の中に疊み込んでゐる21個の動詞があるが、Basic 譯では總て come, go 及び get の三個の「作用詞」によつて置き換へられてゐることが分るであらう。而して英語には斯くの如く16個の「作用詞」によつて置き換へられる4,000の普通の動詞があるのである。
更に動詞排除の例として、リンカンの英語演説の古典として有名なゲティスバーグ演説(Gettysburg Speech)の Basic 譯を原文と對照して次に示さう。
[#ここから斜体]Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle−field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting−place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Seven and eighty years have gone by from the day when our fathers gave to this land a new nation―a nation which came to birth in the thought that all men are free, a nation given up to the idea that all men are equal. Now we are fighting in a great war among ourselves, testing if that nation, or any nation of such a birth and with such a history, is able long to keep united. We are together on the field of a great event in that war. We have come to give a part of that field as a last resting−place for those who went to their death so that that nation might go on living. It is in every way right and natural for us to do this. But in a wider sense we have no power to make this place an offering in their name, to give any mark of our respect, any sign of our belief. Those men, living and dead, who had no fear in the fight, have given it a name far greater than our poor power to make additions or to take away. The future will take little note of what we say here; will not long keep it in mind. But what they did here will never go from memory. It is for us, the living, to give ourselves here to the work which is not ended, which they who were in the fight have taken forward to this point so well. It is for us to give ourselves here to the great work which is still before us, so that from these dead who are in our hearts we may take an increased love of the cause for which they gave the last full measure of their love; so that we may here come to the high decision that these dead will not have given themselves to no purpose; so that this nation, under the Father of All, may have a new birth in the hope to be free; and so that government of all, by all, and for all, may not come to an end on the earth.[#ここで斜体終わり]*
* C.K. Ogden : Basic English and Grammatical Reform[#「Basic English and Grammatical Reform」は斜体](1937), p.74
[#底本ではここにリンカーンの演説の矢内原忠雄による日本語訳が載っているが、矢内原忠雄の著作権は現在保護期間中なので、省略する。]
このリンカンの演説は一般に英語の最も單純なる散文の一つと考へられてゐるやうであるが、それでも Basic が排除した動詞が25個ある。即ち、bring, conceive, dedicate, create, engage, can, endure, meet, live, fit, shall, consecrate, hallow, struggle, add, detract, note, remember, forget, fight, advance, remain, resolve, die, perish. である。其の外に Basic が代用語句を見出さなければならなかつた語が30個*ある。しかもこれ等の語が幾度か繰返し用ゐられてゐるのが分るであらう。
* score, age, forth, continent, liberty, proposition, civil, whether, battle, portion, final, life, altogether, proper, large, ground, brave, above, world, nor, rather, unfinished, thus, nobly, task, honoured, devotion, vain, freedom, people.
さて代用の原則の一つは、動詞の代りをする爲に、「作用詞」を「方向詞」と結合して用ゐることであるが、かゝる構成は第十五世紀以來標準英語に於いて發達して來てゐるのであつて、英語は今や斯くして組立てられた慣用句で見苦しくないものを多數持つてゐる。而してそれ等は「作用詞」の使用範圍に於いて、總ての重要なる動詞の代用の役割を演ずるのである。この代用形の用法を發展せしめて Basic が動詞組織に著しい變革を來たしたのは、言語上の浪費を省かんとの目的からである。動詞形は從來國語の簡易化の總ての企てに對して大なる障碍の一つであつて、言語上の考案としては廣く用ゐられてゐない。それ故に或る人々にとつては、動詞形は最初からとても征服しきれないやうな困難を與へる。又一方その動詞形の複雜煩瑣に慣れてゐる人々にとつてさへ、外國語の不規則な語形は記憶力に過重の負擔を課する。又今一つの反對は、動詞は學習の初期の段階に於いて無駄な語彙を含んでゐるといふことである。然るに「作用詞」を出來るだけ十分に活用すれば、名詞や形容詞に二倍の働きをさせることが出來る。最後に、而してこれは一層根本的な問題であるが、動詞は總ての簡約文體の場合と同樣に、言葉が意味を表はす作用の總ての段階に於いて思想の混亂を來し易いものである。
Basic に於いては16個の「作用詞」と20個の「方向詞」を組合せて、put in = insert(※[#「插」でつくりの縦棒が下に突き抜けている、第4水準2−13−28]入する)の如く極めて多くの動詞に相當するものを直ちに作り出すことが出來るのであるが、普通の英語の語彙は、その用法の九割は悟られないやうな微細な點で區別がある多くの同意語から成立つてゐる。これは英語の文體的價値を高めた一方、外國人にとつてその學習を特に困難なものにしてゐる。然るに、put in はそれぞれ特殊の場合に於いて、實際は多くの他の動詞の代りとなるのである。
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