英語学習はウェルネスの強力なツールです。ということで、英語学習しましょう。いろいろな素材から学ぶことで、飽きなかったり、表現や語彙が偏らなかったりとメリットがあると思うので、この記事も英語学習素材の一つとして見てもらえればいいと思います。
先日、アニメ「片田舎のおっさん、剣聖になる」（From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman）を観始めようと思い、第1話の再生を開始しました。すると、おじいさん（Mordea Gardinant）が英語で話し始めました。確認してみると、このアニメ、Amazon Prime Video では9ヶ国語の音声と20ヶ国語の字幕が用意されており、使用言語を英語に設定していたため、英語音声で再生されたようです。せっかくなので、英語学習を兼ねてこのまま英語で観ることにしました。ということで、一つのエピソードをいくつか（5分くらい）に分けてみていきましょう。
今回も前回に引き続き Season 1, Episode 1 です。残念ながら、Prime Video では英語音声と英語字幕が一致していないのに加え、ネットで探しても台本が見当たりませんでした。そこで、実際に話されている音と一緒に学習できるよう、英語音声を文字に起こしています。また、物語を理解したり、実際に英語を使ったりするための（個人的な）ポイントを場面ごとに確認しています。日本語訳はアニメに字幕があるのと、日本語を介さずに英語を理解できたほうがいいということで、記載していません。もし誤りがありましたら、問い合わせフォームよりお知らせいただけると幸いです。
私自身が実際に勉強する中で思ったこと、勉強のやり方：
このエントリだけではなく、アニメを観ながら勉強する場合は、はじめに英語音声・字幕なしで観てみることをおすすめします。よく聞き取れなかったところについて、自分で内容を予想する前に答え（スクリプト）を確認してしまうと、聞き取った音から内容を予測する力が養われにくいし、どこが聞き取れなかったのか曖昧になりがちだからです。また、なんて言っているか予想する「挑戦のフェーズ」が無いことで、学習の主体性を欠き、つまらないと感じ、飽きやすくなってしまいます。そして、使いたいフレーズ、聞き取れるようになりたいフレーズはキャラクターになりきって繰り返し発音してみましょう。自分で発音できることは聞き取ることもできます。そんなふうに1エントリ分の区間（5分くらい）を一通り流したら、再度その区間を英語音声・字幕無しで観てみます。きっと1回目に観たときよりもしっかり聞き取れるようになってて嬉しいはず。
では、アニメも楽しみながら一緒に頑張りましょう！
An Old Country Bumpkin Goes to the Capital
06:19-
Beryl: [Why is this happening to me?] I see you’re still using that sword.
Allucia: Yes.
Beryl: [This is a sword that I gift all students who graduate from my dojo.] I’m pleased that you’re taking good care of it. You can find a sword like this at any village blacksmith. Surely it isn’t suitable for a Knight Commander.
Allucia: No. This is the exact sword that I want.
Beryl: [Oh, I see what’s going on. As a child, one feels that their master is far superior to themselves. Allucia must still feel the same way. I appreciate that, but I’m just an old guy past his prime and definitely not apt to be a special instructor.]
Allucia: I’m so looking forward to this. The backwater—excuse me—the Swordmaster of the Regent is going to the capital to be successful.
Beryl: Swordmaster. Who are you talking about?
Allucia: You! The backwater Swordmaster. You’re well known in the world of swordsmanship as having produced numerous famed knights and famed adventurers. Although I’m not particularly happy with the rude epithet.
Beryl: Oh, I see. [I’m sure that only Allucia says things like that.]
Allucia: I take pride that I’ve prepared a stage that reflects your caliber. I’ll work on improving myself every day to become a presence worthy of you.
Beryl: Hm? Didn’t you say something?
Allucia: No, it’s really nothing.
Beryl: Hey, I see the capital, Baltrain. I wonder how many years it’s been since I visited. Oh, yeah, I have to buy souvenirs.
- gift
（動詞で）贈呈する - village blacksmith
村の鍛冶屋 - be past one’s prime
（人が）最盛期を過ぎている - apt to
ふさわしい、適切な ≒ fit to, suitable for - backwater
田舎、辺境 - the Swordmaster of the Regent
摂政おかかえの剣聖
Regent = 摂政（王に代わって国政を行う権力者） - not particularly happy with ~
〜をあまり快く思っていない ≒ not especially fond of - take pride in ~
～を誇りに思っている - work on improving myself
自分磨きをする、自己研鑽する - a presence worthy of you
あなたに見合う存在
presence: 存在感、いること
worthy of ~: ～に値する
Allucia: Well, I’ll come get you tomorrow morning. So please get some rest at this inn for tonight.
Beryl: Okay, thank you. [There are a lot of people and so many stores. It’s bright even at night. I guess that’s the city for you.] I feel out of place.
Allucia: …and for those reasons, from now on, we will have Lord Gardinant act as a special instructor to the Liberian Order. Please note that Lord Gardinant is so strong that even I am no match for him. So Master, please say a few words.
Beryl: [This is all a bit too much for me.] Thank you so much for the introduction. I am Beryl Gardinant. I am not exactly sure how much my skills are going to be of service to you all, but I promise to try my very best. Thank you.
A member of the Order: (To Henbritz) Do you think he’ll actually be good?
Allucia: Just as I expected, Master Beryl, that was an excellent greeting.
As was in the document I gave you, we’d like you to instruct three or four times a month. That way, it will have little effect on your instruction at the dojo.
Beryl: Yeah, I guess so.
Curuni: Master! Master, it has been so long.
Allucia: Curuni, a knight should not ever run in vain.
Curuni: Yes, ma’am.
Beryl: Curuni…Curuni! You’ve become a proper knight, haven’t you?
Curuni: Oh, no, no. I’m not there yet.
Beryl: [You were at my dojo for about two years, I think. You were training hard to enter a knightly order.] I’m so glad that your dream came true.
Curuni: I’m beyond delighted that you’ll be teaching me again.
Allucia: We, your students, want you to excel, so please train us as hard as you like.
Beryl: [If I recall correctly, you moved away after two years. How lucky to be able to continue teaching you. I can’t believe two of my students are in the Order.]
I’m home. I bought you a souvenir. Father, you like sweet things, right? Oh, what? A guest? Is that Randrid?
Randrid: It’s been a while, Master.
Beryl: You came to see me! Well, I’ve been seeing a lot of former students the past couple of days. Is this your wife and child?
Randrid: Yes, that’s them.
Mordea: Good luck there, Beryl. And keep in mind you don’t have to come back. Settle down at Baltrain and fulfill your duty properly. And don’t come home until you’ve found a wife. Hurry up and show me the face of my grandchild.
Beryl: Whaaat?
- come + 動詞の原形
＜口語＞～しに来る - that’s ~ for you
～ってそいういうもんだ、～らしいね - act as ~
～としての役割を果たす - so ~ that ~
あまりに～なので～だ - no match for someone
（人）に太刀打ちできない、敵わない - Do you think he’ll actually be good?
あいつほんとに強いと思うか？（懐疑的）
Do you think he’ll be good?（単なる確認、中立的）
Do you think he’s any good?（そもそも使えるの？）
Is he really that good?（そんなにすごいの？） - That way
そうすれば - in vain
無駄に、意味もなく - I’m not there yet.
まだまだです。 - be beyond delighted
嬉しくてたまらない
beyond excited, beyond grateful などもよく使われる
Beryl: So now that you have a child, you’ve decided to move to this village?
Randrid: Yes.
Beryl: And you’re going to retire from being an adventurer? Even though you have achieved platinum rank. That’s quite a drastic move.
Randrid: I made my way to platinum rank thanks mostly to your guidance. I’m sorry to disappoint you.
Beryl: It’s been 10 years since I taught you at the dojo. Everything you’ve done is the result of your own efforts.
Randrid: That’s kind of you.
Beryl: An adventurer can earn a lot depending on their skills, but they’re always up against danger. If your wife is in agreement, I don’t see a problem with it.
Mordea: Well, this is what I call a stroke of luck. Randrid was granted full mastership. He graduated from our school of swordsmanship. If he becomes an instructor, you can focus on your duties.
Randrid: I know of your circumstances. Unworthy though I be, I, Randrid Patterock, will work hard.
Beryl: That old man, he talked Randrid into it while I was gone.
Mordea: I’ll let you stay just for today.
Beryl: What? But this is my home.
- now that S+V
今や～なので（変化後の状況に注目）
now that you have a child: （今や）子どもができたから、子どもが生まれたのを機に
now that I think about it: 今思えば、今考えると、そういえば
now that you mention it: 言われてみれば、（相手の発言を聞いて）そういえば - quite a ~
なかなかの～、相当な～
That’s quite a drastic move. それはなかなか思い切った決断だね。 - make one’s way to + 地位／場所
努力して～にたどり着く／達する - be up against ~
～に直面する、～と対峙する
be up against danger: 危険と隣り合わせ - be in agreement
同意している - this is what I call a stroke of luck
渡りに船とはこのことだ
what I call ~: 私が～と呼ぶもの→まさに～だ（強調表現）
a stroke of luck: 思いがけない幸運、渡りに船 - know of ~
～について聞き知っている、～の存在を知っている - Unworthy though I be
身に余ることですが（倒置構文、古風で格式高い言い回し）
通常：Though I am unworthy - talk someone into ~
（人）を説得して～させる、言いくるめる
今回はここまで！お疲れ様でした～
