南向き翻訳事務所 岩渕デボラ ブログ

大学で文法の授業に説明ができないと同僚に愚痴こぼしたら、ベテランの先生、UK生まれのTim Witherowにこの場合の便利な文法法を教えてもらいました。彼は学生時代ラテン語を習った時、ablative of attendant circumstancesというかしこまった用語を覚えたそうです。ラテン語の文法にablativeというちゃんとした意味があるけれど、ablative of attendant circumstancesというのはほかに説明がつかない時に使うそうです。

For some unfathomable reason, I teach English grammar to college students. Fortunately, it is at a school with some of the most accommodating college students on the planet.

The quality of their personhood and the eagerness with which they approach their studies, however, makes it all the more sad when I can’t explain a certain point of grammar.

I was discussing this with my dear friend and co-author Pamela Uchida and a researcher/professor, UK-native Tim Witherow at lunch the other day, when Tim came up with the brilliant information that in Latin grammar there is something called the “ablative.” I looked it up on the Internet, and there is a site devoted to Latin grammar.

I can’t explain the ablative and you won’t try either if you’re hoping to live a long and happy life, but I did find the information I was looking for–it was there, just as Tim promised: Ablative of Attendant Circumstances. And it was as useful as Tim had promised. The definition included this note: “We could say it’s an ablative of attendant circumstances. That’s what you always say when you don’t know.” — Dr. Karl Maurer.

Not only do I have the seminar on conjunctions coming up this weekend, but I have (presumably) years more of a career teaching grammar, and thanks to a good British education, they’re going to go much more smoothly than I had hoped.