black eye 復習

オリンピック開幕を目前に控えたリオデジャネイロでは, 市街の水質をめぐり, 健康被害への懸念が続いています。

Athletes told to keep heads above water

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Just days ahead of the Olympic Games the waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month-long study commissioned by The Associated Press.

Not only are some 1,400 athletes at risk of getting violently ill in water competitions, but the tests indicate that tourists also face potentially serious health risks on the golden beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.

The survey of the aquatic Olympic and Paralympic venues has revealed consistent and dangerously high levels of viruses from the pollution, a major black eye on Rio’s Olympic project that has set off alarm bells among sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers.

In light of the findings, biomedical expert Valerie Harwood had one piece of advice for travelers to Rio: “Don’t put your head under water.”

The most contaminated points are the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, where Olympic rowing will take place, and the Gloria Marina, the starting point for the sailing races.

Sampling at the Lagoon in March 2015 revealed an astounding 1.73 billion adenoviruses per liter. By this June, adenovirus readings were lower but still hair-raising at 248 million adenoviruses per liter. By comparison, in California, viral readings in the thousands per liter set off alarm bells.

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003120766

本日取り上げる表現は “black eye” です。

“black eye” は「黒い瞳」ではなく, 「目のまわりにできたあざ」を指すということを中等教育で教わりましたが, 今回はまた別の意味で用いられています。

『リーダーズ英和中辞典』(研究社)で調べると, 「<口>悪評」という意味が記されていました。 “give somebody a black eye” では「人をなぐって目のまわりにあざをつくる」となり, “give a black eye to~” では「… の信用[評判]を落とす」という表現になるそうです。

英英辞典で「悪評」を表す “black eye” の定義を見つけることはできませんでしたが,　目のまわりにできたあざは, 暴力などの悪事を想起しやすいことから, 上記のような意味を示すようになったのではないかと思います。(Cayu)