Simplifying Life ch01-1 -- The Pilots (annotated)

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Michel and Danielle stood with their luggage piled on a hand truck at the edge of the tarmac, looking around at the small airport. They had just arrived on the only regular flight to the island airport. There was one more long hop to their final destination, and it was scheduled on a local chartered flight.
[Michel: 男性の名前、「ミ・チェル」や「ミ・シェル」という]
[Danielle: 女性の名前、「ダ・ニ・エール」という感じの発音]
[stand, stood, stood: 立つ、立った、立った状態の]
[luggage piled on ...: …に詰められた荷物]
[hand truck: 荷台、荷車]
[tarmac: （俗）タールマック、ターマック（タールを舗装した）滑走路（商品名から）]
[around: 周りを、周りに]
[regular flight: 航空の定期便]
[long hop: 長距離飛行 (反論的意味、"hop" => 「片足飛び」)]
[local: 局地の]
[chartered flight: 特別予約飛行]

Their supervising professor had introduced them to each other just a year ago, and had suggested they work together on their advanced degree projects. They were both studying island cultures, and they both needed to do research fieldwork.
[supervising professor: 指導教授、指導教官]
[introduce: 紹介させる]
[suggest: 提案する、勧める]
[advanced degree: 修士号や博士号などの学士号より上の上級学位]
[both: 二人どちらも（双方、両方）]
[island cultures: 島文化、島国文化]
[fieldwork: フィールドワーク（野外研究、実地調査）]

So their professor had suggested they cooperate. If they did their fieldwork at the same island locations, they could back each other up when they had trouble.
[cooperate: 協力する、協同する]
[each other: お互い様]
[back each other up: お互いの後方を守る、お互いを助ける]

They found it easy to work together, and getting their plans to mesh hadn't been too hard, although they added plans for service projects to fill in time they might be waiting for each other.
[find, found, found: 見つかる、見つけた、見つかる状態の]
[find it easy to ...: …が結局用意に、楽にできる]
[mesh: 網目（網目に作る）]
[get ... to mesh: かみ合いになってもらう、噛み合わせる]
[add: 加える]
[service project: 奉仕活動]
[fill in time: 暇の空きを埋める]

Now they were on their way to their first island.
[be on ... way: （道についている）道の途中]

So they looked around the tiny airport, trying to find their charter company. Asking airline staff had produced only puzzled looks, shaken heads, and nods in various directions.
[tiny: 極端に小さい、ちっぽけな、ちっちゃな]
[produce: （生み出す）結果を出す]
[puzzled looks: （惑わされた表情）不思議そうな顔]
[shake ... head: 頭を（否定に）振る]
[nod: 頭を（肯定の意味に）縦に振る]

Their professor had told them that the only charter company available was small, and not very professional, but the responses when they asked were surprising. It was as if no one they talked to knew about any charter company.
[only ... available: 唯一の予約や取引ができる…]
[responses: 反応の複数]
[surprising: 仰天させる、驚きを起こす]
[as if ...: まる…のよう]
[know, knew, known: 知っている、知り尽くしている、知られている状態]
[no one ... knew: 誰も知らなかった]

The airport cleared out as the passengers on the regular flight went their various ways. The flight crew finished up post-flight checks, secured the plane, and left for their quarters or the local canteen.
[clear out: （澄んで行く）その場にいる人が去っていく]
[go ... ways: その道に（去って）行く]
[finish up: 完了させる]
[post-flight checks: 航空後の診査、状態の確認]
[secure: 固定する、安全を固める、戸締りして鍵をかける]
[quarters: 寝泊まり（部屋）、居所、宿泊、住い]
[local canteen: 近所の飲み屋]

Finally, there was no one left in the airport but a couple of rough-looking characters lounging in a corner in some shade.
[no one left but ...: …以外は誰も残っていない]
[a couple of ...: …の２つ組、…の二人組み]
[rough-looking character: 人格がざらざらそうな人物、乱暴そうなもの、ごろつき]

"I guess we should try asking those two over there?" Michel suggested.
[guess: 当てずっぽく考える]
[those two: あの二人]

Danielle's eyes rounded. "I'll wait here and cover your back," she joked.
[cover ... back: 後ろ盾になる、後方を守る]

Michel nodded and half-smiled. "That actually might not be a bad idea."
[actually: 実は]

Danielle shook her head. "Just kidding. Let's go with safety in numbers."
[shake, shook, shaken: 振る、振った]
[kid: （やぎの子が遊ぶように）ふざける]
[go with ...: …で行きましょう]
[safety in numbers: 人数による安全]

So they walked over to the rough pair, pushing the hand truck in front of them, and Michel asked, "Do you speak Manganese?"
[Manganese: マンガン語（マンガンの国や民族の言葉）]

[Manganese is the language which Michel and Danielle speak. I know. It's a metal. I'll tell you more about that, later.]
[metal: 金属]

"What's it to ya?"
[ya => you]
[（きみらに関係あるもんか？）それはどうした？]

Michel blinked and looked closer. Not only was the voice feminine, but on closer examination the roguish person he had addressed was, indeed, a woman. He glanced at Danielle and read surprise in her face, as well. The way she was dressed, and the way she carried herself, one would never guess she was not male.
[not only A but B: Aだけではなく、Bも、AところかB]
[look closely: 細かいところを見る]
[look closer: 見直す]
[feminine: 女性流]
[examination: 調査、検閲など]
[roguish: 荒っぽい、悪漢の]
[address: （に）話しかける]
[indeed: 実際に]
[glance at ...: …をちらっと見る]
[read (リード), read (レッド), read (レッド): 読む、読んだ、読まれる状態の]
[read surprise in her face: 彼女の顔を見て、びっくりしていることがわかる（注意：文法によって過去形です。）]
[way ... dressed: …の服装]
[way ... carried ...self: …の身振り]
[one: 人（代名詞用法）]
[would never guess ...: …だと検討つかない]

Michel continued, "Uhm, we've scheduled a charter flight and we were wondering whether you'd know where the company is."
[uhm, ...: あの…]
[wonder whether ...: （不思議がった気持ちで）…について伺う]
[where ... is: （…がどこにあるか、）…の在り処]

"That would be us. I'm Beta and this is my partner, Omega. You must be Dan, and your girlfriend must be Michelle."
[that would be ...: …だと思う]
[must be ...: …になるでしょう]
[Dan: "Daniel"（ダ・ニエル）という男性の名前のニックネーム]
[Michelle: 女性の名前（「ミ・シェール」という）]

[Translating the names was difficult. I had to take some liberties. I hope you don't mind.]
[translating ... was difficult: …を訳すに苦労した]
[take liberties (with): 勝手に扱う（=>勝手に訳す）]
[hope ...: …だといいと思う]
[mind: 気にする]
[I hope you don't mind.: お構いなしにしていただければ。]

"I'll get your bags," Omega offered.
[bags: 荷物 (baggage)]
[I'll get ...: …を任せて下さい]
[offer: 差し上げる]

"Where's your plane?" asked Michel.
[plane: airplane]

"Oh, yeah," said Omega. "I knew we were forgetting something. You guys wait here with your bags and we'll go get the plane out of the hangar." And they headed out across the airstrip to a building that looked too small to contain an airplane.
[Oh, yeah.: やっぱり。そうだった。]
[forgetting: 忘れっ放しにしている]
[you guys: きみら]
[hangar: 飛行機の格納庫]
[head: 向かっていく]
[airstrip: 滑走路]
[too small to contain ...: …を格納するに小さすぎる]

"You're not going to correct them." Danielle was not asking.
[correct: 直す、訂正する]

"No. I wish there were a constable around."
[constable: 警官や巡査などの治安関係の公務員ん]
[around: 周辺に]

"No constables, either."
[(There are no ... either.): …すら無い]

Omega called out across the strip as they went inside the putative hangar, "Hey, if you guys want to hang around and explore the town before heading out, we don't mind."
[call out: 声あげる]
[across ...: …の向こう（から、へ）]
[putative ...: …と考えられるもの、推定上の…]
[hang: ぶら下がる]
[hang around: （その近辺に）ぶらつく、うろつく]
[head out: （外へ向かう、）出かける]
[We don't mind.: （我々は）構いません。]

"No thanks, our professor is waiting for us."

"Well, it will take us a couple of hours to get the plane ready, so you might as well look around. The luggage will be okay where it is."
[take (time): 時間がかかる]
[get ... ready: …の用意を済ます]
[might as well ...: …でもすればいいでしょう]
[where ... is: …の在る場所（で）]

Omega walked into the shade of the hangar and started working the doors open. "She says their professor is waiting for them," he said, nodding absently.
[shade: 日陰（のあるところ）]
[work: 操作する、動作する、いじる]
[start working ... open: …を空けることにとりかかる]
[says ...: …と言っている]
[absent: 欠席]
[nodding absently: ぼんやりとうなずいて]

"Waiting for them, huh?" was Beta's response as she ducked beneath his arms, slipped through the hangar doors, and went to the airplane inside.
[..., huh?: …か？、…ね。]
[duck beneath ...: …の下を通り抜ける]
[slip through ...: …をくぐる（滑り通る、さっさと通る）]

On the other side of the airstrip, Michel and Danielle discussed what they should do.
[discuss: 話し合う、相談する]
[what they should do: するべきこと]

Danielle was not comfortable with the situation. "I want to make sure those two really are our charter pilots."
[not comfortable: 気持ち悪い、不快に思って、納得できない]
[situation: 様子、有様、立場、状態]
[make sure: 確認する]

"I do, too. Should we take the luggage with us?"

"How?"
[どうやって？]

"Good question."

Michel ran over to the hangar and asked, "Are you sure the luggage is safe there?"
[run, ran run: 走る、走った、走られた状態]
[run over: わたる]
[be sure that ...: …だと確実に思う、確信する]
[Are you sure?: 本当に思うんですか？]
[is (will be) safe: 安全なの、大丈夫なの]

"No less safe than anywhere else on this island," Omega replied with a shrug. Beta was in the cockpit with a list, running through the pre-flight checks, and Omega was checking the things she read out.
[no less safe than ...: …よりも危険なのではない]
[anywhere else: 他の場所]
[with a shrug: 肩をすくめて]
[cockpit: 操縦席]
[run through ...: …を行き通す（診通す）]
[check ...: …を確認する]
[read out: （声をあげて）読み出す（注意：文法によって過去形です。）]

"That's somehow not very reassuring."
[somehow: どうにか、どうも（否定的文法に）]
[reassure: （更に）安心させる]
[not reassuring: 安心に思えない]

"It's out of the way where it is now. We'll keep an eye on it, go get yourselves some lunch. You might want to get some tamales for dinner, too. It's a long flight."
[out of the way: （道から外れている状態=>）邪魔にならない（場所など）]
[keep an eye on ...: …を看ておく（見守る）]
[get lunch: 昼ご飯を（手に入れる）食べる]
[you might want to ...: …が望ましいかも知れない]
[tamales: タマレス（主にトウモロコシ粉を使った南米風の蒸しパン。肉入りも、豆煎りも、チーズ入りもある。）]
[get ... for dinner: 夕飯のために手に入れる]

[We'll call them tamales. The grain was like corn, and the meat somewhat like beef, and the beans, well, they were legumes by most definitions. Tomatoes? Onions? The flavors were a bit different, but the recipe and the overall effect was similar -- in my opinion, anyway.]
[We'll call them tamales.: タマレスといいましょう。]
[like ...: …のよう（なもの）]
[well,: さて、]
[legume: 豆類]
[by most definitions: 一般の考え方によっては]
[flavors: （それぞれの）味]
[a bit different: やや違う]
[recipe: 調理法、作り方]
[overall effect: （全体の）結果的には]
[similar: 同様、似た]
[in my opinion, anyway: まあ、自分の考えでは]

He returned to where Danielle was waiting, and reported the conversation.
[conversation: 会話（の内容）]

With not much else for options, they decided to follow Omega's advice.
[not much else: あまり他にない]
[option: 選択肢、選ぶ道]
[follow advice: （助言に従う）勧めたとおりにする]

Copyright 2016, Joel Matthew Rees

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