高校生英語学習情報

荒川選手

荒川静香選手の英語報道です。日本でも繰り返された日本語の報道を参考に読んでみましょう。その後で、文法・語法的な問題を探してみましょう。

[BBC]
"I thought about quitting - I'm very glad now that I chose to continue," said the 24-year-old.
"I want to give hope to everybody who watches me skate.
"I made a mistake in the programme but I could skate with pleasure. I was hoping to win a medal but I'm surprised - it hasn't sunk in."

[CNN]
"I still can't believe this," said Arakawa,
.....
"Right now I'm just so surprised about all of this that I'm speechless," she said. "I never expected that I would be the first one to win a medal for Japan, so I didn't feel that pressure. But I'm very happy that I am the one who won it."

[NYTimes]
"I can't find the words for this," she said through an interpreter.
.....
And she did not seem nervous, which may have been her biggest accomplishment. "She expected to win the first medal for Japan," Arakawa's interpreter said, paraphrasing her answer. "She didn't feel any pressure."

◎以下の表現は他にどんな言い方をしていますか。
１．it hasn't sunk in.

２．I'm speechless

３．I didn't feel that pressure.

◎I want to give hope to everybody who watches me skate.
荒川選手が言った、どんな言葉の英訳でしょうか。

◎"She expected to win the first medal for Japan,"
原文のままですが、やはりこれは「誤植」だと思います。文脈に合うように直すとどうなりますか。

◎上記の文章にどんな文法・語法的なテーマが探せますか？出来るだけ多く指摘してみましょう。

英文を読むための基礎知識--- 4

[その４]
   Prior to the 1700s the Arabs still had a monopoly on commercial coffee cultivation and transportation. But Europeans finally acquired coffee tree seeds and began to cultivate coffee trees. The Dutch are believed to be the first Europeans to produce coffee for profit. They grew coffee trees in their overseas colonies such as Java. Coffee tree seeds were also brought to North America for cultivation, but, they found an ideal environment in Brazil. Today Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee in the world.
   As the years progressed additional coffeehouses were opened. More efficient methods of production were discovered and new variations of coffee were produced. In 1908 the first drip coffeemaker, using paper filters, was created. Thirty years later instant coffee was invented. Today coffee is the most popular beverage in America and perhaps in the rest of the world.

◎Itではじめて同じ文にしなさい。
The Dutch are believed to be the first Europeans to produce coffee for profit.
=It

◎Today Brazil is (     ) the leading producers of coffee in the world.
文中と同じ意味なるには1語を入れなさい。

◎主文と従属節とはどこで区切れるか
As the years progressed additional coffeehouses were opened.

全体の文を最初から読んでまとめてみましょう。

英文を読むための基礎知識--- 3

[その３]
   By the 1600s, coffee drinking had spread through most of Europe. In 1652 the first coffeehouse was opened in England. It was through English coffeehouses that tipping became popular. Those desiring adequate service would toss extra coins into a cup placed by a sign saying: "To Insure Prompt Service." In a few years, more coffeehouses were built in England raising the total number to well over 300. This　phenomenon was observed in other European countries and cities as well. Much like those on the Arabian Peninsula, European coffeehouses became centers of social activity. They attracted a variety of customers from artists to merchants.
   By the mid-seventeenth century the knowledge of coffee had spread to the New World. There has been some dispute as to whether coffee first came to Canada or to the United States. The majority of evidence suggests that John Smith, the captain of a British ship, introduced this bitter beverage to the New World in the early 1600s. Because the colonists resisted the heavy tea taxes imposed by Britain, coffee drinking became more popular than tea among Americans.

◎It was through English coffeehouses that tipping became popular.
強調構文

◎Those desiring adequate service would toss
このwouldはこの文章ではどんな役割をしているでしょうか。

◎To Insure Prompt Serviceについて。どんなことですか。

◎以下の前置詞の意味の違いを説明しなさい。
In a few years,
By the mid-seventeenth century
in the early 1600s

◎以下のas toはどんな意味ですか。
as to whether coffee first came to Canada or to the United States

英文を読むための基礎知識--- 2

2回目です。[その１]を読み直してから以下を読んでください。
[その２]
   Some claim that, coffee became popular among Arabs because of their religion. Since the Muslim religion forbids its followers to drink alcohol, the Muslims of Arab countries were drawn to coffee. The energizing effect of this beverage was similar to drinking a moderate amount of alcohol. But since coffee did not contain liquor, it was an acceptable drink for Muslims and became popular. In fact, coffee is known as the wine of the Arabs.
   It was around 1100 when special buildings were constructed to serve this dark beverage. These public coffeehouses began to appear in various cities all over the Arabian Peninsula. They developed into entertainment centers. People came to coffeehouses to keep up with important news, engage in lively conversation, listen to music, play games, and watch dancers. The coffeehouses also gained a positive reputation among traders, travelers, and those who made holy pilgrimages.

◎動詞＋目的語＋to不定詞
Since the Muslim religion forbids its followers to drink alcohol,
forbidの語法
この語法は、中学で学習したtell、want、askと同じ。[その１]のallowもこの形をとる。ただし、
The Muslim religion forbids drinking alcohol to its followers.
のように直接目的語の場合は動名詞がくる。

◎It was ... when(that)強調構文
It was around 1100 when special buildings were constructed to serve this dark beverage.
'around 1100'を強調する文。「時をあらわす副詞（句）」を強調する場合はwhenも使う。(ただし、Itを「時」を表す非人称のitととらえ、when以下を時を表す副詞節、とする人もいる)

◎自動詞develop[into,from]
They developed into entertainment centers.
単純に「なる」ということだが、もちろん「発展」「進化」という意味合いがある。「大学受験対策ブログ」でも触れているが、「発病する」の意味があり、自動詞でも
Symptoms of cancer developed. 癌の症状が現われた.
このような点からも「単語集」で単語と「意味（和訳）」を覚えたのでは対応しきれないことが分かります。「単語集」で単語を覚えされる学校、塾、予備校はまともに英語を教える能力がないので「単語テスト」を課して、ごまかしているだけなのです。苦労ばかりで実りどころが、弊害ばかりに悩まされることになる学習なので、そんな馬鹿げた学習にならないように気をつけてください。

◎～，～,～,～and～
to keep up with important news, engage in lively conversation, listen to music, play games, and watch dancers.
A, B, C, D and E
こういうandの使い方を覚えておいてください。
なお、keep up [with] important news
の朱筆部分は必須。

◎どういう人たちでしょう？
those who made holy pilgrimages

英文を読むための基礎知識--- 1

このブログは、高校生が英文を読む場合は、どのような点を視野に入れて学習すべきか、という点に焦点を当てて進めます。最初に言っておきますが、こういうことを「覚え」たり「理解しよう」としてはいけません。こういうものを意識しないようになることが求められます。「解説プリント」大好き高校生には特に気を付けてほしいです。こんな解説をいくら読んでも英語はできるようにはなりません。英語を読む訓練が不可欠です。

では、はじめます。
コーヒ－の歴史について述べた次の英文です[甲南大学2005]。この文章かなり「くだけた」文章ということができます。そんな特徴も触れながら、どんな点に注意すべきかを指摘したいとおもいます。なお、これは「どう読むか」ということではないので、それを前提に読んでください。4回に分けます。

[その1]
   Statistics show that people drink over 400 million cups of coffee every year. However, very few of those who enjoy this drink know its origin and history.
   Although the early history of coffee is not known for sure, a legend tells that this plant was first discovered in Ethiopia. In 860 AD a goat herder by the name of Kaldi noticed that his goats became restless and excited when they ate a berry from a common local tree. Kaldi reported his findings to religious leaders of his village. From the berries, the religious leaders created a beverage that allowed people to stay awake for long hours of prayer. This was such an amazing discovery that word soon spread to other villages. Through word of mouth, knowledge of these amazing berries soon reached the Arabian Peninsula. It did not take long for Arabs to discover a way to cultivate these berries for personal use and financial gain.

Statistics show that　…「統計によれば」という決まり文句です。注意すべき点がいくつかあります。__sということで複数形というわけではないですが、複数扱いです。また、どの統計か決まっていても、無冠詞で使います。According　to　statistics　…
ここでは、次の段落のa legend tells thatも同じような使い方をしています。

… very few of those who enjoy this drink know its origin and history.
確認するべきは、fewにaがついていないことです。準否定語ということで「ほとんど～ない」ということです。littleも同様です。
また、those who … も確認要。「～人々」

is not known for sure　このfor sureの使い方に「くだけた」文章であることを感じさせます。「確かなことはしられていない」くらいの意味。

by the name of Kaldi　は、a goat herder named(called) Kaldi noticedという表現が「普通」ですが、これはやはりちょっと「くだけた」表現になっているという言い方もできると思います。

a beverage that allowed people to stay awake　allow + O + to (do)の使い方。人がto以下のことをするのを可能にする、という意味。

This was such an amazing discovery that word soon spread to other villages.
such … that = so amazing a discovery that
wordは無冠詞でも使う。意味は「うわさ」(=news)。以下のThrough word of mouthも同様。

It did not take long for Arabs to discover a way
Itは時間のit。for Arabs to discoverのArabsは以下の不定詞の意味上の主語。

こんなところでしょうか。