「Below the Belt」の意味とは？ベルトの下？！ - 無礼な行為・発言
みなさん、こんにちは。
ケンジントン英会話にしばらく在籍している方は、私がボクシングとキックボクシングの大ファンであることをご存知でしょう。
そしてボクシングに関連するさまざまな表現を私が使っているのを聞いたことがあるでしょう。
ボクシングは英語で「the gentlemans’ sport」と呼ばれています。
なぜなら、ボクシングを練習し、準備し、試合に参加するためには、ある程度のマナーと礼儀作法に従わなければならないためです。
従わなければ、対戦相手を見つけることができませんし、一人でボクシングはできません！
ボクシングを知っている方はもちろん、below the belt (ベルトの下) を打つことは反則だと知っていますが、この「below the belt」というフレーズには別の意味もあります。
著しく無礼または不当な行為または発言。
I had a great thing going with my ex-girlfriend but whenever we fought one of us would say something below the belt and couldn’t take it back. It’s no wonder we didn’t last long.
(私は元カノと上手くいっていましたが、私たちはケンカする度に、どちらかが無礼なことを言い、それを撤回することができませんでした。私たちが長続きしなかったのも不思議ではありません。)
Below the belt remarks like that are a surefire way to lose all your friends! You should start thinking before you open your mouth!
(あのような無礼な発言は、すべての友達を失う確実な方法ですよ！口を開く前に考えることを始めるべきです！)
It’s not fair to keep reminding Julie about losing her job no matter how much you want her to find a new one! It’s hitting below the belt and I don’t think it really helps very much.
(どんなにジュリーに新しい仕事を見つけてもらいたいと思っても、彼女に仕事を失うことを思い出させるのは公平ではありません！それは無礼だし、あまり役にも立たないと思います。)
Out of Order
I can’t believe what you said to Jim at the party last night! It doesn’t matter if you’d drunk too much or not it was well out of order and you should apologise!
(昨夜のパーティーで君がジムに言ったことを信じられません！飲みすぎたのか、そうでなかったのかは関係ありません。かなり侮辱的なのであなたは謝るべきです。)
A bit much
You should have heard what the boss said to John at the meeting last week. I know his work hasn’t been up to scratch recently but saying he had brain damage was a bit much I thought.
(先週の会議で上司がジョンに言ったことを聞いておくべきでしたよ。私は彼の仕事が最近十分なものではないことは知っていますが、彼が脳に損傷を負っていると言うのはひどすぎると思いました。)
Over the fence
I understand that people get extremely upset about climate change and it is reasonable but destroying priceless works of art to make a point seems over the fence don’t you think?
(人々が気候変動をかなり心配していることは理解しています。それは理にかなっていますが、貴重な芸術作品を破壊して意見を主張することは、度を越しているように思えませんか?)
Hello there everyone, if you have been at Kensington for any length of time then you are bound to know that I am a huge fan of all things boxing and kickboxing and you will probably have heard me use a number of expressions connected to boxing in particular. Boxing is nicknamed “the gentlemans’ sport” in English because in order to practise, prepare, and take part in a boxing match a certain amount of manners and decorum must be followed otherwise you won’t have an opponent and you can’t box by yourself! Of course if you follow sport you know that hitting below the belt is of course a foul but in English it has another meaning.
Definition
An act or remark which is either highly insulting or unfair.
Example Sentences
I had a great thing going with my ex-girlfriend but whenever we fought one of us would say something below the belt and couldn’t take it back. It’s no wonder we didn’t last long.
Below the belt remarks like that are a surefire way to lose all your friends! You should start thinking before you open your mouth!
It’s not fair to keep reminding Julie about losing her job no matter how much you want her to find a new one! It’s hitting below the belt and I don’t think it really helps very much.
Similar Expressions
Out of Order
I can’t believe what you said to Jim at the party last night! It doesn’t matter if you’d drunk too much or not it was well out of order and you should apologise!
A bit much
You should have heard what the boss said to John at the meeting last week. I know his work hasn’t been up to scratch recently but saying he had brain damage was a bit much I thought.
Over the fence
I understand that people get extremely upset about climate change and it is reasonable but destroying priceless works of art to make a point seems over the fence don’t you think?