The Tower of London - Section 015 Study Guide

Practice text with full furigana

Yow that the beasts do wel behold and se,

May deme with ease wherefore here made they be

Withe borders wherein ……………………………………

4 brothers' names who list to serche the grovnd.

おんなはこのうまれてから今日きょうまで毎日まいにち日課にっかとして暗誦あんしょうしたように一種いっしゅ口調くちょうをもってじゅおわったじつうとかべにあるははなはだ見悪みにくのごときものはくびひねって一字いちじめそうにない。余はますますこの女をあやしくおも

気味きみわるくなったからとおぎてさきける銃眼じゅうがんのあるかど滅茶苦茶めちゃくちゃつづられた模様もようだか文字もんじだかわからないなかに、ただしきかくで、ちいさジェーン」と書いてある。余はおぼえずそのまえ立留たちどまった英国えいこく歴史れきしを読んだものでジェーン・グレーらぬものはあるまい。またその薄命はくめい無残むざん最後さいご同情どうじょうなみだそそがぬ者はあるまい。ジェーンは義父ぎふ所天おっと野心やしんのために十八じゅうはちねん春秋しゅんじゅうつみなくして惜気おしげもなく刑場けいじょうったにじられたる薔薇ばらしべよりがたとおちて、今にいたまでひもと者をゆかしがらせる希臘ギリシャかいプレートーを読んで一代いちだい碩学せきがくアスカムをしてしたかしめたる逸事いつじは、この詩趣ししゅある人物じんぶつ想見そうけんする好材料こうざいりょうとして何人なんびと脳裏のうりにも保存ほぞんせらるるであろう。余はジェーンの名の前に立留ったぎりうごかない。動かないと云うよりむしろ動けない。空想くうそうまくはすでにあいている。

Rough translation

"Yow that the beasts do wel behold and se,"

"May deme with ease wherefore here made they be"

"Withe borders wherein ................................................"

"4 brothers' names who list to serche the grovnd."

She read it through in the sort of tone that seemed to say she'd recited it daily from birth. Truth be told, the writing on the wall was terribly hard to discern. To one like myself, try as I might, tilting my head this way and that, the words were indecipherable. I found the woman all the more enigmatic.

Having grown uncomfortable, I slipped past and went on ahead. At a corner with crenels, in a mass of disorderly scrawls was "Jane," scribed with careful strokes in small-form letters. My feet brought me to a stop. There's likely not a soul among students of English history to whom the name Jane Grey is not known. Rare is the soul, too, who hasn't shed a tear of sympathy for her sad fate and tragic end. Jane, owing to the ambitions of her father-in-law and husband, was led to the execution grounds, without fault and free from spite, at the age of just eighteen. A rose may be trampled, but the fragrance of the pistil persists, even from afar. In like manner, students of history, even to this day, are enthralled with Jane. It's told that she mastered Greek to read Plato, and in doing so rendered Ascham, the greatest scholar of her day, speechless. This tale, residing in the minds of so many, serves well to portray her poetic gift. I stopped in front of her name, and there I remained. In fact, I should rather state that I was powerless to move further. The curtains of fancy had already drawn apart.

Vocabulary

おんな woman passages; versesうまれてから from birth今日きょう today; this day毎日まいにち every day; each day日課にっか daily routine暗誦あんしょうした recited from memory一種いっしゅの a certain kind of口調くちょう tone (of voice)じゅおわった read through to the endじつうと to tell the truth; in all honestyかべ wall letters; words見悪みにくい difficult to make out I (archaic)くび head; neckひねって twist; turn一字いちじ a single wordめそう can manage to readあやしく strange; dubiousおもう think of; regard (as) 気味きみわるくなった had become ill at ease; had grown uncomfortableとおぎて pass byさき aheadける pass through銃眼じゅうがん embrasure; crenel; loophole (opening for firing from within)かど cornerる emerge; appear滅茶苦茶めちゃくちゃに recklessly; in disorderつづられた written en masse模様もよう pattern; design文字もんじ lettersわからない can't discern; can't tellなか middle; midstただしき correctly; properly; neatlyかく strokes; marksちいさく in small formジェーン Janeおぼえず unwittingly; in spite of oneselfまえ front of立留たちどまった came to a stop英国えいこく England歴史れきし historyジェーン・グレー Jane Grey nameらぬ not know; not be familiar withもの person薄命はくめい misfortune; sad fate無残むざんの cruel; tragic最後さいご ending; finish同情どうじょう sympathy; compassionなみだ tearsそそがぬ not shed (tears)義父ぎふ father-in-law所天おっと husband野心やしん ambition十八じゅうはちねん eighteen years春秋しゅんじゅう months and years; seasonsつみなくして without fault惜気おしげもなく ungrudgingly; free of spite刑場けいじょうった was taken to (her) place of executionにじられたる trampled underfoot薔薇ばら roseしべ pistil (of a flower)がたき hard to extinguish; ever-lingering scent; fragranceとおちて stand off in the distanceいたる reach; arrive at historyひもとく peruse; work throughゆかしがらせる charm; draw praise希臘ギリシャ Greek (language)かいし understand; appreciateプレートー Plato一代いちだい generation; lifetime碩学せきがく great scholar; man of eruditionアスカム Roger Ascham (1515 – 1568; English scholar and didactic writer)したかしめたる left stupefied; confounded逸事いつじ anecdote詩趣ししゅある poetical人物じんぶつ figure; personage想見そうけんする see in one's mind's eye; picture; conjure up好材料こうざいりょう good material; useful reference何人なんびと any number of people脳裏のうり one's mind保存ほぞんせらるる be stored; be tucked away (= 保存ほぞんせられる)うごかない not move; remain fixed空想くうそう daydream; fantasy; fancyまく curtain