talk the talk

Edward O. Wilsonの "The Creation" を読んでいます。
It was for me an influential bonding with a biologist immersed in an outwardly small yet endlessly intricate part of Earth's biodiversity. Archer was a professional, and he treated me as though I were one also. He gave me self-confidence. He taught me how to talk the talk of a real research scientist. He didn't care about wealth or fame; he cared about the classification and biology of spiders.
３月３日に "walk the talk" を取り上げたばかりですが、その時の "walk the talk" の印象からすると "talk the talk" は「口先ばかり達者」を直ぐに連想してしまいますが、上記の "talk the talk" の意味はその様な皮肉な意味では無いようです。辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Speak fluently or convincingly about something or in a way intended to please or impress others.: They talked the talk but when it came to the moment of truth they couldn't walk the walk.

・Collins Dictionary: to speak convincingly on a particular subject, showing apparent mastery of its jargon and themes; often used in combination with the expression walk the walk
この様な意味だと政治家が言う「説明責任を果たす」を連想しますが、長く政治家をやっている人の説明は、やはり私には口達者の印象しかありませんね。

closest call

Edward O. Wilsonの "The Creation" を読んでいます。
The most spectacular example is the black robin of the Chatham Islands, an archipelago east of New Zealand. By 1980 rats and feral cats introduced by settlers had had reduced the once abundant robins to just one breeding pair. Kept in caaptivity, "Old Yellow" mated and reared young, and their descendants have now been used to repopulate some of the original habitat on two of the islands. That was the closest call in conservation history.
"closest call" ですが、辞書で "close call" の説明を探します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: A narrow escape from danger or disaster.: the team had a close call in the preliminary group games

・Collins Dictionary: another expression for close shave

・Cambridge English Dictionary: a situation in which something bad, unpleasant, or dangerous almost happens, but you manage to avoid it: It was a close call for residents when a tornado swept through just west of the town.
なるほど、危機一髪でなんとか絶滅を逃れたのですね。

divided leaves

Edward O. Wilsonの "The Creation" を読んでいます。
Subjects in choice tests prefer their havitation to be a retreat, with a wall, cliff, or something else solid to the rear. They want a view of fruitful terrain in front of the retreat. They like large animals scattered thereabout, either wild or domestic. Finally, they favor trees with low horizontal branches and divided leaves. It is probably not a coincidence that some poople, I among them, consider the Japanese maple the world's most beautiful tree.
" divided leaves" の表現は初めて見ますが、その後に続く文に日本のもみじが一番美しい木だとあるので、もみじの葉のような形状の葉を示している事が分かります。辞書の "divided" の項に次の説明があります。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: of a leaf: cut into distinct parts by incisions extending to the base or to the midrib

・Collins Dictionary: botany another word for dissected
dissected: in the form of narrow lobes or segments: dissected leaves

・American Heritage Dictionary: Botany Having indentations extending to the midrib or base and forming distinct lobes: divided leaves.
"dissected leaves" とも言うのですね。

irrupt

Edward O. Wilsonの "The Creation" を読んでいます。
Around 1518, a plague of ants irrupted at the fledgling Spanish colony on Hispaniola. The event waqs witnessed by Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, exacting chronicler of Columbian America ("who promises before the divine work that everything said and reffered to is the truth") and defender of the Caribbean Indians
"irrupted" は文脈からすると「大発生した」の意味だと推測できますが、辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: (of a bird or other animal) migrate into an area in abnormally large numbers.：But climate change, restoration, biotechnology, and irrupting species have forced ecologists to consider what was, in order to imagine what ought to be.

・Collins Dictionary: (of a plant or animal population) to enter a region suddenly and in very large numbers
最近のニュースにもアフリカでバッタが大発生している事が報じられていましたね。

Second Coming

昆虫学者 Edward O. Wilsonの "The Creation" を読み始めました。
I am puzzled that so many religious leaders, who spiritually represent a large majority of people around the world, have hesitated to make protection of the Creation an important part of their magisterium. Do they believe that human-centered ethics and preparation for the afterlife are the only things that matter? Even more perplexing is the widespread conviction among Christians that the Second Coming is imminent, and that therefore the condition of the planet is of little consequence.
キリスト教信者の言う "Second Coming" とはキリストの再臨と推測できますが、英語でこの様な表現とは知らなかったので辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: The prophesied return of Christ to earth at the Last Judgment.: The Second Coming of Christ is largely a neglected subject in many churches.

・Collins Dictionary: When Christians refer to the second coming, they mean the expected return to Earth of Jesus Christ.

・Cambridge English Dictionary: the return of Jesus Christ to earth from heaven that Christians expect will happen one day

strike me pink

C.S. Lewis の小説 The Magician's Nephew を読んでいます。
"Good old Strawberry," said Polly. "I am glad he was one of the ones picked out to be a Talking Beast." And the Cabby, who was now standing beside the children, said, "Strike me pink. I always did say that 'oss 'ad a lot of sense, though."

"Strike me pink" とは一体何でしょうか？　辞書で調べます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: informal, dated British: Used to express astonishment or indignation: Every day I try to beat everyone else but, strike me pink, the number of times I was slowed down by some commuter bike getting in my way!

・Wiktionary: (dated) an exclamation of surprise: Why, strike me pink, I'd sooner drink
こういう古い言葉でもイギリスの子供達は分かるのでしょうね。
ところで、"'oss 'ad" はCabbyの訛りのある発音を表記しているので、これまでの表記から "horse had" を意味していると推測できます。

Valentine's Day

Reader's Digest 2月号の記事 'Laughter' からの引用です。
One morning, Emma woke up with a start. Her husband, Jim asked what the matter was.
"I had a dream that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine's Day," she said. "What could it mean?"
"You'll know tonight," Jim said shyly.
That evening, Jim came home with a small package for his wife. Emma ripped open the wrapping paper, tore into the box, and pulled out her gift--a book entitled The Meaning of Dreams.

You are a brick

C.S. Lewis の小説 The Magician's Nephew を読んでいます。
"Now's my chance," thought Digory. He darted between the horse and the railings and began going forward. If only the brute would stay still for a moment he might catch the Witch's heel. As he rushed, he heard a sickening crash and a thud. The Witch had brought the bar down on the chief policeman's helmet: the man fell like a nine-pin.

"Quick, Digory. This must be stopped," said a voice beside him. It was Polly, who had rushed down the moment she was allowed out of bed.

"You are a brick," said Digory. "Hold on to me tight. You'd have to manage the ring. Yellow, remember. And don't put it on till I shout."
"You are a brick" と言われても "brick" の意味はレンガしか知りません。辞書を見ます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: British informal, dated A generous, helpful, and reliable person.: “You are really a brick, Vi,” Gloria said.

・Wiktionary: A helpful and reliable person.: Thanks for helping me wash the car. You're a brick.

・Cambridge English Dictionary: a very helpful and kind person who can be trusted: Thanks for bringing all that food along to the party, Tony. You're a brick!
イギリス英語でしかも古い表現の様ですね。子供向けの話ですが、米国の子供たちもこの表現が直ぐに分かるのでしょうか？

I'm game

C.S. Lewis の小説 The Magician's Nephew を読み始めました。
"Why, it's the empty one. Daddy says it's always been empty since we came here."
"I suppose we ought to have a look at it then," said Digory. He was a good deal more excited than you'd have thought from the way he spoke. For of course he was thinking, just as you would have been, of all the reasons why the house might have been empty so long. So was Polly. Neither of them said the word "haunted". And both felt that once the thing had been suggested, it would be feeble not to do it.

"Shall we go and try it now?" said Digory.

"Alright," said Polly.

"Don't if you'd rather not," said Digory.

"I'm game if you are," said she.
"I'm game" ですが、この後結局 PollyはDigoryと共に行動するので、反対しているのではない事は確かです。
辞書で意味を調べます。

・Oxford English Dictionary: Eager or willing to do something new or challenging.: They were game for anything after the traumas of Monday.

・Collins Dictionary: If you are game for something, you are willing to do something new, unusual, or risky.: After all this time he still had new ideas and was game to try them.

・Cambridge English Dictionary: willing to do things that are new, difficult, or that involve risks: It was a difficult challenge, but Roberta was game.

riparian system

The Japan Times Feb.12, 2020のオピニオン記事 'Saving the world’s dying rivers' の次に示すサブタイトルに見慣れない単語がありました。
International cooperation can save riparian systems, but first we must recognize the consequences of doing nothing.
本文内にはこの "riparian" はどこにも出てきませんが、次に示す最初のパラグラフに "riparian systems" を言い換えたと思える表現 "river systems" ありました。
From the Tigris to the Indus and the Yangtze to the Nile, rivers were essential to the emergence of human civilization. Millenniums later, hundreds of millions of people still depend on rivers to quench their thirst, grow food, and make a living. And yet we are rapidly destroying the planet’s river systems, with serious implications for our economies, societies, and even our survival.
"riparian" を辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary:

Law: Relating to or situated on the banks of a river.: all the riparian states must sign an agreement
Ecology: Relating to wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams.: the ranch's most expansive riparian habitat

・Vocabulary.com: Riparian refers to anything located on or related to the banks of a river, such as riparian wildlife.
The roots of the word riparian are related to rivers, and that's exactly what this word refers to: riparian things have something to do with the banks of a river or stream. A person selling fishing lures by the river has a riparian business. A frog that lives by the river bank is a riparian critter. A riparian state is located alongside a river.