melt away 復習

　イスラム国に捉えられてた方が，タリバン兵士によって救出されました。救出されたNavi氏は，イスラム国に誘拐され，生きて帰ってきたという貴重な経験を持ち，色々なことを伝えてくれました。

Kidnapped by IS, saved by the Taliban

Freedom finally came after local Taliban intervened and attacked the area being held by the IS fighters.

The hostages were moved to another location and held, still blindfolded, as heavy gunfire echoed overhead.

But after three days Nabi's captors melted away and armed men speaking Pashto appeared at the house.

"When we took off our blindfolds we saw a big man with a beard," says Nabi. "I realised they were Taliban and I felt relieved."

The group were taken to the house of a local Taliban commander.

"Around four or five hundred Taliban came to congratulate us," he says. "The commander told them not to hug us because we were too weak to stand on our feet at that stage."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35041759

　記事の中で気になった表現は"melt away"です。『Wisdom英和辞典第三版』（三省堂）によると「＜感情などが＞（次第に）消えてなくなる，いなく[見えなく]なる，＜群衆が＞次第に姿を消す」などという意味がありました。Oxford Dictionaries On-lineには"Disappear or disperse"と定義されております。

"melt"の語源は「柔らかい」とあります（『Wisdom英和辞典第三版』（三省堂））。そこから転じて，弱まったり，減少するなどというイメージになるのだと思いました。（Ume）