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Gould の英文がわかりわせん

Steven Jay Gould, Questioning the Millennium (Vintage) からの一節です。サヴァン症候群のひとたちに特有の日付を言えば曜日がわかるという特殊な能力についての話で、その結語として次の文章があるのですが、訳を読んでもいまひとつわかりませんでした。この本のこの章はとても感動的な話で、この箇所はぜひしっかりと記憶にとどめておきたいと思っているので、文脈がないとわかりづらいとは思いますが、ぜひ御教示おねがいします。 May we all make such(1) excellent use of our special skills, whatever and however limited they may be, as we pursue the most noble of all our mental activities in(2) trying to make sense of this wonderful world, and(3) the small part we must play in the history of life.(p.179) 1) この such はそのあとの as と関連しているのでしょうか。それとも as は「のときに」といった意味でしょうか。 2) この in はどこにかかるのでしょうか。またどのような意味なのでしょうか 3) この and 何と何をつないでいるのでしょうか。this wonderful world とthe small part でいいのでしょうか。 できる範囲で試訳を提示すべきところですが、文章の核になるところがわからないので、でっち上げると「われわれがみんな、このすばらしい世界、そしてわれわれが生命の歴史において演じなければならない小さな役割を理解しようとして、われわれの精神活動の中でももっとも高貴な活動を追求するといったすぐれた目的のためにわれわれの特殊技能を、それが何であれまた以下に限定されたものであれ、利用できればいいのに」となって自分でもよくわからないのです。よろしくおねがいします。

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回答No.2

1) このsuchは前の文脈を指すのでは? make such excellent use of ~ で「~をそのようににすばらしく活用する」ということでしょう。後ろのasは「~するときに」だと思います。 2) in trying to ~ で「~しようとして」。pursue an activity は「活動を追求する」では意味がはっきりしませんが、「活動を行なっていく」くらいに取ればいいと思います。「~しようとして、最も高貴な精神活動を行なっていく」ということになりますが、内容的には、「このすばらしい世界や我々の役割を理解しようとすること」それ自体が「高貴な精神活動」だと言っているのではないでしょうか。 3) お説のとおりだと思います。 日本語として読みやすくなるように、訳文を整えてみました。やや拙速ぎみですが。 「我々はこのすばらしい世界の意味を、また生命の歴史の中で我々が果たさなければならないささやかな役割の意味を理解しようとする。それは我々の精神活動の中で最も高貴なものであるが、それを行なっていくに当たり、だれもが、サヴァン症候群の人々のように、自分の持っている特別の能力を高度に活用できればいいと私は願う。その能力がどんなものか、どんなに限定されたものであるかは、問題ではないのだ。」

kojuso
質問者

お礼

回答ありがとうございました。頭がだいぶすっきりしました。

その他の回答 (2)

  • Krysta
  • ベストアンサー率47% (17/36)
回答No.3

1)such excellent use で、「こんな素晴らしい使い方」この文章よりも前段を指します。先の回答者の方々のとおり。 但し、例えば英語の和訳の問題で出題されているような場合には、NO1の方のように「だから」とするのは訳し過ぎと言われる危険が高いと思われます。 2)in trying to ... で、「...しようとする上で」すなわち、inはその後全部にかかっている。 3)make sense of A and B というかたちの「and」、つまり質問者の方の解釈どおりで正しい。 です。 ご参考まで。

kojuso
質問者

お礼

回答ありがとうございました。みなさんほぼ同じ回答だったので、解釈に確信をもつことができました。

noname#2755
noname#2755
回答No.1

私たちは、この素晴らしき世界の意味を、また生命の歴史において自分が演じなければならない小さな役割の意味を求めようとして、自分の精神活動のうちの最も気高きものを追求するのだから、何であれ、またどれほど限られたものであったとしても、自分の特別な能力をそのように素晴らしく使うことができればと願う。 という訳ではどうでしょうか。 1)suchはこの部分でなく、前段の内容を受けるものと理解しました。また、意味は「~だから」としました。 2)in trying to~とつなげて理解して、「~しようとする中において」、と訳しました。 3)wonderful world 「と」 the small part の意味、という風に理解しました。 詳しい方のフォローを待ちたいと思いますが。

kojuso
質問者

お礼

回答ありがとうございました。頭の中がちょっとすっきりしました。

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