Chapter 14: Sheep-Shearing
shearing (毛刈り) [名] the action of cutting the wool off a sheep
第14章: 羊の毛刈り

 Now the meadows and pastures were velvety with thick grass, and the weather was warm.
pasture (放牧地) [名] a field of grass
grass (草) [名] a plant with narrow leaves growing from the base
今や牧草地や放牧地は厚い草でビロードのようで、天気は暖かかった。
It was time to shear sheep.
shear (刈る) [動] cut the wool off a sheep or other animal
羊の毛刈りの時期だった。

 On a sunny morning Pierre and Louis went with Almanzo into the pasture and they drove the sheep down to the washing-pens.
on a sunny morning (ある晴れた朝) [名] on a morning when the sun is shining
down to (まで) [前] from a higher to a lower place
washing-pen (洗い場) [名] a pen where sheep are washed
ある晴れた朝、ピエール、ルイ、アルマンゾは放牧地に行き、羊を洗い場まで追い立てた。
The long pen ran from the grassy pasture into the clear, deep water of Trout River.
pen (囲い) [名] a small enclosure for animals
run (続く) [動] extend in a specified direction
grassy (草地の) [形] covered with grass
clear (澄んだ) [形] free from clouds, mist, or haze
長い囲いは草地の放牧地からトラウト川の澄んだ深い水の中まで続いていた。
It had two gates opening into the pasture, and between the gates a short fence ran to the water’s edge.
放牧地に続く門が二つあり、門の間には水際まで短い柵があった。

 Pierre and Louis kept the flock from running away, while Almanzo took hold of a woolly sheep and pushed it through one gate.
flock (群れ) [名] a large number of people or things
woolly (毛むくじゃらの) [形] covered with wool
ピエールとルイは群れが逃げないようにし、アルマンゾは毛むくじゃらの羊を捕まえて、門の1つから押し込んだ。
In the pen Father and Lazy John caught hold of it.
catch hold of (捕まえる) [動] to grab or seize something or someone
囲いの中でパパと怠け者のジョンがそれを捕まえた。
Then Almanzo pushed another one through, and Royal and French Joe caught it.
それからアルマンゾは別の羊を押し込み、ロイヤルとフレンチ・ジョーがそれを捕まえた。
The other sheep stared and bleated, and the two sheep struggled and kicked and yelled.
bleat (鳴く) [動] make the characteristic cry of a sheep or goat
struggle (もがく) [動] make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction
他の羊は見つめて鳴き、二匹の羊はもがき、蹴り、叫んだ。
But the men rubbed their wool full of brown soft-soap and dragged them into the deep water.
soft-soap (軟石鹸) [名] a kind of soap made from vegetable oils and potassium hydroxide
drag (引きずり込む) [動] pull or move with difficulty or effort
しかし、男たちは羊毛を茶色の軟石鹸でいっぱいにこすり、深い水の中に引きずり込んだ。

 There the sheep had to swim.
swim (泳ぐ) [動] move through water by using one's limbs
そこで羊は泳がなければならなかった。
The men stood waist-deep in the swift water, and held onto the sheep and scrubbed them well.
waist-deep (腰まで) [形] up to the waist
scrub (洗う) [動] rub hard so as to clean
男たちは腰まで水に浸かり、羊をつかんでよく洗った。
All the dirt came out of their wool and floated downstream with the soap suds.
dirt (汚れ) [名] any substance that makes something unclean
downstream (下流) [名] the direction along a river in which the water flows
soap suds (石鹸の泡) [名] a mass of small bubbles formed on the surface of soapy water
羊毛からすべての汚れが出てきて、石鹸の泡と一緒に下流に浮かんだ。

 When the other sheep saw this, every one of them cried, “Baa-aa-aa, baa-aa-aa!” and they all tried to run away.
every one (みんな) [名] each person in a group
cry (鳴く) [動] utter a loud, piercing sound
他の羊がこれを見ると、みんな「メーメーメー、メーメーメー」と鳴き、逃げようとした。
But Almanzo and Pierre and Louis ran yelling around the flock, and brought it back again to the gate.
しかし、アルマンゾとピエール、ルイは群れの周りを叫びながら走り回り、再び門まで連れ戻した。

 As soon as a sheep was clean, the men made it swim around the end of the dividing fence, and they boosted it up the bank into the outer side of the pen.
boost (押し上げる) [動] lift or raise
bank (岸) [名] the land alongside or sloping down to a river, lake, or sea
羊がきれいになるとすぐに、男たちは仕切りの柵の端を泳いで回らせ、岸を押し上げて囲いの外側に出した。
The poor sheep came out bleating and dripping wet, but the sun soon dried it fluffy and white.
soon (すぐに) [副] in or after a short time
哀れな羊は鳴き声を上げながらびしょ濡れになって出てきたが、すぐに太陽がふわふわの白い羊を乾かしてくれた。

 As fast as the men let go of one sheep, Almanzo pushed another into the pen, and they caught it and soaped it and dragged it into the river.
as fast as (するとすぐに) [接] at the same time that
let go of (放す) [動] release one's hold on
soap (石鹸を塗る) [動] to apply soap to
男たちが一匹の羊を放すとすぐに、アルマンゾは別の羊を囲いの中に押し込み、男たちはそれを捕まえて石鹸を塗り、川に引きずりこんだ。

 Washing sheep was fun for everybody but the sheep.
but (以外には) [接] except for; other than
羊を洗うのは羊以外には誰にとっても楽しいことだった。
The men splashed and shouted and laughed in the water, and the boys ran and shouted in the pasture.
splash (水しぶきを上げる) [動] cause (liquid) to strike or fall on something in scattered drops
男たちは水しぶきを上げ、叫び、笑い、少年たちは牧草地を走り回り、叫んだ。
The sun was warm on their backs and the grass was cool under bare feet, and all their laughter was small in the wide, pleasant stillness of the green fields and meadows.
cool (冷たい) [形] of or at a fairly low temperature
bare foot (裸足) [名] a foot that is not wearing a shoe or sock
laughter (笑い声) [名] the action or sound of laughing
pleasant (心地よい) [形] giving a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction
stillness (静けさ) [名] the state of being quiet or silent
green field (緑の野原) [名] a field that is covered in grass
背中に当たる太陽は暖かく、裸足の下の草は冷たく、緑の野原や牧草地の広く心地よい静けさの中では、彼らの笑い声は小さく聞こえた。

 One sheep butted John; he sat down in the river and the water went over his head.
butt (頭突きをする) [動] hit with the head
一匹の羊がジョンに頭突きをしたので、彼は川に座り込み、水が頭の上にかかった。
Joe shouted,
ジョーは叫んだ。

 “Now if you had soap in your wool, John, you’d be ready for shearing!”
soap (石鹸) [名] a substance used for washing and cleaning
「ジョン、もし羊毛に石鹸がついていたら、毛刈りの準備が整うよ!」

 When evening came, all the sheep were washed.
夕方になると、羊はすべて洗い終わっていた。
Clean and fluffy-white, they scattered up the slope, nibbling the grass, and the pasture looked like a snowball bush in bloom.
nibble (はむ) [動] bite off small pieces of
snowball bush (雪玉の茂み) [名] a shrub with large round white flower heads
きれいでふわふわの白い羊たちは、草をはみながら斜面に散らばり、牧草地はまるで雪玉の茂みが咲いているように見えた。

 Next morning John came before breakfast, and Father hurried Almanzo from the table.
hurry (急がせる) [動] cause to move or act more quickly
from (離れさせる) [前] away from; at a distance from
翌朝、ジョンは朝食前にやってきて、父はアルマンゾを急いで食卓から離れさせた。
He took a wedge of apple pie and went out to the pasture, smelling the clover and eating the spicy apples and flaky crust in big mouthfuls.
wedge (一切れ) [名] a piece of something that is shaped like a wedge
flaky (サクサクの) [形] breaking or coming off easily in thin layers
mouthful (口いっぱい) [名] as much as can be held in the mouth at one time
彼はアップルパイの一切れを持って牧草地に出て、クローバーの香りを嗅ぎながら、スパイシーなリンゴとサクサクのパイ生地を大きな口で食べた。
He licked his fingers, and then he rounded up the sheep and drove them across the dewy grass, into the sheepfold in the South Barn.
round up (集める) [動] collect or gather together
彼は指をなめ、それから羊を集めて、露に濡れた草を横切って南の納屋の羊小屋に追い込んだ。

 Father had cleaned the sheepfold and built a platform across one end of it.
build (造る) [動] construct (something) by putting parts or material together over a period of time
父は羊小屋を掃除し、その一端に台を造った。
He and Lazy John each caught a sheep, set it up on the platform, and began cutting off its wool with long shears.
set up (載せる) [動] to put something in a certain place or position
cut off (切り取る) [動] to remove something by cutting
shear (鋏) [名] a cutting tool with two blades used to cut metal or other hard materials
彼と怠け者のジョンはそれぞれ羊を捕まえ、台の上に載せて、長い鋏で羊毛を切り始めた。
The thick white mat of wool peeled back, all in one piece, and the sheep was left in bare pink skin.
all in one piece (ひとかたまりになって) [副] in one piece
bare (むき出しの) [形] not covered or protected
厚い白い羊毛の塊が剥がれ落ち、羊はピンク色の素肌になった。

 With the last snick of the shears the whole fleece fell on the platform, and the naked sheep jumped off it, yelling, “Baa-aa-aa!”
snick (音) [名] a slight, sharp sound
fleece (羊毛) [名] the woolly covering of a sheep or goat
naked (裸の) [形] without clothes or covering
jump off (飛び降りる) [動] leap from a surface
鋏の最後の音とともに、羊毛全体が台の上に落ち、裸の羊は「メーメー」と叫びながら飛び降りた。
All the other sheep yelled back at the sight, but already Father and John were shearing two more.
back (返す) [副] to or toward the place or person from which something came
他の羊は皆その光景を見て叫び返したが、父とジョンはすでにもう2匹の毛を刈っていた。

 Royal rolled the fleece tightly and tied it with twine, and Almanzo carried it upstairs and laid it on the loft floor.
roll (巻く) [動] move or cause to move in a circular direction
tightly (きつく) [副] in a way that is held or tied together firmly
ロイヤルは羊毛をきつく巻いて麻ひもで縛り、アルマンゾはそれを二階に運んで屋根裏の床に置いた。
He ran upstairs and down again as fast as he could, but another fleece was always ready for him.
run upstairs (駆け上がる) [動] go up the stairs quickly
down (降りる) [動] go down the stairs
as fast as one can (できる限り速く) [副] as quickly as one is able to
彼はできる限り速く二階に駆け上がり、また降りてきたが、いつも別の羊毛が用意されていた。

 Father and Lazy John were good sheep-shearers.
good (上手) [形] having the qualities required for success
sheep-shearer (羊の毛刈り) [名] a person who shears sheep
父と怠け者のジョンは羊の毛刈りが上手だった。
Their long shears snipped through the thick wool like lightning;
snip (切り裂く) [動] cut or bite off with a quick, sharp movement
lightning (稲妻) [名] a flash of light produced by an electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage
彼らの長い毛刈りばさみは厚い羊毛を稲妻のように切り裂いた。
they cut close to the sheep, but never cut its pink skin.
cut (刈り取る) [動] to cut or sever with a sharp instrument
close (沿って) [副] near or nearer in space or time
skin (皮膚) [名] the external covering of the body of a person or an animal
彼らは羊の体に沿って刈り取ったが、決してピンク色の皮膚を切ることはなかった。
This was a hard thing to do, because Father’s sheep were prize Merinos.
prize (賞) [名] a reward for winning a competition
Merinos (メリノ種) [名] a breed of sheep that produces fine wool
これは難しいことだった。なぜなら父の羊は賞をとったメリノ種だったからだ。
Merinos have the finest wool, but their skin lies in deep wrinkles, and it is hard to get all the wool without cutting them.
wrinkle (皺) [名] a small fold or crease in the skin
メリノ種は最高の羊毛を持つが、皮膚には深い皺があり、皮膚を切らずにすべての羊毛を刈り取るのは難しい。

 Almanzo was working fast, running upstairs with the fleeces.
run upstairs (二階に走る) [動] run up the stairs
アルマンゾは素早く働き、羊毛を抱えて二階に走った。
They were so heavy that he could carry only one at a time.
so heavy (とても重い) [形] having a great weight
at a time (一度に) [副] on one occasion; at one time
羊毛はとても重かったので、一度に運べるのは一頭分だけだった。
He didn’t mean to idle, but when he saw the tabby barn-cat hurrying past with a mouse, he knew she was taking it to her new kittens.
mean to (しようとする) [動] intend to
idle (怠ける) [動] be inactive or lazy
tabby (トラ猫) [名] a domestic cat with a striped or brindled coat
彼は怠けようとしたわけではないが、納屋のトラ猫がネズミをくわえて急いで通り過ぎるのを見たとき、彼は猫がそれを新しい子猫に持っていくのだとわかった。

 He ran after her, and far up under the eaves of the Big Barn he found the little nest in the hay, with four kittens in it.
far up (はるか上) [副] a long way up
彼は猫を追いかけ、大きな納屋の軒下のはるか上にある干し草の中に小さな巣を見つけ、そこには四匹の子猫がいた。
The tabby cat curled herself around them, loudly purring, and the black slits in her eyes widened and narrowed and widened again.
tabby cat (トラ猫) [名] a domestic cat with a striped or brindled coat
purr (喉を鳴らす) [動] make a low continuous vibratory sound
slit (切れ目) [名] a long narrow cut or opening
widen (広がる) [動] become or make wider
narrow (狭まる) [動] become or make narrower
トラ猫は子猫たちの周りに丸まって、大きな音で喉を鳴らし、目の中の黒い切れ目は広がったり狭まったり、また広がったりした。
The kittens’ tiny pink mouths uttered tiny meows, their naked little paws had wee white claws, and their eyes were shut.
pink (ピンクの) [形] of a color intermediate between red and white
utter (発する) [動] express (a thought or feeling) in words
meow (ニャーニャー) [名] the characteristic cry of a cat
paw (足) [名] the foot of an animal having claws and pads
wee (小さな) [形] very small
claw (爪) [名] a curved, pointed horny nail on the foot of an animal or bird
shut (閉じる) [動] move or cause to move into a position that blocks an opening
子猫たちの小さなピンクの口は小さなニャーニャーと鳴き、裸の小さな足には小さな白い爪があり、目は閉じていた。

 When Almanzo came back to the sheepfold, six fleeces were waiting, and Father spoke to him sternly.
アルマンゾが羊小屋に戻ったとき、六頭分の羊毛が待っていて、父は彼に厳しく言った。

 “Son,” he said, “see to it you keep up with us after this.”
「息子よ」と彼は言った、「これからは私たちのペースについてくるようにしろ」

 “Yes, Father,” Almanzo answered, hurrying.
「はい、父さん」とアルマンゾは急いで答えた。
But he heard Lazy John say:
しかし、彼は怠け者のジョンが言うのを聞いた。

 “He can’t do it. We’ll be through before he is.”
be through (終わる) [動] finish doing something
「彼にはできないよ。私たちが終わるまで彼は終わらないよ」

 Then Father laughed and said:
すると父は笑って言った。

 “That’s so, John.
That's so (そうだろう) [句] that is true
John (ジョン) [名] a male given name
「そうだろう、ジョン。
He can’t keep up with us.”
彼は私たちには追いつけないよ」

 Almanzo made up his mind that he’d show them.
make up one's mind (決心する) [動] reach, make, or come to a decision about something
アルマンゾは彼らに目にものを見せてやろうと決心した。
If he hurried fast enough, he could keep up.
十分に急げば、追いつくことができる。
Before noon he had caught up with Royal, and had to wait while a fleece was tied.
catch up with (追いつく) [動] reach the same point as someone or something that was ahead
be tied (縛られる) [動] be fastened or secured with a rope or cord
正午前にはロイヤルに追いつき、羊毛を縛るまで待たなければならなかった。
So he said:
だから彼は言った。

 “You see I can keep up with you!”
「ほら、追いついたよ!」

 “Oh no, you can’t!” said John.
oh no (いや) [間] an expression of surprise or disappointment
「いや、追いつけないよ!」とジョンは言った。
“We’ll beat you. We’ll be through before you are. Wait and see.”
beat (勝つ) [動] be victorious or successful
be through (終わらせる) [動] finish or complete
wait and see (見てろよ) [動] wait for something to happen before taking action
「私たちが勝つよ。君たちより先に終わらせるよ。見てろよ。」

 Then they all laughed at Almanzo.
それからみんながアルマンゾを笑った。

 They were laughing when they heard the dinner horn.
彼らは夕食の合図の角笛を聞いたとき笑っていた。
Father and John finished the sheep they were shearing, and went to the house.
父とジョンは刈っていた羊を終えて、家に行った。
Royal tied the last fleece and left it, and Almanzo still had to carry it upstairs.
ロイヤルは最後の羊毛を縛って置いていき、アルマンゾはそれを二階に運ばなければならなかった。
Now he understood what they meant.
understand (理解する) [動] perceive the intended meaning of words, language, or a speaker
今や彼は彼らが何を意味していたのか理解した。
But he thought:
しかし彼は考えた。

 “I won’t let them beat me.”
beat (負かす) [動] defeat in a game or other competition
「彼らに負けるわけにはいかない」

 He found a short rope and tied it around the neck of a sheep that wasn’t sheared.
彼は短いロープを見つけ、刈られていない羊の首に巻きつけた。
He led the sheep to the stairs, and then step by step he tugged and boosted her upward.
step (段) [名] a movement of the foot in walking or running
彼は羊を階段に連れて行き、それから一歩一歩引っ張って上へ押し上げた。
She bleated all the way, but he got her into the loft.
all the way (ずっと) [副] to the full extent or degree
get (連れて行く) [動] cause to come or go to a place
loft (屋根裏部屋) [名] a room or space directly under the roof of a house or other building
羊はずっと鳴いていたが、彼は羊を屋根裏部屋に連れて行った。
He tied her near the fleeces and gave her some hay to keep her quiet.
near (近くに) [前] close to; not far from
彼は羊を羊毛の近くに縛り付け、静かにさせるために干し草を与えた。
Then he went to dinner.
それから彼は夕食に行った。

 All that afternoon Lazy John and Royal kept telling him to hurry or they’d beat him.
keep telling (言い続ける) [動] continue to say something
その午後ずっと、怠け者のジョンとロイヤルは彼に急ぐように言い続けた。さもなければ彼を殴っただろう。
Almanzo answered:
アルマンゾは答えた。

 “No, you won’t. I can keep up with you.”
「いいえ、そうはならない。私はあなたに遅れを取らない。」

 Then they laughed at him.
すると彼らは彼を笑った。

 He snatched up every fleece as soon as Royal tied it, and hurried upstairs and ran down again.
run down (降りる) [動] go down quickly
彼はロイヤルが羊毛を縛るとすぐにそれをひっつかみ、急いで二階に上がってまた降りてきた。
They laughed to see him hurrying, and they kept saying:
彼らは彼が急ぐのを見て笑い、こう言い続けた。

 “Oh no, you won’t beat us!
「ああ、いや、君は私たちに勝てない!
We’ll be through first!”
私たちが先に終わるよ!」

 Just before chore-time, Father and John raced to shear the last two sheep.
race (競争する) [動] compete in a race
雑用時間の直前、父とジョンは最後の二頭の羊の毛を刈るために競争した。
Father beat.
父が勝った。
Almanzo ran with the fleece, and was back before the last one was ready.
アルマンゾは羊毛を持って走り、最後の羊の毛が刈り取られる前に帰ってきた。
Royal tied it, and then he said:
ロイヤルはそれを結び、そして言った。

 “We’re all through!
「全部終わった!
Almanzo, we beat you!
アルマンゾ、私たち勝ったぞ!
We beat you!”
私たち勝ったぞ!」
Royal and John burst into a great roar of laughter, and even Father laughed.
burst into (笑い出す) [動] suddenly start doing something
roar (笑い) [名] a loud, deep sound
ロイヤルとジョンは大声で笑い出し、父でさえ笑った。

 Then Almanzo said:
するとアルマンゾは言った。

 “No, you haven’t beat me.
「いや、私に勝ったわけじゃない。
I’ve got a fleece upstairs that you haven’t sheared yet.”
私は二階にまだ刈っていない羊毛を持っている。」

 They stopped laughing, surprised.
surprise (驚く) [動] feel or show surprise
彼らは驚いて笑うのをやめた。
At that very minute the sheep in the loft, hearing all the other sheep let out to pasture, cried, “Baa-aa-aa!”
at that very minute (ちょうどそのとき) [副] at that exact moment
hearing (聞き) [動] perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
let out (放たれた) [動] allow to leave
ちょうどそのとき、屋根裏の羊は、他の羊がみんな牧草地に放たれたのを聞き、「メーー」と鳴いた。

 Almanzo shouted: “There’s the fleece!
アルマンゾは叫んだ。「羊毛があるぞ!
I’ve got it upstairs and you haven’t sheared it!
私は二階に持っているんだ、まだ刈っていないんだ!
I beat you!
私の勝ちだ!
I beat you!”
私の勝ちだ!」

 John and Royal looked so funny that he couldn’t stop laughing.
couldn't stop (止めることができなかった) [動] be unable to stop
laughing (笑い) [名] the action of laughing
ジョンとロイヤルはおかしくて、彼は笑いを止めることができなかった。
Father roared with laughter.
roar (大笑いする) [動] laugh loudly
父は大笑いした。

 “The joke’s on you, John!” Father shouted.
「ジョン、これはジョークだ!」と父は叫んだ。
“He laughs best who laughs last!”
last (最後に) [副] after all others; at the end
「最後に笑う者が最もよく笑う!」