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Context: in the last round of a match, a boxer realizes his opponent is just repeating the same combination over and over. I think 骨 in the following sentence has a metaphorical meaning, but I don't know how to interpret it:

支えるのはもう… 剥き出した骨のみ

I think the general meaning of the sentence should be:

The only thing that supports him... is now exposed.

Here you can see the whole page for more context. Thank you for your help!

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  • 2
    If there's a metaphor, it rather seems むき出した to me.
    – user4092
    Jul 16, 2018 at 17:21

1 Answer 1

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I don't think this 骨 itself is metaphorical; it just says his body is supported by his bones, literally and physically. Instead, 剥き出した ("bare", "uncovered") is the tricky expression here. It's not a common expression at all, but in this context, I feel it metaphorically describes how his body is damaged and how his muscle is weakened. In other words, it's now only his bone that keeps him standing, and everything else is (metaphorically) gone.

(In other contexts, 骨 by itself can be used metaphorically like English "backbone". 骨のある人間 means "a person with backbone". See also 気骨.)

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  • (-1されたので文脈の確認) この段階では両者は疲労していますが、闘争心やら根性やら気合的なものを剥き出すことで辛うじて立っているわけではなく、むしろかなり冷静に戦いに没頭しています。該当のコマでは足がアップになっていることも併せ、「骨」は精神的なものを指しているわけではないです。「客観的に体の限界が近いので自分の方が倒されうる状況だが、やるかやられるか、上手い一発で仕留めてやる」という状況ですので、「剥き出しの骨」とは「耐久力が落ちた足腰や体幹」を指しているものだと思います。
    – naruto
    Jul 17, 2018 at 11:25

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