I’m a manatee by John Lithgow

글씨도 크고 그림도 마음에 들어서 빌린 책. 하지만 큼직한 글씨체와는 다르게 어휘의 난이도가 꽤 있었다. 남자 아이가 a manatee가 되는 꿈을 통해 인간세상을 풍자하는 내용이었다. 그러나 어휘나 내용의 어려움과는 별개로 음악을 따라가다 보면 즐겁게 읽을 수 있는 책이었다.

 

Undulating underneath the sea.

* undulate 물결치다.

 

Unshackled by the chains of idle vanity,

* unshackle 자유의 몸이 되게 하다.

* shackle: if you are shackled by sth, it prevents you from doing what you want to do.

* idle = not working or being used

* vanity 덧없음, 허영심, the fact that you are too interested in your appearance or achievements

 

 

A modest manatee, that’s me. 겸손한

 

I look just like a chubby brown banantee as I nose along the cozy ocean floor.

* chubby 토실토실한

* nose = search / look around in order to discover sth, esp. sth that other people do not want you to find

 

Immune from human folly and inanity,

* Immune = protected / not affected

* folly = stupidity, 어리석게 행동하는 것. 어리석은 행동이나 생각.

+ she said that the idea was folly.

* inanity 공허함, 어리석음

* inane = extremely silly or with no real meaning or importance

 

That’s why a manatee is such a happy herbivore.

* herbivore: an animal that eats only plants

 

I’m every bit as wrinkled as my grannatee.

* every bit as = equally as

 

A noble manatee, that’s me.

 

With the dietary habits of a manatee, I never fail to lick my platter clean.

식사 습관

* never fail to: 항상 ~하다

* platter 대형 접시

 

I sprinkle seaweed on my Raisin Branatee, the perfect manatee cuisine.

* cuisine: a style of cooking

 

With my wit, sophistication, and urbanity, I dignify my watery domain.

* sophistication = the quality of being sophisticated 세련됨, 교양

* urbanity: 신사다움

*urbane: (특히 남자가) confident, comfortable, and polite in social situations

* dignify: cause sth to be respected and considered important 치켜세우다

 

No one near will ever hear me use profanity, because a manatee has his image to maintain.

* profanity 모독적 발언, an offensive or obscene word or phrase

 

I keep my reputation spick and spanatee.

*spick and span: 어떤 장소가, very clean and tidy

 

No difference between my face and fannatee, a stately manatee, that’s me.

* stately 위풍당당한

 

Encumbered by my lumbering giganatee, I’m thought to be an ocean-going brute!

* Encumber 방해하다, 지장을 주다

* Encumbered: prevented from making quick progress by having to carry heavy objects or deal with important duties and responsibilities

* lumbering 볼품없는

* lumber 돌아다니다. Move slowly and awkwardly

* brute 짐승

 

The least appealing creature on the planetee, but to a manatee, I’m cute!

 

I prefer my world of silence and of sanity, but my underwater friends don’t all agree.

* sanity= the state of having a healthy mind and not being mentally ill

 

I’m a roly-poly, jelly-rolly, sugar-bowly, heart-and-soully manatee.

* roly-poly: 사람이 short and round