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※ ChatGPTを利用し、要約された質問です（原文：以下の英文について教えてください。）
The Festival of Red Leaves: Understanding the Last Sentence
このQ&Aのポイント
- This question asks for an explanation of the last sentence of an excerpt from 'The Festival of Red Leaves' in 'The Tale of Genji'. The sentence reads: 'What guilty intercourse must ours have been in some life long ago, that now so cruel a barrier should be set between us?' The asker wants to know whether the phrase 'that now so cruel a barrier' is referring to something specific or if it is grammatically placed.
- In this scene from 'The Tale of Genji', the character Genji implores Omyobu to arrange a meeting between them, but she refuses. Genji continues to pester her with questions about their child, and she becomes impatient with him. The last sentence reflects Genji's despair at not being able to communicate freely with Omyobu due to the barrier between them. The phrase 'that now so cruel a barrier' suggests that the barrier separating them is particularly painful or unfair.
- The phrase 'that now so cruel a barrier' in the last sentence of the excerpt refers to the emotional and physical barrier between Genji and Omyobu. It emphasizes the intensity of their separation and the anguish Genji feels because of it. The use of the word 'cruel' suggests that the barrier is not only preventing their physical contact but also causing emotional suffering. The sentence overall conveys Genji's longing for a deeper connection with Omyobu and his frustration at the current circumstances.
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質問者が選んだベストアンサー
問題点のみ、以下のとおりお答えします。 ＞"What guilty intercourse must ours have been in some life long ago, that now so cruel a barrier should be set between us?" ＞意味は現代訳を参照して大体掴んでいるのですが、that now so cruel a barrier ～のthatは何かを指しているものなのでしょうか？ それとも文法的に置かれているものなのでしょうか？ ⇒このthatは、判断の根拠となる節を導いて、驚き・意外・残念などの気持ちを表す接続詞です。「～とは（心外・残念）である」といったニュアンスです。 別の例： Are you mad that you should say such a thing? 「そんなことを言うとは、あなたは気でも狂ったのですか？」 （『ライトハウス英和辞典』より）
お礼
thatについて明確なご回答ありがとうございます！ ご説明いただいた内容（接続詞のthat）を手元の辞書で確認いたしました。 「～とは（心外・残念）である」といったニュアンスが、この和歌にぴったりはまっています。 『ライトハウス英和辞典』の例文もありがとうございました。