
We passed through a pretty valley, and some woods of tropical shrubs, with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves, and by many huts and cottages, inhabited mostly by blacks, who seemed very much astonished at our appearance. (A Voyage round the World by W.H.G. Kingston)
動画の後半部分でリスニング用音声が流れます。
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。
We passed through a pretty valley,/(接続詞の前)and some woods of tropical shrubs,/(前置詞の前)with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves,/(接続詞の前)and by many huts and cottages,/(過去分詞の前)inhabited mostly by blacks,/(関係代名詞の前)who seemed very much astonished at our appearance.
語句のかたまりを前から訳していきます。
We passed through a pretty valley,
私たちはきれいな谷間を通り抜けた
and some woods of tropical shrubs,
そして、熱帯の低木の森をいくつか(通り抜けた)
with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves,
その幅広い扇形の葉の下から青い海が見える
and by many huts and cottages,
そして、何軒もの小屋や小さな家の近く(を通った)
inhabited mostly by blacks,
主に黒人が住んでいる
who seemed very much astonished at our appearance.
彼らは私たちの出現にとても驚いているようだった
We passed through a pretty valley, and some woods of tropical shrubs, with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves, and by many huts and cottages, inhabited mostly by blacks, who seemed very much astonished at our appearance.
with the blue sea visible→ with+●(名詞)+▲(形容詞)= ●を▲の状態にして、●が▲の状態で(付帯状況)
inhabited mostly by blacks→ being が省略された分詞構文です。意味上の主語である many huts and cottages を説明しています。
私たちはきれいな谷間と、熱帯の低木の森をいくつか通り抜けた。木々の幅広い扇形の葉の下からは青い海が見えた。そして、何軒もの小屋や小さな家の近くを通ったが、そこには主に黒人が住んでおり、彼らは私たちの出現にとても驚いているようだった。
今回の課題文の英文の構造を解説します。
We passed through a pretty valley, and some woods of tropical shrubs, with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves, and by many huts and cottages, inhabited mostly by blacks, who seemed very much astonished at our appearance.
through a pretty valley
We passed< (through)some woods of tropical shrubs
by many huts and cottages
→「私たち」が通過した場所が列挙されています。
with the blue sea visible beneath their broad, fan-like leaves は森の情景描写で、inhabited〜 は many huts and cottages についての説明です。
