やさしい英語会話 (241) Saying "Bless You" When Someone Sneezes

師走に入り、風邪を引いている人も増えているようです。忙しい季節だからこそ、健康一番で年を越したいものですね。



今回の会話は、そんな季節にタイムリー(?)な「くしゃみ」。英語ではくしゃみをした相手に"Bless you!"と言ってあげる習慣がありますね。これはいつ頃から、どのようにして一般化したのでしょうか。また、自分がくしゃみをして、誰かに"Bless you!"と言われたら、どう答えればよいのでしょうか…？



Image credit: Allan Foster via Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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（初級〜中級）*** It's a Good Expression ***

（今回の重要表現）



Bless you!

くしゃみをした相手に言うせりふ。May God bless you.（神様のお恵みがありますように）を縮めたもの。



I think it's just common courtesy.

ただのよくある礼儀だと思うよ。



the Middle Ages

中世



You see.

ほら。あのね。



superstition(s)

迷信



a harvest

収穫



to accuse 人 of

人を〜として告発する（非難する）



They'd (they would) burn the 'witches' or would drown them

当時はその「魔女」とされた女性を火あぶりや水攻めにしたものだ。

※ここでのwouldは「過去の習慣」を表す。



to possess

（悪霊が）取り憑く



to feel awkward

変な感じがする



It doesn't work.

それは意味がない。





*** Script ***

Saying "Bless You" When Someone Sneezes



M: (Sneezes) Excuse me.



W: Bless you!



M: Thanks.



W: No problem!



M: Hey... I've actually been wondering: why do English speakers say "God bless you" after someone sneezes?



W: Hmm...good question. I think it's just common courtesy, and a habit nowadays. But it originated from the Middle Ages.



M: Really?



W: Yea! You see, during the Middle Ages there were a lot of superstitions, and everyone was terrified of EVERYTHING. A village could have a bad harvest one year and they'd start accusing the women in the village of being witches. They'd burn the 'witches' or would drown them in the water. It was stupid.



M: Uh! That sounds...terrifying. I'm glad I didn't grow up during that time.



W: (laughs) Right! But basically, because of those silly superstitions, people feared that whenever someone sneezed the soul would escape, giving demons or evil spirits the chance to possess the body. Thus, people would say "God bless you".



M: Hey, I find it amazing how sayings can last for hundreds of years. When someone sneezes, Japanese don't say anything, huh?



W: No, they don't. I always feel awkward when someone sneezes because there isn't any translation in Japanese. "Hai, sumimasen, Kamisama no o megumi ga arimasu y? ni" It doesn't work! People will look at you like you're crazy. I say bless you anyways, because silence doesn't feel right.



M: Do people mean it when they say it?



W: Some people do, but a lot don't. Like I said earlier, it's more of a habit! 



(Written by Lauren Johnson)