The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 6
Some time after she is brought home to her husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of husbandry.
しばらく後、彼女は夫のもとへ連れて行かれ、そしてまた別の宴が催され、両家の親族が招かれる。その際、彼女の両親は花婿に彼女を引き渡し、数々の祝福の言葉を添え、同時に、ガチョウの羽軸ほどの太さの木綿の紐を彼女の腰に結びつける。この紐は既婚女性のみが身につけることを許されたものである。彼女はこれをもって完全に彼の妻と見なされ、この時に持参金が新婚の二人に贈られる。持参金は一般に、土地の一部、奴隷、家畜、家財道具、農具などから成る。
These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it she is esteemed the sole property of her husband.
これらは両家の友人たちから贈られる。さらに花婿の両親は花嫁の両親に贈り物をする。花嫁は結婚前は両親の所有物と見なされているが、結婚後は夫のみの所有物と見なされる。
The ceremony being now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing.
儀式が終わると祭りが始まり、篝火が焚かれ、音楽と踊りとともに大きな歓声が上がる。
We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets.
私たちはほぼ、踊り手、音楽家、詩人の民族である。
Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion.
そのため、戦いからの凱旋帰還や、その他の公の喜びの機会となる出来事はすべて、その場にふさわしい歌と音楽を伴った公の踊りによって祝われる。
The assembly is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself.
集まりは四つの組に分けられ、それぞれ別々に、あるいは順番に踊り、各組はそれぞれに固有の特徴を持つ。
Vocabulary
- しばらく
- shibaraku — For a while; for some time
- 後
- nochi / ato — After; later; subsequent time
- 彼女
- kanojo — She; her; girlfriend
- は
- wa — Topic-marking particle in Japanese grammar
- 夫
- otto — Husband; one's spouse (male)
- の
- no — Possessive or linking particle
- もと
- moto — Place where someone is; presence of someone
- へ
- e — Directional particle indicating movement toward
- 連れ
- tsure — Companion; to bring or accompany someone
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases
- 行か
- ika — Stem of 'to go' (iku); go somewhere
- れ
- re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix form
- そして
- soshite — And then; and; furthermore
- また
- mata — Again; also; in addition
- 別
- betsu — Separate; another; different
- 宴
- utage — Banquet; feast; celebratory party
- が
- ga — Subject-marking particle in Japanese grammar
- 催さ
- moyoosa — To hold or arrange an event or gathering
- 両家
- ryōke — Both families; two households together
- 親族
- shinzoku — Relatives; family members; kin
- 招か
- maneka — Stem of 'to invite'; invite guests
- れる
- reru — Passive or potential auxiliary verb ending
- その
- sono — That; the (referring to previously mentioned)
- 際
- sai — Occasion; time; moment of an event
- 両親
- ryōshin — Both parents; father and mother
- 花婿
- hanamuko — Bridegroom; groom at a wedding
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, target, or time
- を
- o — Object-marking particle in Japanese grammar
- 引き渡し
- hikiwatashi — Handover; transfer; handing something over
- 数々
- kazukazu — Many; numerous; a great number of
- 祝福
- shukufuku — Blessing; benediction; good wishes
- 言葉
- kotoba — Words; language; expression; speech
- 添え
- soe — To add; to attach; to accompany with
- 同時
- dōji — Simultaneously; at the same time
- ガチョウ
- gachō — Goose; domesticated waterfowl
- ほど
- hodo — About; approximately; to the extent of
- 太さ
- futosa — Thickness; girth; width of an object
- 木綿
- momen — Cotton; cotton cloth or fabric
- 紐
- himo — String; cord; ribbon; tie
- 腰
- koshi — Waist; hips; lower back area
- 結びつける
- musubitsukeru — To tie to; to bind; to fasten together
- この
- kono — This (near the speaker)
- 既婚
- kikon — Married; already having a spouse
- 女性
- josei — Woman; female person
- のみ
- nomi — Only; solely; exclusively
- 身につける
- mi ni tsukeru — To wear; to acquire; to put on body
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; act (nominalizer)
- 許さ
- yurusa — Stem of 'to permit'; allow or forgive
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending
- もの
- mono — Thing; object; something with certain quality
- で
- de — Particle indicating means, place, or reason
- ある
- aru — To be; to exist (for inanimate things)
- これ
- kore — This; this thing (near the speaker)
- もって
- motte — By means of; with; using this as basis
- 完全
- kanzen — Complete; perfect; fully; total
- 彼
- kare — He; him; boyfriend
- 妻
- tsuma — Wife; one's spouse (female)
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle
- 見なさ
- minasa — Stem of 'to regard as'; consider to be
- 時
- toki — Time; moment; occasion; when
- 新婚
- shinkon — Newlywed; newly married couple
- 二人
- futari — Two people; a pair; couple
- 贈ら
- okura — Stem of 'to give as gift'; present something
- 一般
- ippan — General; common; ordinary; in general
- 土地
- tochi — Land; plot of ground; territory
- 一部
- ichibu — A part; a portion; one section
- 奴隷
- dorei — Slave; person owned by another
- 家畜
- kachiku — Livestock; domestic animals; farm animals
- など
- nado — Etc.; and so on; among others
- から
- kara — From; since; because; out of
- 成る
- naru — To consist of; to be composed of
- これら
- korera — These things; these (plural of this)
- 友人
- yūjin — Friend; close acquaintance
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or groups
- さらに
- sara ni — Furthermore; even more; additionally
- 花嫁
- hanayome — Bride; woman being married
- 贈り物
- okurimono — Gift; present; something given to someone
- する
- suru — To do; to make; to perform
- 結婚
- kekkon — Marriage; wedding; matrimony
- 前
- mae — Before; in front; prior to
- 所有物
- shoyūbutsu — Possessions; belongings; owned property
- いる
- iru — To be; to exist (for animate beings)
- 儀式
- gishiki — Ceremony; ritual; formal rite
- 終わる
- owaru — To end; to finish; to conclude
- 祭り
- matsuri — Festival; celebration; traditional event
- 始まり
- hajimari — Beginning; start; commencement
- 焚か
- taka — Stem of 'to kindle'; light or burn fire
- 音楽
- ongaku — Music; musical performance
- 踊り
- odori — Dance; dancing; a type of dance
- とも
- tomo — Together with; both; along with
- 大きな
- ōkina — Big; large; great (prenominal form)
- 歓声
- kansei — Cheer; shout of joy; excited cry
- 上がる
- agaru — To rise; to go up; to be raised
- 私
- watashi — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
- ほぼ
- hobo — Almost; nearly; approximately
- 踊り手
- odorите — Dancer; person who performs dancing
- 音楽家
- ongakuka — Musician; professional music performer
- 詩人
- shijin — Poet; one who writes poetry
- 民族
- minzoku — Ethnic group; people; nation; folk
- そのため
- sono tame — Therefore; for that reason; because of that
- 戦い
- tatakai — Battle; fight; war; struggle
- 帰還
- kikan — Return; coming back; homecoming
- や
- ya — And; or; listing particle (non-exhaustive)
- その他
- sonota — Others; other things; et cetera
- 公
- kō / ōyake — Public; official; open to all
- 喜び
- yorokobi — Joy; happiness; delight; pleasure
- 機会
- kikai — Opportunity; chance; occasion
- なる
- naru — To become; to turn into; to result in
- 出来事
- dekigoto — Event; happening; occurrence; incident
- すべて
- subete — All; everything; entirely; whole
- その場
- sono ba — That place; on the spot; the scene
- ふさわしい
- fusawashii — Suitable; appropriate; fitting; proper
- 歌
- uta — Song; poem; verse; musical composition
- 伴っ
- tomonatte — Accompanied by; together with; along with
- よっ
- yotte — By means of; due to; through (te-form)
- 祝わ
- iwawa — Stem of 'to celebrate'; celebrate an occasion
- 集まり
- atsumari — Gathering; meeting; assembly; group
- 四つ
- yottsu — Four; four items or units
- 組
- kumi — Group; team; set; unit of people
- 分け
- wake — Division; separation; splitting into groups
- られ
- rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb form
- それぞれ
- sorezore — Each; respectively; each one separately
- 別々
- betsubetsu — Separately; individually; each apart
- あるいは
- arui wa — Or; alternatively; either… or
- 順番
- junban — Turn; order; sequence; rotation
- 各組
- kakukumi — Each group; every team; respective unit
- 固有
- koyū — Unique; inherent; characteristic; peculiar to
- 特徴
- tokuchō — Characteristic; feature; distinguishing trait
- 持つ
- motsu — To hold; to have; to possess; to carry
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