“Well-beloved, it’s high time I was writing you.
well-beloved
(愛する)
[形]
greatly loved
「愛する友よ、あなたに手紙を書くべき時が来た。
Here am I, installed once more as a country ‘schoolma’am’ at Valley Road, boarding at ‘Wayside,’ the home of Miss Janet Sweet.
Wayside
(ウェイサイド)
[名]
the side of a road
私はこちらで、再びヴァレー・ロードの田舎の「女教師」として落ち着き、ジャネット・スウィートさんの家「ウェイサイド」に下宿しています。
Janet is a dear soul and very nicelooking;
nice-looking
(美人)
[形]
having a pleasing appearance
ジャネットさんはとても優しい人で、とても美人です。
tall, but not over-tall; stoutish, yet with a certain restraint of outline suggestive of a thrifty soul who is not going to be overlavish even in the matter of avoirdupois.
over-tall
(高すぎる)
[形]
too tall
stoutish
(太め)
[形]
somewhat stout
restraint
(抑制)
[名]
a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control or within limits
suggestive
(思わせる)
[形]
tending to suggest
thrifty
(倹約家)
[形]
using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully
overlavish
(過度に贅沢)
[形]
excessively lavish
matter
(面)
[名]
a situation or state of affairs
背は高いが、高すぎず、太めだが、体重の面でも過度に贅沢をしない倹約家を思わせる、ある程度抑制された輪郭をしている。
She has a knot of soft, crimpy, brown hair with a thread of gray in it, a sunny face with rosy cheeks, and big, kind eyes as blue as forget-me-nots.
crimpy
(縮れた)
[形]
having a wavy or curly texture
sunny
(明るい)
[形]
bright with sunlight
forget-me-not
(忘れな草)
[名]
a plant with bright blue flowers
彼女は、柔らかく縮れた茶色の髪に灰色の筋が入り、バラ色の頬をした明るい顔をしており、忘れな草のような青い大きな優しい目をしています。
Moreover, she is one of those delightful, old-fashioned cooks who don’t care a bit if they ruin your digestion as long as they can give you feasts of fat things.
moreover
(その上)
[副]
in addition to what has been said
old-fashioned
(昔ながらの)
[形]
of a style or type formerly in vogue
cook
(料理人)
[名]
a person who prepares and cooks food
ruin
(壊す)
[動]
damage or destroy something
digestion
(消化器官)
[名]
the process of breaking down food into components that the body can absorb
その上、彼女は、脂っこいものをたらふく食べさせさえすれば、消化器官を壊してもかまわないという、あの愉快な昔ながらの料理人の一人だ。
“‘I’m real glad to see you,’ she said briskly, when I landed in her yard.
be glad to see
(会えて嬉しい)
[動]
be happy to see
land
(着く)
[動]
arrive at a place
「会えて本当に嬉しいよ」と彼女は私が庭に着くと元気よく言った。
‘My, you don’t look a mite like I expected.
expect
(想像する)
[動]
to think that something will happen or that someone will do something
「あら、想像していたものとはちっとも違うよね。
I was sure you’d be dark—my sister Anne was dark.
dark
(色黒)
[形]
having a dark complexion
きっと色黒だと思っていたのよ。私の妹のアンは色黒だったから。
And here you’re redheaded!’
be redheaded
(赤毛だ)
[動]
have red hair
ところが赤毛だなんて!」
“For a few minutes I thought I wasn’t going to like Janet as much as I had expected at first sight.
at first sight
(最初に)
[名]
the first time someone sees something or someone
「数分間、私はジャネットを最初に期待したほど好きにはなれないだろうと思った。
Then I reminded myself that I really must be more sensible than to be prejudiced against any one simply because she called my hair red.
prejudice
(偏見)
[名]
a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience
それから、私は、髪の毛を赤毛と呼んだというだけで誰かを偏見の目で見るようなことはせず、もっと分別を持たなければならないと自分に言い聞かせた。
Probably the word ‘auburn’ was not in Janet’s vocabulary at all.
vocabulary
(語彙)
[名]
the body of words used in a language or in a particular book or branch of knowledge
おそらく「赤褐色」という言葉はジャネットの語彙には全くなかったのだろう。
“‘Wayside’ is a dear sort of little spot.
「ウェイサイドは素敵な小さな場所よ。
The house is small and white, set down in a delightful little hollow that drops away from the road.
set down
(ある)
[動]
to put something in a place
hollow
(窪地)
[名]
a place lower than the surrounding land
drop away
(離れる)
[動]
to become less or smaller
家は小さくて白く、道から離れた小さな窪地にある。
Between road and house is an orchard and flower-garden all mixed up together.
flower-garden
(花畑)
[名]
a garden where flowers are grown
mix up
(混在する)
[動]
combine or be combined in a confused or disordered way
道と家の間には果樹園と花畑が混在している。
The front door walk is bordered with quahog clam-shells—‘cow-hawks,’ Janet calls them;
walk
(道)
[名]
a journey on foot
border
(縁取る)
[動]
form a border around
quahog clam-shells
(ホッキ貝の殻)
[名]
the shell of a large edible clam
玄関までの道はホッキ貝の殻で縁取られている。ジャネットはそれを「カウホーク」と呼んでいる。
there is Virginia Creeper over the porch and moss on the roof.
Virginia Creeper
(バージニアクリーパー)
[名]
a woody vine native to eastern North America
ポーチにはバージニアクリーパーが、屋根には苔が生えている。
My room is a neat little spot ‘off the parlor’—just big enough for the bed and me.
my room
(私の部屋)
[名]
the room where I live
off
(外)
[前]
away from
私の部屋は「客間の外」にある小さなきれいな場所で、ベッドと私を入れるのに十分な大きさだ。
Over the head of my bed there is a picture of Robby Burns standing at Highland Mary’s grave, shadowed by an enormous weeping willow tree.
over the head of
(頭上に)
[前]
above the head of
Robby Burns
(ロビー・バーンズ)
[名]
a Scottish poet
Highland Mary
(ハイランド・メアリー)
[名]
a Scottish woman
shadow
(木陰)
[名]
comparative darkness and coolness caused by shelter from direct sunlight
weeping willow
(シダレヤナギ)
[名]
a willow with long, drooping branches
ベッドの頭の上には、巨大なシダレヤナギの木陰でハイランド・メアリーの墓に立つロビー・バーンズの絵がある。
Robby’s face is so lugubrious that it is no wonder I have bad dreams.
lugubrious
(悲しげな)
[形]
mournful, dismal, or gloomy
ロビーの顔はとても悲しげなので、私が悪い夢を見るのも不思議ではない。
Why, the first night I was here I dreamed I couldn’t laugh.
なぜか、ここに来た最初の夜、私は笑えない夢を見た。
“The parlor is tiny and neat.
neat
(きれい)
[形]
clean and tidy
「客間は小さくてきれいだ。
Its one window is so shaded by a huge willow that the room has a grotto-like effect of emerald gloom.
grotto
(洞窟)
[名]
a small cave, especially an artificial one in a garden
emerald
(エメラルド)
[名]
a green precious stone
1つの窓は巨大な柳の木陰になっているので、部屋はエメラルド色の洞窟のような効果がある。
There are wonderful tidies on the chairs, and gay mats on the floor, and books and cards carefully arranged on a round table, and vases of dried grass on the mantel-piece.
mantel-piece
(マントルピース)
[名]
a shelf above a fireplace
椅子には素晴らしいカバーがかかり、床には派手なマットが敷かれ、丸いテーブルには本やカードが丁寧に並べられ、マントルピースにはドライフラワーの花瓶が置かれている。
Between the vases is a cheerful decoration of preserved coffin plates—five in all, pertaining respectively to Janet’s father and mother, a brother, her sister Anne, and a hired man who died here once!
vase
(花瓶)
[名]
a container used to hold flowers or other plants
plate
(プレート)
[名]
a flat dish on which food is served
花瓶の間には、保存された棺桶のプレートの陽気な装飾があり、全部で5つあり、それぞれジャネットの父と母、兄弟、彼女の妹アン、そしてかつてここで亡くなった雇われ人のものである。
If I go suddenly insane some of these days ‘know all men by these presents’ that those coffin-plates have caused it.
go insane
(狂ったようになる)
[動]
become crazy
these days
(この頃)
[名]
the present time
もし私がこの頃突然狂ったようになったら、その棺桶のプレートが原因であることを「このプレゼントですべての人に知らせよ」。
“But it’s all delightful and I said so.
「でも、すべてが楽しいし、そう言ったよ。
Janet loved me for it, just as she detested poor Esther because Esther had said so much shade was unhygienic and had objected to sleeping on a feather bed.
unhygienic
(不衛生な)
[形]
dirty and likely to cause disease
object to
(反対する)
[動]
be opposed to; disapprove of
ジャネットは、エスターがあまり日陰は不衛生だと言って羽毛のベッドで寝ることに反対したためにエスターが嫌いになったのと同じように、私を愛してくれた。
Now, I glory in feather-beds, and the more unhygienic and feathery they are the more I glory.
feather-bed
(羽毛のベッド)
[名]
a bed with a mattress filled with feathers
feathery
(羽毛の多い)
[形]
having or covered with feathers
今、私は羽毛のベッドに栄光を感じ、不衛生で羽毛が多いほど栄光を感じる。
Janet says it is such a comfort to see me eat;
ジャネットは私が食べるのを見るのは本当に慰めになると言う。
she had been so afraid I would be like Miss Haythorne, who wouldn’t eat anything but fruit and hot water for breakfast and tried to make Janet give up frying things.
be like
(~のようになる)
[動]
resemble
Miss Haythorne
(ヘイソーンさん)
[名]
a person's name
wouldn't eat
(食べない)
[動]
refuse to eat
but
(以外は)
[接]
except
fruit
(果物)
[名]
the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food
hot water
(お湯)
[名]
water that has been heated
frying
(揚げ物)
[名]
the cooking of food in hot fat
彼女は私がヘイソーンさんのようになってしまうのではないかと心配していた。ヘイソーンさんは朝食に果物とお湯以外は何も食べず、ジャネットに揚げ物をやめさせようとした。
Esther is really a dear girl, but she is rather given to fads.
fad
(流行)
[名]
a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group
エスターは本当に愛すべき少女だが、どちらかというと流行に流されやすい。
The trouble is that she hasn’t enough imagination and HAS a tendency to indigestion.
問題は彼女が十分な想像力を持たず、消化不良の傾向があることだ。
“Janet told me I could have the use of the parlor when any young men called!
have the use of
(使ってもいい)
[動]
be allowed to use
「ジャネットは若い男性が訪ねてきたら応接室を使ってもいいと言ってくれたの!
I don’t think there are many to call.
訪ねてくる人はあまりいないと思うけど。
I haven’t seen a young man in Valley Road yet, except the next-door hired boy—Sam Toliver, a very tall, lank, tow-haired youth.
next-door
(隣の)
[形]
in or at the next house or building
Sam Toliver
(サム・トリバー)
[名]
a person's name
very tall
(とても背が高い)
[形]
of great height
lank
(痩せている)
[形]
thin and bony
隣の家の雇われ少年、サム・トリバー以外に、バレーロードで若い男性を見たことがないよ。とても背が高くて、痩せていて、髪の毛が黄色い青年よ。
He came over one evening recently and sat for an hour on the garden fence, near the front porch where Janet and I were doing fancy-work.
garden fence
(庭の塀)
[名]
a fence that encloses a garden
fancy-work
(手芸)
[名]
ornamental needlework
彼は最近、ある夕方やってきて、ジャネットと私が手芸をしていた玄関ポーチの近くの庭の塀に1時間ほど座っていたよ。
The only remarks he volunteered in all that time were, ‘Hev a peppermint, miss!
volunteer
(自発的に言う)
[動]
say or do something of one's own free will
remark
(言葉)
[名]
a comment or observation
その間彼が自発的に言った言葉は「ペパーミントどうぞ、お嬢さん!
Dew now-fine thing for cararrh, peppermints,’ and, ‘Powerful lot o’ jump-grasses round here ternight.
dew
(露)
[名]
water droplets that form on cool surfaces at night
cararrh
(風邪)
[名]
a cold
powerful
(いっぱい)
[形]
having great power or strength
jump-grass
(バッタ)
[名]
a grasshopper
round
(辺り)
[前]
near or surrounding
ternight
(今夜)
[名]
the night of the present day
風邪にいいんですよ、ペパーミントは」と「今夜はここら辺にバッタがいっぱいいるな」だけだった。
Yep.’
yep
(うん)
[間]
yes
うん」だけだった。
“But there is a love affair going on here.
love affair
(恋愛)
[名]
a romantic relationship between two people
「でも、恋愛は進行中よ。
It seems to be my fortune to be mixed up, more or less actively, with elderly love affairs.
be mixed up
(巻き込まれる)
[動]
be involved in something complicated or confusing
actively
(盛んに)
[副]
in a way that involves a lot of energy or effort
私の運命は、多かれ少なかれ、年配者の恋愛に巻き込まれることらしい。
Mr. and Mrs. Irving always say that I brought about their marriage.
bring about
(実現させる)
[動]
cause to happen
アーヴィング夫妻はいつも、私が二人の結婚を実現させたと言う。
Mrs. Stephen Clark of Carmody persists in being most grateful to me for a suggestion which somebody else would probably have made if I hadn’t.
Mrs. Stephen Clark
(スティーブン・クラーク夫人)
[名]
the wife of Stephen Clark
grateful
(感謝している)
[形]
feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness
カーモディのスティーブン・クラーク夫人は、私がしなかったとしても誰か他の誰かがしたであろう提案に対して、私に最も感謝し続けている。
I do really think, though, that Ludovic Speed would never have got any further along than placid courtship if I had not helped him and Theodora Dix out.
along
(進む)
[副]
forward or onward
courtship
(求愛)
[名]
the act of wooing; the act of seeking the affections of a woman with a view to marriage
でも、私がルドヴィック・スピードとセオドラ・ディックスを助けなかったら、彼は穏やかな求愛以上には進まなかっただろうと本当に思っている。
“In the present affair I am only a passive spectator.
present
(今回の)
[形]
existing or occurring now
affair
(件)
[名]
a matter of business or public concern
passive
(受け身の)
[形]
not active or energetic
spectator
(観客)
[名]
a person who watches an event
「今回の件では、私はただの受け身の観客に過ぎない。
I’ve tried once to help things along and made an awful mess of it.
help along
(進展させる)
[動]
make progress
mess
(混乱)
[名]
a state of confusion or disorder
一度、物事を進展させようとしたことがあるが、ひどい混乱を招いてしまった。
So I shall not meddle again.
meddle
(干渉する)
[動]
interfere in something that is not your concern
だから、もう干渉はしない。
I’ll tell you all about it when we meet.”
会ったら全部話すよ」