deadlock 復習
2004年に当時小学校3年生の女の子が殺害された事件で、警察は別の事件で服役中の男を殺人容疑で逮捕しました。
Inmate arrested in ’04 slaying of 9-year-old girl after confessing
A man serving a 10-year prison term for attempted murder was arrested May 30 in connection with the slaying of a 9-year-old schoolgirl 14 years ago, and has confessed to the crime, authorities here said.
Kunihiko Katsuta, 39, is suspected of strangling and stabbing Yukiko Tsutsushio, a third-grader of an elementary school, at her home in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, on Sept. 3, 2004.
While admitting to the slaying, Katsuta took issue with investigators about the way it was carried out, saying he did not “stab her with a sharp object.”
Okayama prefectural police searched Katsuta’s home in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, on the morning of May 30 for evidence linking him to the crime.
中略
A number of sightings of suspicious persons were reported after the incident, but no evidence led to an arrest and the investigation reached a years-long deadlock. However, it was kept open despite the lack of leads.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201805300031.html
deadlock /dɛ́dlɑ̀k/ を取り上げます。証拠が掴めず、捜査が進まない様子を表していることがわかります。『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版 研究社）で調べると「（交渉などの）行き詰まり」とあります。例には “reach a deadlock” で「行き詰まる」と説明されています。
LDOCEには “a situation in which a disagreement cannot be settled” と定義されています。
また、上記の英和辞典によると、他にも “break the deadlock” で「行き詰まりを打開する」という言い方ができるようです。breakを用いることで、新たな道を切り開く力強さを表すことができるのではないかと思いました。（aqua）
