英文速読　中級-17

　English is a language with an enormous number of words, but how many English words are there? Most dictionaries used by college students have about 200,000 words, while most full-length dictionaries have about 300,000 to 600,000. Meanwhile, an organization called the Global Language Monitor positively claims that there are exactly 1,019,729 English words.
　But counting the number of words in English is not an easy task. First of all, many words that we use in English today were originally words in other languages. Should the words sushi or tsunami be considered English words now that they are frequently used? Then there is the question of words that were used centuries ago but are no longer used today. Should they be counted too? What about words that are only used in certain regions of a country?
　And the list of questions goes on. Should we count the verb, the adjective, the noun, and other forms of a word as separate words? In other words, would drive, driving and driver be counted as separate words? Should a compound word be counted as one word or should each of the words in it be counted separately? How about the huge number of technical and scientific terms? Finally, to add to the difficulties of counting words, we need to consider new words that are being created all the time.
　The constantly changing nature of language is frustrating for anyone trying to count words. But this is also what makes language so interesting. English, like other languages, always offers something new to learn!
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　スラッシュは長い主語の終わり、前置詞

　English is a language /with an enormous number of words, but how many English words are there? Most dictionaries used by college students /have about 200,000 words, while most full-length dictionaries have about 300,000 to 600,000. Meanwhile, an organization called the Global Language Monitor /positively claims that there are exactly 1,019,729 English words.

　英語は言語だ、莫大な数の単語を持つ、しかしいくつの英単語があるのか。大学生によって使われているほとんどの辞書には約20万語が載っているが、ほとんどの標準的な辞書には約30万語から60万語が載っている。一方で、グローバル・ランゲージ・モニターと呼ばれる団体はきっぱりと主張している、正確に1,019,729個の英単語があると。

　But counting the number of words in English /is not an easy task. First of all, many words that we use in English today /were originally words in other languages. Should the words sushi or tsunami be considered English words now /that they are frequently used? Then there is the question of words/ that were used centuries ago /but are no longer used today. Should they be counted too? What about words /that are only used /in certain regions of a country?

　しかし、英単語の数を数えることは簡単な仕事ではない。第一に、多くの単語は、私たちが今日英語で使っている、元来、他の言語の言葉だった。sushiやtsunami という単語は英単語とみなされるべきか、今やそれらは頻繁に使われているので。それから、単語の問題がある、数世紀前に使われていた、しかし今日ではもはや使われていない単語の。それらもまた数えられるべきか？単語はどうだろう、それらは一国のある地方でしか使われていない。

　　And the list of questions goes on. Should we count the verb, the adjective, the noun, and other forms of a word /as separate words? In other words, would drive, driving and driver be counted as separate words? Should a compound word be counted /as one word or should each of the words in it be counted separately? How about the huge number of technical and scientific terms? Finally, to add to the difficulties of counting words, we need to consider new words /that are being created all the time.

　そして問題のリストは続く。私たちは数えるべきか、動詞、形容詞、名詞、そして他の形を、一つの単語の、別々の単語として。言い換えれば、drive, driving, driverは数えられるだろうか、別々の単語と。複合語は数えられるべきか、一つの単語として、あるいは複合語の中の単語のそれぞれは、別々に数えられるべきか。膨大な数の専門用語や科学用語はどうだろう。最後に、難しさに加えて、単語を数えることの、私たちは新しい単語を顧慮する必要がある、それは生み出されている、常に。

　The constantly changing nature of language /is frustrating /for anyone trying to count words. But this is also what makes language so interesting. English, like other languages, always offers /something new to learn!

　絶えず変化している言語の性質は、いらいらするものだ、単語を数えようとする誰にとっても。しかしこれはまた言語を非常に面白くしている。英語はほかの言語のように、常に提供する、学ぶべき新しい何かを。