brown as a berry
梅雨明けして数日が経ち、日中の天気は格段に良くなりました。快晴はとても気持ちがいいですが、蒸し暑く日差しも強く、なんといっても通学時の日焼けが悩みの種です。日焼け止めクリームでは防ぎきれません。
日焼けに相当する英語表現を『ジーニアス英和辞典 第4版』（大修館書店）で調べてみますと ”brown as a berry” で「（人の皮膚が日焼けして）黒い」とありました。ここでの ”berry” は「ベリー《イチゴの類などの核のない食用小果実》」ではなく「（小麦・コーヒーなどの）実」という意味です。人の肌がこれらの実・豆のように黒く焼けることを意味しています。以下が使用例です。
MY friend Tina, who is a very good tennis player, was the first in our circle to take drastic steps to combat the shortcomings of sunscreen.
To block the sun, she adopted a tennis outfit unorthodox enough to impress Serena Williams. Tina's long-sleeve shirts, calf-length pants and high socks - pulled up to ensure no inch of skin was exposed - lent an element of surprise to her game that may have partly explained her undefeated record in the spring league.
But the sun still scored too many points, branding her with faint tan lines even through fabric.
Given how good her game is, I was flattered when Tina came to me for advice. I may have a weak serve, but I know the right strategy to solve this particular tennis problem: shop online. Sites like Solumbra.com, Coolibar.com and Sungrubbies.com have sprung up to sell clothing designed to block ultraviolet rays.
The trend is understandable, given that more than 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, according to the nonprofit Skin Cancer Foundation.
But what makes wearing sun-protective clothing better than slathering on a thick layer of lotion?
"With clothing, the protection doesn't wash off," said Susan H. Weinkle, a Florida dermatologist and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology. "I just saw a girl in my office who was as brown as a berry who said, 'I use sun protection 45,' and I said, 'Do you reapply it every two hours?'
The problem with sunscreen is it comes off, even when you're not swimming, particularly in places where you perspire."
Features to look for are an opaque fabric and a dense weave. Hold clothing up to the light; any pinpricks of light you see are evidence that the sun can penetrate.
The effectiveness of clothing is measured by an ultraviolet protective factor scale that calculates how well ultraviolet rays are blocked.
brown as a berry にならにように、そろそろ本格的に対策を練らなければなりません。（Inaho）
