seep into
全国の寺社で油のような液体がまかれる被害が相次いでいる事件，11日夜の時点で6府県27ヶ所で被害が確認されているそうです。
Vandalism to historic temples, shrines discovered across Japan
Vandalism to Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and other historic buildings using oil-like liquid has spread across Japan since the first case in the series of similar incidents was reported in
February.
A total of 39 registered national treasures and important cultural properties were found to have been damaged as of Friday, according to the Cultural Affairs Agency.
Damage is typically done by splashing oil-like liquid with no apparent color on wooden or stone structures and sculptures, leaving them with stains.
The Nara Prefectural Police said the stains found at the structures in the prefecture, including at Hasedera, had a citrus-like odor, although they are still analyzing the substance. They suspect the same substance may have been used in the vandalism at seven temples and shrines in the prefecture.
“It’s difficult to take a sample from liquid that has seeped into wooden material of statues and structures for the purpose of analyzing it. You can’t scrape off the parts either,” one investigator said.
今回取り上げる表現は“seep into”です。辞書で調べてみると、「〔〜…へ〕しみ込む（＋in）〔into〕」（『ジーニアス英和辞典第四版』大修館書店）とあり、LDOCEには“to flow slowly through small holes or spaces”、“to move or spread gradually”とありました。ちなみに、一緒に使われる前置詞が違うだけで、「＜液体・情報・勢力が＞［…から］しみ出る、漏れる、次第になくなる（＋out, away）［through, from, out of］」（『ジーニアス英和辞典第四版』大修館書店）のように、逆の意味になってしまうようです。（Green）
