2011年のクリスマスが近づいてきました。昨年同様、今年のクリスマスにちなんだ英文で音読練習をしてみましょう。
昨年のクリスマスは Christmas Carol と The Happy Prince の朗読でした。今年は “A Visit from St. Nicholas”（別名 “The Night Before Christmas” または “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”）という英詩を朗読してみます。いままで練習してきた発音の復習を兼ねて、ぜひみなさんも一緒に朗読してみてください。
まずは詩の中のいくつかの単語の発音を確認してみましょう。（発音はRPです。）↓
’twas 強形は/twɒz/〜弱形は/twəz/、
creature /ˈkriːtʃə/、St. Nicholas /s(ə)nˈnɪkələs/、nestled /ˈnesld/、
settled /ˈsetld/、arose /əˈrəʊz/、lustre /ˈlʌstə/、
minature sleigh /ˈmɪnɪtʃʊə ˈsleɪ/、Vixen /ˈvɪks(ə)n/、Blitzen /ˈblɪts(ə)n/、
obstacle /ˈɒbstəkl/、twinkling /ˈtwɪklɪŋ/、peddler /ˈpedlə/、
encircled /ɪnˈsɜːkld/、wreath /riːθ/、thistle /ˈθɪsl/、exclaim /ɪksˈkleɪm/
では、朗読してみます。↓
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc’d in their heads;
And Mama in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call’d them by name;
“Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,
On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys — and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dress’d all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish’d with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he look’d like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laugh’d, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laugh’d when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill’d all the stockings; then turn’d with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Today’s my singing
今回はクリスマスソングの定番曲のひとつ、 “Winter Wonderland” を歌ってみましたのでアップします。Happy Christmas to you!
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
We’re happy tonight
Walking in a winder wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is the new bird
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say “Are you married?”
We’ll say “No, man,
But you can do the job when you’re in town.”
Later on we’ll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
The plans that we made
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland
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