Rumpelstiltskin — Idioms & Expressions

慣用句

sent for

字義: ～のために送った

意味: ～を呼び寄せた、～を召喚した

Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard the miller's boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl to be brought before him.

句動詞：send for = summon

慣用句

as you love your life

字義: あなたが自分の命を愛しているように

意味: 命が惜しければ、さもなくば命はないぞ（脅迫表現）

Then he led her to a chamber in his palace where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a spinning-wheel, and said, 'All this must be spun into gold before morning, as you love your life.'

古風な脅迫の慣用句

慣用句

in vain

字義: 虚栄の中で、無駄に

意味: 無駄だった、効果がなかった

It was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only a silly boast of her father, for that she could do no such thing as spin straw into gold: the chamber door was locked, and she was left alone.

頻出イディオム

慣用句

took her at her word

字義: 彼女の言葉のところで彼女を取った

意味: 彼女の言葉をそのまま受け入れた、約束を承諾した

He took her at her word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang: 'Round about, round about, Lo and behold!

'take someone at their word' = 相手の言ったことを信じて行動する

慣用句

keep his word

字義: 言葉を保持する、言葉を維持する

意味: 約束を守る

The king came in the morning, and, finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; so he married the miller's daughter, and she really became queen.

慣用句

put her in mind of it

字義: 彼女の心の中にそれを置く

意味: 思い出させる、気づかせる

But one day he came into her room, where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of it.

慣用句

let her off

字義: 彼女を降ろす、彼女を外す

意味: 許す、見逃す、免除する

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will give you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.'

慣用句

in vain

字義: 空虚の中で、無駄に

意味: 無駄に、効果なく

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will give you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.'

慣用句

bid each other good night

字義: お互いにおやすみと入札する、競る

意味: お互いにおやすみと言う、別れを告げる

The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, 'I have travelled two days without hearing of any other names; but yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a little hut; and before the hut burnt a fire; and round about the fire a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing: "Merrily the feast I'll make.

「bid」は古風な用法で「say」の意味

慣用句

jumped for joy

字義: 喜びのために飛び跳ねた

意味: 大喜びした

When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up.

慣用句

be given up

字義: 上に与えられる

意味: 引き渡される、諦められる

When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up.

慣用句

made the best of his way off

字義: 自分の道を最良のものにして去った

意味: 急いで逃げ去った、できるだけ早く立ち去った

Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing, and said, 'We wish you a very good morning, and a merry feast, Mr RUMPLESTILTSKIN!'

慣用句

for nothing

字義: 何もないために

意味: 無駄に、何の成果もなく

Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing, and said, 'We wish you a very good morning, and a merry feast, Mr RUMPLESTILTSKIN!'

慣用句

keep one's word

意味: honor a promise

The king came in the morning, and, finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; so he married the miller’s daughter, and she really became queen.

慣用句

at last

意味: finally

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, ‘I will give you three days’ grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.’ Now the queen lay awake all night, thinking of all the odd names that she had ever heard; and she sent messengers all over the land to find out new ones.

比喩

spin gold out of straw

字義: 藁から金を紡ぐ（物理的に不可能な行為）

意味: 無価値なものから貴重なものを作り出す（ここでは誇張・ほら話として使われている）

She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; and the miller was so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who used to come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold out of straw.

文脈上は文字通りの意味で使われているが、通常は比喩的に「不可能なことをする」という意味

比喩

his heart grew still more greedy of gain

字義: 彼の心臓が利益に対してさらに貪欲に成長した

意味: 彼はますます金銭欲が強くなった

When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up the poor miller's daughter again with a fresh task.

心臓(heart)を欲望の座とする比喩的表現

比喩

her tears softened him

字義: 涙が彼を柔らかくした（物理的に）

意味: 涙が彼の心を動かした、同情させた

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will give you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.'

古風な表現

on a sudden

字義: 突然の上に

意味: 突然、いきなり

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in, and said, 'Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you weeping for?'

古風な表現。現代英語では 'suddenly' や 'all of a sudden'

古風な表現

Good morrow

字義: 良い朝を

意味: おはよう（古風な挨拶）

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in, and said, 'Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you weeping for?'

古英語・中世英語の挨拶表現

古風な表現

That may never be

字義: それは決してあり得ないかもしれない

意味: そんなことは起こらないだろう（と彼女は思った）

'That may never be,' thought the miller's daughter: and as she knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would do what he asked.

古風な否定表現。現代英語なら 'That will never happen' や 'That may never happen'

古風な表現

lay hold of it

字義: それを持つことを置く

意味: それをつかむ、握る

'Some witch told you that!--some witch told you that!' cried the little man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.

古風な表現で現代では「grab」や「seize」を使う

連語

fond of

字義: ～に対して愛情がある

意味: ～が大好きである、～を非常に好む

Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard the miller's boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl to be brought before him.

金銭に対して 'fond of' を使うのは、擬人化的で慣用的

連語

shut up

字義: 閉じ上げた

意味: 閉じ込めた、監禁した

When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up the poor miller's daughter again with a fresh task.

句動詞：この文脈では 'confine' の意味

連語

had not enough

字義: 十分を持っていなかった

意味: まだ満足していなかった、まだ欲しかった

The king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure; but still he had not enough: so he took the miller's daughter to a yet larger heap, and said, 'All this must be spun tonight; and if it is, you shall be my queen.'

省略表現：'had not (had) enough' = was not satisfied

連語

get her task done

字義: 彼女の仕事を完了させる

意味: 課題を完了させる、仕事を終わらせる

'That may never be,' thought the miller's daughter: and as she knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would do what he asked.

'get + 目的語 + 過去分詞' の使役構文

連語

three days' grace

字義: 3日間の優雅さ、恵み

意味: 3日間の猶予

Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will give you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.'

連語

chuckle at

字義: ～に向かってくすくす笑う

意味: ～を面白がる、～に満足してほくそ笑む

Then the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child, to take home with him to his hut in the woods; and he cried out, 'Now, lady, what is my name?'

連語

in a rage

字義: 激怒の中に

意味: 激怒して

'Some witch told you that!--some witch told you that!' cried the little man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.