dying offの意味は

RadioETC/PODCASTING

ドキュメンタリー、Hawaii’s Last Queen(ハワイ最後の女王)を観ながらハワイ出身のETCマンツーマン英会話のビル先生(新高円寺)のレッスンを受けています。

1778年、初めての西洋人であるクック船長がハワイを訪れた頃、80万のハワイ人が住んでいました。ところが、50年後にはその80%が死に絶えてしまいます。伝染病やアルコール中毒症など、西洋人が持ち込んだ病気が原因でした。ハワイの人々はこれらの病気に対して全く免疫を持っていなかったのです。ハワイ王室の人々も消滅の危機に瀕していました。カメハメハ5世も後継者を指名することなく肺気腫で亡くなります。

Liliu became expert in the ancient chants, at a time when traditions were being lost. The Hawaiians themselves were disappearing. The ali’i were dying off at an alarming rate, epidemics and alcoholism diseases of foreign contact were taking their toll. Kings were dying young without heirs. When westerners had first arrived in the islands in 1778, there were eight hundred thousand Hawaiian people. Only fifty years later, 80% of the population had perished.

さてdying off とはどのような意味なのでしょうか。

Transcript

Well, it happens all the time whenever you have contact with indigenous, same thing with American Indians.
Same thing happened.

Q So what does “dying off” mean?

“Die off” means to disappear.

Q What is the difference of meaning or nuance between “The ali’i were dying off” and “The ali’i were dying”?

OK. “Dying off” means to become extinct.
For example, like the toki of Sado island, they died off.
So the toki that are now not really Japanese toki.
They are from China.
So they died off, they disappeared.
“Dying” means, it is an action, it is happening now.
So just dying from all age, from war, from disease.
It doesn’t mean you are going to disappear.
It is the action of dying, the process of dying.

先生の自宅でゆったりマンツーマン英会話プライベートレッスン
オンラインレッスンも！