forty winks #3
会議中に居眠りをしている政治家たちの画像が話題となっています。
Let sleeping politicians lie
Well, Indian social media had a lot to say when Indian politician Eldhose Kunnappilly was snapped being nudged awake by colleague VT Balram whilst taking a doze during a lengthy speech by the Governor of Kerala P Sathasivam at meeting of the state legislative assembly.
An image of a sleeping politician is not the kind of open goal that the internet likes to miss. So memes rapidly sprang up showing other instances of MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) from the south Indian state of Kerala getting some some shut-eye in the chamber.
（中略）
Social media users have made a keen hobby of watching their lawmakers enjoying 40 winks. There are YouTube videos dedicated to observing Keralite politicians snoozing.
But politicians in India aren't the only ones caught napping when meetings are in progress. There's at least one Pinterest group dedicated to the subject. And in the UK, the occasional afternoon kipping by the elder statesmen and women in the House of Lords, has also come under scrutiny.
However, one peer has stated that such behaviour is to be expected, "They are old and they have had a nice lunch."
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-36688621
今回取り上げるのは40 winksです。
『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第五版、大修館書店）では「短い睡眠、（特に）昼寝」とありました。なぜ、fortyが使われるのか調べてみましたが分かりませんでしたが、
Oxford dictionaries.com.でwinkを調べるとドイツ語の“to wave”を意味するwinkenから古英語で“close the eyes”となったことが語源だということがわかりました。現在は「目を閉じる」といっても「一瞬」の意味が強い気がするので驚きました。
ちなみに、見出しの“Let sleeping politicians lie”は日本語の「触らぬ神にたたりなし」に値する“Let sleeping dogs lie”のもじりであることがわかります。
しかし、今回はことわざよりも直訳の「寝ている犬（政治家）はそのままにしておけ」の方の意味合いが強いように感じます。(flyingbird)
