おはようございます。KANOです。今回はこちらの記事から。
迷信由来の英語表現について。
外国語の勉強で1番面白いとこですね。中国語は故事由来の表現が多くて楽しかったな。
superstitious
意味 迷信の; 迷信深い, 迷信を信じる
Are you very superstitious or do you take bad luck with a pinch of salt? Superstition is defined as a belief in things that are not real or possible, from bringing misfortune upon yourself by accidentally breaking a mirror to throwing salt over your shoulder to reverse bad luck.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
私はあんまりないなぁ。「嫌な事があった場所は避ける」けど迷信とは少し違うもんなぁw
intertwined
意味 [be ～]からみ合って; 結びついて.
Superstitions are intertwined with history and culture. Even in the 21st century, many people continue to respect superstition – and tradition – from the everyday belief that you shouldn’t open an umbrella indoors to ensuring your wedding day goes without a hitch by giving the bride something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
grumble
意味 〈返事など〉を不平がましく言う
A phrase often grumbled by people who just lost to a beginner, beginner’s luck is a supposed phenomenon which attempts to explain why people are more likely to succeed when trying a new sport, game or activity for the first time. It’s more likely to be believed when participating in chance-based games such as roulette.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
ward off A
意味 A〈病気· 危険· 悪霊など〉をかわす, 避ける, 払う.
A superstition so popular it has its own emoji, crossing one’s fingers involves crossing your index finger over your middle finger to ward off ill luck or wish for something you really want. While it’s pretty commonly understood in European cultures, the gesture is rooted in Christianity and therefore doesn’t always translate. In fact, in Vietnam, crossing your fingers is the equivalent of flipping someone the bird.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
このジェスチャーの意味知りたかったんだー。十字架に繋がるのねー。
Celtic
意味 ケルト語 [人, 族] の.
The four-leaf clover is one of the best-known symbols of luck and is strongly associated with Celtic culture. It’s believed that the leaves represent hope, faith, love and luck. What makes a four-leaf clover particularly special is its rarity. Apparently, the odds of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000… that’s a lot of clover.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
curse
意味 たたり, 災い, ばち ; 災いのもと
Ever come across the expression ‘if looks could kill’? A lesser-known superstition, jettatura is a curse of the evil eye, whereby all that the cursed looks upon will suffer bad luck. In modern day parlance, you might call it throwing shade or giving someone the side eye.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
glance
意味 ちらりと見ること, 一瞥, 一見
This word originates in southern Italy, where someone – the jettatore – may cast a cold glance your way – jettatura – as a way of wishing you ill. The word stems from the Latin ‘jet’, meaning throw, combined with ‘atura’, meaning bad luck. It made its way into the English language in the 19thcentury when it featured in an edition of The London Magazine.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
an old wives’ tale
意味 (けなして) 迷信; たわいもない話 （性差別的表現なので superstitious folklore などを用いる方がよい）
We mentioned that superstitions are often rooted in culture and tradition, which is why a superstitious belief is often called an old wives’ tale. In the days before Twitter and newspapers, stories were shared through good ol’ word-of-mouth, and passed around from person to person to share traditional wisdom. Of course, this can lead to misinterpretation or colourful adaptations to the story.
https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/lucky-number-7-exploring-the-language-of-superstition/
