tearing through the crowd
フランス南東部の都市ニースで革命記念日の祭りでにぎわう見物客の中にトラックが突っ込み、少なくとも80人が死亡、100人以上が負傷するという大きな事件となっています。
Scores Reported Dead in Nice, France, as Truck Plows Into Bastille Day Crowd
PARIS — A Bastille Day fireworks celebration was shattered by death and mayhem Thursday night in France’s southern city of Nice when a large truck barreled through an enormous crowd of spectators, crushing and maiming dozens — eight months after the Paris attacksthat traumatized the nation and all of Europe.
Officials and witnesses in Nice said at least 77 people were killed by the driver of the rampaging truck, who was shot to death by the police as officers scrambled to respond on what is France’s most important annual holiday. Graphic television and video images showed the truck accelerating and tearing through the crowd, and the bullet-riddled windshield of the vehicle, which the mayor described as full of weapons and grenades.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/world/europe/nice-france-truck-bastille-day.html?referer=
“tearing through the crowd” を取り上げます。動詞 tear /téɚ/ は「引き裂く」のが原義で、ここではthroughという副詞が続いているので「猛烈な勢いで駆ける」という意味があることから「人を猛烈な勢いで引き倒す」という意味になるかと思いました。LDOCEでは“to run or drive somewhere very quickly, especially in a dangerous or careless way”と定義があり、一瞬のうちに車が入ってきたニュアンスが感じられました。(lua)
