The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 15

English → Japanese BOOK I Level 9/10

For we feared not our torments less; nor prayed we less to Thee to escape them.

私たちは苦しみをさほど恐れていなかったわけではなく、またそれから逃れるためにあなたに祈ることも少なくはなかった。

And yet we sinned, in writing or reading or studying less than was exacted of us.

それでも私たちは、求められていたよりも書くことや読むことや学ぶことを怠ることによって、罪を犯した。

For we wanted not, O Lord, memory or capacity, whereof Thy will gave enough for our age; but our sole delight was play; and for this we were punished by those who yet themselves were doing the like.

主よ、私たちには記憶力や能力が欠けていたわけではなく、あなたのご意志が私たちの年齢に十分なものを与えてくださっていた。しかし私たちの唯一の喜びは遊びであり、そのために、自分たち自身も同じことをしていた者たちから罰せられたのだ。

But elder folks' idleness is called "business"; that of boys, being really the same, is punished by those elders; and none commiserates either boys or men.

しかし大人たちの怠惰は「仕事」と呼ばれ、実質的に同じである少年たちのそれはその大人たちによって罰せられ、少年たちにも大人たちにも同情する者はいない。

For will any of sound discretion approve of my being beaten as a boy, because, by playing a ball, I made less progress in studies which I was to learn, only that, as a man, I might play more unbeseemingly?

果たして分別ある者なら誰が、ボール遊びをしたために学ぶべき学業がおろそかになったとして少年であった私が打たれたことを、大人になってより不体裁な遊びをするためだけのものとして、是認するだろうか。

and what else did he who beat me? who, if worsted in some trifling discussion with his fellow-tutor, was more embittered and jealous than I when beaten at ball by a play-fellow?

では私を打った者は何をしていたのか。仲間の教師との些細な議論で負かされると、遊び仲間にボール遊びで負かされた私よりも、いっそう憤慨し嫉妬していたではないか。

And yet, I sinned herein, O Lord God, the Creator and Disposer of all things in nature, of sin the Disposer only, O Lord my God, I sinned in transgressing the commands of my parents and those of my masters.

それでも、主なる神よ、自然におけるすべてのものの創造者にして支配者、罪のみの支配者よ、主なる我が神よ、私はここに罪を犯した。両親の命令と師たちの命令に背くことによって罪を犯したのだ。

For what they, with whatever motive, would have me learn, I might afterwards have put to good use.

なぜなら、彼らがいかなる動機であれ私に学ばせようとしたことを、私はその後善用できたかもしれないからだ。

Vocabulary

私: watashi — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
たち: tachi — Suffix indicating plural, as in 'we' or 'they'.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the sentence topic.
苦しみ: kurushimi — Suffering, pain, or anguish experienced by someone.
を: wo — Object-marking particle indicating the direct object.
さほど: sahodo — Not so much; not particularly; to that extent.
恐れ: osore — Fear, dread, or apprehension toward something.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases together.
い: i — Stem of verb 'iru,' indicating ongoing state or action.
なかっ: nakatt — Negative past auxiliary stem; did not (informal form).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary indicating completed action.
わけ: wake — Reason, meaning, or circumstance behind something.
で: de — Particle indicating means, location, or reason.
なく: naku — Negative conjunctive form; 'not' connecting clauses.
また: mata — Also, again, or furthermore; adds related information.
それ: sore — That; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby.
から: kara — From; because; particle indicating origin or reason.
逃れる: nogareru — To escape from or evade something difficult.
ため: tame — For the sake of; purpose or benefit of something.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, time, purpose, or location.
あなた: anata — Second-person pronoun meaning 'you.'
祈る: inoru — To pray or wish earnestly for something.
こと: koto — Thing, fact, or act; nominalizer for verb phrases.
も: mo — Also, too; inclusive particle adding to previous items.
少なく: sukunaku — Few, little; adverbial form of 'few' or 'scarce.'
でも: demo — But, however; conjunction indicating contrast or exception.
求め: motome — Seeking, requesting, or demanding something from someone.
られ: rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix form.
より: yori — Than; from; comparative or origin-indicating particle.
書く: kaku — To write letters, characters, or text.
や: ya — And; particle listing multiple items non-exhaustively.
読む: yomu — To read text, books, or written material.
学ぶ: manabu — To learn, study, or acquire knowledge or skills.
怠る: okotaru — To neglect, be lazy about, or shirk duties.
罪: tsumi — Sin, crime, or wrongdoing committed by someone.
犯し: okashi — Committing a crime or sin; violating a rule.
主: shu — Lord, master, or God; a figure of authority.
よ: yo — Sentence-final particle expressing assertion or address.
記憶: kioku — Memory, recollection, or the ability to remember.
力: chikara — Power, strength, or ability to do something.
能力: nouryoku — Ability, capacity, or competence to perform tasks.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle identifying the grammatical subject.
欠け: kake — Lacking, missing, or deficient in some quality.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle connecting nouns.
ご: go — Honorific prefix showing respect toward others' actions.
意志: ishi — Will, intention, or determination to do something.
年齢: nenrei — Age; the number of years someone has lived.
十分: juubun — Sufficient, enough, or adequate for a purpose.
な: na — Adjectival ending linking na-adjectives to nouns.
もの: mono — Thing, object, or person; also expresses reason.
与え: atae — Giving or granting something to someone else.
くださっ: kudasatt — Honorific past form of 'kudasaru,' meaning 'please give.'
しかし: shikashi — However, but; conjunction indicating contrast or reversal.
唯一: yuiitsu — The only one; unique; sole among all things.
喜び: yorokobi — Joy, happiness, or delight felt by someone.
遊び: asobi — Play, recreation, or fun activity for enjoyment.
あり: ari — Existence or presence; classical form of 'aru.'
その: sono — That; demonstrative adjective modifying a following noun.
自分: jibun — Oneself; reflexive pronoun referring to the speaker.
自身: jishin — Oneself; emphasizing personal identity or self.
同じ: onaji — Same, identical; sharing the same qualities or nature.
し: shi — Conjunctive verb ending; and also, moreover.
者: mono — Person, one who; refers to a person doing something.
罰せ: basse — To punish; causative or passive stem of 'bassuru.'
だ: da — Copula; plain form of 'desu,' meaning 'is' or 'am.'
大人: otona — Adult; a grown-up person of mature age.
怠惰: taida — Laziness, idleness, or lack of industriousness.
仕事: shigoto — Work, job, or occupation one is engaged in.
と: to — Quotation or listing particle; 'and' or 'as.'
呼ば: yoba — Passive/conjunctive stem of 'yobu,' to be called.
れ: re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix indicating receiving an action.
実質: jisshitsu — Substance, reality, or actual content of something.
的: teki — Suffix meaning '-like,' '-ical,' or '-al' in nature.
ある: aru — To exist, be, or have; basic existential verb.
少年: shounen — Boy, youth, or young male person of childhood.
同情: doujou — Sympathy or compassion felt toward another's hardship.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb in Japanese.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary; does not, is not, no.
果たして: hatashite — Indeed, as expected; used questioning an assumed outcome.
分別: funbetsu — Discretion, good judgment, or wisdom in behavior.
なら: nara — If, in that case; conditional particle in Japanese.
誰: dare — Who; interrogative pronoun asking about a person.
ボール: booru — Ball; a round object used in sports or play.
べき: beki — Should, ought to; expresses moral obligation or duty.
学業: gakugyou — Academic work, studies, or scholarly pursuits.
おろそか: orosoka — Neglectful, careless, or inattentive toward responsibilities.
打た: uta — Passive stem of 'utsu,' to strike or hit.
だけ: dake — Only, just; limiting particle indicating sole extent.
だろ: daro — Probably, I wonder; volitional or speculative copula stem.
う: u — Volitional suffix meaning 'let's' or 'probably.'
か: ka — Question particle placed at the end of a sentence.
打っ: utt — Contracted past stem of 'utsu,' to strike or hit.
何: nani — What; interrogative pronoun asking about a thing.
仲間: nakama — Companion, friend, or fellow member of a group.
教師: kyoushi — Teacher, instructor, or educator in a school.
些細: sasai — Trivial, minor, or insignificant in scale or importance.
議論: giron — Argument, debate, or discussion of opposing views.
負かさ: makasa — Causative stem of 'makasu,' to defeat or beat.
れる: reru — Passive/potential auxiliary verb suffix indicating receiving action.
いっそう: issou — Even more, all the more; intensifying adverb.
憤慨: fungai — Indignation, resentment, or strong moral outrage.
嫉妬: shitto — Jealousy or envy directed toward another person.
なる: naru — To become; verb indicating change of state.
神: kami — God, deity, or divine spirit worshipped in religion.
自然: shizen — Nature; the natural world or state of things.
おける: okeru — In, at, regarding; classical locative verb form.
すべて: subete — All, everything, entirely; referring to the whole.
創造者: souzousha — Creator; one who brings something new into existence.
支配者: shihaisha — Ruler, controller, or one who governs others.
のみ: nomi — Only, solely; restrictive particle emphasizing exclusivity.
我: ware — I, myself; formal or literary first-person pronoun.
ここ: koko — Here; demonstrative pronoun indicating a nearby place.
両親: ryoushin — Both parents; father and mother together.
命令: meirei — Order, command, or directive given with authority.
師: shi — Teacher, master, or mentor guiding someone's learning.
背く: somuku — To disobey, defy, or go against someone's will.
なぜ: naze — Why; interrogative adverb asking for a reason.
彼ら: karera — They, them; third-person plural pronoun for people.
いかなる: ikanaru — Whatever, any kind of; formal interrogative adjective.
動機: douki — Motive, incentive, or driving reason behind an action.
あれ: are — That over there; distal demonstrative pronoun.
学ば: manaba — Negative or conjunctive stem of 'manabu,' to learn.
せ: se — Causative auxiliary stem making someone do something.
よう: you — Let's, so that; volitional or purpose expression.
その後: sonogo — After that, thereafter; indicating subsequent time.
でき: deki — Stem of 'dekiru,' meaning to be able or possible.
かも: kamo — Maybe, perhaps; expresses uncertainty or possibility.
しれ: shire — Potential stem of 'shiru'; used in 'kamoshirenai.'

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