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| Heirinji by Rob. |
The autumn leaves are beautiful!
深まる秋。秋のうつろいと共に変化する葉。紅葉は日本の四季の美しさの一つです。
さて、そんな美しい紅葉をどんな風に表現しますか？ 「美しい」と一言でいっても、英語には様々な表現があるのです。
The autumn leaves are ....
...beautiful!
...wonderful!
...spectacular!
...lovely!
...gorgeous!
...breathtaking!― 息（breath)を取る（take)するほど美しい。まさに”息をのむほどの”美しさ！
...a sight to behold!―目を見張るほどに！ 美しい。んーうっとり。
葉のうつろいによって、英語表現も変化していきます。
The leaves are changing colour. (They are changing day by day, now.)
まずは葉が色づき始めた頃。日に日に、葉の色が変わってきています。
The leaves have changed colour. (They have finished changing, and are good to see.)
そして完全に色づいた頃。赤や黄色の見事な紅葉です。
The leaves have fallen. (It is too late!)
最後には、葉が落ちます。植物達は葉を落とし、来春に向け冬ごもり。本格的な冬の到来です！
I love looking at the autumn leaves!
Many Japanese people go to temples or to the countryside to look at the autumn leaves.
The leaves change colour every year in autumn and then fall to the ground.
Note: In British English we say 'autumn' and we spell colour with a 'u'. In American English they say 'fall' and spell color without a 'u'.
イギリス英語では、秋は”autumn"。カラーのスペルもuを付けて、colourとなります。アメリカ英語だと、秋は”fall"で、カラーのスペルにuを付けづに、colorとなります。何か違いがあるのでしょうか？次の会話をのぞいてみましょう。
Conversation:
A: Have you seen the autumn leaves yet?
B: No I have not, not yet. But I plan to drive to Gunma on the weekend to see them.
A: That sounds wonderful, will you go to an onsen?
B: What's that?
A: It's a Japanese hot spring bath. It is a very popular thing to do in the fall. How about in your country?
B: We enjoy looking at autumn leaves back home too, but we do not make a big event of it.
A: You don't say 'fall'?
B: Well, no, I don't because I was brought up in the U.K. 'fall' is an American English word.
A: I see! Which is better to use?
B: I cannot say which is better! It is your choice! I prefer 'autumn' because it is the way I was taught when I was a child, it sounds more natural to me.
A: I see! Thank you! I learned something new!
なるほど。特にどちらが良い悪いはないようですね。自分が使いやすい方をつかってみましょう。ここ数日、ぐっと寒くなってきました。街の木々も葉を落とし始め、晩秋です。美しい日本の秋を、色んな表現を使って表してみてはいかがでしょう！
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