hit a snag #3

政府は、2020年の東京オリンピック・パラリンピックに向け、新たに「スポーツ庁」の設置に関する法案を閣議決定しました。今年の10月の発足を目指し、長官には元アスリートを含む民間人から選ばれるようです。

Japan gov't to set up sports agency

At Friday's meeting, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved two bills to establish such an agency and to increase the number of Cabinet ministers to 19 from the current 18.

If the two bills pass the Diet during the ongoing regular session running through June 24, the government will establish the agency in October.

The first head of the agency, which is aimed at strengthening Japanese athletics and enhancing Japan's contributions to the world through sports, will be a non-politician such as a former athlete.

Abe's administration initially tried to establish the sports agency in April this year. But the plan hit a snag due to slow progress in talks among ministries concerned.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150220p2g00m0dm059000c.html

今回取り上げるのは、”hit a snag”という表現です。まず、”snag”をLDOCEで調べてみると、次のような定義がありました。
1 a problem or disadvantage, especially one that is not very serious, which you had not expected: It's an interesting job. The only snag is that it's not very well paid.
2 a part of a dead tree that sticks out, especially one that is under water and can be dangerous
3 a sharp part of something that sticks out and holds or cuts things that touch it
定義にもあるように、”snag”には「（航行を妨げる）沈み木、倒木」という意味があるので、「舟がそれらの障害物のせいでなかなか進めない」というところから、この表現は「思いがけぬ障害にぶつかる」という意味になります（『ジーニアス英和辞典　第4版』）。また、”hit”を”strike”や”run into”と置き換えても同じ意味になるようです。(ninetails)

また、この表現は過去のブログでも取り上げられておりました。

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20120919/1348020136

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/searchdiary?word=%22hit%20a%20snag%22