flipper 復習

人間の言葉を20以上聞き分けることができるとして、城崎マリンワールドで飼育されているトドのハマに注目が集まっています。

　Sea lion that fled Fukushima now famous through word of mouth

A Steller sea lion that was forced to flee her home near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has become a star performer in western Japan for her startling linguistic abilities.

Hama, an 8-year-old female who resides at the Kinosaki Marine World, was academically recognized as understanding the most verbal instructions of any eared seal in Japan.

She used to live at the Fukushima Marine Science Museum in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, about 60 kilometers south of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

But the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami led to the nuclear crisis at the plant in March 2011. Her keepers could not take care of her in the aftermath of the disaster, so Hama was moved to her new home in June 2011.

According to her new keepers, an older female Steller sea lion took Hama under her flipper, and the new arrival gradually adapted to her surroundings and other seals at the Marine World.

以下省略

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803240005.html

flipper /flípɚ/ を取り上げます。動詞のflipには、ひっくり返すという意味がありますが、そこから連想して、厚さが薄いもののイメージがわきました。『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版　研究社）で調べてみると「1ひれ状の足（海がめの足、鯨類の前ひれ、ペンギンの翼など）　2（潜水用の）足ひれ、水かき」とありました。

　LDOCEには “a flat part on the body of some large sea animals such as seals, that they use for swimming” や “a large flat rubber shoe that you wear to help you swim faster” と定義されています。

　人が泳ぐ際に足に付ける足ひれをフィン（fin）ということは知っていましたが、flipperでも言い表すことができることがわかりました。 記事にある “an older female Steller sea lion took Hama under her flipper” という部分からは、先輩トドがハマのことを可愛がる様子が伺えます。（aqua）