THE HAPPY DAY 2

　今回は、手で書きながら読んだ。なんとなく、しっかり読めたような気がする。そして、単純に絵本を楽しめた。そして、最後のオチが、素晴らしかった。

They sniff. They rum. They stop.

They stop. They laugh.
They laugh ,They dance.

They cry, "Oh!
A flower is growing in the snow."

辞書を丁寧に引きましょう

　多読を勧めているの本を読むと、辞書はなるべく使わないという本が多い。しかし、辞書を丁寧に引くことを進めている参考書も多い。「文脈に最も適合する意味を辞書の情報のなかから見つけ出し」、ながら読み進めるというのは、確かに、時間がかかっても大切なのかもしれない。

　独習者の一番の助っ人は何と言っても辞書です。少々時間がかかっても、手間がかかっても、やはり辞書を頼りに読み進むべきでしょう。辞書は丁寧に調べます。
たとえば、語の意味だけ調べて終わりにしないで、例文まで見れば、その語のニュアンスが明確に把握できることがあります。熟語欄も大切です。辞書をひきながら、 その語の前後の文章を読み返してください。そして、その文脈に最も適合する意味を辞書の情報のなかから見つけ出してください。
　 最も適切な意味を拾い出すという作業は時間のかかる地味な作業です。しかしこれを繰り返すことを通じて、実はみなさんは英語以外にも通じる重要な力を磨いているのです。それは文章の流れを追う力、文脈を抑える力です。これは、英語に限らず、 日本語でも、文章を読むときに欠くことのできない力です。英語の文章とゆっくり付き合うなかで、この力を養ってください。（『英語〈Ａ〉』、山本恭子著、中央大学通信教育部、p５〜６）

2,必要な時は文法書を参照しましょう。
　基本的なものでいいですから、文法書を1冊、手近においてください。（中略）すんなり理解できないときは、文法書のその項目を参照してください。とくに、関係代名詞、分詞構文、名詞を修飾する過去分詞の用法については、ぜひとも確認してください。それらの文法事項の確認によって、英語の文章を読むことがかなり容易になることと思います。p６

(19日分)

THE HAPPY DAY

Snow is falling.
The field mice are sleeping,

the bears are sleeping,

the little snails sleep in their shells,

and the squirrels sleep in the trees,
the ground hogs sleep in the ground.

Now, they open their eyes. They sniff.

The field mice sniff,

the bears sniff,

the little snails in their shells,

and the squirrels sniff in the trees,
the ground hogs smiff in the ground.

They sniff. They ran.
The field mice run,

the bears run,

the little snails run with their shells,
ond the squirrels run out of the tree,

the ground hogs run out of the ground
They run. They sniff.

The Boy who cried Wolf 4

A few days later, a wolf DID come out of the forest.
Sam was terrified. He ran down to the village as fast as he could.
　Help
　please help!

    terrified：（形容詞）恐れた　怯えた

Nobody believed him.
　Do you think we're so stupid?
　I promise you, there's a wolf!

stupid：愚かな　馬鹿な
promise：約束する

Sam begged them to come with him.
　You have to help me.
This time, they just laughed at him.

　　beg：頼む　懇願する

In the end, Sam had to go back up the hill all alone.
The wolf had killed some of the sheep.
The rest had run away.

　　rest：残り

Sam stayed in the meadow until it was dark.
Finally, the villagers came to find him.

　　Finally：とうとう　結局

　（Our sheep! NO!）
　（I told you!）

"Why didn't you believe me?” he asked.
“You always told lies before,” they said.
　I’m sorry.

　　lie：嘘、偽り

“I've learned my lesson.
Never again,” said Sam.

　　learn：習得する　身につける

The Boy who cried Wolf 3

Some people didn't believe him.
　Oh yes?
　We'd better make sure.
But most ran up the hill to see.

believe：信じる
make sure（確信して、自信を持って）：確かめる

Puffing and panting, they reached the meadow.
Of course, there was no wolf.
The sheep were quietly eating the grass.
　What are you grinning at.
Everyone was very angry, but sam just laughed.

　　　grin：笑う、にっこりする（なにニヤニヤ笑っているの？）

A week later, Sam was bored again.
He ran down the hill to the village.
　Help Help!
　There really is a wolf!
　come quickly!
Most people didn't belive him this time,
Just a few ran up the hill.

Puffing and panting, they reached the meadow.
Of course, there was no wolf.
The sheep were quietly eating the grass.
　You think you’re so clever…
New everyone was furious. Sam laughed and laughed.

　　　furious：激怒した

The Boy who cried Wolf 2

He tried talking to the sheep.
And how are you today?
   Baa-aa(メーメー）
But they didn't have much to say.

"Nobody ever comes up here,” moaned Sam.
"Nothing ever happens.”
One day, he had an idea.
　I could make something happen.

ever：これまで
moan：不平、愚痴を言う。

Everyone ran up the hill with him.
　Harry!
　My sheep!

Puffing and panting, they reached the meadow.
Of course, there was no wolf.
　All that way, for nothing.
The sheep were quietly eating the grass.

Puffing and panting：息を切らし、喘ぎながら
Of course：もちろん
▸ come all this way for nothing
     はるばるやってきて徒労に終わる
▸ Your efforts won't be for nothing.
     君の努力はむだにはならないよ

The villagers were angry, but sam just laughed.
　That was funny.
　No it wasn’t. 

A few days later, Sam was bored again.
He ran down the hill to the village.
　Help Help!
　what's the matter now?
　come quickly!
"A wolf!" he shouted,
"A wolf has come out of the forest!”

        matter：事件、問題

The Boy who cried Wolf

This story is about Sam, some sheep, the villagers and (maybe) a wolf.

Sam lived in a little village in the mountains.

Every day he took the sheep from the village up
the hill to a grassy meadow.
　　Here we are again.

　　grassy meadow：草で覆われた牧草地

He watched them from morning until evening.
　　This way, mutton brain...
Then he took them home again. 

Every day was the same.
　 Same old mountains, same old trees
Sam was lonely and he was so bored.
All his friends were down in the village.

same：同じ
lonely：ひとりぼっち
bored：退屈して