おはようございます。KANOです。今回はこちらの記事から。
中国ではスイカが夏の間の手土産・贈り物になるよという話。
encompass
意味 〈さまざまな考え· 物など〉を含む, 包含する (include) .
The art of gift giving in China is referred to as “sòng lǐ”, and encompasses a broad range of social etiquette surrounding the practice. Fruit is one of the most common gifts to give a host to show gratitude that you were invited into their home. Not all fruit is a welcome gift, though. Pears are considered a poor gift because the Chinese word for “pear” sounds too similar to the word for “parting.”
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1269415/watermelons-significant-gifts-china/
梨は音が「li」で「離」と同じだからですね。中国語テキストに載ってたなぁ。
faux pas
意味 （社交の場での） 失敗; 非礼, 無作法
Knowing to avoid faux pas like this is just one aspect of Chinese gift giving culture, but watermelons are a safe bet to thank hosts, when visiting the elderly, and when visiting someone sick in the hospital. This is mostly due to their known health benefits, but also because watermelon is seen as a luxury due to its former scarcity in China.
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1269415/watermelons-significant-gifts-china/
発音は「 /fòʊpɑ́ː/ 」フランス語ですって。なぜ突然フランス語w
prize
意味 [通例 be ～d]…が高く評価される, 重んじられる .
Today, China produces the most watermelon in the world, but this wasn’t always the case. Watermelon isn’t even native to China: it actually originates in the desert regions of South Africa, where it was prized as a means to safely transport water supplies during long journeys. The fruit was then imported to the Northern hemisphere by way of Egypt, where the fruit was a popular domestic crop. It then spread throughout the rest of the world, including China.
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1269415/watermelons-significant-gifts-china/
水分補給だとキュウリのほうが好き。ほぼ丸ごと食べられるし。安いし！
aristocratic
意味 貴族の; 上流階級の; 貴族政治の.
It’s likely that the first seeds were brought to Beijing and cultivated by the Chinese peoples around the time of The Five Dynasties (907-960 A.D.). At the time, watermelon was a strictly aristocratic food enjoyed only by those rich or powerful enough to get their own watermelons. Throughout the following dynasties, watermelon would be a common delicacy of the Chinese courts.
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1269415/watermelons-significant-gifts-china/
covet
意味 (かたく)〈他人のものなど〉を強く [むやみに] 欲しがる, 熱望する (desire).
Japan has a similar tradition of giving fruits as gifts, though it has now expanded into a market for luxury fruits. Melons that cost upwards of $100 can be found at some specialty markets, though the most sought after offerings can sell for thousands of dollars. These high-quality fruits are coveted for their wonderful flavor and nearly perfect visual presentation.
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1269415/watermelons-significant-gifts-china/
フルーツは高すぎるし甘すぎるしですっかり贅沢品ですわ。
