fell

トランプ政権の副大統領を務めるMike Pence氏は妻以外の女性と二人きりになることを避けているそうです。

Billy Graham ruleと呼ばれる宗教上の節制を示したものが存在するそうですが、Pence氏はこれを踏襲していると見られています。


A story about Billy Graham goes something like this: In 1949 or 1950, after one of his famous evangelistic meetings, Graham returned to his hotel room to find a naked woman lying on his bed, ready to seduce him in an attempt to destroy his ministry. Graham, cautious and humble as usual, fled the hotel room and immediately implemented a rule that would come to bear his name: From that day forward, Graham would not travel (including by car), eat or meet alone with a woman other than his wife, Ruth.

The Billy Graham Rule was soon adopted by evangelical pastors and business executives. Men in positions of influence wanted to “flee from sexual immorality” and be “above reproach” (both biblical commands), as well as abstain from “every appearance of evil.” Aware of how many Christian leaders have been felled by sexual immorality, many of these men were taking sincere steps to guard their marriages from infidelity and their hearts from lust.
(Laura Turner. The religious reasons Mike Pence won’t eat alone with women don’t add up. The Washington Post. March 30, 2017.)


Billy Graham ruleの成り立ちについては上記の引用にある通りですが、聖職者たるもの、女性関係には十分注意しなければならないというところでしょうか。

さて、目を引いたのが、


many Christian leaders have been felled by sexual immorality


というくだりなのですが、"felled"は動詞"fell"に過去分詞形の語尾-edがついたものだと分析できますが、果たして動詞"fell"なんてあったのか？と思いました。

あえて持ち出すまでも無く、


fall - fell - fallen


という、動詞"fall"の活用形は中学英語（！？）レベルです。

つまり、"fell"は動詞"fall"の過去形であるというのが常識ですが、果たして動詞"fell"はちゃんと存在しているのでした。

しかも、動詞"fall"と関連しており、"fall"の使役形としての意味です。　

またしても勉強不足を恥じた次第です。