In England, when you hear the sound of horns and the baying of hounds, it often means that somewhere near by a foxhunt is taking place.
baying of hounds – 吠えている猟犬
foxhunt – キツネ狩り
What is a foxhunt? It is an English tradition that stretches back many hundreds of years.
tradition – 伝統
stretches back – にさかのぼる
packs of hounds 猟犬の群
The dogs can smell the fox. Once they have caught its scent, they chase it out into the field. The men and women on horseback then chase the fox, blowing on their horns. The fox jumps over walls and climbs under gates. The men and women chase the fox for many miles. Until, the fox becomes tired and is trapped by the dogs and hunters.
scent – 臭跡
blow a horn – ホルンを鳴らす
On the one hand, a foxhunt is a very beautiful sight to see. With the costumes, the horns being blown, the dogs and horses running through the fields, it feels like you are looking back into the past. On the other hand, the hunt is quite a barbaric act since the hounds kill the fox.
barbaric – 野蛮な
Unlike in Japan, in England the fox is a well-liked animal. Foxes frequently appear in children’s books and on children’s television. Some children say that their favorite animal is the fox. Many people consider the fox with its red fur and bushy tale to be a beautiful animal.
bushy – もじゃもじゃした
There is even an adjective in English that comes from the word fox – foxy. Foxy is used to describe a woman who is considered attractive
attractive – 魅力のある
foxy – 性的魅力のある
Like in Japan, the fox is considered to be a cunning animal. For this reason, the fox has also become a verb that means baffle or deceive. For example, “the math problem foxed me completely”. There is even the word outfox, which means to outwit. For example, “The burglar outfoxed the police.”
cunning – ずるい
baffle – 当惑させる
deceive – 騙す
outwit – 裏をかく
In the English countryside, the baying of hounds and the blowing of horns is a sound that for many conjures up images of cruelty to a beautiful animal, but to others it is a sound that reminds people of the beauty of the English countryside.
conjure up an image – を思い描く
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こんにちは、イギリス生まれ・東京在住、英語教師で作家のLukeです。今週、僕が書いたオノマトペ（擬態語・語音後）についての本 が出版されました。是非チェックしてみて下さい！