char 復習

ニューハンプシャーにある3階建てのアパートで火事が起き、4人の死亡が確認されたそうです。

Firefighters: 4 Dead in New Hampshire Apartment Fire

A fire that started on the porch of a three-story apartment building early Monday left four people dead, fire officials said.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead, the fire department said. No additional information was released on the victims.

One firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury. No other information was released.

Firefighters said they started getting 911 calls on the building fire on Wilson Street at about 5:10 a.m. They arrived to find heavy fire at the building.

The building is in Manchester's east side, which is a mix of apartment buildings, restaurants, and small businesses. By midmorning, the entire top of the building appeared charred, with windows burned out on the third floor.

The cause of the fire wasn't immediately known.

The fire department said it planned a joint investigation with the state Fire Marshal's office for the fire's origin and cause.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/firefighters-dead-hampshire-apartment-fire-39636806

今回取り上げるのは、"charred"という単語です。

LDOCEで"something that is charred has been burned until it is black"とあるように、『ジーニアス英和辞典』第4版(大修館)でも、形容詞で、「黒焦げの」とありました。

また、同辞書で"char"を調べると、動詞では、「炭にする、…を黒焦げにする、炭になる、黒焦げになる」とあり、名詞では、「木炭(charcoal)、骨炭」と載っていました。

因みに、"char"には、ほかにも、「(女性が)雑役婦をする、家事、雑用」や「イワナ、カワマス」「茶」などの意味があります。(Akim)