The Belly and the Other Members
遠い昔、/ 人間のすべての部位が、協力して働いていなかった / 現在ほどIn days long gone, / all the parts of a man did not work together / ashappily as they do now.// Each had a will and a way of its own.// The members

喜んで//それぞれ（の部位）に意志があり、それぞれのやり方があった// その体のof the Body / began to find fault with the Belly.// It had a lazy, rich, and useless

メンバーは、/

life.// The Belly only waited for food.// They were very busy at work for it.//は怠惰で、豊かで、役立たずの生活をしていた// 「腹」は食べ物を待つだけだった//

They served its beck and call.// So they made a plan to work together / to cut

彼らは「腹」のために忙しく働いた// 彼らはその言いなりになっていた。//

off its food.//

で、彼らは計画を立て、協力して「腹」に対して欠点を見出す（あらを探す）ようになった// 「腹」/

そこ

その食料を断った//「手」は食べ物を「口」に運ばない// 「口」は食べ物を受けない// 「歯」

The Hands would not carry any food to the Mouth.// The Mouth would
not take the food.// The Teeth would not chew it.// They had not long starved

は食べ物を噛まない// 「腹」を長い間飢えさせることもなく /the Belly / before they all began, one by one, to grow weak.// The whole Body

人と弱っていった//

thinned away.// Then the other members learned / that the Belly also / - heavy

そして、他の所属者は学んだ / 腹にも / － 一見重たくて役立たずと思われていて

and useless as it seemed - / had an important role of its own.//

も － /They could do no more without it, / than it could do without them.// If

全員が一人また一「体」全体がやせ細っていった//

重要なそれなりの役割があるのだと//
彼らには「腹」がなければやっていけない / 「腹」にも彼らがいなければ

they would have the Body in a healthy state, / they must work together, each

ならないように//もし「体」を健康な状態に保ちたいのであれば、/

in his own way, for the good of all.//

それぞれがそれぞれのやり方で、協力し合わなければならない。//

皆のために、

Vocabulary
belly

おなかchew

咀嚼する＊TIPS＊ ベリーとメンバーズ

long gone

遠い昔state状態

イソップ寓話の一説。栄養を受け取るだけのおなか（胃）に対して不満を抱いた体の各部がmembers

メンバー、構成員

fault

欠点

find fault with～at one’s beck and call

欠点（あら）を～に見出す
one の言いなりである※無断複製禁止 All rights reserved.

おなかへ食事を運ぶのをやめてしまうが、結果として他の各部も飢えてしまう。
現代では、協調性やチームとして一人一人の重要な役割について示しています。しかし、以前の権威主義的な（政治的独占）時代においては、中央への権力の方向性を示唆する例でもありました。

＊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＊

In days long _____________, all the parts of a man did not

Question 1: Why did the members dislike the belly?

____________ as happily as they do now. Each had a ___________ and a wayof its own. The parts of the Body began to find __________ with the Belly.
It had a lazy, rich, and ___________ life. The Belly only waited for food.
They were______________ at work for it. They served its beck and call. So
they made a plan to work together to cut off its food.

Question 2: What happens when the members refuse to feed the belly?

The Hands would not ___________ any food to the Mouth. TheMouth would not take the food. The Teeth would not chew it. They had notlong starved the Belly before they all began, __________________, to growweak. The whole Body thinned away. Then the other parts learned thatQuestion 3: How must the members work to keep the body alive?

the Belly also - heavy and useless as it seemed - had an ___________ roleof its own.
They could do ______ __________ without it, ___________ it could
do without them. If they would have the Body in a healthy __________, theymust work ___________, each in his own way, for the good of all.

Summarize: (Summarize the story, mentioning the actions of the members, and the results)

＊Background knowledge:*Summary Sample Answer:

Aesop was an ancient Greek slave. He is famous for compiling orcomposing a great many fables. Legend has it that Aesop was incredibly
ugly, but was gifted the ability to tell stories by a goddess because hewas kind to her priestess. He used his ability to embarrass philosophersand kings and peoples. The people of Delphi forced him to jump off aAll the parts of the body began to complain that the belly does nothing
but be taken care of. So they stopped feeding it, but soon all began togrow weak. They learned that the belly had been an important partwhich kept them alive all along.

cliff for his imprudent impudence.

＊Q&A Sample Answer
Q1: They think the belly is useless and simply sits around being served
all day long.
Q2: Without feeding the belly, the whole body dies.
Q3: All the members must work for the greater good, and help eachother out.