Invariably I took refuge in the argument that I was a foreigner, that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers, and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.（The Purple Land by W. H. Hudson）
英文を前から読んでいくために、語句のかたまりを作ります。こんな具合に課題文をスラッシュ（斜め線）で区切ります（スラッシュリーディング）。語句のかたまりを意識すると、リスニングで英語の意味をつかむのが楽になります。
Invariably I took refuge in the argument／（接続詞の前）that I was a foreigner,／（接続詞の前）that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers,／（接続詞の前）and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál／（主語が文頭にないときの主語の前）I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.
語句のかたまりを前から訳していきます。
Invariably I took refuge in the argument
いつも私は、（〜という）主張を逃げ道にした
that I was a foreigner,
私は外国人だという
that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers,
私は彼女に負けないほどの強い気持ちで祖国を愛しているという
and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál
そして、バンダ・オリエンタルで武器をとることによって
I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.
ただちにイングランド人の権利と特権をすべて手放すことになるという
Invariably I took refuge in the argument that I was a foreigner, that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers, and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.
I took refuge in the argument→ take refuge in〜 =「〜に逃げ道を求める」
with an ardour equal to hers→ equal to〜 =「〜と等しい」、hers = her ardour
taking arms =「武器をとること」。arms =「武器、兵器」
Invariably I took refuge in the argument that I was a foreigner, that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers, and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.
いつも私は、自分は外国人だし、彼女に負けないほどの強い気持ちで祖国を愛しているし、バンダ・オリエンタルで武器をとれば、ただちにイングランド人の権利と特権をすべて手放すことになるという主張を逃げ道にした。
Invariably I took refuge in the argument that I was a foreigner, that I loved my country with an ardour equal to hers, and that by taking arms in the Banda Orientál I should at once divest myself of all an Englishman’s rights and privileges.
同格のthat =「〜という―」
今回の課題文には the argument を説明するための「同格のthat」が３つ使われています。
the argument ― that I was a foreigner
― that I loved my country〜
― that by taking arms〜
動画の後半部分でリスニング用音声が流れます。
