「A Retrieved Reformation」(よみがえった改心)O・Henry その5
Suddenly there was a scream or two from the women, and a commotion. Unperceived by the elders, May, the nine-year-old girl, in a spirit of play, had shut Agatha in the vault. She had then shot the bolts and turned the knob of the combination as she had seen Mr. Adams do.The old banker sprang to the handle and tugged at it for a moment. "The door can't be opened," he groaned. "The clock hasn't been wound nor the combination set."commotion=panicwound=alive(breathed)Agatha's mother screamed again, hysterically."Hush!" said Mr. Adams, raising his trembling hand. "All be quiet for a moment. Agatha!" he called as loudly as he could. "Listen to me." During the following silence they could just hear the faint sound of the child wildly shrieking in the dark vault in a panic of terror."My precious darling!" wailed the mother. "She will die of fright! Open the door! Oh, break it open! Can't you men do something?"shrieking=screamingwail=cry"There isn't a man nearer than Little Rock who can open that door," said Mr. Adams, in a shaky voice. "My God! Spencer, what shall we do? That child--she can't stand it long in there. There isn't enough air, and, besides, she'll go into convulsions from fright."shaky=shiverdconvulsions「痙攣、ひきつけ」Agatha's mother, frantic now, beat the door of the vault with her hands. Somebody wildly suggested dynamite. Annabel turned to Jimmy, her large eyes full of anguish, but not yet despairing. To a woman nothing seems quite impossible to the powers of the man she worships.frantic=mad"Can't you do something, Ralph--try, won't you?He looked at her with a queer, soft smile on his lips and in his keen eyes.tryとイタリックになっているのが切実です。"Annabel," he said, "give me that rose you are wearing, will you?"Hardly believing that she heard him aright, she unpinned the bud from the bosom of her dress, and placed it in his hand. Jimmy stuffed it into his vest-pocket, threw off his coat and pulled up his shirt-sleeves. With that act Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place.つまり、別人になるだけでは本当の改心とは言えない、ということです。本人に立ち返ってなすべきことをなしてこそ、本当の改心だと。"Get away from the door, all of you," he commanded, shortly.He set his suit-case on the table, and opened it out flat. From that time on he seemed to be unconscious of the presence of any one else. He laid out the shining, queer implements swiftly and orderly, whistling softly to himself as he always did when at work. In a deep silence and immovable, the others watched him as if under a spell.spell「呪文」In a minute Jimmy's pet drill was biting smoothly into the steel door. In ten minutes--breaking his own burglarious record--he threw back the bolts and opened the door.Agatha, almost collapsed, but safe, was gathered into her mother's arms.ここのsafeだけが、「金庫」という意味ではありません。Jimmy Valentine put on his coat, and walked outside the railings toward the front door. As he went he thought he heard a far-away voice that he once knew call "Ralph!" But he never hesitated.このパラグラフだけ、sが極端に少ないことに、気がつかれましたか?代わりにheが頻出します。heroのheです。At the door a big man stood somewhat in his way."Hello, Ben!" said Jimmy, still with his strange smile,"Got around at last, have you? Well, let's go. I don't know that it makes much difference, now."And then Ben Price acted rather strangely."Guess you're mistaken, Mr. Spencer," he said. "Don't believe I recognize you. You're buggy's waiting for you, ain't it?"And Ben Price turned and strolled down the street.Mr. Spencerが消え、BenのPriceがなくなり、heroのheだけが取り残されます。きっともうすぐ、"Ralph!"と叫ぶ声が彼を背後から抱きしめるでしょう。刑事はなぜ彼を捕まえなかったのでしょうか。感動したからです。いやそれだけではありません。見届けたからです。Ralphになった元犯罪者でなく、JimmyがJimmyとして改心したその姿を。彼が刑事に向かって語りかけるその口調は、冒頭で刑務所の所長さんに向かって軽口を叩くそのやり方と、そっくりだったではありませんか?-----------------自己犠牲の話は『レ・ミゼラブル』『幸福の王子』、O・ヘンリーの短編でも「賢者の贈り物」「最後の一葉」などいくつかありますが、この話が一番好きです。結末が粋で、明るいからです。現実でもフィクションでも、このようなハッピー・エンドは、滅多にありません。…406A3156【中古】afb送料無料☆オー・ヘンリー傑作選/オー・ヘンリー☆岩波文庫【中古】afb ベスト・オブ・オー・ヘンリー 洋販ラダーシリーズ/オーヘンリー(著者) 大学入試を目指す受験生諸君。これくらいの英語が読めると、ライバルに差をつけられますよ。