● Back Numbers 077〜080

  今回は、入れ物、形状、重量、容量に関わる語彙の話です。もちろん、それらの単なる紹介ではなく、みなさんが英語の語彙力を伸ばしていく上で非常に有用な方法論が展開されます。

マーク No. 077 Containers, shapes, weights, and volumes (Part 2)
      --- 入れ物、形状、重量、容量のボキャブラリーを使いこなそう
(その2)

This Column is a continuation from the previous one, so it will be useful to go back and read Column 076.

Some of the vocabulary for containers is very common, and some rather rare. I hope that you enjoy learning all the following container words:

a bag of groceries (食料雑費の)袋
a basket of flowers (花の)かご
a basin of hot water (湯を入れる)鉢
a bottle of beer (ビール)瓶
a box of tissues (ティッシュ)箱
a bowl of rice (米を入れる)鉢

a carton of milk (牛乳の)ろう引き容器
a can of beer (ビールの)缶
a canister of tennis balls (テニスボールを入れる)(細長い形の)缶
a case of beer (ビールの)ケース
a cask of whisky (ウイスキーの)(小型の)たる
a cauldron of stew (シチューを作る)大釜
a chest of tea (お茶を入れる)ふたのついた大きな箱
a crate of beer (ビールの)梱包箱

a decanter of wine (ワインの)デカンター
a dish of vegetables (野菜を盛る)皿

a flagon of wine (ワインの)取っ手がついた食卓用小口びん

a glass of water(水を入れる)コップ、グラス

a hamper of good things (小物を入れる)ふたのついた詰めかご、バスケット

a jug of milk <英>(牛乳などを入れる)取っ手のついた広口の水差し
a jar of jam (ジャムなどを入れる)広口のびん

a package of books (本の)小包
a packet of cigarettes <英>(タバコなどの)箱
a pack of cigarettes <米>(タバコなどの)箱
a pitcher of milk <米>(牛乳などを入れる)取っ手のついた広口の水差し

a pot of stew(シチューを作る)(深めの両手)鍋
a pan of spaghetti sauce(スパゲッティのソースを作る)(片手用平)鍋

a sachet of shampoo (一回分入った)(シャンプーの)包み
a sack of coal (石炭の)大袋
a suitcase of clothes (服一揃いをしまう)旅行鞄

a tank of water 水槽
a thermos flask (thermos bottle) of coffee (コーヒーなどを入れる)魔法瓶
a trunk of old clothes (古い衣類などをしまっておく)(木製の大型)トランク

an urn of ashes (灰などを入れる)つぼ、かめ

a vat of wine(ワインを醸造するさい用いる)大桶

In the next Column, I will look in a little bit of detail at the grammar of containers, shapes, weights, and volumes.

● Words & Phrases ●
  • continuation from
    〜(から)の続き

(帝京大学教授 Christopher Barnard)

次回掲載予定8月22日

  今回は、「入れ物」にはいったもののさまざまな数え方を紹介しています。ご覧の通り、説明的に訳すしかない場合もあり、英語がきわめて合理的に見えてきたりもしますね。(もちろん、その逆の場合もあるでしょう) バーナード先生の最後のセリフがなかなか洒落ていますが、これらは英語における日常生活のありふれた一部であることもお忘れなく。

マーク No. 078 Containers, shapes, weights, and volumes (Part 3)
      --- 入れ物、形状、重量、容量のボキャブラリーを使いこなそう
(その3)

When we talk about containers, shapes, weights, and volumes, there are certain grammatical points which we must consider.

First, notice how we count these items:

There is (a) quarter of a bottle of beer.
(ビールが一本あり、中には四分の一入っている)
There is three-quarters of a bottle of beer.
(ビールが一本あり、中には四分の三入っている)
There is half a bottle of beer.
(ビールが一本あり、中には半分入っている)
There is a bottle of beer.
(ビールが一本ある)
There is a bottle and a quarter of beer.
(ビールが一本と、四分の一だけ入った瓶がある)
*This means there is one bottle which is full of beer,
  and a quarter of a bottle of beer (= 125%)
.
There is a bottle and a half of beer.
(ビールが一本と、中に半分だけ入った瓶がある)= 150%
There is a bottle and three-quarters of beer.
(ビールが一本と、四分の三だけ入った瓶がある)= 175%
There are two bottles of beer.
(ビールが二本ある)

There are two and a quarter bottles of beer.
(ビールが二本と、四分の一だけ入った瓶がある)= 225%
There are two and a half bottles of beer.
(ビールが二本と、半分だけ入った瓶がある)= 250%

Second, we have to consider whether the item inside the container, etc. is a countable or uncountable noun. Actually, in most cases, it is uncountable, as shown by the examples in Column 76.

However, we will quite often find examples with countable nouns, as shown by the following examples:

a box of chocolates(チョコレート一箱)
a can of biscuits(ビスケット一缶)
a packet of salami slices(サラミソーセージのスライス一パック、一袋)
a bag of bread-rolls(ロールパン一袋)*小さめの袋

When these two grammatical points have to be used together, we have sentences like this:

I ate two and a half packets of biscuits.
(ビスケットを2袋半食べた)= 250%
I ate half a box of chocolates.
(チョコレートを箱の半分食べた)

The grammar and vocabulary discussed in these three Columns are quite tricky, I think. But the actual items themselves are part of everyday life. I strongly suggest that readers master this area of grammar and vocabulary.

In fact, if you do master this part of English, you will be part of a very small minority of people in Japan!

● Words & Phrases ●
  • tricky
    慎重を要する、扱いにくい
  • I strongly suggest
    ...を強くお勧めします
  • if you do master
    本当にマスターすれば(doは強調)

(帝京大学教授 Christopher Barnard)

次回掲載予定8月29日

  いろんな「模様」を表すことは、日常生活で非常によく用いられる言語活動のパターンです。今回から三回にわたり、英語でさまざまな模様をどのように表現するかを解説していただきます。みなさんはこういった表現をばらばらに覚えていることが多いと思いますが、このように一覧してみるときわめて明確なパターンに従って表現されていることがわかり、英語表現力の幅も大きく広がるでしょう。なお、"The vocabulary and grammar of patterns"とは「パターン(模様)に関する語彙と文法」のことであり、「語彙と文法のパターン」ではないのでご注意を!!

マーク No. 079 The vocabulary and grammar of patterns (Part 1)
      --- 「模様」に関する語彙と文法(その1)

I was doing some work on a dictionary recently, and was thinking how to translate different patterns (I do not mean grammar patterns!) in English and Japanese.

Here is a list of patterns, which you can see are divided into Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3:

Type 1
a shirt with a polka dot pattern 水玉模様のシャツ(以下すべて「〜のシャツ」)
a shirt with a herringbone pattern 杉あや模様
a shirt with a hounds-tooth pattern 千鳥格子
a shirt with a checquered <英>/checkered <米> pattern 市松模様
a shirt with a striped pattern 縞模様
a shirt with a tartan pattern 格子縞、タータンチェック(和製英語)
a shirt with a paisley pattern ペイズリー模様
a shirt with a flowery pattern 花柄*

Type 2
a shirt with polka dots 水玉模様
a shirt with arabesques 唐草模様
a shirt with vertical stripes 縦縞
a shirt with horizontal stripes 横縞
a shirt with diagonal stripes 斜めの縞

Type 3
a shirt with a pattern of dinosaurs 恐竜の柄
a shirt with a pattern of knives and forks ナイフとフォークの柄
a shirt with a pattern of flowers 花柄*
a shirt with a pattern of clouds 雲の柄
a shirt with a pattern of birds and animals 鳥と動物の柄

In the next Column, I will discuss the grammar of describing patterns.

*a flowery pattern and a pattern of flowers
They mean almost the same, and overlap in meaning. But:

"A pattern of flowers" would suggest a pattern which, broadly speaking, looked like flowers, but the flowers could be less realistic looking (as in modern art), and also there could be a few other objects in the pattern which were not flowers (eg, a few birds, etc.).
"A flowery pattern" would suggest a pattern made up almost
exclusively of realistic looking flowers.

● Words & Phrases ●
  • which you can see are divided into
    見てのとおり〜に分かれている(you can seeは挿入)

(帝京大学教授 Christopher Barnard)

次回掲載予定9月5日

  前回は「パターン(模様)を表現するための語彙と文法」 を3つのタイプに分類しました。今回はそれぞれのパターンについて解説しながら、あなたの英語表現全般の幅を広げていくヒントを提供してくれます。

マーク No. 080 The vocabulary and grammar of patterns (Part 2)
      --- 「模様」に関する語彙と文法(その2)

Let us look at the grammar of describing patterns (see Column 079).

In the case of Type 1, since the pattern is an established pattern, we use the grammar: "with an X pattern". This is recognized as being a specific, well-known pattern.

In the case of Type 2, the pattern is not an established one (since we cannot say, for example, "(×) a shirt with a diagonal stripe pattern"). Nevertheless, the objects and shapes which make up the pattern are generally recognized as being "patterns" (eg. "diagonal stripes" is a pattern).

In such cases, we use say "with …s".

In the case of Type 3, the objects and shapes are not generally seen as being "patterns". For example, a "dinosaur" cannot be a pattern.

An important point about the grammar of describing patterns is whether the Type is an open series, or a closed series.

Type 1 is a closed series, since the patterns in Type 1 are limited in number. Type 3 is an open series, since we can more or less add anything we want to (dogs, cats, ships, trains, etc.)

Type 2 can be seen as a semi-closed (or semi-open) series. We cannot say "(×) a shirt with dinosaurs". Nevertheless, if we can think of another shape or object that can become a pattern, we can use it in the grammar of Type 2. Here is are some examples:

a shirt with wavy lines
a shirt with squares and diamonds

● Words & Phrases ●
  • established
    確立された、認められた
  • nevertheless
    それにもかかわらず
  • make up
    〜を構成する
  • generally
    一般に
  • open / closed series
    それらの表現がいくらでも作れるものなのか/一定の数の表現に限られているか、ということ

(帝京大学教授 Christopher Barnard)

次回掲載予定9月12日

 

 

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