The Sword of Damocles
Damocles once said to his king, / "You have everything a man could

ダモクレスはかつて王に言った。/「あなたは男の望むものをすべて持っている。//

want! // You must be the happiest man alive."//あなたがこの世で一番幸せな男に違いありません。
」//"Would you like to change places with me?"//「そなたは私と地位を入れ替わることを欲するのか」//"No, my king, / I wouldn't dream of replacing you!// But, if I could only taste「いいえ、王様。/ あなたと入れ替わるなんて夢にも思いません！// しかし、味わえるなら// your luxury for one day, / I might die happy."//

一日だけでもあなたの贅沢を/私は幸せに死ねるかもしれません」//"Very well.// You shall taste it."//「よろしい。//

The next day, / Damocles was led into the palace,/ and all theservants treated him as king.// He ate the king's food, / heard the best

君はそれを味わうとよい。
」//

翌日、/ ダモクレスは宮殿内に案内されて、/ 使用人たちは皆、彼を王としてもてなした（扱った）// 彼は王の食事を食べ、/ 最高の音楽を聴き、/ そして玉座に座った。//

music, / and sat on the throne.//When he looked up, / he saw a sword / dangling over his head / by

ふと顔を上げると、/ 彼は、１本の剣を見た/ 頭上にぶら下がっている / 一本の糸a single thread.// At any moment it might snap, / permanently fixing him

のみで// いまにも剣はぱちんと切れてしまい / 彼を永久に王座に釘付けにすることになりto the seat.// He went pale.//そうだった。// 彼は青ざめた//"Oh, have you noticed the sword?" / asked the king, / "Isn't it a nice

「ああ、その剣に気づいたか？」/ 王は尋ねた、/「いい感じ（趣向、おもむき）だ

touch? // I must always worry about assassins, you know.// It's much more

ろう？// 私は常に暗殺者の心配をしなければならないのだ、なあ。// この方がずっと本物（のauthentic this way."// Damocles begged to be allowed / to return to his王様）らしい」// ダモクレスは許されるよう懇願し / 自分の居場所に戻ることを / 王の楽し

place, / and did not enjoy the pleasures of a king / for even one day.//

みを味わうことはなかった / 1 日たりとも。//

Vocabulary＊TIPS＊ ダモクレスの剣replace

入れ替わるthread

糸luxury

贅沢snap

折れる/ぷちっと切れる

palace宮殿

assassin

暗殺者

throne王座

authentic

本物らしいイタリアシチリア島南部の都市、シラクサの王ディオニシオスの廷臣ダモクレスが王位の幸福をほめそやしたギリシア神話の一説。登場する糸は馬の毛 1 本であり、「繁栄・歓楽の中でも常に危険がつきまとう」ことの例えとして用いられる。

※無断複製禁止 All rights reserved.

＊裏面の問題は音読を毎回 40 分以上反復してから挑戦しましょう＊

Damocles once said to his king, "You have _________ a man could want! YouQuestion 1: What does Damocles ask of the king?

must be the ___________________________.""Would you like to change places with me?""No, my king, I wouldn't dream of _________ you! But, if I could only taste yourluxury for one day, I might die happy.""Very well. You shall taste it."
The next day, Damocles was led into the palace, and all the _________ treated

Question 2: Where does Damocles sit?

him as king. _________ the king's food, heard the best music, and sat on thethrone. When he looked up, he saw a sword dangling over his head by a single
thread. At any moment it might snap, __________________ fixing him to theseat. He went pale.
"Oh,

have

you

noticedthe"____________________________________?

sword?"

asked

theking,I

always

worry

about

must

assassins, you know. It's much more authentic this way."
Damocles begged to be allowed to return to his place, and did not _________
the pleasures of a king for even one day.

Summarize:

Question 3: Why does Damocles no longer want to be king?

＊Background knowledge:
Damocles lived in the 4th century BCE, and served king Dionysius I inSyracuse. Dionysius I built the walls of the city, and became a local
power, rising to this dignity from a career in the civil service. Widelyhated, his military regime was extremely brutal, and the Syracuse＊Summary Sample Answer（Very Short）
Damocles asks to have the joys of kingship for a day, but sits on a throne
under a sword held by a single thread. He does not want both thepleasure and the danger of kingship.

pavilion was vandalized by an indignant mob at the Olympic games of388.

（50 ~80 words）
Damocles mentions the pleasures of kingship. His king offers him a taste for one day,which he accepts. Delighted by the food and entertainment, Damocles is led to thethrone, but is horrified to discover a sword held by a single thread over his head. He＊Q&A Sample Answer

does not want both the pleasure and the danger of kingship, and resigns his peculiar
honour before the day is done.

Q1: He asks to be treated as king for a day.
Q2: He sits on the throne.
Q3: Damocles does not enjoy the danger of being king.