speckle 復習
熊本地震で被災した熊本城の現状がドローンを使って撮影されました。
Drone reveals extent of damage to Kumamoto Castle
KUMAMOTO--The famed Kumamoto Castle here now stands in a sorry state six months after a series of massive tremors rocked the region, an aerial survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun has shown.
Though the castle is still standing, it has lost something of its former majesty, with most of the main keep’s top roof tiles missing and its stone foundation crumbling.
A drone on Oct. 6 revealed in great detail the damage the castle suffered from the earthquakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture, which started on April 14.
The roofs of the donjon are speckled with green, as weeds have grown in between and on the remaining roof tiles. A closer look revealed that more roof tiles have fallen from the structure than had previously been believed.
The drone also captured the destruction suffered by the five-story Iida-maru turret, which had most of its stone foundation destroyed by the temblors. The ancient architecture would have no doubt collapsed, had a narrow stack of stones at one corner of the foundation not survived the earthquakes.
The building is currently being supported by a massive steel frame measuring 14 meters high and 30 meters wide.
The perimeter of the once popular tourist attraction is now closed off to visitors.
The Asahi Shimbun conducted the survey after obtaining permission from the city government, which said that a total of 13 important cultural properties and 20 architectural reproductions, including the main tower, were damaged in the disaster. Some 8,000 square meters of stone walls were harmed in 50 spots.
Kumamoto city currently estimates the damage at a total of 63.4 billion yen ($612 million). It plans to patch up the main keep within three years and restore the entire castle complex over the next two decades.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610070038.html
今回取り上げる表現は、“speckle”です。『ウィズダム英和辞典』(第３版、三省堂)を引いたところ、「…に染みをつける」とありました。
Merriam-Websterで確認したところ、“to mark with speckles”と定義されていました。
今回の記事では、直訳すると「天守閣の屋根には緑の染みがつけられている」となりますが、文の後の部分や元の記事の写真から考えると、「屋根に植物が点在している」といった意味になるのではないかと思います。
ちなみに、“speckle”には名詞で「斑点、まだら」などという意味がありますが、インターネットで検索したところ、こちらの意味で用いられることが多いようです。特に、理数系の用語として用いられておりました。(Blue Sky)
