“On his face” と “in his face” の違い

― 211 ―
福岡大学人文論叢第４
５巻第３号
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い
白
谷
敦
彦＊
０．序
本論文は she knew that from the look on/in his face のような例文における
on his face と in his face という表現の違いについて考察する。用いたコーパス
１
On his
は British National Corpus World Edition（以下 BNC と表記）である。
face と in his face の例文をそれぞれ１００ずつ抽出し、構文や表している意味の
違いによりグループに分け、それぞれのグループで on と in を比較検討する。
１．実例分析
１．
１．微笑み（smile，grin）
On his face の例文について特徴的なのは、微笑みが表現される例が多いこ
とである。「冠詞または his＋（形容詞）＋smile/grin」＋on his face というよう
に用いられる。Smile が用いられている例が１
００例中１
８例、grin が用いられ
ている例が１００例中９例である。以下がその例である。
（１）he paused, and looking round at us with a smile on his face, he
said… .
（２）He had a smile on his face as we shook hands.
＊
福岡大学人文学部教授
（1）
― 212 ―
（３）He promptly keeled to the left and slumped in the driving seat with
a smile on his face.
（４）There was a smile on his face … .
（５）With a smile on his face, The Doc turned years of anguish on its
head.
（６）He forced a smile on his face, prepared to accept Malachi’s assertion as a joke.
（７）The smile on his face told everything about how happy he is to
have returned.
（８）When I knocked and entered, Ira, with a broad smile on his face,
reached down and produced two glasses and a bottle of Okanagan
wine which we were soon sipping.
（９）The Commander−in−Chief returned Captain Stirling’s salute with
a broad smile on his face … .
（１０）one of my friends of French Commando, was leaning against the
side of the truck, a large smile on his face.
（１１）Now what’s that in English? enquired Peter Young, with a larger
smile on his face.
（１２）He had a big smile on his face.
（１３）The tough wiry little man said the words in a cheerful manner, still
with the big smile on his face.
（１４）David Puttnam will be going round with a quiet smile on his face
for a few days.
（１５）He stared at Myles with his heavy−lidded eyes, a slight smile on
his face.
（１６）Malachi Drennan leaned forward with a sly smile on his face.
（2）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 213 ―
（１７）He eventually got the girl to agree to a date and walked around
with an idiot smile on his face for the few weeks beforehand.
（１８）The Feldwebel stared at me blankly, his farewell smile still stuck on
his face like an old label on a trunk.
（１９）He poked his head towards her, a grin on his face.
（２０）Stand at ease, Piper, remarked Charlie, a big grin on his face, then
he went serious and remarked slowly… .
（２１）He was standing in the doorway, a big grin on his face.
（２２）He had a Jerry can in front of him, and a large grin on his face as
he remarked… .
（２３）When he next caught up with me there was a wide grin on his
face.
（２４）Gerrard had been looking at him with a gradually spreading grin on
his face … .
（２５）With a mischievous grin on his face, he gyrated his lean anatomy
under Janet’s neat little posterior in perfect time with the bucking
machine.
（２６）they almost fell over Billy who was stretched out in the undergrowth snoozing with a contented grin on his face.
（２７）George looked … at the man sitting on Gerrard’s other side, at the
shining dapper head … and the sleek self−satisfied smirk on his
face … .
このような例は in his face の用例１００の中にはひとつもない。従って、この用
法は on his face に特有であると言えよう。
（3）
― 214 ―
１．
２．表情（look，expression）
次に on his face の例文について特徴的なのは、look，expression という語
が用いられ、表情が表現される例が多いということである。「冠詞（または
that，any，no など）＋（形容詞（句））＋look/expression」＋on his face、または
「冠詞＋（形容詞（句））＋look＋of＋名詞（句）」＋on his face というように用
いられる。Look が用いられている例が１
００例中２２例、expression が用いられ
ている例が１００例中１３例である。以下がその例である。
（２８）By the look on his face he obviously understood what I was on
about.
（２９）He sits there, his hands shaking, his movements robotic, the look
on his face similar to what the marines call a thousand−yard stare.
（３０）she knew from the look on his face that he was thinking she was
still bearing a grudge … .
（３１）all she could see was Colm’s pudgy little legs swinging backwards
and forwards and the grim look on his face… .
（３２）the farmer … was standing at the entrance to his farm, a bewildered look on his face.
（３３）As he walked away he looked back at me, Better eat it, Scottish, he
said, with a serious look on his face.
（３４）His younger sister remembered that suddenly he might leave the
table with a wild mad look on his face and rush round the garden.
（３５）He turned and saw the waiter bearing down on him with an anxious
look on his face.
（３６）Myles could see an exasperated look on his face.
（３７）Knocker came over to serve them with a slightly worried look on
（4）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 215 ―
his face.
（３８）Malachi straightened up in his chair, an aggrieved look on his face.
（３９）The man moved towards us, a look of surprise on his face.
（４０）he could see the look of surprise on his face … .
（４１）Knocker shrugged his massive shoulders with look of resignation
on his face.
（４２）AN AMERICAN visitor to Panama … said the dictator bore
that look of doom on his face.
（４３）You’re not listening to me, Boyo, he exclaimed, a look of annoyance
on his face.
（４４）I remember David had a look of amazement on his face
（４５）I met him returning from one of the Penn ponds with the largest
pike of the year swinging by his side and a look of sheer elation on
his face.（elation＝高揚）
（４６）A figure in brown detached itself from the shadows, reached into
the bin with a look of disgust on his face … .
（４７）It was led by Captain Pugwash with a large barrel of brandy and
a look of extreme self−satisfaction on his face.
（４８）He listened with a terrible look of disdain on his face.（disdain＝
軽蔑）
（４９）Henry was so infuriated by the childlike look of loss on his face he
had half a mind to give him some.
（５０）He earned his name because of the expression on his face.
（５１）He scooped it out and moved on, never breaking his rhythm,
the expression on his face never changing… .
（５２）I understood from the expression on his face when the meeting
（5）
― 216 ―
was over, that the encounter with the King was not a pleasant one.
（５３）Simon stood watching for a moment, then, adjusting the expression
on his face, he walked down the wooden steps on to the beach.
（５４）The expression on his face had been wary, but what more could
she possible hope for?
（５５）Mr Browning, with an expression on his face that said he guessed
what this was about and it did not please him, nodded.
（５６）a man who rarely seemed to have any expression on his face
（５７）Kegan, a ludicrously hopeful expression on his face, stared at Briant’s bent head … .
（５８）But Sir Daniel was looking at him with a satisfied expression on his
face.
（５９）He kept what he hoped was a bright and intelligent expression on
his face and waited for enlightenment.
（６０）Arfur spoke for everybody when he said, a wondering expression
on his face … .
（６１）He sat looking at the fire with lowered eyelids, a contented expression on his face … .
（６２）And the same boy, nearly ten years later, with much the same expression on his face, awaiting his turn in the Senate House to receive his degree.
（６３）He thrust a mess tin full of steak and kidney into my hand, and
with a scowl on his face he remarked… .（scowl＝しかめつら）
（６３）は look，expression ということばは用いられていないが、表情について
語られていて、後述する他の分類にあてはまらないので、便宜上ここに挙げて
（6）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 217 ―
おく。
（２
８）−（６２）で見られたような例は in his face にもあるが、１００例中、次
の３例である。
（６４）He looked as strong as before and his hair was still black, but in
his face I saw a bitter, desperate look , that I had never seen there
before.
（６５）Listen carefully to this News, ; he said, with no expression in his
face.
（６６）The expression of pain in his face became something else entirely … .
（６４）は、構文的には on の用例の（３
６），（４０）に近いであろう（see が用いら
れていて主語がその彼の表情を見たということが表現されている点におい
て）。（６５）は、with という前置詞と共に前置詞句をつくっているという点で
（５５），（５８）に近いであろうか。
（６６）は expression の名詞句が主語になって
いるという点で（５
４）に近いであろう。意味的には on と in とで違いはない。
用例の多さから、look，expression が用いられるのは on his face となること
が圧倒的に多いと言えよう。
１．
３．皺、傷
次の特徴は顔の皺や傷が表現されることである。まず、例を挙げる。
（６７）Lots of lines on his face.
（６８）Plenty of lines on his face, which she hadn’t really noticed before,
but which were particularly noticeable now.
（６９）But now the first thing I saw were the lines on his face standing
（7）
― 218 ―
out like the lines on a charcoal drawing.
（７０）Mr Price said her statement described Mr Robson as having a swollen hand and scratches on his face.
（７１）His hand touched the scratches on his face.
（７２）He shrugs off his legacy of injuries a fractured bone in his back,
ripped Achilles tendons, the deep bruise on his face which he
picked up on the way to winning a bronze medal in Poland.
（７３）The bruises and lumps were still fresh and unhealed on his face.
（７４）He believed they might not be able to see the scratches on his
face or the vestiges of a black eye that way.
（７５）he was getting old before his time … by the look of the scars on
his face … .
（７６）Theroux had a deep gash on his face … .（a deep gash＝深傷）
これらのような用例は in his face にもある。例を挙げる。
（７７）He looked suddenly tired and old, the deep lines in his face intensified.
（７８）The lines in his face had deepened into clearly defined wrinkles.
（７９）Seth had ploughed into the back of another van, earning himself a
broken nose and twenty−five stitches in his face.
（８０）He was in a satisfactory condition in Newcastle hospital last night,
with dozens of tiny stitches in his face.
（８１）The wound in his face.
（８２）Mortimer drawled, nodding towards the nearest of the fallen blacks,
who had already attracted a brace of flies to the sticky wounds in
（8）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 219 ―
his face.
On his face 表現と in his face 表現を比較すると、lines（皺）で共通している。
皺は浅いものから深いものまであるので深い場合に in が用いられると予想さ
れるが、実際（７７）の in の例では deep
lines という表現が見られる。しか
し、lines の例ではないが（７２），（７６）の on の例で deep が用いられているの
で即断はできない。ここで出てきたものについて BNC 全体で検索すると次の
ような結果になった。
on his face 全体数６
７
１中
in his face 全体数１
８
７中
lines
９
２
scratches
５
０
bruise
２
０
scars
２
０
stitches
０
５
wound
（s）
０
２
Scratches は引っかき傷で表面的なので on、stitches は皮膚の中まで入り込む
ので in、という予想が成り立つが、先の deep のこともあり、この数字では即
断は禁物であろう。
１．
４．感情
次に、感情、気持ち、考え方、姿勢などが表現されている用例を集めよう。
On his face には次のような用例がある。
（８３）She saw more than enough in the guilt and pleasure on his face to
make questions redundant.
（８４）I could see the relief on his face when he realised they really were
a band.
（9）
― 220 ―
（８５）No, she said, and watched a tiny nervous flicker on his face.
（８６）there was no disgust on his face, only a vaguely resentful acceptance.
（８７）And there was still an extraordinary shadow of tiredness on his
face … .
（８８）Satisfaction and horror jostle for position on his face.
（８９）I could see the strain on his face.
（９０）He glared into Luke’s moist, agonised eyes, loathing on his face.
（loathing＝嫌悪）
In his face には実に多くの用例がある。Nothing，something が用いられてい
ても文脈から感情、気持ち、考え方、姿勢などが表現されている場合はここに
挙げる。
（９１）He nodded and I could read more than one emotion in his
face … .
（９２）It was the first time I had seen him reveal any emotion in his face,
and it had something of the intensity of grief.
（９３）There was no emotion in his face ; no resentment, no sadness.
（９４）Perhaps Jean−Paul read the disgust and the anger in his face
（９５）He turned to Beth, anger turning to apology in his face.
（９６）Mr Evans with the angry red coming up in his face.
（９７）There was nothing in his face to show how much he enjoyed teasing his only sister.
（９８）She looked across at him as if giving him a final appraisal and
checking for further clues in his face, in his clothes.
（ 10 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 221 ―
（９９）Bernie Scholtz was a youngish, good−looking Jewish boy, but there
was a weakness in his face.
（１００）We were so close that I could see the unhappy mixture of terror
and subservience in his face.（subservience＝従属状態、追従）
（１０１）There were no laughs in his face.
（１０２）he turned to Edouard with a sudden anxiousness in his face.
（１０３）The hope that this might indeed be the case was transparent in his
face… .
（１０４）George’s disbelief and shock must have been mirrored in his
face … .
（１０５）Transform that determination into movement, speed and power, until you see the uncertainty in his eyes and the panic in his face.
（１０６）She saw the worried misery in his face … .
（１０７）She saw the excitement in his face and smiled to please him.
（１０８）She saw kindness in his face and compassion … .
（１０９）there was confidence in his stride and eagerness in his face.
（１１０）He bore the truth in his face and in his heart.
（１１１）Adam stared, struggling to get back to his feet and confusion
seemed to burn up in his face.
（１１２）but there was something in his face as he looked at me which was
very like kindness.
（１１３）I said, trying to sound convincing but daunted by the simple bewilderment in his face.
１４）Something flared up in his face, and then was quenched.
（１
（１１５）He sent back one of the party to retrieve the proper tin, but no
sooner had this poor unfortunate reached the crater rim than
（ 11 ）
― 222 ―
the volcano blew up in his face.
（１１６）Culley heard a small detonation in his face, like a damp stick
breaking.
（１１７）Suppressed tensions were unreadable in his face … .
（１１８）There was something bleak in his face, something unforgiving.
（１１９）But he had not answered, only looked away, the bitterness in his
face unchanged.
（１２０）Then Teng was standing over her, his breathing heavy and irregular, a strange excitement in his face.
（１２１）there was something in his face ; a certain quality that seemed ingrained, weathered in.
（１２２）There was nothing of recognition in his face as he passed her by.
（１２３）So so, said Julia, looking up at him from her pillows and smiling at
the affection and the anxiety in his face.
（１２４）Tolonen handed Karr the knife, then sat back on his knees, rubbing
at his ribs again, a momentary flicker of pain in his face.
（１２５）His father turned toward him with an earnestness that Jack had
never before seen in his face.
（１２
６）She tugged her mouth away from him, and ignoring the mounting
displeasure in his face … .
（１２
７）The dark fury in his face made her falter and stop.
（１２
８）The dark gaze was narrowed to a thoughtful glitter in his face.
（１２９）Saw him look down, then look back at her, some small change having taken place in his face.
（１３０）In his face there was a hard, uncompromising certainty about
things … .
（ 12 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 223 ―
（１３１）There was nothing in his face that she could interpret as affection
or even as desire.
（１３２）There was no love or gentleness in his face.
（１３３）She saw perfection in his face, his intelligence, and his soul.
（１３４）Disappointment was visible in his face.
（１３５）There was a little colour in his face and a brightness in his eye.
On his face の用例と in his face の用例を意味的に比較しても差異は感じられ
ない。On his face の用例では、罪の意識、楽しさ、安堵感、ナーバスさ、嫌
悪感、疲れ、満足、恐怖、緊張感などが表現されていたが、そのような例は in
his face の用例にもあるし、in his face の用例では他にも、怒り、愛情、優し
さ、確信、不安、希望など、ありとあらゆる感情や気持ちが表現されている。
ただ、データの出現数から言うと感情や気持ちは in で表現されることが多い
ということができよう。
１．
５．物理的なもので顔に接触するもの
次の分類として、物理的なもので顔に接触するものが表現されているものを
検討しよう。まず、on his face の例文を挙げる。
（１３６）he certainly did not commit any murder, nor was he seen in Cross
Street with blood on his face.
（１３７）There was a lot of blood on his face, dripping on to the floor.
（１３８）Alan was on the screen ; there were streaks of blood on his face,
his arm was strapped up and he wore a blanket round his shoulders.
（１３９）The sweat had dried on his face.
（ 13 ）
― 224 ―
（１４０）He had put a little bronze foundation on his face ; a sample from
one of the magazines.
（１４１）The door was eventually opened by a scowling man, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, towel around his waist, shaving
soap on his face and a razor in his hand, getting ready for his
night shift.
（１４２）Benstede, who returned looking untidy with streaks of dirt on his
face, muttered… .
（１４３）there was nothing real except the wind on his face … .
（１４４）he looked up, because he heard his train coming and also because
he felt the hot wind on his face.
（１４５）Sister Cooney opened the French windows and he felt the air sweet
on his face.
（１４６）The cold salt water on his face caused him to come up gasping.
（１４７）Derek Douane was being cooed over by a pair of predatory women
in their fifties, not minding their tanned fingers in his hair, on his
face or twanging his braces.
（１４８）First she dedicated her song that night … to the men who had
brought their fists down on his face just two streets from her Bar.
（男たちが彼の顔面をこぶしでなぐった）
（１４９）The man ran crouching, hands on his face, into a wall and collapsed.
（１５０）they’d used a knife , and they brought it down on his face four
times.
In his face の用例を検討する前に先取りして言うが、blood と sweat の用例は
（ 14 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 225 ―
in his face の例にはない。顔についた血液と汗は表面的なものだからではなか
ろうか。（１４０）−（１
４２）の例のファンデーション、石鹸、泥についても同じこ
とが言えるであろう。Wind，rain，water の例は in にもある。表にしておこう。
on his face 全体数６
７
１中
in his face 全体数１
８
７中
wind
２
３
rain
２
１
water
５
１
あとは、指、手が触れた（（１４７），（１４９））、こぶしで殴った（
（１４８））、ナイフ
で刺した（（１５０））ことなどが表現されている。
（１５０）以外は表面的なものな
ので on が用いられているのであろう。
（１５０）はナイフなので顔の内部へと入
り込むイメージがあるが、接触を強調するために on が用いられたのかも知れ
ない。このような用例は他にないので断定することはできないが。
では、in his face の例を挙げる。
（１５１）Head back, rain beating in his face, Trent laughed almost maniacally with the joy of freedom.
（１５２）For the first time, he felt ; really felt the rain in his face, the
weight of his stick, the pull of his waterlogged cloak.
（１５３）like a storm in his ears, and the rain a freezing hail in his face that
blinded him.（hail＝雹）
（１５４）Yanto was aware of the wind in his face as the instructor glanced
down at the flag man again.
（１５５）He was never a man to be deprived of the sun and the soft wind in
his face.
（１５６）the cherry blossoms which she had thrown in his face
（１５７）Hidden by her handmaids she is seen to blush, then turns to Ac（ 15 ）
― 226 ―
taeon and throws water in his face to blind him… .
（１５８）She felt herself shrinking from him, preparing to fling the papers in
his face and run if she had to.（紙を顔に投げつける）
（１５９）She would go straight downstairs, now this minute, and throw
the ring back in his face!
（１６０）He said it straight at the senior officer, who looked for a moment as
if someone had cracked a whip in his face.（むち打つ）
（１６１）He’ll catch my boots in his face, Ace muttered.
（１６２）She would have spat in his face, but that struck her as being unladylike.（つばを吐きかけた）
（１６３）But she just spat in his face and went out, slamming the door so
hard that a picture of herself fell off the wall.（つばを吐きかけた）
（１６４）He had a spear stuck in his face.（spear＝投げ槍）
（１６５）Riven saw a Hearthware collapse with arrows in his face and neck.
（１５１）−（１５５）は、on his face でもあった、rain，wind などの例である。
（１５６）−
（１６１）では顔に物が投げつけられることが表現されており、（１６２）（１６３）では
顔につばが吐きかけられること、（１６４）（１６５）では顔に物が突き刺さったこと
が表現されている。血液、汗のような顔の表面だけに接触するものは on his
face で表現されるが、そのほかのものは on と in とで違いがないようである。
ナイフや矢が顔にささるということも on と in の両方で表現されている。これ
については後ほどまとめて考察する。
さて、ここで on his face の用例をほぼ挙げきってしまったので、残る on his
face の４つの例を挙げてしまおう。（１６６）は比喩的な表現で、視線を彼の顔に
向けたというものである。
（ 16 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 227 ―
（１６６）We made some small talk as I tried to fix my eyes on his face to
forget that my palms were sweating and my peripheral vision was
registering only sky.
（１６７）は、うつぶせで寝ているという状態、（１６８）（１６９）は、身を投げて、あ
るいは転んで顔と地面が接触したというものである。
（１６７）Freddie advised Mickey who was lying flat on his face in a clump
of nettles.
（１６８）Corbett had heard such a sound many times during his war in
Wales and, without thinking, threw himself on his face.
（１６９）Captain Pugwash fell flat on his face … .
１．
６．物理的な外部物体で顔に接触しないもの
ここからは in his face 表現に特有なものである。まずは、物理的な外部物体
で顔に接触しないものである。例を挙げる。
（１７０）He was disbelieving and finally she shut the door in his face.
（１７１）And slams the bedroom door in his face.
（１７２）It looks like the shop door has once more closed in his face.
（１７３）The man stopped in mid−strike as if a steel door had been slammed
in his face.
（１７４）She had then wished him good luck with the sale of his book and
had quietly shut the door in his face.
（１７５）Swinging round in a fury, Raimundo was about to leap on Perdita
when she brandished the fork in his face.（brandish＝振り回す）
（ 17 ）
― 228 ―
（１７６）In the basement of the American embassy the duty ELINT man
gave a yell as his warning light blazed red in his face and the
sound of a phone ringing came into his headset.
（１７７）Pistoliers can also be useful in this role, as well as being able to
ride up to your enemy and unload hard−hitting gunpowder weapons
in his face.
（１７８）Sam dangled a pair of ski boots in his face.（dangle＝ちらつか
せる）
（１７９）What the hell is happening now? ; snapped Cardiff directly in his
face.
（１７０）−（１７４）では彼の目の前でドアがぴしゃりと閉められる状況が描写され
ている。
（１７５）では目の前でフォークを振り回され、
（１７７）では武器（１７８）で
はブーツを目の前でちらつかされ、
（１７９）では目の前で指を鳴らされている。
彼にとっては被害というイメージが強い表現である。突然あるものごとが目の
前で起こることを表現する次の例もこの分類に入れておいてよいだろう。
（１８０）More often because of his impatience, it blew back in his face,
dusting him all over.
（１８１）He grew up in the public spotlight, never free from prying eyes and
press comment, never sure when a trusted friend would betray him,
or when a casual remark to a stranger might blow up in his face.
（１８２）Nothing of its kind had ever been done before, and it could have
blown up in his face.
（１８３）He’d been sailing close to the wind for years and everything was
just about to blow up in his face.
（ 18 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 229 ―
（１８４）At lunchtime, when he read the note, he would always thank her as
warmly as he could, but her mistake of taste was plainly defined in
his face.
これらの例では顔の内部ということで in が用いられているのではない。彼の
目の前で起こるできごとが表現されている。多くの場合彼にとっては被害と思
われることである。顔というのは人間にとって大切な部分であり目の前（つま
り顔の前）という空間も大事な顔に属するものであるから、顔の周りまたは人
間全体の周りの領域が意図され、その領域の範囲内ということで in で表現さ
れているのではなかろうか。
１．
７．物理的な外部物体で接触不確定のもの（間接接触があるもの）
次に、物理的な外部物体で顔と接触するかどうかはっきりとはわからないも
の、または理屈では物理的に間接的にせよ接触していると考えられるものの用
例を検討する。まず例を挙げる。
（１８５）Anyway, Jack The Lad said, rehearsing, and blew smoke in his
face.
（１８６）J. was himself injured in several other incidents involving bombs,
once being temporarily blinded when a marker bomb exploded almost in his face.
（１８７）He looked imploringly at Connors, but it’s no use pleading with a
man who just had a machine gun go off in his face.
（１８８）Black Blossom dared to tease him about his height and wiggle
her huge breasts in his face to show how much taller she was by
comparison.（wiggle＝小刻みに動かす）
（ 19 ）
― 230 ―
（１８９）He felt Parker’s cock in his face.
（１９０）a photographer blew a flash bulb in his face just as he was about
to speak … .
（１９１）But his arm was twisted, and now he could feel the thing’s putrid
breath in his face.
（１９２）She stood with her hands on the door latch, as if she were ready to
throw the door back in his face.
（１８５）ではタバコの煙を顔に吹きかけられるという状況、（１８６）では目の前で
爆弾が破裂するという状況、
（１８７）では銃弾が向かってくるという状況、
（１９０）
ではカメラのフラッシュを浴びせかけられるという状況が表現されている。こ
れらの例でも気持ちのよいものではなく、彼にとっては被害を受けるというイ
メージである。ここでも目の前、顔の周り、人間全体とその周囲を含む領域と
して in his face によって表現されているのであろう。
１．
８．顔の中に物理的に存在するもの
残りの例は顔の中に物理的に存在するものが表現されているものである。
（１９３）the muscles in his face
（１９４）I have more to say to you! ; whispered Boldwood, the muscles in
his face strangely out of control.
（１９５）The muscles in his face had flexed tight as he spoke and his
breathing had become uneven.
（１９６）The one notable feature in his face were the eyes … .
（１９７）She remembered how he had looked at her−awed, his eyes round
in his face and laughed, imagining it.
（ 20 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 231 ―
（１９８）Burun’s eyes were like dark featureless pools in his face.
（１９９）Thirty−seven stitches were needed to sew back a flap in his face
which went from the side of his nose and tore the corner of his
mouth.（flap＝たるみ）
（２００）He had aged, and not only in his face.
（１９３）−（１９５）は顔の筋肉、
（１９６）−（１９８）は彼の目を表している。
（１９８）（２００）
は特定できないが顔の一部を表している。顔の中にあるものということで in
が用いられているのだろう。
２．まとめ
これまでの分析をまとめよう。まずデータを分類別にまとめると次のように
なる。数字は論じた節の番号である。
on his face 表現に多いもの
１．
１．微笑み（smile，grin）
１．
２．表情
（look，expression）
in his face 表現に多いもの
１．
４．感情
１．
６．物理的な外部物体で顔に接触しないもの
１．
７．物理的な外部物体で接触不確定のもの（間接接触があるもの）
１．
８．顔の中に物理的に存在するもの
両者に共通するもの（細かい議論は本論を参照のこと）
１．
３．皺、傷
（ 21 ）
― 232 ―
１．
５．物理的なもので顔に接触するもの
次にひとつひとつ考察を加えながらまとめてゆこう。
微笑み（smile，grin）を表す時には on＋face を使う。微笑みは表面的なも
のとして考えられるからであろう。表情（look，expression）を表す時にもほ
ぼ on＋face が用いられる。これも微笑みと同じ理由によるものと考えられる。
皺（lines）、傷（scratches，bruise など）は on＋face と in＋face の両方が用い
られる。On が用いられている場合には顔の表面が意識され、in が用いられる
場合には顔の皮膚の中の方まで入り込んでいるという発想がなされているもの
と考えられる。しかし、deep
bruise/gash が on＋face で用いられている例も
存在する。これは皮膚の中の方まで入り込むとは言っても、顔面の皮膚の深さ
は知れており頭蓋骨までは到達しないということから、やはり表面的であると
いう発想がなされているのではなかろうか。物理的なもので顔に接触するもの
（blood，sweat，soup，rain，water，air，wind など）では on＋face と in＋face
の両方が用いられる。Rain，water，air，wind は皮膚の中に入り込むことはな
いのでなぜ in が用いられるのか納得がいかないが、この理由に関しては後に
考察する。感情（pleasure，relief，anger，apology）を表す表現でも on＋face
と in＋face の両方が用いられるが、in の用例の方が圧倒的に多い。これにつ
いても後ほど考察したい。筋肉（muscles）、目（eyes）などの顔の中に存在す
るものには in＋face が用いられる。これらは顔の表面に在るとはとらえるこ
とができないので on では表現できないことから当然 in の守備範囲となる。最
後は物理的な外部物体である。本論では顔に接触しないものと接触がはっきり
しないものとに分けたが、分けなくてもいいかもしれない。前者の例としては
she shut the door in his face（彼女は彼の目の前でぴしゃりとドアを閉め
た），she brandished the fork in his face（彼女は彼の目の前でフォークを振り
回した）があり、後者の例としては he blew smoke in his face（そいつは彼の
（ 22 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
― 233 ―
顔にタバコの煙を吹きかけた），he felt the thing’s putrid breath in his face（彼
はそれの臭い息が顔にかかるのを感じた）がある。厳密に言うと後者の例は煙
という気体（の分子）が顔に接触していると考えられるし匂いを発する気体
（の分子）が顔に接触していると考えられるので一応顔への接触はあると考え
られるのであるが、そもそも話者はそこまで考えて発話してはいないであろう
から、物理的な外部物体が顔に接近している状態として考えればいいと思われ
る。さてこの用法であるが、外部物体が顔に接近しているということで顔の内
部には全く到達していないという状況であるのに in＋face が用いられている。
これらの例では「彼」が不利益を被っているということから考えると、本論で
も述べたが目の前（つまり顔の前）という空間も人間の領域としてとらえられ
ており、in によって表現されているのであろう。そしてその領域を侵される
と脅威を感じることから、その人間が不利益を被ることが（利益を得るという
ことより）多く表現されるのであろう。このように考えると先に述べた疑問と
の関連性が見えてくる。物理的なもので顔に接触するもの（blood，sweat，
soup，rain，water，air，wind など）を考察した際に rain，water，air，wind
は皮膚の中に入り込むことはないのになぜ in が用いられるのかという疑問を
呈したが、顔の内部というよりも顔という領域という意味で in が用いられて
いるのではなかろうか。ただこの領域は、上の she shut the door in his face（彼
女は彼の目の前でぴしゃりとドアを閉めた）という例文に代表される人間全体
を一つの領域と考える用法とは異なり、顔という人間の一部の領域で範囲もか
なり狭いものである。この領域という概念は次のこととも関連しているかもし
れない。感情（pleasure，relief，anger，apology）を表す表現について考察し
た際、on＋face と in＋face の両方が用いられるが in の用例の方が圧倒的に多
いことを指摘した。人が別の人物の気持ちをその人の顔から推し量る場合、表
面的な表情からすぐに判断できる場合もあるだろうし、すぐに判断できず顔の
各部分から総合的に判断する場合や顔全体の雰囲気から判断する場合もあるで
（ 23 ）
― 234 ―
あろう。前者の場合 on が用いられて、後者の場合に in が用いられるのではな
かろうか。微笑み（smile，grin）を表す時、表情（look，expression）を表す
時にはほとんどの場合 on が用いられるということを思い起こしていただきた
い。微笑みは顔を見ればすぐにわかるものである。荒っぽい言葉でまとめるな
らば、on は表面的なものや表面に接するものを表現するときに用いられ、in
は顔にあるもの、顔の内部のもの、顔という領域、そして人間全体とその周囲
の空間を含む領域の範囲内を表現するときに用いられる、ということになる。
注
１．British National Corpus World Edition は、１億語のイギリス英語の書き言葉（９
０％）
と話し言葉（１
０％）の品詞標識付きコーパスであり、大半は１
９
９
０年代のテキスト
である。なお、コンコーダンス・ソフトは TEXANA Learning Edition Ver. １．
６
１（赤
瀬川史朗氏による）を用いた。また、引用例への太字の施しや四角による囲い込み
は筆者によるものである。
主要参考文献
Coventry, Kenny R. and Simon C. Garrod. 2004. Saying, Seeing and Acting :
The Psychological Semantics of Spatial Prepositions. Hove and New York :
Psychology Press.
Garrod, Simon, Gillian Ferrier, and Siobhan Campbell. １９９９. “In and on : Investigating the Functional Geometry of Spatial Prepositiosn.” Cognition ７２:
１６７−１８９．
Herskovits, Annette. １９８６. Language and Spatial Cognition : An Interdisciplinary Study of the Prepositions in English. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
（ 24 ）
“On his face” と “in his face” の違い（白谷）
河上誓作
― 235 ―
編著．１９９６．『認知言語学の基礎』東京：研究社出版．
Lakoff, George.１９８７. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things : What Categories Reveal About the Mind. Chicago : University of Chicago Press.［ジョージ・レ
イコフ（池上嘉彦，河上誓作
ほか訳）
．１９９３．『認知意味論』東京：紀伊
国屋書店．］
Tyler, Andrea and Vyvyan Evans. ２００３. The Semantics of English Prepositions :
Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition. Cambridge : Cambridge
University Press.
（ 25 ）

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