traipse around

福島第一原発2号機の原子炉建屋内に、キツネらしき動物が入り込んでいるのを設置されていた監視カメラが捉えました。

Animal spotted prowling inside Fukushima nuclear plant’s reactor building

A fox appears to have been traipsing around a highly radioactive area inside a reactor building at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Dec. 28.

The plant operator said a security camera mounted at a section next to the containment vessel of the No. 2 reactor captured footage of the animal around 6 a.m. on Dec. 21. It said the creature appeared intermittently for seven to eight minutes.

Although the animal's den and current whereabouts remain unknown, a TEPCO official said the intrusion is unlikely to adversely affect work being done in preparation for decommissioning the reactor.

According to TEPCO, the security camera showed the 1.3-meter-long animal wandering back and forth near the carry-in entrance to the reactor’s containment vessel.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201512290056

今回取り上げるのは、“traipse” /tréɪps/という表現です。この単語をLDOCEで調べてみると、“informal 　to walk somewhere in a slow or unwilling way because you are tired or bored”という定義が見つかりました。さらに『ジーニアス英和辞典G4 大修館書店』で確認してみると、「｟略式｠（目的もなく）ぶらつく、だらだらと歩く」といった意味が記載されていました。

今回の動物の侵入を受けて、東京電力は侵入防止の対策を急ぐことにしています。(ninetails)