Idioms & Expressions
Idioms, sound words, old-style expressions and similes in 蜘蛛の糸 (The Spider's Thread).
-
Sound & mimetic word
ぶらぶらぶらぶら
Meaning: strolling; wandering about at leisure
御釈迦様は極楽の蓮池のふちを、独りでぶらぶら御歩きになっていらっしゃいました。
The Buddha was strolling alone, at his leisure, along the edge of the lotus pond in Paradise.
-
玉のようにたまのように
Meaning: (white) like a jewel — pure and shining
Literal: like a gem
池の中に咲いている蓮の花は、みんな玉のようにまっ白で、そのまん中にある金色の蕊からは、何とも云えない好い匂が、絶間なくあたりへ溢れて居ります。
The lotus flowers blooming in the pond were all as white as jewels, and from their golden centers an indescribably sweet fragrance flowed out endlessly all around.
-
Idiom
何とも云えないなんともいえない
Meaning: indescribable; beyond words
Literal: cannot say anything (about it)
池の中に咲いている蓮の花は、みんな玉のようにまっ白で、そのまん中にある金色の蕊からは、何とも云えない好い匂が、絶間なくあたりへ溢れて居ります。
The lotus flowers blooming in the pond were all as white as jewels, and from their golden centers an indescribably sweet fragrance flowed out endlessly all around.
-
Old-style
居りますおります
Meaning: polite / humble form of いる ("to be"), written with the old kanji 居
池の中に咲いている蓮の花は、みんな玉のようにまっ白で、そのまん中にある金色の蕊からは、何とも云えない好い匂が、絶間なくあたりへ溢れて居ります。
The lotus flowers blooming in the pond were all as white as jewels, and from their golden centers an indescribably sweet fragrance flowed out endlessly all around.
-
覗き眼鏡を見るようにのぞきめがねをみるように
Meaning: as clearly as looking through a peep-box lens
この極楽の蓮池の下は、丁度地獄の底に当って居りますから、水晶のような水を透き徹して、三途の河や針の山の景色が、丁度覗き眼鏡を見るように、はっきりと見えるのでございます。
The bottom of this lotus pond lies right above the depths of Hell, so through the crystal-clear water the River Sanzu and the Mountain of Needles could be seen clearly, just as if through a peep-box lens.
-
Old-style
云ういう
Meaning: old spelling of 言う ("to say; to be called")
するとその地獄の底に、犍陀多と云う男が一人、ほかの罪人と一しょに蠢いている姿が、御眼に止まりました。
Then, at the bottom of Hell, a man called Kandata, squirming together with the other sinners, caught the Buddha's eye.
-
Idiom
御眼に止まるおめにとまる
Meaning: to catch (someone's) eye (honorific)
Literal: to stop in the eye
するとその地獄の底に、犍陀多と云う男が一人、ほかの罪人と一しょに蠢いている姿が、御眼に止まりました。
Then, at the bottom of Hell, a man called Kandata, squirming together with the other sinners, caught the Buddha's eye.
-
墓の中のようにはかのなかのように
Meaning: (silent) as a grave
Literal: like the inside of a grave
その上あたりは墓の中のようにしんと静まり返って、たまに聞えるものと云っては、ただ罪人がつく微な嘆息ばかりでございます。
What is more, all around was as hushed as the inside of a grave, and the only sound ever heard was the faint sighing of the sinners.
-
Sound & mimetic word
しんとしんと
Meaning: in hushed silence
その上あたりは墓の中のようにしんと静まり返って、たまに聞えるものと云っては、ただ罪人がつく微な嘆息ばかりでございます。
What is more, all around was as hushed as the inside of a grave, and the only sound ever heard was the faint sighing of the sinners.
-
死にかかった蛙のようにしにかかったかわずのように
Meaning: like a dying frog — struggling helplessly
ですからさすが大泥坊の犍陀多も、やはり血の池の血に咽びながら、まるで死にかかった蛙のように、ただもがいてばかり居りました。
So even Kandata, great thief that he was, could only choke on the blood of the Pool of Blood and struggle like a dying frog.
-
Sound & mimetic word
するするするする
Meaning: smoothly; slipping easily
何気なく犍陀多が頭を挙げて、血の池の空を眺めますと、そのひっそりとした暗の中を、遠い遠い天上から、銀色の蜘蛛の糸が、まるで人目にかかるのを恐れるように、一すじ細く光りながら、するすると自分の上へ垂れて参るのではございませんか。
When Kandata happened to raise his head and look at the sky above the Pool of Blood, what should he see but a silver spider's thread slipping smoothly down toward him from the distant heavens through the silent darkness, shining faintly in a single strand, as if afraid of being seen.
-
Idiom
手を拍つてをうつ
Meaning: to clap one's hands (with joy or on an idea)
Literal: to strike one's hands
犍陀多はこれを見ると、思わず手を拍って喜びました。
When Kandata saw this, he clapped his hands with joy in spite of himself.
-
Idiom
わけがないわけがない
Meaning: (here) easy; no trouble at all — in modern Japanese usually "there's no way that..."
Literal: to have no reason (for difficulty)
この分でのぼって行けば、地獄からぬけ出すのも、存外わけがないかも知れません。
At this rate, getting out of Hell might be surprisingly easy.
-
Idiom
気がつくきがつく
Meaning: to notice; to realize
Literal: the mind attaches (to something)
ところがふと気がつきますと、蜘蛛の糸の下の方には、数限もない罪人たちが、自分ののぼった後をつけて、まるで蟻の行列のように、やはり上へ上へ一心によじのぼって来るではございませんか。
But then he noticed that below him on the spider's thread countless sinners were following after him, climbing up and up single-mindedly, just like a line of ants.
-
蟻の行列のようにありのぎょうれつのように
Meaning: like a line of ants — in an endless file
ところがふと気がつきますと、蜘蛛の糸の下の方には、数限もない罪人たちが、自分ののぼった後をつけて、まるで蟻の行列のように、やはり上へ上へ一心によじのぼって来るではございませんか。
But then he noticed that below him on the spider's thread countless sinners were following after him, climbing up and up single-mindedly, just like a line of ants.
-
Sound & mimetic word
うようようようよ
Meaning: swarming; teeming
が、そう云う中にも、罪人たちは何百となく何千となく、まっ暗な血の池の底から、うようよと這い上って、細く光っている蜘蛛の糸を、一列になりながら、せっせとのぼって参ります。
Yet even as he thought this, sinners by the hundreds and thousands came swarming up out of the pitch-dark Pool of Blood, climbing busily up the thin, shining spider's thread in a single line.
-
Sound & mimetic word
せっせとせっせと
Meaning: busily; diligently
が、そう云う中にも、罪人たちは何百となく何千となく、まっ暗な血の池の底から、うようよと這い上って、細く光っている蜘蛛の糸を、一列になりながら、せっせとのぼって参ります。
Yet even as he thought this, sinners by the hundreds and thousands came swarming up out of the pitch-dark Pool of Blood, climbing busily up the thin, shining spider's thread in a single line.
-
Old-style
己おれ
Meaning: I; me (rough, masculine)
この蜘蛛の糸は己のものだぞ。
This spider's thread is mine!
-
Sound & mimetic word
ぷつりとぷつりと
Meaning: with a snap (of a thread or string)
今まで何ともなかった蜘蛛の糸が、急に犍陀多のぶら下っている所から、ぷつりと音を立てて断れました。
At that moment the spider's thread, which had held until now, suddenly snapped with a twang right where Kandata was hanging.
-
Idiom
あっと云う間あっというま
Meaning: in an instant
Literal: (in) the time it takes to say "ah"
あっと云う間もなく風を切って、独楽のようにくるくるまわりながら、見る見る中に暗の底へ、まっさかさまに落ちてしまいました。
In an instant he was cutting through the air, spinning round and round like a top, and before his eyes he fell headfirst into the depths of the darkness.
-
Idiom
風を切るかぜをきる
Meaning: to rush through the air
Literal: to cut the wind
あっと云う間もなく風を切って、独楽のようにくるくるまわりながら、見る見る中に暗の底へ、まっさかさまに落ちてしまいました。
In an instant he was cutting through the air, spinning round and round like a top, and before his eyes he fell headfirst into the depths of the darkness.
-
独楽のようにこまのように
Meaning: (spinning) like a top
あっと云う間もなく風を切って、独楽のようにくるくるまわりながら、見る見る中に暗の底へ、まっさかさまに落ちてしまいました。
In an instant he was cutting through the air, spinning round and round like a top, and before his eyes he fell headfirst into the depths of the darkness.
-
Sound & mimetic word
くるくるくるくる
Meaning: round and round (spinning)
あっと云う間もなく風を切って、独楽のようにくるくるまわりながら、見る見る中に暗の底へ、まっさかさまに落ちてしまいました。
In an instant he was cutting through the air, spinning round and round like a top, and before his eyes he fell headfirst into the depths of the darkness.
-
Idiom
見る見る中にみるみるうちに
Meaning: before one's very eyes; in no time
Literal: while (one is) looking and looking
あっと云う間もなく風を切って、独楽のようにくるくるまわりながら、見る見る中に暗の底へ、まっさかさまに落ちてしまいました。
In an instant he was cutting through the air, spinning round and round like a top, and before his eyes he fell headfirst into the depths of the darkness.
-
Sound & mimetic word
きらきらきらきら
Meaning: glittering; sparkling
後にはただ極楽の蜘蛛の糸が、きらきらと細く光りながら、月も星もない空の中途に、短く垂れているばかりでございます。
Afterwards only the spider's thread of Paradise remained, glittering thinly as it hung short in the middle of a sky with no moon and no stars.
-
Idiom
一部始終いちぶしじゅう
Meaning: the whole story, from beginning to end
Literal: one part, beginning and end
御釈迦様は極楽の蓮池のふちに立って、この一部始終をじっと見ていらっしゃいましたが、やがて犍陀多が血の池の底へ石のように沈んでしまいますと、悲しそうな御顔をなさりながら、またぶらぶら御歩きになり始めました。
The Buddha, standing at the edge of the lotus pond, had watched the whole thing intently; when Kandata sank like a stone to the bottom of the Pool of Blood, he began to stroll again with a sad face.
-
Old-style
思召すおぼしめす
Meaning: honorific: (an exalted person) thinks / feels
自分ばかり地獄からぬけ出そうとする、犍陀多の無慈悲な心が、そうしてその心相当な罰をうけて、元の地獄へ落ちてしまったのが、御釈迦様の御目から見ると、浅間しく思召されたのでございましょう。
Kandata's merciless heart, which sought to escape from Hell by himself alone, had met its fitting punishment and sent him back to his old Hell — to the Buddha's eyes, this must have seemed pitiful.