Question of the Day #834

“What is for certain is the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”

From the 4th paragraph of this article at inews.co.uk.

  上記の文で、the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doingの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
Weblioによると、

左手は右手のしていることを知らない

と言う諺です。
要するに、同じ組織等の人間同士の横のコミュニケーションが欠落しているために物事が上手くいかない状態。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

In a situation or setting in which people are working together, certain people in the organization are ignorant of the actions of certain other people in the organization, leading to dysfunction.

 

語源

Dictionary.comによると、

今日、この諺は、批判として使われるが、新約聖書のマタイによる福音書の6章3節では、「3 あなたは施しをする場合、右の手のしていることを左の手に知らせるな。4 それは、あなたのする施しが隠れているためである。すると、隠れた事を見ておられるあなたの父は、報いてくださるであろう。」とあり、肯定的に使われている。

 

Etymology

According to Dictionary.com,

Today this expression is nearly always used as a criticism. But, it first appeared in the New Testament (Matthew 6:3) in an approving sense, when Jesus recommended not publicizing one's good deeds. ("3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.")

   

Examples

• It was evident that the left hand did not know what the right hand was doing when we planned our potluck dinner party, since everyone brought dessert and no one brought a main dish.
• The contradictory emails I've gotten from that company lead me to believe that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
• First I got a letter from them saying they couldn’t return my money, and then the next day they sent me a cheque. Obviously the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing.
• I can't get my healthcare provider to acknowledge that I've already paid them using the debit card issued by the very same healthcare provider. The left hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

   

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。