立てるものであり、それが欠けていると、そうした美点が――はっきりとではあるが完全に意識されるわけではなく――決して超批判的ではない目にも損なわれることがある。

But a very badly-built novel which excelled in pathetic or humorous character, or which displayed consummate command of dialogue--perhaps the rarest of all faculties--would be an infinitely better thing than a faultless plot acted and told by puppets with pebbles in their mouths.

しかし、哀愁ある或いはユーモラスな人物描写に優れ、あるいは対話の卓越した技量――おそらくあらゆる能力の中で最も稀なもの――を示した非常に構成の拙い小説は、口に小石を含んだ操り人形によって演じられ語られる非の打ちどころのない筋書きよりも、無限に優れたものであろう。

And despite the ability which Miss Austen has shown in working out the story, I for one should put Pride and Prejudice far lower if it did not contain what seem to me the very masterpieces of Miss Austen's humour and of her faculty of character-creation--masterpieces who may indeed admit John Thorpe, the Eltons, Mrs. Norris, and one or two others to their company, but who, in one instance certainly, and perhaps in others, are still superior to them.

そして、オースティン嬢が物語を展開する上で示した才能にもかかわらず、私個人としては、『高慢と偏見』が私にはオースティン嬢のユーモアと人物創造の能力の真の傑作と思われるものを含んでいなければ、この作品をはるかに低く評価するであろう――その傑作はジョン・ソープ、エルトン夫妻、ノリス夫人、その他一人か二人をその仲間に加えることを認めるかもしれないが、少なくとも一つの点において確かに、そしておそらく他の点においても、依然としてそれらより優れているのである。

Vocabulary

しかし: shikashi — Conjunction meaning 'however' or 'but'.
もし: moshi — Conditional word meaning 'if' or 'supposing'.
その: sono — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' or 'the'.
試み: kokoromi — An attempt or trial effort at something.
が: ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar.
なされ: nasare — Passive/honorific form of 'to do' (nasaru).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb in Japanese.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or 'that'.
し: shi — Conjunctive form of verb 'suru' (to do).
て: te — Connective particle linking verb phrases together.
も: mo — Particle meaning 'also', 'even', or 'too'.
それ: sore — Pronoun meaning 'that' or 'it'.
は: wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar.
小説家: shōsetsuka — A person who writes novels; a novelist.
利用: riyō — Use or utilization of something for a purpose.
できる: dekiru — To be able to do; to be possible.
便宜: bengi — Convenience, expediency, or a helpful arrangement.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, time, or purpose.
よっ: yot(te) — Contracted form of 'yotte', meaning 'by' or 'due to'.
時: toki — Time, moment, or occasion when something occurs.
隠さ: kakusa — Stem of 'kakusu'; to hide or conceal something.
れる: reru — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
構成: kōsei — Structure, composition, or organization of something.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle in Japanese.
緩さ: yurusa — Looseness, slackness, or lack of tightness.
妨げ: samatage — Hindrance, obstacle, or interference with something.
られる: rareru — Passive, potential, or honorific auxiliary verb.
こと: koto — Nominalizer meaning 'the fact of' or 'thing'.
なく: naku — Negative conjunctive form meaning 'without' or 'not'.
そのような: sono yōna — Adjective phrase meaning 'such' or 'that kind of'.
欠点: ketten — A fault, defect, or shortcoming in something.
舞台: butai — A stage, platform, or scene of activity.
上: ue — Above, on top of, or on the stage.
で: de — Particle indicating location, means, or cause.
たちまち: tachimachi — Immediately, at once, or in an instant.
明らか: akiraka — Clear, obvious, or evident to everyone.
なる: naru — To become or to turn into something.
あろう: arō — Volitional/presumptive form of 'aru'; probably is.
ながら: nagara — While doing; simultaneously performing two actions.
この: kono — Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this'.
考え: kangae — A thought, idea, or way of thinking.
複数: fukusū — Plural; multiple instances or more than one.
批評家: hihyōka — A critic who evaluates literature or art professionally.
流派: ryūha — A school of thought, style, or tradition.
とっ: tot(te) — Contracted 'totte', meaning 'for' or 'to' someone.
異端: itan — Heresy or heterodox view departing from orthodoxy.
見える: mieru — To appear, seem, or be visible to others.
疑い: utagai — Doubt, suspicion, or uncertainty about something.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary meaning 'not' or 'there is not'.
私: watashi — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
最高: saikō — The highest, best, or supreme quality or level.
長所: chōsho — A strong point, merit, or advantage of someone.
最も: mottomo — Adverb meaning 'most' or 'the most' of all.
優れ: sugure — Stem of 'sugureru'; to excel or be outstanding.
才能: sainō — Natural talent, gift, or innate ability.
考える: kangaeru — To think, consider, or reflect on something.
目: me — Eye; also used metaphorically for perspective or view.
他: hoka — Other, another, or the rest of something.
や: ya — Particle listing examples, similar to 'and' or 'or'.
美点: biten — A virtue, good quality, or admirable merit.
を: wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar.
有利: yūri — Advantageous, favorable, or beneficial condition.
引き立てる: hikitатeru — To enhance, set off, or bring out good qualities.
もの: mono — Thing, object, or nominalizer for abstract concepts.
あり: ari — Conjunctive form of 'aru'; exists or there is.
欠け: kake — Stem of 'kakeru'; to lack or be missing something.
いる: iru — To exist (for animate things); auxiliary for ongoing action.
そうした: sō shita — Such, that kind of, or of that sort.
はっきり: hakkiri — Clearly, distinctly, or without ambiguity.
ある: aru — To exist, to be, or to have (inanimate).
完全: kanzen — Complete, perfect, or total without any deficiency.
意識: ishiki — Consciousness, awareness, or perception of something.
さ: sa — Nominalizing suffix turning adjectives into nouns.
わけ: wake — Reason, meaning, or logical conclusion; 'that is why'.
決し: kesshi — Stem of 'kesshite'; never, by no means, absolutely not.
超: chō — Prefix meaning 'super', 'ultra', or 'beyond'.
批判的: hihanteki — Critical in manner; evaluating faults or weaknesses.
損なわ: sokonawa — Stem of 'sokonau'; to damage, harm, or impair.
哀愁: aishū — Melancholy, pathos, or a feeling of nostalgic sadness.
或い: aruい (arui) — Or; alternatively; used to present another option.
ユーモラス: yūmorasu — Humorous; having a quality that causes amusement.
な: na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
人物: jinbutsu — A person, character, or personage in a story.
描写: byōsha — Description or portrayal of a character or scene.
対話: taiwa — Dialogue or conversation between two or more people.
卓越: takuetsu — Excellence, superiority, or outstanding distinction.
技量: giryō — Skill, ability, or proficiency in a craft.
おそらく: osoraku — Probably, perhaps, or most likely.
あらゆる: arayuru — All, every kind of, or all possible types.
能力: nōryoku — Ability, capability, or competence to do something.
中: naka — Inside, among, or within a group or set.
稀: mare — Rare, uncommon, or seldom occurring.
示し: shimeshi — Stem of 'shimesu'; to show, indicate, or demonstrate.
非常: hijō — Extremely, very, or unusually; extraordinary degree.
拙い: mazui — Clumsy, poor in quality, or unskillful.
小説: shōsetsu — A novel or work of prose fiction.
口: kuchi — Mouth; opening; also used figuratively for speech.
小石: koishi — A small pebble or little stone.
含ん: fukun — Stem of 'fukumu'; to contain, include, or hold.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'are' in plain form.
操り人形: ayatsuri ningyō — A puppet manipulated by strings or a puppeteer.
演じ: enjи (enji) — Stem of 'enjiru'; to perform, act, or play a role.
られ: rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb form.
語ら: katara — Stem of 'kataru'; to narrate, tell, or speak about.
非: hi — Prefix meaning 'non-', 'un-', or 'not'; negation.
打ち: uchi — Stem of 'utsu'; to hit, strike, or knock.
どころ: dokoro — Nominalizer meaning 'place for' or emphatic negation.
筋書き: sujigaki — A plot outline or scenario of a story.
より: yori — Comparative particle meaning 'more than' or 'from'.
無限: mugen — Infinite, unlimited, or without end or boundary.
そし: soshi(te) — Connective meaning 'and then' or 'furthermore'.
嬢: jō — Miss; a title for a young unmarried woman.
物語: monogatari — A story, tale, or narrative work of literature.
展開: tenkai — Development, unfolding, or progression of events.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb in Japanese.
かかわら: kakawara — Stem of 'kakawarazu'; despite, regardless of, notwithstanding.
ず: zu — Classical negative auxiliary meaning 'without' or 'not'.
個人: kojin — An individual person as opposed to a group.
高慢: kōman — Pride, arrogance, or haughtiness in attitude.
偏見: henken — Prejudice, bias, or preconceived unfair judgment.
ユーモア: yūmoa — Humor; quality of being amusing or comical.
創造: sōzō — Creation or the act of bringing something into existence.
真: shin / ma — True, genuine, or real; authentic quality.
傑作: kessaku — A masterpiece or work of outstanding artistic excellence.
思わ: omowa — Stem of 'omou'; to think, feel, or believe.
い: i — Continuative stem of 'iru'; to be, to exist.
なけれ: nakere — Conditional negative form meaning 'if not' or 'unless'.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if' or 'when'.
作品: sakuhin — A work of art, literature, or creative production.
はるか: haruka — Far, much, or by a great degree (comparatively).
低く: hikuku — Adverbial form of 'hikui'; low or lowly in degree.
評価: hyōka — Evaluation, assessment, or rating of something's value.
夫妻: fūsai — A married couple; husband and wife together.
夫人: fujin — Mrs.; a title for a married woman.
その他: sonohoka — The others; besides that; and so forth.
一人: hitori — One person; a single individual.
か: ka — Question particle or 'or' in enumerations.
二人: futari — Two people; a pair of individuals.
仲間: nakama — Companion, fellow, or member of a group.
加える: kuwaeru — To add, include, or join something to a group.
認める: mitomeru — To acknowledge, admit, or recognize something as true.
かもしれ: kamoshire — Stem of 'kamoshirenai'; might be, possibly, perhaps.
少なくとも: sukunakutomo — At least; not less than a minimum amount.
一つ: hitotsu — One thing; a single item or instance.
点: ten — Point, aspect, or specific matter under consideration.
おい: oi (oite) — Contracted 'oite'; at, in, or with regard to.
確か: tashika — Certain, sure, or reliable; indeed or surely.
依然: izen — Still, as before, or unchanged from previous state.
それら: sorera — Those things; plural form of 'sore' (those).

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