(2)
One way to help save a friendship in trouble is to keep in touch. When we think a friend has done something that hurt our feelings, our first response may be to cut off contact. However, it may be better to swallow our pride and avoid doing that. For example, Mary watched her friend Susan’s children every week until Susan finished night school and graduated. But after that, Mary did not hear from Susan for several months. So, she felt that Susan had been just using her. She decided not to talk to her any more. In the end, however, Mary forced herself to ignore her own feelings and told Susan about her disappointment. Susan immediately apologized and told her that she had been just trying to catch up with things after completing her studies. Susan would never have known there was a problem if Mary had not mentioned it. Not cutting off contact, even when we may be angry, is very important for maintaining good relationships.
問2 Which of the following is closest to the meaning of swallow our pride in paragraph (2)? [ 48 ]
① Give our thanks to someone
② Hold back our feelings
③ Realize that problems happen
④ Stop seeing someone
【解答・解説】
[番號付英文]
2.1 One way to help save a friendship in trouble is to keep in touch.
2.2 When we think a friend has done something that hurt our feelings, our first response may be to cut off contact.
2.3 However, it may be better to swallow our pride and avoid doing that.
2.4 For example, Mary watched her friend Susan’s children every week until Susan finished night school and graduated.
2.5 But after that, Mary did not hear from Susan for several months.
2.6 So, she felt that Susan had been just using her.
2.7 She decided not to talk to her any more.
2.8 In the end, however, Mary forced herself to ignore her own feelings and told Susan about her disappointment.
2.9 Susan immediately apologized and told her that she had been just trying to catch up with things after completing her studies.
2.10 Susan would never have known there was a problem if Mary had not mentioned it.
2.11 Not cutting off contact, even when we may be angry, is very important for maintaining good relationships.
[設問]
問2 Which of the following is closest to the meaning of swallow our pride in paragraph (2)? [ 48 ]
① Give our thanks to someone(誰かに感謝する)
② Hold back our feelings(自分の感情を抑へる)
③ Realize that problems happen(問題が發生すると氣づく)
④ Stop seeing someone(誰かに會ふのを止める)
[正答へのアプロウチ]
・2.8がヒントになります。自分の感情を抑へて自分の氣持を傳へたことが記されてゐます。
[解答]
②
[語句・構文等]
2.1 keep in touch (with ~) (~と)接觸を保つ
2.2 cut off ~ (關係)を斷つ
2.3 swallow one's pride 自尊心を抑へる
2.4 for example たとへば
2.5 hear from ~ ~から聯絡をもらふ
2.7 not ~ any more もはや~ない
2.8 in the end 結局
2.8 force~to-不定詞(…) ~に…するやう強要する
2.9 catch up with ~ ~に追ひつく/~に後れずついて行く
2.10 假定法過去完了を用ゐた文です。「もし~した(/であつた)ならば、…であつたらう」といつたやうに、過去の事實とは異なる事態を假定して、その結果を想像する文體です。後悔や殘念に思ふ氣持、避難などを表はすこともあります。この文體については、2011年6月15日付の拙稿(「假定法の讀み方(8)」に解説や例文があります。畫面右の Back Numbers で該當の月・年をクリックし、Calendar で該當日をクリックしてご利用ください
2.11 cut off ~ (關係)を斷つ
② hold back one's feelings 感情を抑へる
[意味把握チェック]
2.1 もめてゐる友人關係の修復に役立つひとつの方法は接觸を保つことである。
2.2 友人が(私たちの)感情を害ふやうなことをしたと思ふと、私たちの最初の對應は接觸を斷つことかもしれない。
2.3 しかし、私たちの自尊心を抑へ、そんなことをするのを避けるはうが良いかもしれない。
2.4 例へば、Mary が、友達の Susan が夜學を了へて卒業するまで毎週子どもたちを見守つた(としよう)。
2.5 でもその後何ケ月も Susan からは音沙汰なしだつた。
2.6 それで Mary は Susan がただ自分を利用してゐただけだつたのだと感じた。
2.7 Mary はもう彼女と口をきかないことにした。
2.8 しかし、結局 Maryは自身の感情を強ひて顧みず、Susan に自分ががつかりしたことを傳へた。
2.9 Susan はすぐに詫びて、勉強を了へた後の雜用(/あれやこれや)に追ひつかうとしてゐただけだと話した。
2.10 もし Mary が問題があることを述べなかつたなら、Susan にはそのことは決してわからなかつただらう。
2.11 良い友人關係を維持するためには、たとへ怒つてゐる時でも、接觸を斷たないことがとても大切なのである。