システムエンジニアの晴耕雨読

Night Flight - Antoine de Saint-Exupery


訳　Stuart Gilbert



　最近、往復の通勤電車の中は、リスニングを続けているので、
　
　日本語の本も含め、読書量はすっかり落ちました。

　また、英語多読の方も、

　シェルダンさんマラソンを終えてから、調子を落としています(>_<)

　まあ、夏あたりまでは、リスニングとスピーキングに時間を割こうと思っています。


　そうはいいつつ、寝る前に少しずつ読んでいたものの一冊。

　サン＝テグジュペリの「夜間飛行」。


　南米の夜間郵便航路に責任を持っているリビエールの心境・・
　
"Tonight, with my two air mails on their way,

I am responsible for all the sky.

That star up there is a sign that is looking for me

amongst this crowd - and finds me.

Thst's why I'm feeling out of things, a man apart."
　

"Life is so full of contradictions;

a man muddles through it as best he can.

But to endure, to create, to barter this vile body ..."
　




Night Flight



Antoine De Saint-Exupery was an early aviator.

It was written and published when he was 31 years old.


The story itself is based on St. Exupery's experiences in the 20s,
flying air mail via South America.

This task is a thankless, exhausting and frequently dangerous job.

This was a time when aviation was still in its infancy,
and flying after dark took on an element of risk
not altogether different than going into battle.


Riviere is the director of a postal company
that is experimenting with Night Flights for the South American mail.

In any case, for Riviere, it is something worth more than a human life,

the life of Fabien, a pilot from Patagonia who dies in the middle of a storm
because of believing in Riviere's vision.


Night Flight is about passion.

This is Truly a remarkable book.