the Japanese archipelago #2
Blue Skyさんと同じ記事から表現を取り上げます。
Blustery weather brings heavy snowfall over weekend
With the severest cold spell of the season sweeping across the Japanese archipelago, heavy snow struck again on Friday, mainly in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions.
The adverse weather is expected to intensify over the weekend, when the National Center Test for University Admissions is due to take place, with heavy snow forecast to hit Aichi, Osaka and Hiroshima prefectures as well as the northern part of the Kanto region. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of possible transport delays. According to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one person has died and four people were injured in the severe weather conditions.
以下省略
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003457524
今回取り上げる表現は “the Japanese archipelago” (archipelagoは/ɑːrkəpɛləgoʊ/) です。
『リーダーズ英和中辞典』(研究社)で “archipelago” を確認したところ, 「多島海, 群島」とありました。
Dictionary.com には “any large body of water with many islands” と定義されており, さらにMerriam-Webster.comによると, もとはイタリア語で「主要な海」を指す表現であることがわかりました。
以上より, “the Japanese archipelago” という表現からは, 今季一番の寒気が日本列島全体を覆う様子が伝わってきます。(Cayu)
