巨大な桃 The Giant Peach

 巨大な桃　　

The Giant Peach

I am reading Roald Dahl story, James and the Giant Peach. This is a humorous story. It depicts an enormously big peach on which James and other small animals such as grasshopper, a spider, an earthworm, a centipede, and a ladybird stand. One day, they encounter a storm and the rain washed away the paint which had cemented the centipede’s feet. Their enemy, cloud’s men, had shot the paint bullets toward them. The Centipede became happy. The following is an extract from the story:

………………………………………..

‘Look at me!’ cried the Centipede.

Oh, loot at ME! I am freed! I am freed!

Not a scratch nor a bruise nor a bleed!

To his gave this fine gent

They all thought they had sent!

And I very near went !

Oh, I VERY near went!

But they cent quite the wrong Setipede!

弁才船 Bensai-boat

弁才船

弁才船

今、小原鉄心の小説を執筆している。江戸末期（１８３８年）大垣藩は洪水に見舞われ、村人は飢えに苦しむ。運悪く、藩の備蓄米が足らない。鉄心は３０００俵の米俵を安濃津藩（今の津市）に買受に行く。鉄心と従者は弁才船に乗り、米俵を積んで大垣に帰る。

弁才船のことが分からなければ執筆できない。図書館に行って弁才船関連の本を１０冊ほど読み、ネットやユーチューブでも調べた。名古屋港の海洋博物館に行き、弁才船の模型を見た。お陰で執筆ができた。

大型弁才船の長さは２９メートル、幅８メートル。帆柱の高さ２０メートルある。

本帆、帆桁、表車立、航、轆轤、矢倉、矢倉板、舵柄、身縄、帆柱、筈緒、手縄、烏頭、艫矢倉などの役割が分かるようになった。

弁才船については何も知らなかったが、かなり分った。求めよさらば与えられんだ。

Bensai-boat

I am writing a novel about Ohara Tesshin, the chief retainer of Ohogaki Domain in the Mino District (present-day southern Gifu Prefecture). Near the end of the Edo era in 1838, the Ohogaki Domain was devastated by a flood, leaving farmers on the brink of starvation. Unfortunately, the stockpiled rice was insufficient to sustain them. In response, Tesshin embarked on a waterborne journey to the Anozu Domain (present-day Tsu City) to purchase 3,000 rice bags. Tesshin and his men traveled by Bensai-boat, returning to Ohgaki with their precious cargo of 3000 ricebags.

To accurately portray the Bensai-boat, I delved into extensive research. I visited libraries, scoured the internet, watched YouTube videos, and even made a trip to the Marine Museum in Nagoya Port to examine a Bensai-ship model.

A large Bensai-boat measures approximately 29 meters in length and 8 meters in width, with a mast towering 20 meters high. I familiarized myself with various tools used on the boat, such as the Honho (main sail), Hogeta, Omote-shadate, Rokuro, Yakura, Minawa, and others.

Although I initially knew nothing about Bensai-sen, my research has provided me with a deeper understanding and appreciation of these remarkable vessels.

Ask and you shall receive.

 

 

 

いんかあそれいしょん incarceration

いんかあそれいしょん　

先日、BBC放送が原住民と白人の差別問題を取り上げていた。聞いていると何度も「いんかあそれいしょん」と言う言葉が出てきた。辞書でIncarsorationとかincasorationとか見当をつけて引いたが分からない。

ChatGPTに「オーストラリアと原住民の摩擦で、いんかあそれいしょん、とは何かと日本語で訊いた。

直ちに以下の答が出た。

incarcerationを指している可能性があります。Incarcerationは「投獄」や「収監」を意味し、オ―ストラリアの先住民に関連して以下のような問題に言及する際に使われます。先住民が刑務所に入れられる割合が非先住民と比較して非常に高いことです。

語源を訊くと、

Incarcerationは以下のように分解できます：

１.　Latin語　“in” 意味：中に、内側に

２．ラテン語　“carcer” 意味：牢獄、檻

３．”ation”　動詞を名詞化する接尾語

次に、マンション名に「カーサビアンカ」があるが何という意味かと訊いた。カーサが同じ発音だからである。

“casa"はイタリア語で「家」を意味し、”bianca”はイタリア語で「白い」の意味だと答えた。またCasaとcarcerは語源が違うそうだ。

ChatGPTの威力に圧倒された。

incarceration

The other day, I listened to a BBC program discussing ethnic issues between white people and Indigenous Australians. The narrator repeatedly used a word that sounded like "inkasoreishon." I tried to guess the correct spelling, such as "incarsoration" or "incasoration," but I couldn't find the right one.

I asked ChatGPT in Japanese, "What does 'inkasoreishon' mean in the context of Indigenous friction with white people?" The tool immediately replied:

"It is probable that the word is 'incarceration.' It means 'imprisonment' or 'custody.' It is used when referring to the issue concerning Indigenous Australians: The rate of imprisoned Indigenous Australians is much higher than that of non-Indigenous Australians."

In response to my question about the etymology of the word, it said:

1.    Latin 'in' meaning 'inside' or 'inner part'

2.    Latin 'carcer' meaning 'prison' or 'cage'

3.    'ation' is a suffix that turns a verb into a noun

I then asked in Japanese, "What does 'Kasabianka' mean?" I thought 'Kasa' in 'Kasabianka' and 'Kaso' in 'inkasoreishon' had similar pronunciations.

ChatGPT answered:

"'Casa' means 'house' in Italian, and 'bianca' means 'white' in Italian. The origins of the two words are different."

I was amazed by the incredible capabilities of ChatGPT.