2012年11月11日日曜日

四面楚歌を英語でなんと言うか?


being surrounded by the songs of Chu on all four sides といってもわかる人にしかわからないし、周囲を敵に囲まれた状態、being surrounded by enemiesのことかもしれないし、敵に包囲されて敗北は避けられないととればstaring defeat in the faceのことです。普通の会話での四面楚歌はnot a friend in the worldくらいの意味です。ニュース用語ではbesieged, beleagueredのような単語がよく使われます。

From the moment it failed to achieve a crushing and total victory at Pearl Harbour, defeat was inevitable for Japan. But turning that into reality was to take a heavy toll in human lives, for the Japanese were tenacious fighters. Battles raged between the carrier fleets in the Coral Sea, Midway and the Marianas, until the Japanese were driven to the last desperate resort of a nation staring defeat in the face - suicide attacks. But Banzai charges and Kamikaze raids could not stave off the inevitable Allied advance on Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn3vROcSEa4 10:54 he arrived in South Korea with not a friend in the world.

練習問題解答
b-6639 beleaguered