+-- yama no anata --+

あれもこれも

sakuya — 2008-07-05T11:26:09+09:00

I've read 151 out of 326 pages of The Subtle Knife, the second part of the trilogy His Dark Materials, which I've started reading since June 27th.
It seems to me to be much easier to read than The Golden Compass, the first part of the trilogy, at least so far.
In spite of such impression, I've not been able to devote enough time to reading, especially since I got a copy of the Nonstop English Wave magazine on July 2nd.
Maybe I should determine the priority of things I need to do, and my rough schedule in accordance with it, or else I'll no doubt be in a mess in both physical and mental senses.
Hmm..., could somedody tell me about when, which and how much time I should do? (^^;
I think I've got to spare more time to improve my listening skills than to do any other things, though.

What makes it difficut for me to do so is that the story of The Subtle Knife has become much more exciting and larger in scale than both the first volume and what I had expected, some characters coming and going from one world to others, soul-eating Specters roaming around in one world and attacking only grown-ups, and you can see Angels (they're naked!) flying across the sky purposefully.
And now, Lyra, the heroine of this series, is running away from the police of our own world, after making me laugh some times with her weird but hard-to-dislike pride of being a great(?) liar!
Lyra, is it what to be proud of? (^^;
Well, I like her all the more because she is different from other children who behave themselves. (^^)

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・It was certain that they were in a world none of them had known before, with strange winds, strange scents in the air, great unknown birds that attacked them on sight and had to driven off with volleys of arrows; and when they found land to rest on, the very plants were strange.
on sight : 見るとすぐに

・"If angels were mustering, that's where they'd go, and if they were going to make an assault on heaven, I daresay that's where they'd build their fortress and sally out from."
make an assault on ～ : ～を攻撃する

・Each angel-being was distinctly an individual, and yet they had more in common with one another than with any human she had seen.
in common with ～ : ～と同様に、共通して

・"You've been in the wars, haven't you, Lyra?" said the inspector.
be in the wars : （事故や喧嘩などで）傷を負っている

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Subtle Knife (US) -

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Nonstop English Wave

sakuya — 2008-07-03T11:53:48+09:00

Having been devastated by my listening score on the 138th TOEIC which is too low compared to my reading one, I decided to make a six-month subscription of Nonstop English Wave magazine to improve my listening skills if only a little.
This magazine seems to be aimed at English beginners who want to make progress mainly in listening skills, so it comes with a CD recorded in English from start to end each issue.
I, of course, know there are many kinds of magazines like it.
What makes me choose it is, needless to say, the best price of all.
Almost all of other magazines cost you more than 1,000 yen a month, mostly more than 1,400 yen a month, even if you order a one-year subscription.
However, you now need to pay only 6,000 yen per seven months (six months plus another free month) to subscribe to it.
It means the price for a month is only about 857 yen!
As far as I'm concerned, it was natural there was no need to bother myself about which magazine I should order.

I got the first issue for me yesterday.
Trying browsing and hearing it, I can't stop myself from wondering if I can really get it through in only a month, because I have a lot of other things to do.
Its English seems to me a little easier to take in than that of English Journal I bought last month, though,
Well, all I have to do is just give it my best shot without grumbling now that I've ordered it.

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・The idea that she had come all this way in order to help him took her breath away.
take one's breath away : ～をあ然とさせる、ハッとさせる

・For her part, Lyra was a little surprised to find that the Scholar she sought was female, but the alethiometer hadn't said a man, and this was a strange world, after all.
for one's (own) part : ～としては、～に関する限り

・Mindful of what the alethiometer had told her, she tried hard not to do what she normally would have done, and she told the truth.
mindful of ～ : ～を心にかけて忘れない、～を念頭において、～に気を配る

・"'...Capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.'"
reach after : ～を追求する、～に向かって努力する

・He'd kept it away till now, but it was closing in,
keep away : ～を寄せ付けない、くい止める
close in : （敵などが）近づく、～を取り囲む、迫ってくる

・Her account of a voyage in a balloon, of armored bears and witches, of a vengeful arm of the Church, seemed all of a piece with his own fantastic dream of a beautiful city on the sea, empty and silent and safe: it couldn't be true, it was as simple as that.
all of a piece (with ～) : (～と）同種の、調和した

・And I pretend to be bluff Major Parry, stout fellow in a crisis but not too much between the ears, what.
between the ears : 頭の中

・But it's not easy to find because that part of the other world looks just like this―rocks and moss and so forth.
and so fort : ～など

・So Will must be on the right track.
on the right track : （考え・行為が）正しく

・The conversation turned to the topic on everyone's lips: the catastrophic changes taking place around them, which no one could see.
on everyone's lips : 誰もが話題にして、誰もが関心を持って

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Subtle Knife (US) -

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懐かしの村上春樹氏

sakuya — 2008-07-01T11:57:24+09:00

As I wrote in this blog on June 27th, er..., in Japanese, the interviews with Haruki Murakami appeared in the previous and the present issues of the Mainichi Weekly.
When I was a university student, I loved his works so much and would often read his works, yes, almost all of his works.
Especially, his Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is one of my most favorite books.
I've, however, never read any of his works for some reason ever since graduating from the university.
So his works have become what reminds me of my school days ― my old friends, the shops and the streets in Kyoto I used to drop into and cycle across and along, and my old loved one. (^^;
It means that they have become something important for me and, at the same time, what makes me reluctant to touch it again in a sense.
So I've also not read any of his recent works, Kafka on the Shore, for instance, despite having heard that it's highly appreciated all over the world.

Reading the interviews with him this time, I feel an irresistible desire to read Kafka on the Shore or Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World in English if I can.
I wonder and can hardly wait to see how his characteristic world and writing style have been translated into English. (^^)

う～ん・・・。
ホント、村上春樹氏の作品って私にとって大学生時代そのものです。
今出川や堀川、千本通りを自転車で日々駈け抜けていたことや、勉強よりもバイトや飲み会 (^^;、恋愛に耽って、その時その時を楽しむのが精一杯で、将来の事なんて何一つ考えられなかった頃・・・
あぁ、懐かしすぎる・・・。(T-T)
ある意味、懐かしすぎて、ちょっと辛いことまで思い出させてくれる作家さんだったりもするので、卒業してから一度も手に取ることはなかったんですが、インタビュー記事のせいで、久しぶりに読みたくなっちゃった。
どの作品がどんな題名だったのか、それがどんな英語のタイトルに訳されているのかもわからない状態ですが、とりあえずまだ一度も読んでなくて、海外でも高く評価されている（らしい）Kafka on the Shore は読んでみようかな。
彼のあの独特の世界がどんな風に翻訳されたのか、ドキドキものです。
そしてあの気だるい、何とも言えない読後感。
彼の作品が日本だけでなく世界中で高く評価されているのって、嬉しいような、不思議なような・・・。
英語で読んでみたら、その理由も少しはわかるかしらん？
・・・ムリかな、やっぱ。　私の場合。(^m^*)

あと、毎日新聞の英語サイトの妙な記事問題。
なんとかしてください。(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ
どんな記事なのかは確かめたくもありませんし、できればウィークリー毎日の定期購読も打ち切ってしまいたいくらい情けないニュースだったんですが、如何せん、定期購読は数カ月単位で先払い・・・
新聞社ってもっと自分に厳しくあるべきだと思う今日この頃です。

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・"We express our profound gratitude to Iranian officials who provided all-out efforts for his release," Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko said in a statement.
all-out : 総力を挙げての

・Those first pioneers spurred a wave of immigration that has grown to a 1.5 million-strong community.
～-srtong : 総勢～人の

・Young players see it as a stepping stone to the tour.
stepping stone to ～ : ～への足がかり

・"We'll assign experienced workers to help out in an effort to ensure punctual operations," said a spokesman for the line's operator, Tokyo Metro Co.
in an effort to ～ : ～することを目指して
punctual : 運行予定通りの（時間通りの、時間に几帳面な）

・Five prizes were awarded in the ceremony on June 17 for the awards created to put some spark into a toy industry that continues to shrink amid a declining birthrate and a rapidly aging population.
put some spark into ～ : ～に刺激を与える

・It was like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
pull a rabbit out of a hat : 思いがけない行動をとる

・Japan's determination to continue whaling to the detriment of its international reputation presents an unnecessary obstacle.
～ to the detriment of ... : ...を損ねるまでの～

・It gave oxygen to extremists, which itshould regret.
give oxygen to ～ : ～を勢いづかせる

・Similarly, if you call someone a "green-eyed monster," it means that they feel jealous.

・The "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" means that things appear better in a different place or situation.

・"Rather than being a genius of the ilk of Mozart or Schubert, he was more like Beethoven in that he kept fighting his way up through struggles, building on what he achieved and finally creating a work that should be deified."
genius of the ilk : 天才肌
fight one's way up through struggles : 葛藤しながら進路を切り開く

・"I was somehow compelled to write in the first person when I started to write, but I've gradually come to tend to write in the third person."
write in the first person : 一人称で書く

・Murakami doesn't know why he has touched such a nerve.
touch a nerve : 共感を得る

・"He talked about that thing till the cows come home."
till the cows come home : = endlessly

・With a variety of performance spaces, there is more to watch than just opera.
more than just ～ : ～だけではない

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・Because all the events that had overturned the world had their origin in his mysterious activities.
have one's orpin in ～ : ～に由来する、～に原因がある

・"But what her place was in the wider scheme of things, I don't know."
scheme of things : 事態、物事のあり方（scheme : 組織、構造、計画、陰謀）
cf. in the scheme of things : 物事の性質上、世の中の仕組みの中では
cf. in the ～ scheme of things : ～な見地に立つ

・"He's been my master and my study for nigh on forty years."
for nigh on ～ : ほぼ～、ほとんど～

・"But on the face of it, Serafina Pekkala, yes, he's stark mad."
on the face of it : ちょっと見たところでは、表面上は

・Serafina's daemon, Kaisa, had learned from Ruta Skadi's daemon that she had killed the tigers herself in order to punish the Tartar tribe who worshiped them, because the tribesmen had failed to do her honor when she had visited their territory.
do someone honor : ～に敬意を払う

・Schools often sent groups of pupils off to do a shopping survey, or something of the sort, and if he seemed to be on a project like that he wouldn't look as if he was at a loose end.
at a loose end : 何もすることがなくて、ぶらぶらして、定職がなくて

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Subtle Knife (US) -

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小岩井のミルクとはちみつ♪

sakuya — 2008-06-29T11:55:31+09:00

I've started reading The Subtle Knife since June 27th.
When first opening the book, being excited by the expectation of what would happen to Lyra and Pantalaimon, I was surprised by only a few sentences written in almost the first page preceding the first chapter: The Cat and the Hornbeam Trees, in a different way from what I could have thought of.
That is this:

The Subtle Knife is the second part of the trilogy that began with The Golden Compass. That first book was set in a world like ours, but different. This book begins in our own world.

Begins in our own world!
Besides, the second volume begins with the story of the boy, Will, who has never appeared in the first volume.
Is the second book set in this our world from beginning to end then?
I don't know yet because I've just reached page 35, chapter two, but suppose it's not.
However, I can recognize for now at least three different worlds depicted in this novel ― Lyra's world, our world, and another "seemingly empty" world.
Once picking up the book, I almost lose track of time with its dazzlingly grand-scale story.

By the way, do you know a soft drink called Milk and Honey manufactured by Koiwai?
(Or, it might be better to write it as Milk and Honey of Koiwai shortly.)
I was looking for a youghurt drink or something at a convenience store a few days ago, but to my surprise, I couldn't find it.
So I instead bought a bottle of Milk and Honey of Koiwai to try, and it turned out to be a really right choice for me.
Milk, honey and a bit of lemon juice.
I never even dreamed such a combination can taste that good!
Give it a shot if you'd like to, though whether or not it suits you seems to vary from person to person.

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・Out of competition for two months because of knee surgery, Woods won the toughest test in golf, though it came at a price ― he will miss the remainder of the season, and major tournaments for the first time, to have more knee surgery.
come at a price : 犠牲を強いられる

・He struggled early in the first round, double bogeying his first hole of the competition, but roared back into contention with a back nine 30 in the second round, making five-straight birdies to move only one shot off the lead.
roar back into ～ : ～に復活する
with a back nine 30 : 後半９ホールを30で
move only one shot off the lead ; 首位から一打差に詰め寄る

・Biting is what you do with your front teeth. After you take a bite of food, you chew the food with your back teeth.
cf. So when you want to say something is "歯ごたえがある," it's better to say something is "hard to chew," not "hard to bite."

・He was born upstate and comes from a time when everyone farmed for a living.
come from a time when ～ : ～の時代の子孫である

・They were grass fed, free range and organic.
free range : 放し飼いの

・Be brave as you blast out of your comfort zone and take on the world!
take on the world : 何でもやってみる

・This weekend you can charm the pants off those around you, without even trying.
charm the pants off : 人に取り入る

・Loved ones have been telling you a few home truths but have you been listening?
home truths : 耳の痛い真実

・A little regular attention now could save you from big problems further down the track.
further down the track : ずっと後で

・Don't let a clique squeeze the personality out of you.
clique : 仲良し
squeeze A out of B : BのAを潰す

・Live and learn. Besides, I don't want to wear "the emperor's new clothes."
live and learn : 人生、常に勉強だ
the emperor's new clothes : 裸の王様

・I wish all the smart alecks in your section were like you, Mr Smart.
smart aleck : 知ったふりをする人、知ったかぶりをする人

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・The close where Will and his mother lived was a loop of road in a modern estate with a dozen identical houses, of which theirs was by far the shabbiest.
by far : ずっと、はるかに

・Will braced himself as he heard the quiet creak of the top step.
brace oneself : 不愉快なことや困難に備える

・She drank so quickly that the bubbles got up her nose, and she snorted and belched loudly, and scowled when he looked at her.
get up one's nose : ～を大いに困らせる、イライラさせる

・"Stands to reason there's other things the same."
stand to reason (that ～) : （～は）もっともである、道理に合う

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Subtle Knife (US) -

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The Golden Compass 終了！

sakuya — 2008-06-27T10:42:45+09:00

From June 4th to 26th, after struggling with numerous words I'd never seen over about 23 days, I finally got through The Golden Compass yesterday!
At first, when I started reading it, I thought this book was easy to read with almost no need for me to look up in the dictionary.
However, as you might imagine, soon after I got to chapter three, Lyra's Jordan, I had to scribble a lot of notes in the margin of almost all of the pages in red ink.
It got easy again after part two, though. (^^;

I'm going to read The Subtle Knife, the second volume of His Dark Materials series, starting today!
It seems to me that nothing was solved in the first volume ― the Dust, the Magisterium and the Oblation Board, Lyra's parents, Lyra and Pantalaimon's future, and the another mysterious parallel world beyond the Aurora, for instance.
Besides, nobody is with Lyra, of course, except Pantalaimon.
She has to set foot in the another unfathomable world by herself.
So exciting that I can't wait to take off for the world with her! (^^)

My impression, having just finished the first volume, is that the story is full of wonder and surprise.
I'm sure you can't tell who is on Lyra's side and who, or which group, is not, until you read through the first volume.
You, and I also, might not know it until finishing the last volume of it.
Anyway, as for what the journey to the world beyond the Aurora holds for Lyra (and me), nobody knows at this moment.

う～ん・・・、ハリ・ポタの（最初の数巻の）ように、１巻ずつ大きな区切りがあって、読者も一息つけるような構成になっているのかと（勝手に）思っていましたが、これは先に進むより仕方ない！
２巻からはオーロラの向こうの（Lyra達の住む世界とはまた違う）パラレル・ワールドが舞台になるのかな？
いずれにせよ、何一つ解決してないようにしか見えない今の状態で、「His Dark Materialsシリーズは一旦休憩♪」とはできそうもありません・・・
感想としては、結局１巻を読み終えるまで（もしかしたら１巻を読み終えた今でも）、誰がLyra側で、誰が敵なのかよくわかりませんでした。
意外だったと言えないことも・・・ない。
最初に「この人が悪者か！」と目を付けた人はどうやらいい人っぽいし、あの父親と母親に関しては何を考えているのかサッパリわからない。
Roger君がどうなるのか（or 「どうなったのか」？　それは辛すぎる・・・）も気になるし、せっかく３巻セットで買っちゃったことだし、今日から第２巻 "The Subtle Knife" を読み始めようと思います。=＾-＾=

あ、あと毎日ウィークリー掲載の村上春樹氏のインタビューとか、Listening力向上のために「NONSTOP ENGLISH WAVE」なる雑誌の定期購読を申し込んじゃったとか（前回のTOEICが、ほぼ予想通りとはいえ、結構ショックだの(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ）、いろいろ書きたいことはありますが、とてもそんなに一度に書ける英語力はないし、せっかくのネタを日本語で書いてしまうのも勿体ないので、それはまた今度、機会があればということで・・・。(^m^*)

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・"Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm and has no place in our country." he said, as 11 aboriginal leaders looked on just feet away.
have no place in ～ : ～にふさわしくない

・Throughout the first half Thailand was kept on its heels by Japan's relentless attacks.
keep on one's heels : 苦戦する

・The eco-friendly "M9R" engine can deliver powerful acceleration along with emission levels low enough to meet tougher Japanese regulations slated for October 2009, Nissan said.
deliver powerful acceleration : 力強い加速をする
(be) slated for ～ : ～に予定されている

・According to the Department of Defense, the U.S. military is currently deployed to more locations than it has ever been in history.
deploy A to B : AをBに配置する

・Today, activists in Hokkaido are joining forces with citizens from other parts of the world to protest the continued presence and expansion of the U.S. military.
join forces with ～ : ～と力を合わせる

・At that moment, an idea came into Miss Martha's head which she acted upon at once.
act upon ～ : ～に従って行動する

・Acclaimed author Murakami Haruki took time out from writing his first full-length novel since 2002's Kafka On The Shore to talk exclusively to the Mainichi. Murakami spoke on a broad spectrum of topics ranging from recent Japanese translation trends ― including his own work on contemporary classics ― to awareness in the post-Spt. 11 world.
take time out from ～ : ～から時間を割く
a broad spectrum of ～ : 広範囲で多種多様な～
comtemporary classic : 同時代の名作

・"They're skillful, beautiful, rhythmical, flowing. That's what it all comes down to," he says.
that's what it all comes down to : その事に尽きる

・It's because I use Fitzgerald as the standard I'd like to be at myself," he says.
to be at myself : 自分らしい文章を書くこと

・"We're not going to let you screw up your life."
screw up : 台無しにする

・Travelers probably need at least two to three weeks to do Sikkim any justice.
do ～ justice : ～を堪能する

・If trekking is your thing, there are some stunning possibilities.
one's thing : 好きなこと

・Covering only 0.22% of India's total landmass, Sikkim punches above its weight, ecologically speaking. The Sikkimese government is very keen to promote the state's ecological credentials. Forest cover per capita is 0.61 hectares as against 0.08 for India as a whole, and there are over 4,000 flowering plants, 144 mammals, 500 bird species and 650 kinds of butterflies!
punch above its weight : かなりの務めを果たす
as against ～ : ～に対して

・Of course, everyone needs electricity, but on the flip side, some locals say that the damming of rivers not only damages the ecosystem, it may also be weakening mountainsides.
on the flip side : 一方で

・Most of the Sikkimese people are nothing if not welcoming, and it is generally safe to wander around villages and meet the locals, who may well invite you in for tea and biscuits.
nothing if not ～ : とりわけ～だ

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・However, Iorek was worse off.
worse off : 状況が一層悪い、暮らし向きが一層悪い（反対 : "better off"）

・But he leaped at Iofur before the king could disentangle himself from the clinging chain mail, and knocked him head over heels, following up with a lunge at the bare part of Iofur's neck, where the edge of the helmet was bent.
head over heels : まっさかさまに

・They can play them off against one another; if one succeeds, they can pretend to have been supporting it all along, and if it fails, they can pretend it was a renegade outfit which had never been properly licensed.
play someone off (against) another : 人と人を対決させて、漁夫の利を得ようとする

・"Don't flatter yourself that I'd give you a second's thought. Now stay and work your mischef in this world, or come with me."
flatter oneself : うぬぼれる、得意がって～だと思う
cf. work great mischief : 大変な悪影響を与える

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Golden Compass (US) -

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まだ死にそう・・・

sakuya — 2008-06-24T10:56:56+09:00

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・They twirled batons rapidly and with great dexterity, and about a dozen performers were propelled into the air.
with dexterity : 器用に

・GDP per capita in 2007 was a mere $2100, only 50 percent of the population has access to plumbing, and many parts of the country remain without electricity.
GDP per capita : 一人あたりの国内総生産
have access to ～ : ～が利用できる
plumbing : 水道設備

・For example, there are towering monasteries ― some internationally recognized cultural landmarks ― while nearby the poor strive to sell a mishmash of wares to tourists.
mishmash of wares : 寄せ集めの品々

・If you're smart, you'll do all you can to avoid power struggles and ego trips.
ego trip : 利己的な過ち

・The iron fist in the velvet glove approach will work best, especially on the weekend.
the iron fist in the velvet glove : 優しさに包まれた厳しさ

・Don't even try to second-guess the behavior of others this week.
second-guess : 後でとやかく言う

・A fresh approach will work wonders.
work wonders : 効果てきめんである

・So don't let loved ones push you around or attempt to persuade you do something you don't believe in.
push ～ around : ～をこき使う

・We had to make do.
make do : 間に合わせる

・"You eat more than Nic and I put together."
more than A and B put together : AとBを足したよりもっと

・I have to know what the day holds for me.
what the day holds for ～ : ～に何が起こるか

・I wouldn't be caught dead doing that.
wouldn't be caught dead ～ : ～するのは死んでも嫌だ

・You're a straight-down-the-line person of science, and you abhor wishy-washy superstitious types.
straight-down-the-line : 正当派

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・She had to move on hands and knees, because the space was too low to crouch in, and every so often she had to squeeze under a square duct or lift herself over some heating pipes.
on hands on knees : 四つんばいになって

・"With respect, they did, Mrs, Coulter."
with respect : ご意見はもっともですが、はばかりながら

・"No; on second thought, don't tell me."
on second thought : よく考え直してみると

・"With the first model we could never entirely overcome the risk of the patient dying of shock, but we've improved that no end."
no end : とても（= very much)、非常に、絶え間なく

・She remembered hurling a handful of clay in the broad face of a brickburner boy bearing down on her.
bear down on ～ : ～にずかずかと歩み寄る、～を圧迫する、押さえつける

・The Tartars, in a tight group now around the sledge, were able to blaze at will into the snow, but the gyptians dared not shoot back for fear of hitting Lyra.
at will : 思うままに、好きなように、自由自在に

・Somewhere outside, the flap and swish of air through cloud-pine needles and witch garments told that the witches were keeping them company into the upper airs.
keep one's company : ～のお供をする

・He was growing old; he was an old broken man, and she would be young for generations.
for generations : 数代にわたって

・"We feel cold, but we don't mind it, because we will not come to harm."
come to ahrm : 酷い目に遭う

・It felt as if the had torn loose from the balloon, and were dropping unchecked by anything; and then came another series of jerks and crashes, the basket being tossed rapidly from side to side as if they were bouncing between rock walls.
tear loose from ～ : （物が）～から外れる　cf. tear loose : 自由になる、逃げる、（物が強く引っ張られて）外れる

・Then she had the fright of her life.
have the fright of one's life : 非常にビックリする

・"I don't know," she said, and then, making it up out of pure habit, "no," she went on.
out of pure habit : 単なる癖・習性で

・"I bet you know more about the bears than he does, for a start."
for a start : まず第一に

・"I have it on good authority."
have on good authority : 確かな筋から聞く　cf.on good authority : 確かな筋から

・Everything she'd heard about the bear-king added up: the mighty Iofur Raknison wanted nothing more than to be a human being, with a daemon of his own.
add up : つじつまが合う、意味を成す

・Some of the highest-ranking, she saw, carried little manikins like Iofur's rag-doll daemon, trying to curry favor, perhaps, by imitating the fashion he'd begun.
curry fovor (with someone) : （～の）機嫌をとる、へつらう

・The fog had lifted by this time, and the air was clear; and as chance would have it, the brief lifting of darkness toward noon coincided with the time Lyra thought Iorek was going to arrive.
as chance would(/ will) have it : 偶然に、たまたま

・"Belaqua? No. You're Lyra Silvertongue," he said.
silver tongue : 雄弁、説得力

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Golden Compass (US) -

I'm still struggling with nausea sometimes.
Knowing it's all my fault because I was aware enough to be able to prevent this from happening to me that my stomach had become vulnerable due to my medicines, I can't take it out on somebody else.
Wooops, I'm going to throw up, seriously. (T_T)

What with suffering from retching stomach and being pressed by daily routine, I, off course, could read neither The Golden Compass nor the Mainichi Weekly as much as I had expected.
I don't know if I can manage it today.
Well, I should think it's enough for me to be only able to update this blog, shouldn't I?

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TOEIC結果発表

sakuya — 2008-06-23T14:09:07+09:00

I have something to write here.
I'm, however, going to make it short because of my hangover from the last two days' drinking parties for celebrate my birthday,
Each drinking party was so fantastic that I forgot all about the time, though. (^^;

As writing in this blog on May 27th, I took the 138th TOEIC test to know how many points I could get now that it had been more than a year since I started English learning.
And I got the result today, though I thought it should be sent after June 24th since I saw the TOEIC officials having written on their HP that they were to do so.
Can you imagine my shock of the moment I found it in my post this morning when I didn't expect it at all? (^^;

Anyway, my score is as follows:

Listening : 370 (mean score : 313.9)
Reading : 425 (mean score : 272.2)
Total : 795 (mean score : 586.1)

(total number of examinees : 88,983)

Oh, to be honest, I thought I could get, or at least aimed to get, a score of a little more than 800.
One more correct answer, and I could have reached my goal!!
Never mind.
With the complimentary application form valid for a year, I'm going to take the TOEIC test once more at any cost.
Maybe, this autumn or next spring.
I have to improve my listening skills by then!!

う～ん・・・。
二日酔いで本気で死にそうなところに、予想以上に早いTOEICの結果発送＆目標点数に１問足りずという結果はちょっとキツイかも。
本気で800点以上を狙ってたんだけどな～。orz
まぁ、せっかくTOEICから無料の申込用紙をゲットしたので、次回はもう少し頑張りましょうってことで。
（無料申込用紙ゲットの事情はこちらをどうぞ）

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かっぱエビせん状態

sakuya — 2008-06-19T10:27:16+09:00

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・He could tell her when they woke, and it was probably a marten, or a dream, or some kind of harmless local spirit; but something was following the train of sledges, swinging lightly from branch to branch of the close-clustering pine trees, and it put him uneasily in mind of a monkey.
put someone in mind of ～ : （人）に～を思い出させる

・She heard a mighty roar, and the clang and scrape of Iorek Byrnison's armor as he leaped fully clad over the sledges and into the fog, and that was followed by screams, snarling, crunching and tearing sounds, great smashing blows, cries of terror and roars of bearish fury as he laid them waste.
lay waste : （～を）叩きのめす、荒廃させる

・Pantalaimon was agitated and fearful, but he didn't want the witch's daemon to see his fear, so he had flown to Lyra's breast and taken sanctuary inside her furs.
take sanctuary : （保護を求めて）逃げ込む、聖域に逃げ込む

・When it was time for bed, she knew she had to let the other girls into her confidence.
let someone into one's confidence (= "take someone into (one's) confidence"?) : （人）に秘密を打ち明ける、を信用する

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Golden Compass (US) -

After I've reached part two, The Golden Compass seems to have suddenly become much easier to read, with almost no difficult words for English beginners.
Besides the story is becoming more and more exciting and thrilling, so making short work of writing this blog, I want to read the rest of it as soon as possible.
I'm also going to read as many pages as possible today and tomorrow, considering my prospect of not being able to spare enough time to read it this weekend due to my women-only birthday party.
I hereby pledge never to drink too much! Never!!

あはっ♪　とぉ～ってもテキトーな日記（？）ですね。~(=^‥^A
"The Golden Compass"は、Part.2に入るとほぼ同時にかなり読むのが楽になりました。
しかも話も急激に展開し始めるので、ちょっとした『やめられない止まらない～♪ かっぱエビせん♪』状態です。
今週末は読書に時間を割けそうにないので、今日・明日のうちにできるだけ読み進めたいのですが、今日も今日とて眠いです。
しかも暑くも寒くもない、カラッとした昼寝にはもってこいの天気・・・
『寝なさい』ってことかしらね～？(^m^*)

余談ですが、『かっぱエビせん』の表記を確認するためにCalbeeのHPをのぞいて、『かっぱエビせんえびリッチ』が無性に食べたくなりました。
『リッチ』という響きにそそられるわ～♪

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煙草1000円なんて生ぬるい！

sakuya — 2008-06-17T09:49:36+09:00

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・A team of astronauts working inside and out anchored a giant billion-dollar Japanese lab to the international space station on June 3, making it the biggest room there.
anchor A to B : AをBに固定する

・Considering U.S. President George W. Bush has record-low approval ratings, the Democrats should be in a strong position for November, but most polls show Obama only inching ahead of McCain, and Newsweek even has them locked together with each receiving support from 46 percent of voters.
lock together : 互角にする

・Its main task is to excavate trenches in the permafrost in search of evidence of past water and organic compounds considered the chemical building blocks of life.
organic compound : 有機化合物
chemical building block : 化学的成分

・Wearing Speedo's LZR Racer, Kitajima clocked a time of 2 minutes, 07.51 secnds at the Japan Open, taking almost a second off the previous mark set by American Brendan Hansen in 2006.
clock a time of ～ : ～のタイムを記録する
take a second off ～ : ～を１秒短縮する

・Like lightning out of nowhere, Usain Bold is now the world's fastest man.
lightning out of nowhere = bolt out of the blue : 青天のへきれき

・Even with that, he said he wasn't sure if he would switch out the 400 for the 100 at the Beijing Olympics.
switch out A for B : AをBに替える

・When Koizumi Junichiro was prime minister, he wanted to explore the possibilities for a breakthrough in diplomatic ties with North Korea.
explore the possibilities for ～ : ～の可能性を探る

・As a result, on the U.S. side, there is somewhat of a diplomatic dance over control of policy.
diplomatic dance : 外交における駆け引き

・To "look over your shoulder" means to be worried that something bad is going to happen to you. It is also used when someone is afraid of being caught.

・If you "cover your back (or butt)," you do something to avoid failure or problems in the future.

・"To cover our backs, we made sure that we got everything in writing."
get ～ in writing : ～を書面にする

・I didn't think he had it in him.
has it in (one) : 能力を持っている

・However, if after a long dive you want to relax on a sandy beach, you'll be out of luck: Hachijojima is a volcanic island, so there are no sandy beaches.
(be) out of luck : あいにくで

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・Secondly, Lord Asriel's bridge will have a bearing on a war being waged at the present between some witches and various other forces, some in the sprit world.
have a bearing on ～ : ～に関係がある

・They watched the bear turn away from his victim at the bidding of the girl with the cat daemon, and then they shuffled aside to make room as Iorek Byrnison padded heavily through the midst of them at Lyra's side and made for the harbor.
at the bidding of ～ : ～の言いつけに従って

・They had been itching to get under way ever since they had disembarked; the sledges were packed, the dog teams were in their traces.
in one's traces (= in the traces) : 引き革につながれて、（業務に服して）

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Golden Compass (US) -

To tell the truth, my birthday is coming up soon.
(As for my age, I'm old enough to know that I shouldn't write it on the Net. (^^;)
I don't know if it's the reason, though, one of my friends gave me two 500-milliliter cans of beer, an assortment of sweets, and, somehow, a pack of sashimi yesterday.
I think now I shouldn't have done so, I drank all the beer after my bath.
Needless to say, I couldn't read The Golden Campass much yesterday, and I have a slight headache today.
I can't complain about suffering this intolerable twinge because I know well it's not his fault but my fault. (T_T)

何で飲んじゃうかな～？
何も頑張って一日で飲む必要なんてないのに～！！(/_<。)ﾋﾞｪｪﾝ
ま、仕方ない。今日一日は諦めて、頭痛に堪えましょうか・・・。

あ、煙草１箱1000円にっていう話が出てますよね。
実現しないかな～・・・（ボソッ）
決して、ヒステリックかつ下品に騒いでいる一部の過激な非喫煙者的意見ではありません。
（ま、何を言われても仕方ないような喫煙マナーの悪い人っているからね。
携帯灰皿を持ってれば、歩きタバコもOKだと思っているような人とか・・・）
今年２月から禁煙に踏み切ったものの、お酒を飲む時だけわざわざ１箱購入して吸ってしまう意志薄弱な私としては、１箱10,000円にでもして欲しいくらい。
１箱買ったからといって、その後も続けて吸いたいということはないのですが、たまに（１ヶ月で１箱ぐらいかな？）１箱吸っただけで肌の荒れること！
頭も本気でクラクラして、脳細胞が破壊されているのをヒシヒシと感じるというのに、どうして完全に絶てないのかな～？
『そんだけ何回も、煙草を断つ苦しみを自ら繰り返しているのは、ある意味Ｍだろ』等と言う友人もいますが、その苦しみはもうあまり感じないのよね。σ(o^_^o)
だから、ついつい機会があると買ってしまう＞煙草
（これは私の場合であって、普通に禁煙しようと思っている人は決してマネをしないように）
１箱1,000円なんて生ぬるいわ。
いっそ１箱10,000円、せめて2,000円ぐらいにしてくれれば、煙草と完全に縁を切れるかもしれないのにぃ～。
そして増えた税収を年金や国保なんかにまわしてもらえれば言うことナシ。

・・・こういう禁煙すら人任せな姿勢が問題なのかもしれない。orz
あ、一応、昨日は煙草ナシでの酒盛りでした。
（taspoはさすがに作ってないし、煙草のためだけにコンビニまで行くマメさは私にはありません）

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第２部突入☆

sakuya — 2008-06-15T12:38:49+09:00

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・Pubs, restaurants, theatres, live music house, clubs ― Londoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to a night out.
be spoilt for choice : 選択肢がたくさんある
night out : 夜遊び

・Yet its owners claim it is running at a huge loss.
run at a huge loss : 赤字経営をする

・Your talent for talking is given a boost as the full moon stimulates your communication zone.
give ～ a boost : ～を伸ばす

・You could be the one called upon to calm troubled waters, as those around you suffer from a dose of madness.
troubled waters : 混乱状態
a dose of : 一盛りの

・Fair-weather friends will lead you astray, whereas true mates will fill your life with abundance and joy.
都合のよい時だけの友は惑わす
cf1. fair-weather friends : 都合のよい時だけの友 <反対語> "true mates" or "all-weather friends"
cf2. astray : 迷っている、正道を踏み外して、方向を見失って

・I thrive on it.
thrive on ～ : ～を生き甲斐にする

・You're far more of a homebody than a jet-setter, and you simply don't have the stomach for the celebrity lifestyle.
don't have the stomach for ～ : ～に向かない

・That's not to say you don't have talent, but you're not one to court publicity.
court publicity : 自己宣伝をする

・The airplane is not able to accommodate such a large cargo. : 収容する
・She is very accommodating lady. : 気が利く
・Knowing you are very short of cash, we might as well issue you an accommodation bill. : 融通手形
・Their services and accommodations are pretty good. : 設備
・She can easily accommodate several major European languages, not to mention German. : 対応する、必要な物を提供する

・With all the excitement surrounding the arrival of Oshii's animated aerial adventure, fans might be surprised to learn that the project almost didn't get off the ground.
get off the ground : 実現する

・The film alternates between beautiful 3D dogfights in endless blue skies, and the drama on the ground as the young pilots try to lead regular lives in the face of sudden, violent death.
alternate between A and B : AとBの間を行ったり来たりする

・"It's not aimed just at young people, because there are many who struggle on day-to-day without any sense of achievement."
struggle on day-to-day : 日々葛藤する

・Do you know what your kids have up their sleeve for tomorrow?
up one's sleeve : （いつでも出せるように）密かに隠し持って、密かに用意して

　　　　　　　　　　- from the Mainichi Weekly -

・"And the Ambassador was in a fix then, 'cause he couldn't refuse to drink without giving deadly insult, and he couldn't drink it because he knew it was poisoned."
be in a fix : 苦境に陥って

・"And then he had to either drink the poison or own up."
own up : すっかり認める

・"Yes, friends," he said, over the babble of shocked whispers, "they're a going to pass a law doing away with our right to free movement in and out the fens."
do away with ～ : ～をなくす、廃止する、（不要な物を）捨てる、処分する

・"Nothing will hold my hand, Margaret, save only judgment."
hold one's hand : 処罰などを控える、我慢する
save ～ : ～を除いて、～の他は、～は別として

・"I'm a putting you under Farder Coram's wing. Don't you be a trouble or hazard to him, or you'll be a feeling the force of my wrath. Now cut along and explain to Ma Casta, and hold yourself in readiness to leave."
under someone's wing : ～の保護（世話）の下に、～に保護されて
hold oneself in readiness : 心構えをする

・Another rumor said she wasn't a human child at all but a pair of spirits in the form of child and daemon, sent to this world by the infernal powers in order to work great ruin; and yet another rumor said it was no child but a fully grown human, shrunk by magic and in the pay of the Tartars, come to spy on good English people and prepare the way for a Tartar invasion.
in the pay of ～ : （時に悪い意味で）～に雇われて

・"It's almost like talking to someone, only you can't quite hear them, and you feel kind of stupid because they're cleverer than you, only they don't get cross or anything...."
get cross : つむじを曲げる、不機嫌な顔をする

・"Being as she'd fell out of the air, I more than suspected she was a witch."
being (as, or that) : ～であるので、～なので

・"But they keep a consul there, and I shall get word to her, make no doubt about that."
get word to ～ : ～に伝言をする
make no doubt : （～を）確信する、間違いなくする

・She had the run of the ship, from the engine room to the bridge, and she was soon on first-name terms with all the crew.
have the run of ～ : ～を自由に使う、とりしきる、～の主導権を握っている
on first-name terms with ～ : ～と名前で呼び合う仲で（英） ="on a first-name basis with ～"（米）

・Lyra's possessions, such as they were, had been packed ever since she'd woken up and seen the land.
such as they are : 粗末ながら、大したものではないが =such as it is"

・"It's not impossible that the notice of such activity might have come our way," he said.
come one's way : （事が）～の身に降りかかる、～の手に入る、手中に落ちる

　　　　　　　　　　- from The Golden Compass (US) -

Though my reading isn't progressing as much as I hoped, I've finally reached the second part and tenth chapter of The Golden Compass.
I, however, still have more than half of it, indeed 222 out of 399 pages, to read.
What should I do in order to speed up my reading, at least a little more?
Is it the only way to work it out to read as many books as possible, and to get used to English?
I feel like it's one of the most suitable way for me, though.

And I had a little accident this morning.
No sooner did I take my favorite tea pot out of the cupboard to make tea than I dropped it on the floor.
Needless to say, it broke into pieces....
How careless I am!! (T_T)

なんだか、最近また時間帯によってネットが不安定になるわ・・・。
ちゃんと書き込めるかしら？　不安。~(=^‥^A

あ、↑の"The Golden Compass"からの引用文に、"they're a going to ～"、"I'm a putting ～"という表現が多々見られますが、別に私の書き取り間違えではありません。
多分、あくまで推測ですが、gyptian達の訛りのようなものではないかと思います。
読み進めるにつれて、彼だけの都合で甘えてくるルー君が、私のdaemonのように思えて愛しい気持ちが抑えきれません・・・♡
さらには私がルー君のdaemonだという可能性も否定できなくなってくるほどの混乱状態。
う～ん・・・、疲れてる。

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