After climbing down from the china wall the travellers found themselves in a disagreeable country, full of bogs and marshes and covered with tall, rank grass.
china wall
(陶器の壁)
[名]
a wall made of china
disagreeable
(不快な)
[形]
unpleasant
bog
(沼)
[名]
a wet spongy area of land that is too soft to support a heavy person walking on it
marsh
(湿地帯)
[名]
a low-lying area of land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide
rank
(草)
[名]
a type of plant with long, narrow leaves
陶器の壁を降りると、旅人たちは沼や湿地帯だらけで、背の高い草に覆われた不快な国にいることに気づいた。
It was difficult to walk far without falling into muddy holes, for the grass was so thick that it hid them from sight.
muddy
(泥の)
[形]
covered or full of mud
sight
(穴)
[名]
the ability to see; vision
草がとても深く、穴が見えないので、泥の穴に落ちずに遠くまで歩くのは難しかった。
However, by carefully picking their way, they got safely along until they reached solid ground.
pick
(選ぶ)
[動]
choose from a number of alternatives
しかし、注意深く道を選んで、固い地面にたどり着くまで無事に進んだ。
But here the country seemed wilder than ever, and after a long and tiresome walk through the underbrush they entered another forest, where the trees were bigger and older than any they had ever seen.
wild
(荒野)
[名]
a large area of land
underbrush
(下草)
[名]
small trees and bushes growing beneath the main trees in a wood
しかし、ここはこれまで以上に荒野のようで、下草の中を長く退屈に歩いた後、彼らはこれまで見たどの木よりも大きくて古い木がある別の森に入った。
“Not a bit of it,” answered the Lion.
「少しも暗くない」とライオンは答えた。
“I should like to live here all my life.
all my life
(一生)
[名]
the period of time during which one is alive
「私は一生ここに住みたい。
See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees.
moss
(苔)
[名]
a small flowerless green plant that lacks true roots and has a simple stem structure
足元の枯れ葉がどれほど柔らかいか、またこれらの古い木々にしがみついている苔がどれほど豊かで緑かを見てみろ。
Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.”
確かに野生の獣はもっと快適な家を望むことはできない」
When morning came they started again.
朝になると彼らはまた出発した。
Before they had gone far they heard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals.
go far
(遠くへ行く)
[動]
travel a long distance
low rumble
(低い音)
[名]
a deep, heavy, continuous sound
wild animal
(野生動物)
[名]
an animal that lives in the wild and has not been tamed by humans
あまり遠くへ行かないうちに、たくさんの野生動物がうなっているような低い音が聞こえてきた。
Toto whimpered a little but none of the others was frightened and they kept along the well-trodden path until they came to an opening in the wood, in which were gathered hundreds of beasts of every variety.
whimper
(鳴く)
[動]
make a low, plaintive cry
the others
(他の人)
[名]
the other people
be frightened
(怖がる)
[動]
be afraid
keep along
(進む)
[動]
continue in a certain direction
well-trodden
(よく踏みならされた)
[形]
much used
opening
(開けた場所)
[名]
a place where there are no trees
トトは少し鳴いたが、他の誰も怖がらず、よく踏みならされた道を進み、森の開けた場所に出ると、そこにはあらゆる種類の獣が何百匹も集まっていた。
There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and all the others in the natural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid.
fox
(狐)
[名]
a wild mammal
natural history
(博物誌)
[名]
the study of natural objects
虎や象や熊や狼や狐など、博物誌に載っているあらゆる動物がいて、ドロシーは一瞬恐怖を覚えた。
But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and he judged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.
hold
(開く)
[動]
organize and be in charge of (an event)
judge
(判断する)
[動]
form an opinion or conclusion about
snarl
(唸り声)
[名]
an angry or threatening sound made by an animal
しかしライオンは、動物たちが会合を開いているのだと説明し、彼らの唸り声から、彼らが大きな問題を抱えていると判断した。
As he spoke several of the beasts caught sight of him, and at once the great assemblage hushed as if by magic.
catch sight of
(捉える)
[動]
to see something or someone for a short time
assemblage
(集会)
[名]
a gathering of people
hush
(静まり返る)
[動]
to become quiet
彼が話すと、何匹かの獣が彼の姿を捉え、大集会は魔法のように静まり返った。
The biggest of the tigers came up to the Lion and bowed, saying,
come up to
(近寄る)
[動]
approach someone or something
虎の中で一番大きいのがライオンのところに来て、お辞儀をして言った。
“We are all threatened,” answered the tiger, “by a fierce enemy which has lately come into this forest.
threaten
(脅かす)
[動]
to say that you will cause trouble or harm to someone if they do not do what you want
「我々は皆、最近この森に来た恐ろしい敵に脅かされているんです」と虎は答えた。
It is a most tremendous monster, like a great spider, with a body as big as an elephant and legs as long as a tree trunk.
tremendous
(恐ろしい)
[形]
extremely great or intense
それは、象ほどの大きさの体と木の幹ほど長い脚を持つ、大きな蜘蛛のような、最も恐ろしい怪物です。
It has eight of these long legs, and as the monster crawls through the forest he seizes an animal with a leg and drags it to his mouth, where he eats it as a spider does a fly.
eight
(8本)
[数]
the number 8
crawl
(這い回る)
[動]
move slowly with the body close to the ground
fly
(ハエ)
[名]
a small winged insect of the order Diptera, with two or three pairs of wings, known as true flies
長い脚が8本あり、怪物が森の中を這い回ると、脚で動物を捕まえて口に引きずり込み、蜘蛛がハエを食べるように食べてしまいます。
Not one of us is safe while this fierce creature is alive, and we had called a meeting to decide how to take care of ourselves when you came among us.”
not one
(誰も)
[名]
no person
safe
(安全)
[形]
free from danger or risk
call
(開く)
[動]
arrange for or cause to happen
meeting
(会議)
[名]
an assembly of people for formal discussions
この恐ろしい生き物が生きている限り、我々の誰も安全ではありません。そして、あなたが私たちの間に来たとき、私たちは自分たちの身を守る方法を決めるために会議を開いていました。」
The great spider was lying asleep when the Lion found him, and it looked so ugly that its foe turned up his nose in disgust.
foe
(敵)
[名]
a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something
turn up
(つまむ)
[動]
to find or discover
disgust
(嫌悪感)
[名]
a feeling of intense aversion
ライオンが見つけたとき、大蜘蛛は眠っていて、とても醜く見えたので、敵は嫌悪感を抱いて鼻をつまんだ。
Its legs were quite as long as the tiger had said, and its body covered with coarse black hair.
足は虎が言った通り長く、体は粗い黒い毛で覆われていた。
It had a great mouth, with a row of sharp teeth a foot long;
大きな口には一列に並んだ一フィートもある鋭い歯があった。
but its head was joined to the pudgy body by a neck as slender as a wasp’s waist.
slender
(細い)
[形]
gracefully thin
wasp
(ハチ)
[名]
a stinging winged insect
しかし、その頭は、ハチの腰のように細い首でずんぐりした体につながっていた。
This gave the Lion a hint of the best way to attack the creature, and as he knew it was easier to fight it asleep than awake, he gave a great spring and landed directly upon the monster’s back.
give a hint
(ヒントを得る)
[動]
to suggest or indicate indirectly
the best way
(最善の方法)
[名]
the most effective or desirable way
easier
(より簡単)
[形]
more easy
awake
(起きている)
[形]
not asleep
give a great spring
(大きく跳躍する)
[動]
jump or leap forcefully
directly
(直接)
[副]
without changing direction or stopping
これでライオンは、この生き物を攻撃する最善の方法のヒントを得て、眠っている時の方が起きている時よりも戦いやすいと知っていたので、大きく跳躍して怪物の背中に直接着地した。
Then, with one blow of his heavy paw, all armed with sharp claws, he knocked the spider’s head from its body.
knock
(叩き落とす)
[動]
hit or strike with a sharp blow
それから、鋭い爪で武装した重い前足の一撃で、蜘蛛の頭を体から叩き落とした。
Jumping down, he watched it until the long legs stopped wiggling, when he knew it was quite dead.
wiggle
(動く)
[動]
move or cause to move up and down or from side to side with small rapid movements
know
(確認する)
[動]
be certain about something
飛び降りて、長い脚が動かなくなるまで見守り、完全に死んだことを確認した。