dry coughs 復習
マイコプラズマ肺炎が大流行しています。
Latest outbreak of pneumonia threatens children most
A pneumonia particularly dangerous to children is sweeping through Japan, caused by a drug-resistant strain of bacteria that spreads through coughing and sneezing.
Mycoplasma pneumonia’s symptoms include dry coughs and high fever. Even after the fever has subsided, the coughing can linger for several weeks.
Health experts are calling for people to take precautions against mycoplasma bacteria, such as wearing surgical masks and frequently washing their hands.
The average number of patients reported by about 500 medical institutions was 1.61 for the week starting from Oct. 17, a record since the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) began collecting data in 1999.
Preliminary figures released Nov. 8 by the NIID showed there were 691 patients over the week starting from Oct. 24, or 1.46 per medical institution.
Although the number was lower than that of the previous week, it was still higher than average.
以下省略
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201611090050.html
今回取り上げる表現は “dry coughs” です。dryは「乾いた」という意味がすぐに浮かびますが、ここではどのような意味を表しているのでしょうか。『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版 研究社）でdryの項目を見てみますと、3つ目の意味に「水のなくなった、（インク、燃料などが）出ない、涙（つば、たん）の出ない、（牛などが）乳が出ない」と載っておりました。LDOCEには “dry cough” で “a cough which does not produce any phlegm” と説明されております。
今回は痰のからまない咳を表しており、「空咳」と訳すことができるかと思われます。
これに関連する表現で “dry eye” が過去に取り上げられておりました。（aqua）
There was not a dry eye in the house. - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
dry eye - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
