The Adventures of Roderick Random — Page 4

English → Japanese Preface Level 8/10

Although nothing could be more ludicrous and unnatural than the figures they drew, they did not want patrons and admirers; and the world actually began to be infected with the spirit of knight-errantry, when Cervantes, by an inimitable piece of ridicule, reformed the taste of mankind, representing chivalry in the right point of view, and converting romance to purposes far more useful and entertaining, by making it assume the sock, and point out the follies of ordinary life.

彼らが描いた人物像ほど滑稽で不自然なものはなかったにもかかわらず、庇護者や崇拝者には事欠かなかった。そして世間は実際に遍歴騎士道の精神に感染し始めていたが、その時セルバンテスが比類なき諷刺の手法によって人類の趣味を改め、騎士道を正しい観点から描き出し、喜劇の衣をまとわせて日常生活の愚かさを指摘することで、ロマンスをはるかに有益で娯楽的な目的へと転換させた。

The same method has been practised by other Spanish and French authors, and by none more successfully than by Monsieur Le Sage, who, in his Adventures of Gil Blas, has described the knavery and foibles of life, with infinite humour and sagacity.

同じ手法は他のスペインやフランスの作家たちによっても用いられてきたが、その中で最も成功を収めたのはル・サージュ氏であり、彼は『ジル・ブラスの冒険』において、人生の悪知恵と弱点を無限のユーモアと洞察力をもって描き出した。

The following sheets I have modelled on his plan, taking me liberty, however, to differ from him in the execution, where I thought his particular situations were uncommon, extravagant, or peculiar to the country in which the scene is laid.

以下の本稿は彼の計画を範として作られているが、特定の場面が非日常的であったり、誇張されていたり、あるいは舞台となる国特有のものであると私が判断した場合には、その実施において彼と異なる自由を取った。

The disgraces of Gil Blas are, for the most part, such as rather excite mirth than compassion; he himself laughs at them; and his transitions from distress to happiness, or at least ease, are so sudden, that neither the reader has time to pity him, nor himself to be acquainted with affliction.

ジル・ブラスの不名誉な出来事はおおむね、同情よりもむしろ笑いを誘うものであり、彼自身もそれらを笑い飛ばす。そして苦境から幸福へ、あるいは少なくとも安楽への移行があまりにも急激であるため、読者が彼を憐れむ暇もなく、彼自身も苦難を十分に味わう間もない。

This conduct, in my opinion, not only deviates from probability, but prevents that generous indignation, which ought to animate the reader against the sordid and vicious disposition of the world.

この手法は私の見解では、蓋然性から逸脱しているだけでなく、世の中の卑劣で堕落した性質に対して読者が抱くべき正当な憤りをも妨げるものである。

Vocabulary

彼ら: karera — They; refers to a group of people.
が: ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar.
描い: egai — Drew or depicted (conjunctive form of 描く).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending.
人物像: jinbutsuzō — Character portrait; image or depiction of a person.
ほど: hodo — To the extent of; as much as; degree.
滑稽: kokkei — Comical, funny, absurd, or ridiculous.
で: de — Conjunctive or instrumental particle; and, by means of.
不自然: fushizen — Unnatural; contrived; artificial; forced.
な: na — Adjectival ending for na-adjectives modifying nouns.
もの: mono — Thing; object; that which exists or occurs.
は: wa — Topic marker particle highlighting subject of sentence.
なかっ: nakatt — Past negative stem of nai; there was not.
に: ni — Directional or locative particle; to, at, in.
も: mo — Also; even; too; inclusive particle.
かかわら: kakawara — Despite; regardless of (part of にもかかわらず).
ず: zu — Negative conjunctive ending; without doing something.
庇護者: higosya — Patron; protector; one who shelters or sponsors.
や: ya — And; listing particle connecting nouns loosely.
崇拝者: sūhaisha — Admirer; devotee; worshipper of a person.
事欠か: kotokaka — Not lacking; never short of (part of 事欠かない).
そして: soshite — And then; moreover; connecting events or ideas.
世間: seken — Society; the public; the world at large.
実際: jissai — Actually; in reality; in practice.
遍歴: henreki — Wandering; going through varied experiences or places.
騎士道: kishidō — Chivalry; the code of knightly conduct.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
精神: seishin — Spirit; mind; mental attitude or ethos.
感染: kansen — Infection; being infected or influenced by something.
し: shi — Conjunctive verb form; and; also; listing reasons.
始め: hajime — Beginning; start; to begin doing something.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
い: i — Continuative form of いる; ongoing action or state.
その: sono — That; referring to something previously mentioned.
時: toki — Time; moment; occasion.
比類: hirui — Comparison; equal; matchless when negated.
なき: naki — Without; lacking (literary attributive negative form).
諷刺: fūshi — Satire; ironic criticism of human folly.
手法: shuhō — Technique; method; artistic or literary approach.
よっ: yott — By means of; through (contracted form of によって).
人類: jinrui — Humanity; humankind; the human race.
趣味: shumi — Taste; hobby; aesthetic sensibility or preference.
を: wo — Direct object marker particle.
改め: aratame — Reforming; correcting; revising one's ways or views.
正しい: tadashii — Correct; right; proper; accurate.
観点: kanten — Viewpoint; perspective; standpoint for observation.
から: kara — From; because; since; starting point particle.
描き出し: egakidashi — Depicted; brought to life through artistic portrayal.
喜劇: kigeki — Comedy; comic play or humorous dramatic work.
衣: koromo — Clothing; garment; outer covering or costume.
まとわ: matowa — Wrapping around; cloaking (stem of まとわせる).
せ: se — Causative auxiliary suffix; cause or let someone do.
日常: nichijō — Everyday; daily life; ordinary routine.
生活: seikatsu — Daily life; livelihood; way of living.
愚か: oroka — Foolish; stupid; lacking wisdom or sense.
さ: sa — Nominalizing suffix turning adjectives into nouns.
指摘: shiteki — Pointing out; indicating; drawing attention to something.
する: suru — To do; to perform; general action verb.
こと: koto — Thing; fact; matter; nominalizing abstract concepts.
ロマンス: romansu — Romance; romantic narrative or love story.
はるか: haruka — Far more; by far; much greater in degree.
有益: yūeki — Useful; beneficial; profitable; worthwhile.
娯楽: goraku — Entertainment; amusement; recreational enjoyment.
的: teki — Suffix meaning -like, -ish, or relating to.
目的: mokuteki — Purpose; goal; aim; objective.
へ: e — Toward; directional particle indicating destination.
と: to — And; with; quotation particle; connecting nouns.
転換: tenkan — Transformation; shift; conversion to something else.
同じ: onaji — Same; identical; equal in nature or kind.
他: hoka — Other; another; different; remaining ones.
作家: sakka — Author; writer; literary or artistic creator.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people and animate beings.
用い: mochii — Using; employing; making use of something.
られ: rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb form.
中: naka — Among; inside; in the middle of a group.
最も: mottomo — Most; the greatest degree; superlative adverb.
成功: seikō — Success; achievement of a desired result.
収め: osame — Achieving; gaining; obtaining a result or outcome.
氏: shi — Mr.; honorific suffix for a person's name.
あり: ari — Is; exists (classical or formal form of ある).
彼: kare — He; him; referring to a male person.
冒険: bōken — Adventure; daring venture; risky undertaking.
人生: jinsei — Life; one's lifetime experience and journey.
悪知恵: warujie — Cunning; sly wisdom; cleverness used deceptively.
弱点: jakuten — Weakness; weak point; vulnerability or flaw.
無限: mugen — Infinite; limitless; without end or boundary.
ユーモア: yūmoa — Humor; wit; comic sensibility or amusing quality.
洞察力: dōsatsuryoku — Insight; perceptiveness; ability to see deeply into things.
もっ: mott — Possessing; using; with (contracted form of もって).
以下: ika — Below; the following; less than or hereafter.
本稿: hongō — This manuscript; this article or present text.
計画: keikaku — Plan; project; scheme; organized intention.
範: han — Model; example; pattern to be followed.
作ら: tsukura — Made; formed; created (stem of 作る).
れ: re — Passive auxiliary suffix; being done to subject.
いる: iru — To be; to exist (for animate beings).
特定: tokutei — Specific; particular; identified or designated.
場面: bamen — Scene; situation; specific moment in a narrative.
非: hi — Non-; un-; negative prefix denoting absence or wrongness.
あっ: att — Was; existed (contracted past form of ある).
たり: tari — Alternating actions particle; doing things like X or Y.
誇張: kochō — Exaggeration; overstatement; amplifying beyond reality.
ある: aru — To exist; there is; a certain (attributive use).
いは: iwa — Or; alternatively (part of あるいは meaning or/either).
舞台: butai — Stage; setting; theatrical or narrative backdrop.
なる: naru — Becoming; that becomes; attributive form of become.
国: kuni — Country; nation; homeland.
特有: tokuyū — Peculiar to; unique; characteristic of something specific.
私: watashi — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
判断: handan — Judgment; decision; assessment of a situation.
場合: baai — Case; situation; circumstance; occasion.
実施: jisshi — Implementation; execution; putting a plan into practice.
異なる: kotonaru — To differ; to vary; to be different from something.
自由: jiyū — Freedom; liberty; free to act as one chooses.
取っ: tott — Taking; adopting (contracted conjunctive of 取る).
不名誉: fumeiyo — Dishonor; disgrace; shameful or ignominious situation.
出来事: dekigoto — Event; happening; incident; something that occurred.
おおむね: ōmune — Generally; mostly; on the whole; approximately.
同情: dōjō — Sympathy; compassion; feeling sorry for someone.
より: yori — More than; rather than; comparative particle.
むしろ: mushiro — Rather; on the contrary; preferably.
笑い: warai — Laughter; a laugh; something that provokes amusement.
誘う: sasou — To invite; to entice; to evoke or provoke.
自身: jishin — Oneself; himself/herself; one's own self.
それら: sorera — Those; referring to multiple previously mentioned things.
飛ばす: tobasu — To skip over; to pass through quickly or swiftly.
苦境: kukyō — Difficult situation; predicament; distressing circumstances.
幸福: kōfuku — Happiness; well-being; state of being fortunate.
少なく: sukunaku — Few; little; at least (adverbial form of 少ない).
とも: tomo — At least; even; both; concessive particle.
安楽: anraku — Comfort; ease; peaceful and comfortable condition.
移行: ikō — Transition; shift; moving from one state to another.
あまり: amari — Too much; excessively; so much that (negative nuance).
急激: kyūgeki — Sudden; drastic; rapid and extreme in change.
ため: tame — Because; for the sake of; due to; cause.
読者: dokusha — Reader; one who reads a text or publication.
憐れむ: awaremu — To pity; to feel compassion or sympathy for.
暇: hima — Free time; leisure; spare moment; opportunity.
なく: naku — Without; not having (adverbial negative of ない).
苦難: kunan — Hardship; suffering; adversity; painful difficulty.
十分: jūbun — Sufficient; enough; fully; adequately.
味わう: ajiwau — To taste; to experience; to savor deeply.
間: ma / aida — While; during; interval between two points in time.
ない: nai — Not; does not exist; negative auxiliary.
この: kono — This; referring to something near the speaker.
見解: kenkai — Opinion; view; interpretation of a matter.
逸脱: itsudatsu — Deviation; departure from a norm or standard.
だけ: dake — Only; just; merely; limited to that extent.
世の中: yo no naka — The world; society; human affairs and conditions.
卑劣: hiretsu — Despicable; mean; base; morally low conduct.
堕落: daraku — Corruption; moral decline; degradation of character.
性質: seishitsu — Nature; character; inherent quality or disposition.
対し: taishi — Toward; against; in relation to something.
抱く: idaku — To harbor; to hold; to embrace a feeling.
べき: beki — Should; ought to; expresses moral obligation.
正当: seitō — Legitimate; justified; rightful; proper and valid.
憤り: ikidori — Indignation; anger; righteous outrage at injustice.
妨げる: samatageru — To hinder; to obstruct; to prevent or impede.

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