After she was undressed, Laura stood in her nightgown at the window.
服を脱いだ後、ローラは寝巻き姿で窓際に立った。
The air was very still, not a grass blade rustled, and far away and faint she could hear that sound.
blade
(葉)
[名]
the flat, thin, sharp part of a knife or other tool
faint
(かすか)
[形]
not strong or bright
空気はとても静かで、草の葉もざわめかず、遠くでかすかにその音が聞こえた。
It was almost a rumble and almost a song.
rumble
(轟音)
[名]
a continuous deep, resonant sound like distant thunder
それはほとんど轟音であり、ほとんど歌だった。
Next morning when she ran out of the house two strange men were sitting on horses by the stable.
翌朝、彼女が家から飛び出すと、見知らぬ男が2人、馬小屋のそばで馬に乗っていた。
They were talking to Pa.
彼らはパパと話していた。
They were as red-brown as Indians, but their eyes were narrow slits between squinting eyelids.
slit
(切れ目)
[名]
a long narrow cut or opening
彼らはインディアンのように赤褐色だったが、目は細めたまぶたの間の細い切れ目だった。
They wore flaps of leather over their legs, and spurs, and wide-brimmed hats.
flap
(フラップ)
[名]
a piece of something that is attached to something else by one side only
spur
(拍車)
[名]
a device with a sharp point or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider's heel and used to urge a horse forward
hat
(帽子)
[名]
a covering for the head typically with a shaped crown and brim
彼らは足に革のフラップと拍車、つばの広い帽子をかぶっていた。
Handkerchiefs were knotted around their necks, and pistols were on their hips.
handkerchief
(ハンカチ)
[名]
a piece of cloth used for wiping the nose, mouth, or hands
knot
(結ぶ)
[動]
tie in a knot
pistol
(ピストル)
[名]
a small firearm that can be held in one hand
hip
(腰)
[名]
the part of the body on both sides of the pelvis
首にハンカチを結び、腰にピストルを下げていた。
“Here’s a piece of luck!” Pa said to Ma.
piece of luck
(幸運)
[名]
a lucky event
「これは幸運だ!」とパパはママに言った。
Those men were cowboys.
あの人たちはカウボーイだった。
They wanted Pa to help them keep the cattle out of the ravines among the bluffs of the creek bottoms.
want
(頼む)
[動]
wish or demand that
ravine
(峡谷)
[名]
a deep narrow valley
among
(間の)
[前]
in or through the midst of
彼らはパパに、小川の底の断崖の間の峡谷から牛を遠ざけるのを手伝ってほしいと頼んだ。
Pa would not charge them any money, but he told them he would take a piece of beef.
charge
(請求する)
[動]
ask for a specified amount of money
beef
(牛肉)
[名]
the flesh of a cow, bull, or ox
パパは彼らにお金は請求しなかったが、牛肉をもらうと言った。
“How would you like a good piece of beef?” Pa asked.
how would you like
(いかがですか)
[句]
used to ask someone if they would like something
「おいしい牛肉はいかがですか?」とパパは尋ねた。
All day the hot sun blazed and the hot winds blew, and the sound of the cattle herds came nearer.
all day
(一日中)
[副]
for the entire day
hot sun
(熱い太陽)
[名]
the sun when it is hot
blaze
(照りつける)
[動]
burn brightly
hot wind
(熱い風)
[名]
a wind that is hot
cattle herd
(牛の群れ)
[名]
a group of cattle
一日中熱い太陽が照りつけ、熱い風が吹き、牛の群れの音が近づいてきた。
It was a faint, mournful sound of cattle lowing.
mournful
(悲しげな)
[形]
feeling or showing sadness
それは牛の鳴き声のかすかな悲しげな音だった。
At noon dust was blowing along the horizon.
at noon
(正午に)
[副]
at twelve o'clock in the daytime
dust
(ほこり)
[名]
fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter
horizon
(地平線)
[名]
the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet
正午には地平線に沿ってほこりが吹いていた。
Ma said that so many cattle trampled the grasses flat and stirred up dust from the prairie.
so many
(たくさんの)
[形]
a large number of
trample
(踏みつける)
[動]
tread on and crush
stir up
(巻き上げる)
[動]
cause to be active or excited
ママは、たくさんの牛が草を踏みつけ、草原からほこりを巻き上げているのだと言った。
Pa came riding home at sunset, covered with dust.
come riding
(馬に乗って帰ってくる)
[動]
come on a horse
sunset
(日没)
[名]
the time when the sun goes below the horizon
パパは日没時にほこりまみれで馬に乗って帰ってきた。
There was dust in his beard and in his hair and on the rims of his eyelids, and dust fell off his clothes.
eyelid
(まぶた)
[名]
either of the two movable folds of skin and muscle that cover and protect the front of the eyeball
彼の髭や髪の毛、まぶたの縁にほこりがあり、服からほこりが落ちた。
He did not bring any beef, because the cattle were not across the creek yet.
牛はまだ小川を渡っていなかったため、彼は牛肉を持ってこなかった。
The cattle went very slowly, eating grass as they went.
go
(歩いていく)
[動]
move at a regular and fairly rapid pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once
牛は草を食べながらゆっくりと歩いていった。
They had to eat enough grass to be fat when they came to the cities where people ate them.
city
(都市)
[名]
a large human settlement
牛は人々が食べる都市に着くまでに太るために十分な草を食べなければならなかった。
The herds were so near now that Laura could hear them plainly.
plainly
(はっきりと)
[副]
clearly; in a way that is easy to understand
牛の群れは今やとても近く、ローラにははっきりと聞こえた。
The mournful lowing sounded over the prairie till the night was dark.
lowing
(鳴き声)
[名]
the sound made by a cow
sound
(響き渡る)
[動]
be heard or be capable of being heard
悲しげな鳴き声は夜が暗くなるまで草原に響き渡った。
Then the cattle were quieter and the cowboys began to sing.
すると牛たちは静かになり、カウボーイたちが歌い始めた。
Their songs were not like lullabies.
lullaby
(子守唄)
[名]
a soothing song or piece of music intended to lull a child to sleep
彼らの歌は子守唄のようではなかった。
They were high, lonely, wailing songs, almost like the howling of wolves.
wailing
(悲しげな)
[形]
mournful
それは高く、孤独で、狼の遠吠えのような悲しげな歌だった。
Laura lay awake, listening to the lonely songs wandering in the night.
lie awake
(目を覚ましたまま横たわる)
[動]
be in a state of wakefulness
ローラは夜にさまよう孤独な歌を聞きながら、目を覚ましたまま横たわっていた。
Farther away, real wolves howled.
遠くで本物の狼が遠吠えした。
Sometimes the cattle lowed.
low
(鳴く)
[動]
make a deep sound
時々牛が鳴いた。
But the cowboys’ songs went on, rising and falling and wailing away under the moon.
fall
(低まる)
[動]
go down
wail
(悲しげに遠ざかる)
[動]
cry or complain in a sad way
しかし、カウボーイの歌は続き、月明かりの下で高まり、低まり、悲しげに遠ざかっていった。
When everyone else was asleep, Laura stole softly to the window, and she saw three fires gleaming like red eyes from the dark edge of the land.
everyone else
(他のみんな)
[名]
all the other people
steal
(忍び寄る)
[動]
move or go stealthily
gleam
(輝く)
[動]
shine brightly
他のみんなが眠っている時、ローラはそっと窓に忍び寄り、暗い地の端から赤い目のように輝く3つの火を見た。
Overhead the sky was big and still and full of moonlight.
頭上の空は大きく、静かで、月明かりに満ちていた。
The lonely songs seemed to be crying for the moon.
孤独な歌は月に向かって泣いているようだった。
They made Laura’s throat ache.
ache
(痛み)
[名]
a continuous dull pain
ローラの喉が痛くなった。
All next day Laura and Mary watched the west.
翌日、ローラとメアリーはずっと西を見ていた。
They could hear the far-away bawling of the cattle, they could see dust blowing.
far-away
(遠く)
[形]
a long way off
遠くで牛が鳴いているのが聞こえ、ほこりが舞っているのが見えた。
Sometimes they thinly heard a shrill yell.
thinly
(かすかに)
[副]
in a thin manner
shrill
(甲高い)
[形]
high-pitched and piercing
yell
(叫び声)
[名]
a loud, sharp cry
時々、かすかに甲高い叫び声が聞こえた。
Suddenly a dozen long-horned cattle burst out of the prairie, not far from the stable.
dozen
(12頭)
[名]
a group of twelve
long-horned
(長い角のある)
[形]
having long horns
burst out
(飛び出す)
[動]
to come out suddenly and with force
not far from
(そう遠くない)
[副]
a short distance from
突然、馬小屋からそう遠くないところで、長い角のある牛が12頭、草原から飛び出してきた。
They had come up out of a draw going down to the creek bottoms.
牛たちは小川の底に下りていくくぼみから上ってきたのだった。
Their tails stood up and their fierce horns tossed and their feet pounded the ground.
stand up
(立てる)
[動]
to be in or assume an upright position
horn
(角)
[名]
a hard, pointed projection on the head of an animal
toss
(振り回す)
[動]
to throw or roll about
牛たちは尻尾を立て、恐ろしい角を振り回し、足で地面を踏み鳴らした。
A cowboy on a spotted mustang galloped madly to get in front of them.
spotted
(斑点のある)
[形]
having spots
madly
(狂ったように)
[副]
in a wild or uncontrolled manner
斑点のあるムスタングに乗ったカウボーイが、牛たちの前に出ようと狂ったように疾走していた。
He waved his big hat and yelled sharp, high yells.
カウボーイは大きな帽子を振り回し、鋭く高い声で叫んだ。
“Hi! Yi-yi-yi! Hi!”
Yi-yi-yi
(イイイイ)
[間]
an expression of excitement
「ハイ! イイイイ! ハイ!」
The cattle wheeled, clashing their long horns together.
wheel
(回転する)
[動]
turn on or as if on an axis
clash
(ぶつかる)
[動]
come into violent or noisy contact with
牛たちは長い角をぶつけ合って回転した。
With lifted tails they galloped lumbering away, and behind them the mustang ran and whirled and ran, herding them together.
lumber
(どたどたと走る)
[動]
move in a heavy, awkward way
herd
(群れにする)
[動]
form or cause to form a herd
牛たちは尻尾を上げて、どたどたと疾走し、その後ろをムスタングが走り回り、牛たちを群れにした。
They all went over a rise of ground and down out of sight.
go over
(越える)
[動]
move or travel across
rise
(丘)
[名]
an upward slope
牛たちはみんな丘を越えて見えなくなった。
Late that afternoon three riders came out of the west, driving one lone cow.
lone
(一頭だけの)
[形]
having no companions; solitary
その日の午後遅く、3人のライダーが西からやってきて、1頭の牛を連れてきた。
One of the riders was Pa, on Patty.
ライダーの1人はパティに乗ったパパだった。
Slowly they came nearer, and Laura saw that with the cow was a little spotted calf.
nearer
(近く)
[形]
a short distance away
彼らはゆっくりと近づいてきて、ローラは牛と一緒に小さな斑点のある子牛がいるのを見ました。
The cow came lunging and plunging.
plunge
(突っ込む)
[動]
move or cause to move suddenly and quickly downward
牛は突進して突っ込んできた。
Two cowboys rode well apart in front of her.
well apart
(かなり離れて)
[副]
at a considerable distance
2人のカウボーイが彼女の前でかなり離れて乗っていた。
Two ropes around her long horns were fastened to the cowboys’ saddles.
saddle
(鞍)
[名]
a seat for a rider on a horse or other animal
彼女の長い角の周りの2本のロープはカウボーイの鞍に固定されていた。
When the cow lunged with her horns toward either cowboy the other cowboy’s pony braced its feet and held her.
hold
(押さえる)
[動]
keep from moving or slipping
牛がどちらかのカウボーイに向かって角で突進すると、もう一方のカウボーイのポニーが足を踏ん張って彼女を押さえた。
The cow bawled and the little calf bleated thinner bawls.
bawl
(鳴く)
[動]
to cry or shout loudly
bleat
(鳴く)
[動]
to make the characteristic cry of a sheep or goat
thinner
(もっと細い)
[形]
having a small distance from one surface to the opposite one
牛は鳴き、子牛はもっと細い声で鳴いた。
Ma could not believe that Pa had actually brought home a cow.
could not believe
(信じられなかった)
[動]
be unable to believe
actually
(本当に)
[副]
in fact; really
bring home
(連れ帰る)
[動]
take or carry home
ママはパパが本当に牛を連れ帰ったなんて信じられなかった。
But it really was their own cow.
really
(本当に)
[副]
in fact; actually
しかし、それは本当に自分たちの牛だった。
The calf was too small to travel, Pa said, and the cow would be too thin to sell, so the cowboys had given them to Pa.
too small
(小さすぎる)
[形]
not big enough
too thin
(痩せすぎる)
[形]
not fat enough
子牛は小さすぎて旅ができないし、牛は痩せすぎて売れないだろうから、カウボーイがパパにくれたのだ。
They had given him the beef, too;
彼らは牛肉もくれた。
a big chunk was tied to his saddlehorn.
saddlehorn
(鞍の角)
[名]
the horn-shaped part of a saddle
大きな塊が彼の鞍の角に結び付けられていた。
Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura and even Baby Carrie laughed for joy.
パパとママとメアリーとローラ、そして赤ん坊のキャリーでさえも喜びのあまり笑った。
Pa always laughed out loud and his laugh was like great bells ringing.
laugh out loud
(大声で笑う)
[動]
laugh loudly
laugh
(笑い声)
[名]
the action of laughing
bell
(鐘)
[名]
a hollow metal object, typically in the shape of a cup with a flared opening, that sounds a clear ringing tone when struck
パパはいつも大声で笑い、その笑い声は大きな鐘が鳴っているようだった。
When Ma was pleased she smiled a gentle smile that made Laura feel warm all over.
be pleased
(喜ぶ)
[動]
be glad about something
smile
(笑顔)
[名]
a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed
feel warm
(暖かく感じる)
[動]
have a feeling of warmth
ママが喜んでいる時は、ローラが全身暖かく感じる優しい笑顔を浮かべた。
But now she was laughing because they had a cow.
しかし、今は牛を飼ったので笑っていた。
He got his ax and he sharpened two stout slabs of oak.
get
(手に取る)
[動]
come into possession of
sharpen
(削る)
[動]
make or become sharp
彼は斧を手に取り、2枚の頑丈なオークの板を削った。
He pushed the cow against the stable, and he drove those slabs deep into the ground beside her.
彼は牛を厩舎に押し付け、その板を牛の横の地面に深く打ち込んだ。
The cow bawled and the little calf squalled.
squall
(鳴き声を上げる)
[動]
to cry or scream loudly
牛はわめき、子牛は鳴き声を上げた。
Pa tied poles firmly to the posts and stuck their ends into the cracks of the stable, to make a fence.
post
(支柱)
[名]
a long, sturdy piece of wood or metal set upright in the ground and used to support something
stick
(突き刺す)
[動]
push a sharp or pointed object into or through
パパは支柱に棒をしっかりと結び、その端を厩舎の割れ目に突き刺して柵を作った。
Now the cow could not move forward or backward or sidewise.
sidewise
(横)
[副]
to or from one side
これで牛は前にも後ろにも横にも動けなくなった。
But the little calf could nudge its way between its mother and the stable.
nudge
(突き進む)
[動]
push or touch gently
しかし、子牛は母牛と厩舎の間を突き進むことができていた。
So the baby calf felt safe and stopped bawling.
baby calf
(子牛)
[名]
a young cow
feel safe
(安心する)
[動]
feel free from danger or threat
子牛は安心して鳴き声を止めた。
It stood on that side of the cow and drank its supper, and Pa put his hand through the fence and milked from the other side.
fence
(柵)
[名]
a barrier enclosing an area of ground to control access or escape
milk
(搾る)
[動]
draw milk from a cow or other animal
子牛は牛のそばに立って夕食を飲み、パパは柵に手を入れて反対側から牛の乳を搾った。
He got a tin cup almost full of milk.
get
(搾る)
[動]
obtain by milking
彼はブリキのカップに牛乳をほぼいっぱいに搾った。
The dark was coming on.
come on
(近づく)
[動]
approach or arrive
暗くなってきた。
Nighthawks were chasing insects in the dark air.
nighthawk
(ヨタカ)
[名]
a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
chase
(追いかける)
[動]
to follow quickly in order to catch or overtake
insect
(虫)
[名]
a small animal with six legs and a hard outer covering
ヨタカが暗い空中で虫を追いかけていた。
Bullfrogs were croaking in the creek bottoms.
croak
(鳴く)
[動]
make a deep hoarse sound
ウシガエルが小川の底で鳴いていた。
A bird called, “Whip!Whip!Whip-poor-Will!”
whip
(ホイップ)
[名]
a dessert made of cream that is beaten until it becomes light and fluffy
poor
(プア)
[形]
lacking in money or material possessions
will
(ウィル)
[名]
the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action
鳥が「ホイップ! ホイップ! ホイップ・プア・ウィル!」と鳴いた。
“Who?Who-oo?” said an owl.
「ホー? ホーホー?」とフクロウが鳴いた。
Far away the wolves howled, and Jack was growling.
遠くで狼が吠え、ジャックが唸った。
So they all went into the house with the beef.
だからみんな牛肉を持って家に入った。
Pa and Ma and Mary and Laura all agreed to give the milk to Baby Carrie.
パパとママとメアリーとローラはみんな、赤ちゃんのキャリーに牛乳を与えることに同意した。
They watched her drink it.
みんな彼女がそれを飲むのを見守った。
The tin cup hid her face, but Laura could see the gulps of milk going down her throat.
gulp
(飲み込む)
[動]
swallow eagerly or in large amounts
milk
(牛乳)
[名]
an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young
ブリキのカップが彼女の顔を隠したが、ローラは牛乳が彼女の喉を下っていくのを見ることができた。
Gulp by gulp, she swallowed all that good milk.
gulp
(ゴクゴク)
[名]
the act of swallowing a large amount of liquid at once
swallow
(飲み干す)
[動]
take into the stomach through the throat
彼女はゴクゴクとそのおいしい牛乳を飲み干した。
Then she licked the foam from her lip with her red tongue, and laughed.
それから彼女は赤い舌で唇から泡をなめ、笑った。
It seemed a long time before the cornbread and the sizzling beef steaks were done.
sizzle
(焼ける)
[動]
to make a hissing sound as of something frying
beef steak
(ビーフステーキ)
[名]
a slice of beef, usually from the loin, cooked by broiling, frying, or grilling
long time
(長い時間)
[名]
a period of time that seems to be longer than usual
コーンブレッドと焼けるビーフステーキができるまで長い時間がかかったように思えた。
But nothing had ever tasted so good as that tough, juicy beef.
taste
(味がする)
[動]
have a particular flavor
しかし、その硬くてジューシーな牛肉ほどおいしいものはなかった。
And everyone was happy because now there would be milk to drink, and perhaps even butter for the cornbread.
butter
(バター)
[名]
a pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning the cream of milk
そして、みんなが幸せだったのは、これからは牛乳が飲めるし、コーンブレッドにバターもつけられるかもしれないからだった。
The lowing of the cattle herds was far away again, and the songs of the cowboys were almost too faint to be heard.
be heard
(聞こえる)
[動]
be perceived by the ear
牛の群れの鳴き声は再び遠くになり、カウボーイの歌はほとんど聞こえないほどかすかになった。
All those cattle were on the other side of the creek bottoms now, in Kansas.
those
(それらの)
[限]
the
the other side
(向こう側)
[名]
the opposite side
the creek bottoms
(小川の底)
[名]
the lowest part of a creek
牛たちはみんな、今は小川の底の向こう側、カンザスにいる。
Tomorrow they would slowly go farther on their long way northward to Fort Dodge, where the soldiers were.
go farther
(進む)
[動]
move forward
northward
(北に向かって)
[副]
toward the north
soldier
(兵士)
[名]
a person who serves in an army
明日、彼らはゆっくりと北に向かって、兵士たちのいるフォート・ドッジまで長い道のりを進むだろう。