breathalyzer test #2
忘年会シーズンに向けて、警察は飲酒運転の取り締まりを強化しています。
Police begin campaign against drunk driving ahead of party season
TOKYO — Police on Friday night began a campaign nationwide to prevent accidents caused by drunk drivers ahead of the “bonenkai” (end-of-year party) season.
The National Police Agency said that between 8 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, 3,407 drivers were stopped for speeding or reckless driving and given breathalyzer tests at 2,600 locations, Fuji TV reported. Twenty-nine people were arrested—20 on drunk driving charges and nine for driving without a license, the NPA said.
今回取り上げるのは、“breathalyzer test”という表現です。“breathalyzer”は/ˈbreθəl-aɪzər /と発音されます。この単語をLDOCEで調べてみると、“a piece of equipment used by the policeto see if a driver of a car has drunk too much alcohol”と定義されていました。さらに『ジーニアス英和辞典』(大修館書店)には「酒気検査機」と記載されており、また“breathalyze”で「〈人〉の酒気検査をする」という動詞での意味になります。この単語は商品名から派生したもので、“breath”と“analyze”の混成語です。(ninetails)
