Robinson Crusoe【3】(11-20) 4854words

Reference:
Robinson Crusoe for Children by James Baldwin
Chapter.11-20
Ch.11I LEARN THAT I AM ON AN ISLAND
Ch.12I HAVE A STRANGE VISITOR
Ch.13I FIND A GREAT STORE OF THINGS
Ch.14I BUILD ME A CASTLE
Ch.15I GO A-HUNTING
Ch.16I KEEP MYSELF BUSY
Ch.17I HAVE A GREAT FRIGHT
Ch.18I EXPLORE MY ISLAND
Ch.19I GET READY FOR WINTER
Ch.20I MAKE ME A CALENDAR



a.Words or expressions I did not know.


1.acquainted

Context:
She looked as though she had a mind to get acquainted.

Definition:
to give someone information about something


2.trip

Context:
It was no easy task, and I had to make many trips to and from the raft.

Definition:
an act of falling as a result of hitting something with your foot


3.swallowed

Context:
The sea had swallowed it up.

Definition:
an action in which you make food or drink go down your throat


4.tame

Context:
I thought I would tame it, and keep it as a pet.

Definition:
to train a wild animal to obey you and not to attack people


5.dress

Context:
I caught it and carried it home, dressed its wounded leg, and fed it.

Definition:
to clean, treat, and cover a wound


6.idle

Context:
Although I was kept close indoors by the rain, I was never idle.

Definition:
not working or producing anything


7.fast

Context:
I kept this day as a solemn fast.

Definition:
a period during which someone does not eat, especially for religious reasons



b.Questions and about something I did not understand.

(1)
Context:
THE sun was still two hours high.

Question:
I didn't understand this sentence.
In the story, what time was it? I think it was afternoon.


(2)
Context:
I looked to see if the goods were safe which I brought over the day before.

Question:
First, I didn't know the meaning of "look to see".
And the meaning of "over the day before" is "幾日もかけて(費やして)" in Japanese, isn't it?


(3)
Context:
Then I would be sure of food when my powder and shot were gone.

Question:
I thought that the meaning of this sentence is "火薬と弾丸が発射される時は食べ物に困らなかった" in the first time. But this is so strange.
When I was reading after this sentence, there was "But when that was gone, I could write no more for I did not know how to make ink."
So I guessed that the meaning of this sentence is "火薬と弾丸が無くなった時でも、食べ物には困らなかった" in Japanese.
Is it correct?


(4)
Context:
For weeks I could not stir out without getting wet.

Question:
I couldn't look up "stir out" in a dictionary.
Is the meaning of this sentence "数週に渡り、濡れずに行動（外出？）することはできなかった"?



c.Comments.
This time is the last post in this class.
I read only 2/5 of the story. I'm sorry I couldn't finish to read.
But I grew up to read "Robinson Crusoe".
I became to be able to read English faster than before, and I notice some important things.
It is that...
In English, there are many expressions in a word and they like to use many expressions in a story. Noun especially is used in this way.
However in Japanese, they like to change desinence and they avoid to continue same desinence.
I noticed it when I was reading "Robinson Crusoe".
Because I had looked up many English words to know one Japanese word.
(この先は英語で意思表示できないので、日本語で書きます。)
私は今まで、英語の語彙が日本語と比べて多いのは、「てにをは」等の助詞がないからだと思っていましたが、実際に辞書を引くと日本語表現の貧困さに驚きました。
もちろん、辞書だから誰にでもわかる表現を使う為に単純化されている部分もあると思いますが、それだけではないと思います。
日本語で表現を変えようとする時、多くは発音の似た言葉になりますが、英語の場合は全く違う言葉になることが多いです。英語にも、動詞・形容詞・副詞・名詞で語尾を変えるだけの単語もありますが、日本語を英語に変換しようとする際には、英語表現は複雑だと感じました。
私にとって、このことはとても衝撃的でしたが、その分、英語に対する興味が増大しました。
来期の「外書購読Ⅱ」では、もっとスピーディーに進めて行きたいです。