英文速読　初級-13

　For a long time, people have looked for ways to preserve food so that it could be used later.
　We have no idea how or when people discovered methods of food preservation. The chances are that hungry hunters ate dried *berries or grapes. They took to the taste of them and took some home. Later people learned how to dry berries and grapes by exposing them to the sun.
　By chance, people may have left some food in the snow. They saw that these cold or frozen foods tastes longer than fresh foods. They found out that salt prevented food from spoiling. They also came to know that cooking kept food from going bad.
　Later, people learned how to tame animals and to grow crops. They gave up wandering and made homes. They learned how to make cheese and butter from the milk of some animals and to make wine from the grapes the grew. They found that when wine soured, it became *vinegar and could be used to preserve foods. New ways of preserving food were added to their knowledge.

　スラッシュを前置詞・接続詞・関係詞の前に入れて、文頭から読み下します。

　For a long time, people have looked for ways /to preserve food /so that it could be used later.

　長い間、人々は方法を探してきた、食べ物を保存するための、それが後に使える様に。

　We have no idea /how or when people discovered methods of food preservation. The chances are that/ hungry hunters ate dried berries or grapes. They took to the taste of them and took some home. Later people learned /how to dry berries and grapes /by exposing them to the sun.

　私たちは分からない、どのように、いつ、人々が食物の保存法を発見したのかは。おそらくお腹を空かした狩人が乾燥したベリーかブドウを食べたのだろう。彼らはその味が気に入った、そしてそれを家に持ち帰った。後に人々はベリーやブドウを乾燥させる方法を覚えた、それらを日光にさらすことによって。

　The chances are that〜=おそらく〜だろう

　By chance, /people may have left some food /in the snow. They saw that these cold or frozen foods tastes longer /than fresh foods. They found out that salt prevented food /from spoiling. They also came to know /that cooking kept food from going bad.

　たまたま、人々が食べ物を置き忘れたのかもしれない、雪の中に。彼らは知った、これらの冷えた、あるいは凍った食べ物が生の食べ物より長持ちすることを。彼らは発見した、塩が食べ物を腐ることから防ぐ事を。彼らはまた知るようになった、料理することで食べ物が腐らなくなることを。

　Later, people learned /how to tame animals and to grow crops. They gave up wandering and made homes. They learned /how to make cheese and butter /from the milk of some animals and to make wine /from the grapes the grew. They found /that when wine soured, it became vinegar and could be used to preserve foods. New ways of preserving food were added to their knowledge.

　後に、人々は覚えた、動物を飼いならし、作物を育てる方法を。彼らは放浪することを止めて家を建てた。彼らは覚えた、チーズやバターを作る方法を、動物のミルクから、そして、ワインを作る方法を、彼らが育てたブドウから。彼らは発見した、ワインが酸っぱくなるとそれが酢になり、食物を保存するのに使われることを。食物を保存する新しい方法が彼らの知識に加えられた。