英和和英

読み方 せっかく

副詞

1

（＝あれ程）so much:（=の） all; cherished; dear; precious

用例

• 彼がせっかく勉強したのに失敗したのは気の毒だ
  It is a pity that he should have failed after all his labours.

• せっかく遠路のところをお出でになったのに彼が不在でお気の毒です
  I am sorry you find him absent after coming all this way.
• せっかくの骨折りも水の泡
  All my efforts have come to naught.
• せっかく当てにしたことがはずれてしまった
  All my expectations have been disappointed.
• せっかくの望みがすっかりはずれてしまった
  All my hopes have been dashed to earth
  My cherished hopes have been dashed to earth.
• せっかくの計画が画餅に帰した
  My dear scheme has fallen through.
• 君が来ないのでせっかくのご馳走がだめになった
  Your absence spoiled the precious dinner.

〈以下特例〉

用例

• せっかくまとまりかかった相談が破談になってしまった
  We have broken off the negotiations after very nearly coming to an understanding.

• せっかくそれまで運んだものを止めてしまうのは惜しいことだ
  It is a pity that you should give up what you have carried so far!
• せっかくの会議がお祭り騒ぎに終ってしまった
  The conference of which we expected so much has ended in empty show.
• せっかくの日曜が雨になった
  The Sunday from which we hoped so much has ended in rain.

2

（＝しきりに）eagerly; earnestly:（=の） earnest; pressing

用例

• せっかくのお志だから頂戴致します
  Since you are so pressing, I shall accept it.

• せっかくのおぼしめしですからお言葉に甘えます
  Since you are so pressing, I shall presume on your kindness.
• 友人がせっかく勧めるからその人を使って見た
  I employed the man at the pressing instance of a friend.
• せっかくのお頼みだから置いて上げましょう
  Since you are so earnest in your request, I will take you.
• せっかくのお勧めだからやってみましょう
  Since you are so earnest in your recommendation, I will make a trial.

3

（＝ご親切に）kindly:（=の） kind

用例

• せっかくのおぼしめしですからお言葉に甘えます
  Since you are so kind, I shall presume on your kindness.

• せっかくのおぼしめしですが残念ながらお断り致します
  I am sorry I must decline your kind offer.
• せっかくのお招きですが先約がありますから残念ながらお断り致します
  Previous engagement obliges me to decline your kind invitation.

4

（＝殊更に）especially; particularly

• せっかくお大事になさい
  Take especial care of yourself!
  Be particularly careful of yourself!

5

（＝せっせと）away

用例

• せっかくお勉強なさい
  Work away!
  Hammer away!

• せっかくお働きなさい、せっかくご辛抱なさい
  Work away!

6

（＝わざわざ）expressly

用例

• せっかく何々する
  to take the trouble to do something―go to the trouble of doing something―be at the trouble of doing something

• せっかく遠路をお出でになったのだからあなただけ破格に扱いましょう
  Since you have been at the trouble of coming all this way, I will make an exception in your favour.
• せっかくためた金を使ってしまった
  I have had to spend the money which I took so much trouble to save.
• せっかく取った金を使ってしまった
  I had to spend my hard-earned money!
• 親がせっかくあれまでに仕上げた身代を彼は使い果たした
  He has squandered the fortune which his father built up with so much trouble.
• 人がせっかく用意したご馳走に手も付けないとはひどいじゃないか
  Isn't it too much to leave untasted and untouched a dinner I have taken all the trouble to prepare?
• せっかく男に生まれながら腑甲斐無い奴だ
  You ought to be ashamed of yourself after all the trouble of being born a man.

〈以下特例〉

用例

• せっかくお出でになったのに不在で残念でした
  I am sorry to have missed your call.

• せっかく飲んだ酒が醒めてしまった
  I have drunk to no purpose.
• せっかく画いた虎に目を入れないようなものだ
  It is to stop short of the one thing needful.

接続詞

1

（＝せっかく何々したから）since

用例

• せっかく出て来たから少し買物をして行こう
  Since I am in town, I will make some purchases.

• せっかく男に生まれながら何もせずに死ぬのは残念だ
  Since I am born a man, I should be sorry to die without having accomplished anything.

2

（＝せっかく何々したけれども）though

• せっかく来てくれたけれども忙しくてしんみり話しをすることもできなった
  Though he came to see me, I was too busy to have a quiet talk with him.