snuff out
三月に控えるWBC（World Baseball Classic）に向け，昨日，国際強化試合として日本はキューバと対戦しました。相手は本調子ではないにしろ，ピッチャー陣の活躍で得た勝利だったと思います。記事のsnuffは名詞で「ろうそく[ランプ]の心の焦げた部分，価値のないもの」，動詞で「[ろうそくなどの]心を切り取る，（心を切って）ろうそくなどを消す，（俗）殺す」などの意味を持つ言葉です（『新英和中辞典』，初版，旺文社）。太字のsnuff outは１球でビシッととキューバ打者を仕留めたようすを表してると思います。また，一般的に野球では“打者を打ち取る”ことをretireで表現します。（GP）
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks lefty Kenji Otonari struck out three of the six batters he faced in two innings. Hiroshima Carp right-hander Kan Otake struck out the first two batters he faced and got four easy groundouts before giving way to Hanshin Tigers lefty Kazuya Tsutsui.
"I was able to pitch my kind of game," Otonari said. "In my heart, I know I made a case for making the (WBC) roster."
Tsutsui, one of just four players over 30 on the Japan roster, retired two batters, the second on a hard liner to left, before Cuba got its first base runners on back-to-back singles. With two on and two out, Hiroshima Carp setup man Takeru Imamura snuffed out the threat with an easy fly to right. Imamura became the third pitcher to retire six straight, and was rotated out after two innings.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sb20121117o1.html
overlapping polls
期せずして、東京都民は師走の煩雑期に「ダブル選挙」を経験することになりました（含む自分）。Mainichiはそれをoverlapping pollsと表現していました。（EnDough）
Tokyo election committees rushed by overlapping polls
Election committees in Tokyo are rushing to prepare as polls for the House of Representatives and Tokyo governorship are set to overlap.
Tokyo is home to around 10.75 million eligible voters. In the last lower house elections in 2009, there were 110 candidates in 25 constituencies and dozens of people usually visit election committees to receive documents on the gubernatorial election. Holding both polls at the same time results in a huge amount of work for election workers.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121116p2a00m0na016000c.html
all-you-can-eat
バーガーキングがあの「食べ放題バイキング」を再開します。
all-you-can-eatは、ご存じかと思いますが、一定の料金で制限時間内に食べたいだけ食べられるレストランやメニューのことを指します。上手い言い方ですね。
ともかくわたしもトライしてみようと思っています。（Minneosta）
Burger King offers all-you-can-eat Whopper buffet
Burger King Japan is pulling out the stops with their boldest promotion yet: an all-you-can-eat hamburger buffet.
This is not the first time Burger King has done a burger buffet in Japan, but they’re upping the ante this time around in celebration of the restaurant’s fifth year in the country.
The promotion will be held in two parts. From Saturday until Wednesday, any customer who orders and finishes a large Kuro Burger value meal between 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. will be granted 30 minutes to gorge themselves on as many Whoppers, french fries, onion rings and medium cokes as they like at no extra charge.
jingoism
学部では国際関係論（今は「学」？）を専攻していた私には、jingoismはやけに懐かしく、あの頃のことを思い起こしてくれる単語なのです。これは「好戦的（war-like）で、偏狭な（chauvinistic）愛国主義」を意味します。
当時、ゼミで読んだ英国史の本（論文？ Bobson?）に保護貿易主義（protectionism）をとった英国首相 Benjamin Disraeliの中近東政策を狂信的に支持する考え方を、その当時はやった歌にあったBy Jingoというかけ声をもじって、jingoismと呼ぶようになったというようなことが書いてありました。ここではもちろん安倍総裁のことを指しています。（UG）
Noda warns against jingoism as parties draw election battle lines
Politicians drew battle lines on Friday ahead of the Dec 16 election likely to return the long-dominant Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) to power under a conservative former premier, raising concerns about the future of Tokyo’s already chilly ties with Beijing.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged voters to shun jingoism after rival LDP leader
Shinzo Abe, who has vowed not to yield in a territorial row with China, said he would build a strong Japan.
dire
このブログにも何度も登場していますが、direは強い言葉です。もともとはラテン語のdirusに由来し、「不吉な、差し迫った、危機的な、大変な」という意味を持ち、dire need、dire situationなどと次にくる名詞を修飾します。そんなときに政治空白期間をつくってもよいのか疑問に思いますが、それも「大局」なのでしょう。（GP）
Economy in 4-month downturn
The government revised downward its economic assessment for November for the fourth straight month in its monthly report released Friday.
The economy has shown recent signs of weakness as exports have fallen due to a slowdown in the global economy that crippled production and affected employment, the report said.
It marks the first time since the period between October 2008 and February 2009 following the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers that the economic outlook has been down for four consecutive months.
The previous month's report did not include the word "recovery" for the first time in six months. It said: "Although some components still show steady movements, the economy has displayed a weak tone."
In the November report, however, even the word "steady movement" was excluded, indicating the nation's economy has entered a recessionary phase.
"[The economy] is in a dire state," said Seiji Maehara, state minister for economic and fiscal policy, at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting.
de-escalate
海外のメディアが今、一番注目しているのは中東情勢です。
de-escalateは、反意語のescalateがそうであるように、あくまで「（規模・範囲などを）段階的に縮小する」という意味で、「段階的」がキモとなります。念のため。（EnDough）
Gaza conflict: Israel vows to intensify offensive
Twenty-eight Palestinians and three Israelis have died since Israel killed Hamas's military chief on Wednesday.
There were further Israeli air strikes on Gaza City overnight on Friday.
Telephoned by PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama repeated the US's support for Israel's "right to defend itself".
A White House spokesman said Mr Obama had "expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives".
The two men also discussed options for "de-escalating the situation", he added.
Mr Obama also spoke to Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi on Friday, praising his efforts to pacify the situation in Gaza, said the spokesman.
energy shot
私も、栄養ドリンクは飲むのですが…。
5-hour ENERGYを飲用して、体調不良や死亡の報告を受け、FDA（アメリカ食品医薬品局）が調査をはじめました。
FDA investigates deaths preliminarily linked to energy shots
(CNN) -- Thirteen deaths have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration as "adverse events" after the consumption of the dietary supplement 5-hour ENERGY, according to an FDA statement.
While anyone can report an adverse event, and although no cause-and-effect relationship has been established, the FDA said it is investigating, as is required by law. A report does not mean a product is responsible for or that it contributed to any health issue.
"If we find a relationship between consumption of the product and harm, FDA will take appropriate action to reduce or eliminate the risk," the FDA said. "While the FDA investigates all reports to the best of its ability, it does not always have access to all the information needed to conclusively determine the cause of the event."
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/15/health/energy-drinks-fda-investigates/index.html?hpt=us_t4
energy shotは手持ちの辞書に載っていませんでした。色々調べてみたところ、Wikipediaの海外版に以下のような記述がありました。
Energy shots are a specialized kind of energy drink. Whereas most energy drinks are generally sold in cans or bottles, energy shots are usually sold in 50ml bottles. Energy shots can contain the same total amount of caffeine, vitamins or other functional ingredients as their larger siblings, and therefore they may be considered concentrated forms of energy drinks.
Energy shot - Wikipedia
一口で「栄養ドリンク」と言っても、energy drinkとenergy shotは使い分けられるみたいですね。energy drinkはカンやペットボトル等で売られているそうですが、energy shotは50ミリのビンで売られているようです。
とにかく、飲みすぎには気をつけたいと思います。(Minnesota)
hit the streets
おなじみのhitシリーズ（？）ですが、Minnesotaくんが取り上げたように、ここのhit the streetsは「街に繰り出す」から「（選挙区での）遊説をはじめる、（有権者に）直接語りかける」、さらには「（地元に）帰ってキャンペーンに乗り出す」あたりでしょう。（UG）
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20120920/1348120502
Japan political leaders hit streets for general election
Japanese political party leaders hit the streets Saturday to promote their key policies, a day after the lower house was dissolved for next month's general election.
"A historic battle has been launched," Shinzo Abe, head of the Liberal Democratic Party said in a speech on a Kumamoto street.
Abe, who is seeking to come back as Japan's prime minister, denounced the government led by the Democratic Party of Japan, which has held office since 2009, and said that the Dec. 16 lower house election is a contest to bring back a strong country.
delegate to
外交協議の大使（特使）の場合にも、Ambassador to Tokyo（駐日大使）のごとく、toを使います。toに「駐」の意味があるのでしょうね（cf. adhere to）。
宋日昊(ソンイルホ)北朝鮮日朝交渉担当大使はdeep discussionをしたと述べましたが、日本のメディアはこのdeepを「突っ込んだ」意見交換、「建設的な」協議などと訳していました。どのくらいdeepだったのか知りたいところです。（UG）
N. Korea envoy had "deep discussions" with Japan on abductions
North Korea's delegate to talks held with Japan this week in Mongolia said Saturday he had "deep discussions" with the Japanese side on the issue of Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese nationals.
Song Il Ho, ambassador for talks to normalize relations with Japan, told Kyodo News in Ulan Bator where the bilateral meeting took place for two days through Friday, "We each gave our opinions about the abduction issue and held deep discussions."
Song also said the overall talks were held "in a more sincere atmosphere than before," explaining that there was a mood geared toward trying to resolve problems.
answer to
見出しのAsia’s Answerというのはどういう意味でしょうか。Minnesotaくん、どうぞ。
なおこれは復習程度のものです。（UG）
Line: Asia’s Answer to WhatsApp?
Line, a smartphone chat application developed in Japan, has rapidly expanded in Asia since its debut last year. One of its major competitors in Asia and elsewhere is WhatsApp Messenger, a popular instant-messaging app from a Mountain View, California-based startup by the same name. But their business models are very different.
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/11/15/line-asias-answer-to-whatsapp/
Hostess
ここのHostessとは？Othelloの好きな人たちかな? EnDOughくん、どうぞ。（UG）
Hostess fans make mad dash for remaining stock
Hostess, maker of legendary American treats such as Twinkies and Ding Dongs, announced it's going out of business. And, as John Blackstone reports, the news sent snack fans swarming to store shelves.
ご指名質問：pollute
大変遅れてしまい申し訳ございません。ご指名質問に挑戦いたします。お題は以下のpolluteです。
Peter Nicolas of the University of Washington Law School says the term stemmed from the notion of “adulterating” or polluting the bloodline of a family when a married woman had sex with someone other than her husband and ran the risk of having another man’s child.
このような表現は、たびたび目にしますので、結構有名かもしれません。このpolluteとは、血統や血筋を「汚す」や「冒涜する」という意味です。ここでは、まさしく不貞について書かれていますので、polluting the bloodline of a familyは「その家の血統を汚す」と訳せます。
そもそも婚前交渉や不貞、妻の浮気などは、昔はれっきとした犯罪でした。これらは、特に17世紀では、家父長制度から見た「良い女性」のステレオタイプから逸脱するものです。15世紀から18世紀の「良い女性」の条件とは次の３つを挙げることができます。それは、‘chastity’「貞節」、 ‘obedience’「従順」, ‘silence’「沈黙」です。
ちなみに、シェイクスピアの悲劇Othelloでは、夫オセローが、妻デズデモーナが不貞を犯したのではないかという妄想によって妻デズデモーナは殺されてしまいます。デズデモーナは、父にとっては従順で沈黙ではなく、オセローにとっては貞節とは見られなかった、という見方もあります。(Othello)
flagging economy
長引く債務危機の影響で第3・四半期のユーロ圏域内総生産伸び率が前期に続きマイナスとなったようです。フランスはドイツ同様0.2%のプラス成長をしたものの，第4・四半期にはマイナスになるのではないかとも言われています。以下のflaggingは「垂れ下がる（dropping），衰えぎみの（weakening）」という意味の言葉です（『新英和中辞典』初版，旺文社）。flagging economyで「低迷する経済，景気後退」などを意味します。（GP）
(Financial Times) -- France's socialist government seized on better than expected economic growth figures to reject concern that France could become the next focus of the eurozone crisis, insisting it is acting to reform the flagging economy.
"France is not the sick man of Europe. France remains the world's fifth largest economic power that has all its resources but which needs to recover its competitiveness," Pierre Moscovici, the finance minister told the FT.
Recent forecasts of weak French economic performance from the EU and the International Monetary Fund have fuelled fears that the country could exacerbate the eurozone recession if President François Hollande's six-month-old government does not enact structural reforms similar to those underway in Italy and Spain.
The German government has barely hidden its suspicion that Mr Hollande is not doing enough to address its competitiveness problems and concerns are mounting among European policy makers that the financial markets could turn against France.
The French government was boosted on Thursday by official figures showing its economy had eked out growth of 0.2 per cent in the third quarter, against expectations of flat or negative growth.
in the throes of self-flagellation
へんなやつはどこにもいますね。polluteの流れで、このフレーズはどういう意味でしょうか。Othelloくん、どうぞ。（UG）
Public masturbator to cops: Wait ’til I’m finished
A repeat public masturbator was arrested again Wednesday after officers found him back to his old tricks outside a Columbia City pub, police said.
About 3:35 p.m. Wednesday police were called about a man masturbating in an alley just south of Rainier Avenue South and South Ferdinand Street, “where officers found the 35-year-old suspect sitting on a staircase with his pants around his ankles, in the throes of self-flagellation,” department spokesman Jonah Spagenthal-Lee said. “When officers told the man to stop, he refused and said he was almost finished.”
He was arrested and police spoke with witnesses, who said they had seen the suspect walking around Columbia City earlier in the day yelling and grabbing people. The man was jailed for indecent exposure and scheduled for an initial bail hearing Thursday afternoon.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2012/11/15/public-masturbator-to-cops-wait-til-im-finished/
audiences
audienceは通例は単数扱いと習いますが、こういう形を生徒にはどう伝えますか。EnDoughくん、課題がたまらないうちにどうぞ。（UG）
Learning 'Lincoln': Five stops in the U.S.
(CNN) -- Audiences will be getting a new look at Abraham Lincoln this weekend with the wide release of director Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," and they'll be seeing a lot of America, too.
The film, which recreates the former president's life through the crucible of the Civil War, was filmed at several historic locations. Lincoln's life took him through a number of states before and during the war, which gave Spielberg and his crew a wide geographic canvas.
It was while shooting "War of the Worlds" in Rockbridge County, Virginia, that Spielberg began discussing returning to the state, said Andy Edmunds, interim director of the Virginia Film Office. Edmunds worked with production designer Rick Carter for nine years, helping him scout locations across the state.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/16/travel/lincoln-historic-stops/index.html?hpt=us_c2
ご指名質問：sit on fortune
大変遅くなりましたが、UG先生からのご指名質問にお答え致します。内容は以下でのsit onの用法です。sit on a fortune - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
China's richest man Zong Qing Hou: Wealth gap is huge problem
China has seen a remarkable economic transformation over the last 30 years, with hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty. But with the global economic slowdown, there are real fears that this miracle may not last.
China's richest man, Zong Qing Hou, who grew up in poverty and now sits on a fortune of up to $20billion, told the BBC's George Alagiah that the gap between rich and poor had become a "huge problem" and was something that would have to be tackled by the country's new leader.
sitはonやinと共起して様々な意味をもつpolysemousなPVでとても面白いフレーズです。sitの原義が「座る、座らせる」が本当に多くの比喩的な表現へと変化しているのですが、今回のsit onもその一つです。この表現はfortuneにsit onする人とはどのような人なのかという事を考えれば理解しやすいと思います。 普通に訳せば「大金の上に座る」ですが、普通はお金の上に座るというのは少なくとも一般の金銭感覚の方はやらないでしょう。となると座りそうなのは裕福な人、つまりお金持ちの人であると推測できます。
辞書でこれに相当する意味を探してみると「〈建物・物・事が〉（…に）ある、〈人が〉いる、存在する」という意味(『ジーニアス英和辞典』第4版、大修館書店)がありました。さらにはfortuneの原義は「偶然」(ibid)です。以上の事からsit on fortuneは偶然に「（知らないうちに）財産家になっている」という意味（『プログレッシブ英和中辞典』第5版、小学館）になります。その前のin povertyが良く利いていますね。自動詞のsitには他にも面白い比喩表現がたくさんありますので、お手元の辞書を引いて頂けたらと思います。(EnDOugh)
