常時英心:言葉の森から 1.0

約10年間,はてなダイアリーで英語表現の落穂拾いを行ってきました。現在はAmeba Blogに2.0を開設し,継続中です。こちらはしばらくアーカイブとして維持します。

beachgoer

野生のDingo(オーストラリアに分布するイヌ科の動物。オオカミよりも小型。)が、問題になっているようです。
わたしはDingoが大好きなので、なんだか残念なニュースです。

ABC Newsより。


Dingo steals tourist's cash and jewels

A British tourist has lost several thousand dollars' worth of cash and jewellery, after a dingo stole a bag containing her valuables on a New South Wales beach.
Several witnesses told police they tried to warn the 58-year-old woman that the dingo was approaching her on Jimmys Beach, just north of Newcastle last Wednesday.
One beachgoer took photographs of the animal as it disappeared into nearby dunes carrying the bag, which contained valuable items of jewellery, cash and lollies.
Police searched the area for several hours but found no trace of the bag or its contents.
Distinctive markings helped rangers to identify the rogue dingo, which has been shot and killed.
Port Stephens Crime Manager, Acting Inspector Matthew Maroney says the animal has been the subject of several complaints in recent months.
"The offending dingo was photographed by witnesses and was clearly identified as having one leg predominantly white," he said.
"The Manning Great Lakes ranger viewed the footage.
"It was established that this animal had been the subject of numerous complaints in the prior three months, jumping onto barbeques in the van park and approaching and stealing things from people.
"The offending dingo was located and euthanised with a single rifle shot."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-17/dingo-steals-tourist27s-cash-and-jewels/4431340

ここで扱われているbeachgoerはただ単にビーチに行く人あたりかな、と思っていましたが、辞書で調べてみると、その意味合いを少し取り違えていたようです。goerには「行く人[物]、<略式>(新しいことに)積極的に取り組む人、活動的な人」などという意味があり、「[複合語で]〜によく行く人」という意味があります。LDOCEにも、"used after words such as party, church, and theatre to form nouns that refer to people who regularly go to parties, church etc"とありました。つまり、「ビーチによく行く人」のことを指すようです。また定義にあるように、複合語のtheatregoer(moviegoer)は、「劇場、映画によく行く人」=「映画ファン」という意味もあるようです。とても簡単な表現だったので、知らなかったことを恥ずかしく思いました。もっとたくさんの表現を知りたいです。(Nat)