as poor as a church mouse
ひどく貧しい
解説 Definition
字面では「as poor as a church mouse」という動物的な場面を思わせるが、比喩では「ひどく貧しい」ことを表す。会話、記事、仕事上の説明などで、直訳よりも状況や態度を短く評価する時に使う。文脈によりユーモア、批判、親しみの含みが出る。
Literally, 'as poor as a church mouse' creates a concrete image from the words themselves. As an idiom, it means 'ひどく貧しい' in natural English use. It is used to describe a situation, person, or attitude, not to give a literal description.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
「教会のネズミと同じくらい貧しい」という直喩。食べ物を蓄える場所が少ない教会にいるネズミの姿から、財産やお金がほとんどない状態を表す。人が主語なら as poor as a church mouse、複数なら church mice とすることもある。
Do not memorize 'as poor as a church mouse' through a Japanese sound trick. First picture the literal image, then connect its main feature to the figurative meaning. The phrase often works as a compact comment on the whole situation.
例文
When my grandfather was young, his family was as poor as a church mouse.
祖父が若い頃、彼の家族はひどく貧しかった。
After paying the medical bills, they were as poor as church mice.
医療費を払った後、彼らはひどく貧しかった。
She joked that she was as poor as a church mouse before payday.
彼女は給料日前でひどく貧しいと冗談を言った。
as poor as a church mouse の語源・成り立ち Etymology
教会には家庭や店のような食べ物の蓄えが少ないため、そこに住むネズミも食べ物に困るという発想から生まれた比喩とされる。as ... as の形で貧しさを強調する。
This expression grew from a concrete image connected with 動物 or everyday observation. Over time, that image became a figurative way to talk about human behavior or judgment.
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