(569) MUJINA

  Last evening, I listened to a radio program in my car. The name of the program is Communication English II for high-school students. A ghost story was read. Its title was MUJINA. It's so famous that I know of the story. I have a book of KWAIDAN (Ghost stories) written by Lafcadio Hearn. The book has MUJINA story. Today I read it, because in yesterday's program the story stopped in the middle.
I learned of a word "rise up"; A woman couching by the moat, slowly rose up.
I didn't get the meaning of gleam in "the gleam of a firefly" when I heard a reading of the story.

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MUJINA
・・・

  One night, at a late hour, he was hurrying up the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, when he perceived a woman crouching by the moat, all alone, and weeping bitterly. Fearing that she intended to drown herself1), he stopped to offer the any assistance or consolation in his power. She appeared to be a slight2) and graceful person, handsomely dressed; and her hair was arranged like that of a young girl of good family. "O-jochu,"* he exclaimed3), approaching her, ― "O-jochu, do not cry like that!... Tell me what the trouble is; and if there be any way to help you, I shall be glad to help you.4)" (He really meant what he said; for he was a very kind man.) "O-jochu," he said  again, as gentle as he could, ー "please, please listen to me!... This is no place for a young lady at night! Do not cry, I implore5) you! ー only tell me how I may be of some help to you!" Slowly she rose up6), but turned her back to him, and continued to moan and sob behind her sleeve. He

*O-jochu ("honourable damsel"), ― a polite form of address used in speaking to a young lady whom one does not know.

laid his hand lightly upon her shoulder, and pleaded7); ー "O-juchu! ー O-jochu! ー O-jochu!... Listen to me, just for one little moment!... O-jochu ー O-jochu!"...

Then that O-jochu turned round, and dropped her sleeve, and stroked her face with her hand; ー and the man saw that she had no eyes or nose or mouth, ー and he screamed and ran away.
  Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he ran and ran; and all was black and empty before him. On and on he ran, never daring to look back; and at last he saw a lantern, so far away that it looked like the gleam of firefly8); and he made for it9). It proved to be only the lantern of an itenerant soba-seller10),* who had set down his stand by the road-side; but any light and any human companionship was good after that experience; and he flung himself down11) at the feet of the soba-seller, crying out, "Aa! ー aa!! ー aa!!!"

  "Koré! Koré!" roughly exclaimed the soba-man. "Here! what is the matter with you? Anybody hurt you?"
* Soba is a preparation12) of  buck wheat, somewhat resembling vermicelli13).
12) preparation: 調理、料理 
13) vermicelli: バーミセリ、spaghettiより細いパスタ

  "No ー nobody hurt me," panted the other, ー "only... Aa! ー aa!..."
  "ー Only scared you?" queried14) the pedlar, unsympathetically. "Robbers?"
  "Not robbers, ー not robbers," gasped the terrified man. ... "I saw ... I saw a woman －by the moat; － and she showed me  ... Aa! I cannot tell you what she showed me!" ...

"Hé! Was it anything like THIS that she showed you?" cried the soba-man, stroking his own face ー which therewith15) became like unto an Egg.... And, simultaneously, the light went out.

KWAIDAN ハーン　怪談　開文社　荻田庄五郎訳注 開文社 1950/1/20

• 作者: ラファカディオ・ハーン
• 出版社/メーカー: 開文社
• 発売日: 2022/09/07
• メディア: 単行本（ソフトカバー）

　或る夜、晩くなってから、彼は紀伊の国坂を急ぎ足で上っていた。するとその時、一人の女が唯一人、濠端にしゃがんで悲しげに泣いているのを見た。身投げをする1)積もりでもあろうかと気づかって、出来るだけ何か助けか慰めかになってやろうと思い、彼は立ち止った。彼女はよい身なりをしていて、ほっそりした2)上品な人柄らしく見えた。そしてその髪は、良家の若い娘の髪らしく結われていた。「お女中」と彼はその女に近づきながら叫んだ3)。「お女中、そのように泣くものではありません！．．．何が心配なのか話して御覧なさい。そうすれば、もしあなたをお助ける方法が何かあれば、私は喜んであなたをお助けしましょう。4)」（彼は、彼がいったことを、ほんとうにする積もりだった。というのは、彼は大変親切な人だったから。）けれども彼女は泣き続けた、－－その長い袖の一方で、彼から自分の顔をかくしながら。－「お女中」と彼は出来るだけ優しく、又言葉をかけた。－「どうか、どうか、私のいうことをおききください。．．．ここは、夜分、若い娘さんのおられる場所ではありません！お願いだから5)泣かないでください！－どうしたら幾分でもあなたのお力になれるかを、いうだけでもいって下さい！」静かに彼女は立ち上がった6)が、彼に背を向けたままで、袖にかくれて悲しみすすり泣きを続けた。彼は自分の手を、彼女の肩の上にそっと置いて頼んだ7)。－「お女中！－お女中！－お女中！．．．ほんの一寸の間、わたしのいうことをきいて下さい！．．．お女中ーお女中！」．．．するとそのお女中が振り向いて、袖をはなし、片手で彼女の顔をなでた。－そこで、その男は見たのだが、彼女は、目も、鼻も、口もなかった。－彼は悲鳴をあげて逃げ出した。
　紀伊の国坂を上へ、彼はどんどん走りに走った。前方は真暗で、空（くう）だった。そうしてとうとう、非常に遠方なので、蛍火8)のように見える提灯が眼に入った。そこで彼はそれを目当に進んだ9)。その燈火は、道端に屋台を下していた蕎麦売の10)提燈に過ぎないことが判った。然し、あのような経験をしたあとでは、どんな燈でもどんな仲間でも頼みになった。彼は蕎麦屋の足許に体を投げ出して11)大声で叫んだ。「ああ！－ああ！！－ああ！！！」－　「これ！どうしたんだ。誰かにやられたのか。」
「いいえ、誰も、どうもしたのではない。」彼はあえぎあえぎいったー「だだ．．．ああ!ーああ！」．．．
「ーただおどろかされただけなのか」行商人は冷たく尋ねた14)。「追剥か。」
「追剥じゃない、－追剥じゃない。」おびえきった男が、あえぎあえぎいった。．．．「見たんだ．．．女を見たんだーお堀端で。－　そしてその女が見せたのだ．．．ああ！何を見せたか、とてもいえない！」
「へえ！その女がお前に見せたのは、こんなものだったか」蕎麦屋が叫んで、自分の顔をなでた。ーそれと共に15)、蕎麦屋の顔は卵の様になった。そして同時に、燈も消えた。

ー　萩田　庄五郎　訳　－
*

(486) Lion and Baboon

Baboon is much smarter than Lion.

(486) Lion and Baboon

BABOON, it is said, once worked bamboos1), sitting on the edge of a precipice2), and Lion stole upon3) him. Baboon, however, had fixed 4) some round, glistening5), eyelike plates on the back of his head. When, therefore, Lion crept upon6) him, he thought, when Baboon was looking at him, that he sat with his back towards him, and crept with all his might7) upon him. When, however, Baboon turned his back towards him, Lion thought that he was seen, and bid himself8). Thus, when Baboon looked at him, he crept upon him.¹ When he was near him Baboon looked up, and Lion continued to creep upon him. Baboon said [aside], "Whilst I am looking at him he steals upon me, whilst9) my hollow eyes are on him."

When at last Lion sprung at him, he lay [quickly] down upon his face, and Lion jumped over him, falling down the precipice, and was dashed to pieces10).

Footnotes

1. Whilst Baboon did this, Lion came close upon him.

The text came from:

Honey, James A.

South-African Folk Tales - The Original Classic Edition

• 作者: James A. Honey
• 出版社/メーカー: tebbo
• 発売日: 2012/03/26
• メディア: ペーパーバック

. New York: Baker & Taylor Company, 1910.

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/africa/honey/lionbaboon.html

=======================================================

(1) work [wˈɚːk]: Verb. Shape, form, or improve a material. "Work the metal"
(2) precipice [présəpɪs]: Noun. A very steep cliff.
(3) steal up on: to sneak up on someone or something. We will steal up on Tony and give him a scare. The fox stole up on the hen and grabbed it.
(4) fix [fíks]: Cause to be firmly attached.
(5) glistening [ɡlɪ́sənɪŋ]: Adjective. Reflecting light. "Shining white enamel"
(6) creep up on [kríːp]: Verb. Advance stealthily or unnoticed. "Age creeps up on you"
(7) with all (one’s) might: Utilizing all of one's power and strength to do something. "I pulled at the rope with all my might, but we still lost the tug-of-war." "I swear, your dog pulls at these toys with all his might. He'll drag us through the yard one day! "
(8) bid oneself: ?
(9) whilst [(h)wὰɪlst]: while
(10) dash [dˈæʃ]: Verb. Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over. "They dash the glass tubes"; "Smash a plate"
*

(474) The Giving Tree

 The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree

• 作者: Shel Silverstein
• 出版社/メーカー: HarperCollins
• 発売日: 2003/04/15
• メディア: ハードカバー
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Giving Tree is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964, and still now many children read it in many countries. The Japanese translated name of this book is “Okina ki” meaning “a big tree”.

I’d like to talk about the moral of the story. My main concern is whether the relationship between the main characters (a boy and a tree) should be interpreted as positive (i.e., the tree gives the boy selfless love) or as negative (i.e., the boy and the tree have an abusive relationship). First I thought the tree seems ideal mothers, and this story is a happy and positive one. But after reading it several times I got to think the boy was just a selfish without thinking of the tree. I think, the
moral of this story is that we must try to listen to the silent voices of trees and other things which don’t speak. And then, make sure that we are not selfish to them.

Let me tell the story briefly.
 

Once there was a tree. She loves a little boy. The boy would visit, climb, and eat it’s apples. As the boy got older and busier, the tree often felt alone.

One day the boy came to the tree and he said, 
“I am too big to climb and play.”
“I want to buy things and have fun. I want to some money.”

He took all her apples and sold them in the city and had money.

   Next when he visited the tree, he said he wanted to have a wife and children, so he needed a house. Then he cut off all her branches carried them away to build his house.

  And when he came back to the tree the boy became too old and sad to play with the tree. He wanted a boat to take him far away from there. So he cut down her trunk to make a boat and sailed away.

  And after a long time he came back to the tree. He got too old and weak. The tree then became just an old stump. Boy sat down on the stump and rested. He was happy.

  The author of this book imagined how the tree thought, felt, and communicated with the boy. In this book the tree always felt happy every time boy took things away from her. Her love is so selfless that many readers burst into tears at the end of the book. It is one of ideal love similar to mother’s love. But the reality is that the tree doesn’t speak anything and cannot reject the boy’s requests. If we thought the tree was very sad and angry against boy’s deeds. This story suddenly became a very sad story of the tree bullied by the selfish boy.

This book gives us a chance to think whether or not we are treating living things around us properly. It also teaches we must behave nicely.
*

(384) Tin Woodman's story

I didn’t know that the real name of Tin man is “Tin Woodman”. He looks like a robot but he was an ordinary man who had fallen in love with a beautiful Munchkin girl. Tin Woodman is one of characters in a Fairy tale, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ.

 備前焼のロボット

The Wizard of OZ L. Frank Baum, A ladder Edition t 1000 –word level

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

"But, after all, brains are not the best things in the world."   "No, my head is quite empty," answered the Woodman. "But once I had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, I should much rather have a heart." "And why is that?" asked the Scarecrow. "I will tell you my story, and then you will know." So, while they were walking through the forest, the Tin Woodman told the following story: "I was born the son of a woodman who chopped down trees in the forest and sold the wood for a living. When I grew up, I too became a woodchopper, and after my father died I took care of my old mother as long as she lived. Then I made up my mind that instead of living alone I would marry, so that I might not become lonely. "There was one of the Munchkin girls who was so beautiful that I soon grew to love her with all my heart. She, on her part, promised to marry me as soon as I could earn enough money to build a better house for her; so I set to work harder than ever. But the girl lived with an old woman who did not want her to marry anyone, for she was so lazy she wished the girl to remain with her and do the cooking and the housework. So the old woman went to the Wicked Witch of the East, and promised her two sheep and a cow if she would prevent the marriage. Thereupon the Wicked Witch enchanted my axe, and when I was chopping away at my best one day, for I was anxious to get the new house and my wife as soon as possible, the axe slipped all at once and cut off my left leg. "This at first seemed a great misfortune, for I knew a one-legged man could not do very well as a wood-chopper. So I went to a tinsmith and had him make me a new leg out of tin. The leg worked very well, once I was used to it. But my action angered the Wicked Witch of the East, for she had promised the old woman I should not marry the pretty Munchkin girl. When I began chopping again, my axe slipped and cut off my right leg. Again I went to the tinsmith, and again he made me a leg out of tin. After this the enchanted axe cut off my arms, one after the other; but, nothing daunted, I had them replaced with tin ones. The Wicked Witch then made the axe slip and cut off my head, and at first I thought that was the end of me. But the tinsmith happened to come along, and he made me a new head out of tin. "I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch then, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could be. She thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful Munchkin maiden, and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body, splitting me into two halves. Once more the tinsmith came to my help and made me a body of tin, fastening my tin arms and legs and head to it, by means of joints, so that I could move around as well as ever. But, alas! I had now no heart, so that I lost all my love for the Munchkin girl, and did not care whether I married her or not. I suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to come after her.

"But, after all, brains are not the best thing in the world. "   "No, my head is quite empty, " answered the Woodman. "But once I had brains, and a heart also. So, having tried them both, I would much rather have a heart. " "And why is that? " asked the Scarecrow. "I will tell you my story, and then you will understand. " So, while they were waling through the forest, the Tin Woodman told the following story: "I was born the son of a Woodman who cut down trees in the forest and sold the wood.__________           _____When I grew up I also became a woodcutter,  and after my father died I took care of my old mother as long as she lived. Then I decided to marry so that I would not be lonely. "   "There was one  Munchkin girl who was so beautiful that I soon grew to love her with all my heart. She __________promised to marry me as soon as I  had  enough money to build a better house for her. So I worked harder than ever.  But the girl lived with an old woman who did not want her to marry anyone. She wanted the girl to stay with he and do the cooking and the cleaning. So the old woman went to the Wicked  Witch of the East, and promised to give her two animals if she would stop me marrying the girl. So the Wicked Witch made my ax fall and cut off my left leg. " "This seemed to be a great problem  for I knew a one-legged man could not be a woodcutter. So I went to a tin-maker and asked him to make me a tin leg. ____________  __________________________       ________________________But this angered  the  Wicked  Witch of the East, for she had promised the old woman I would not marry the pretty Munchkin girl.  When I began cutting again my ax fall and cut off my right leg.  Again  I went  to the tin-maker and again he made me a leg out of tin. After this the witch made the ax fall and cut off my arms, one after the other, _________    ___________________________  ___________________________  and then  my head, and finally my body. But every time I went to the tin-maker and he gave me a new part. But I had no heart because I was made of tin. So I lost all my love for the Munchkin girl and did not care whether I married her or not. I suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to come.

Original Story	オズの魔法使い　訳　守屋陽一
I was born the son of a woodman	私はきこりのむすことして生まれました 例文：Born the son of a Seneca chief, Samuel Eli Parker was the first Native American to raise to the rank of general in the U.S. Army.　 Seneca長官の息子として生まれ、Samuel Eli Parkerはアメリカ陸軍において将官の地位までのぼりつめた最初のネイティブアメリカン(旧インディアンの事)となった
promised her two sheep and a cow	ヒツジ二頭とめ牛をやると、約束した
I was chopping away at my best one day,	ある日、私が一生懸命、木を切っていると
but, nothing daunted, I had them replaced with tin ones.	daunted: feeling afraid or worried しかし私は少しもへこたれないで、そのつど、ブリキの腕を作ってもらいました。

*

(377) a book named “Matilda”

I read a book named “Matilda”, written by Roald Dahl. I knew of him at its introduction.

*MATILDA                           PGRN3 (Penguin Joint Venture Readers)

• 作者: Roald Dahl
• 出版社/メーカー: Penguin
• 発売日: 1999/06/09
• メディア: ペーパーバック
  
  
  
  
  
  

• He was born in 1916. Children all over the world love reading his stories. James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG and The Witches are just a few of his most famous books.
  I’ve heard of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
  
  This book, “Matilda” is retold by John Escott. Its English level is 3, Pre-Intermediate (1200 words).
  
  So I could enjoy reading it.
  
  I can understand that there are terrible parents in the world. Some parents are not interested in their children in any way. The children of such parents are unhappy. It is a kind of fate for those children. They could not choose their parents.
  
  But I couldn’t expect the heroine of this story, Matilda, decided to leave her parents and start living with her teacher who is very good to her. Her action seemed surprising for me. It’s uncommon in Japan, I thought. She is small but very brave.
  
  Her teacher, Miss Honey was very excited to know that Matilda was a very clever little girl.
  
  “A five-year-old girl is reading books by Dickens and Hemingway.”
  This fact is amazing, but for her parents, not specially excited. Matilda’s mother said, “A pretty face is more important than books for a girl.”
  
  Well, well, there was once such a world where people believed in this kind of thinking. Now things have changed. Smart girls are required.
  
  Matilda cannot live together with such mother.
  
  Matilda’s father believes, “Nobody gets rich by being honest.” He buys stolen cars. He paints them a different colour and changes their numbers, and then he sells them to people. Matilda cannot live together with such father, either.
  *

(376) died of cancer and Alzheimer’s

Another book reminded me of my father who had died last year. India Knight wrote the book, its title is “On Shopping”. The author’s father died of cancer and Alzheimer’s. My father was the same. My father had to changed hospitals. There were no more treatments to him. Other younger patients were waiting to be hospitalized in that hospital. So he had to leave the hospital and searched for an old people’s special hospital. Fortunately we found that kind of hospital. He stopped eating and only sleeping in bed near the end of his life, soon passed away quietly. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom outside the window.

On Shopping INDIA KNIGHT

When I last saw my father, in an old people’s

home in the Ardennes, he was dying of cancer and

Alzheimer’s. He was extremely badly dressed, in a

horrible sweatshirt and floppy trousers  ― and the

adult nappy had never been part of his repertoire

before. He was completely gaga. I went outside

and smoked twenty cigarettes and sobbed away to

myself, and then I gave the nurse money to buy

him decent clothes that fitted him. She said that

his clothes were freshly laundered every day and

that he didn’t mind what he wore. I did Vole-Stoat:

my mother’s daughter, as well as my pink-and-

lavender-shirted father’s. When he died and I

collected his things, there were two crisp new

shirts, a new navy cardigan and two new pairs of

brown cords in his wardrobe. And on his dressing

table, there was a picture of me peering out

grumpily in a canary-yellow anorack

in an old people’s home〈英〉老人｛ろうじん｝ホーム、高齢者福祉施設｛こうれいしゃ ふくし しせつ｝

be dying of cancer and Alzheimer’s

sweatshirtスエットシャツ、スウェットシャツ、トレーナー、プルオーバー

floppy trousersだらりと垂れたズボン

adult nappy大人用のおむつ

gaga、〔高齢者などが〕ぼけた

sob away to myself　？　ひとりきりで泣き続けた

decent clothes見苦｛みぐる｝しくない、ちゃんとしている服

Vole-Stoat　？？ハタネズミ―オコジョ

navy cardigan濃紺のカーディガン

cordsコーデュロイパンツ

dressing table〔鏡と引き出しが付いた〕化粧｛けしょう｝台

peer outを覗く

grumpily不機嫌そうに

anorack登山やスキーなどで着るフードつきの防寒・防風用の上着
*

(375) QUILL the guide dog

I read about a guide dog in this New Year’s holidays. Its title is QUILL, The Life of a Guide Dog. Quill is his name. He is a Labrador retriever, a light brown collar, but he has a cross-shaped pattern of black fur on his side.

 Near the end of the book he became twelve years old, almost dying.

---

He was now very thin and his bones could be seen. The Niis wiped away his sweat and they changed his position every two hours so that he would not get bedsores.

---

This reminded me of my father. He was suffering from his serious bedsore. He passed away in the hospital.

盲導犬クイールの一生―Level 3(1600‐word) (洋販ラダーシリーズ)

• 作者: 石黒 謙吾
• 出版社/メーカー: アイビーシーパブリッシング
• 発売日: 2006/01
• メディア: 単行本

(362) The Penis

Midnight All Day

• 作者: Hanif Kureishi
• 出版社/メーカー: Faber and Faber
• 発売日: 1999/11/01
• メディア: ペーパーバック

The Penis
タイトルを見て、この最後の話を先に読むことにした。
Alfie was having breakfast with his wife at the kitchen table.
He was a cutter ― a hairdresser ― and had to get to work.
"Did you have a good time last night?" his wife asked.
"I think so," he said.
"Where did you go?"
"Don't you know?"
"I can remember the early part of the evening. We all met in the pub. Then there was a club and a lot of people . Later there was a porn film."
彼らは、一年前に結婚式を挙げた新婚さんのとの設定。

He would examine his wallet and see how much money he had spent, whether he had any cocaine left, or if he had collected phone numbers, business cards or taxi receipts that night jog his memory.
He was fumbling in his inside pocket when he found something strange.
He pulled it out.
"What's that?" his wife said. She came closer. "It's a penis," she said. "You've come home with a man's penis ― in you pocket. Where did you get it?"
"I don't know," he said.
"You better tell me," she said.
なんか、すごい話！　夢の話みたい・・・
jog:（記憶）を呼び起こす

He didn't want the 'thing' in his pocket one more second.
･･･
Making sure no one was watching, he tossed the penis over the side of the  bridge and watched it fall.

1マイルも離れてないところの、Doug(ダッグ）という俳優がベッドから抜け出すという場面に変わる。
Doug had intended to spend the day in the gym. After he would get his hair and nails done, before retiring early to bed with scrip.
 It wasn't until he passed the mirror on the wall to the shower, and looked at himself for the first time that day, that he realised his penis was missing. The whole thing had gone, penis, scrotum, even his pubic hair.
つまり、Alfieのポケットに入っていたPenisはポルノ男優のDougのものだったのだ。
get nail done 《get one's nails done》爪の手入れ［ネイルケア］をしてもらう
retire to bed：床につく
scrotum[skro'utəm]:《医》陰嚢

Pornography had penetrated the middlebrow market and he, coupled with Long Dong - the professional moniker he had given his penis - was becoming a recognisable star.
自分のpenisにLong Dongというあだ名をつけている。
middlebrow:中程度の教養のある
moniker:俗〉名前、呼称、あだ名


Thinking fast now, Doug conjectured whether, late at night, he had taken Long Dong out somewhere and slapped it down on a table.

自分のPenisをさがして、昨夜行ったbarやclubへ行ってみた。
Some one had left behind a shoe, a shotgun, a pair of false eyelashes and a map of China. No penis had been handed in.
false eyelashes:つけまつげ

そこで、自分のpenisを目撃する。
 Bewildered, he was standing outside on the street when, across the road, he saw his penis coming out of a coffee shop accompanied by a couple of young women. The penis, tall erect and wearing dark glasses and fine black jacket, was smiling. ちょうど、タクシーに乗り込もうとしているときに、声をかけたが、女とともに、タクシーで逃げ始めた。

つい、タフマンを思い出してしまう。ごめんなさい。

Doug hailed another taxi and told the driver to follow the first one. In front  he could see the top of his penis. The girls were kissing him and he was laughing and talking excitedly.
 The traffic was bad and they lost sight of the cab ahead.
Long  Dongの乗ったタクシーを見失ってしまう。


道沿いの、あるバーでLong Dong を見つけた。しかし、声をかけると、再び、逃げ出し、姿を消した。
そして、あまり流行らないバーで、偶然AlfieとDougは出会う。
"I recognize you from somewhere," said Doug.
"Yes, yes," said Alfie. "Maybe. I have the feeling we were together last night."
"What were we doing"
"Who knows? Listen―"
Dougのpenisが、どうしてAlfieのポケットへ入り込んだかはわからずじまい。

夕方に、再びpenisを見つける。
"I've had enough of your nonsense," said the penis.
"Without me, you're nothing," said Doug.
"Ha! It's the other way round! I'v realised the truth."
"What truth?"
"You are a penis with a man attached. I want out."
the other way round:逆


口論の後、疲れていたpenisは、beginning to shrink back into himself.
Dougはpenisをポケットにしまいこみ、整形外科医に、もとのように縫合するようたのむ。
"Bring me the money tonight," ordered the surgeon, "otherwise it will be too late ― your penis will become used to its freedom and will never serve you again."

Dougは手術代を、映画のプロデューサーから、高利子で借りて、手術を決意する。
He was, that night, entertaining a few hookers in his suite. The women knew Doug and soon made him aware that news of his misfortune had got round. He blushed and smarted now when hte women called him "big boy".
smart:精神的苦痛を受ける、ひどく感情を害する

Perhaps he had been mercifully untied from an idiot and they could go their separate ways. But without his penis how could he earn his living? He was too old to start a new career.

手術は無事終わり、He and his love were rejoined.
最後は、
 Doug was glad to be reunited with the most important part of himself; but, when he thought of the numerous exertions ahead, he felt weary.
exertion:〔肉体的な〕骨折り［大変な］仕事
weary:〔精神的に〕疲れた、うんざり［飽き飽き］した
*

(340) the Straight Story 村上 龍

芝刈り機　Lawnmower and rtailer

In the past, we Indians of the forest had a sort of unconscious wisdom. It was the inherent knowledge that all phenomena in this world arre interdependent. Things don't come into existence separattely but are born of interrelationships.
確かに、そう思う。
It's a mistake to  think that one is an indispensable part of that system, but it's equally wrong to lament being nothing more than a mere fragment. All people influence one another - even an elderly invalid or a new-born baby incapable of speech.
誰かが、特別ということもない。　そうなんだ。・・・
inherent:無自覚な、先天的に持っている
lament：悲観する
elderly invalid：病気の年寄り

the straight story ストレイト・ストーリー

• 作者: 村上 龍
• 出版社/メーカー: 集英社
• 発売日: 2000/03/13
• メディア: 単行本

Alvin's brother Lyle had had a stroke. He'd have to go to see him, alvin thought.
Alvin journeyed 317 miles on a lawnmower. There's something very significant indeed about about Alvin's little episode.

A tremendous number of people have family problems, or bear some sort of psychological wound, or persevere through fear and anxiety and unfulfilled needs, and still somehow manage to live their lives in accordance with society's rules.
but  that isn't to say that they're necessarilly stronger of character than those who retreat into neurosis, or become addicted to alcohole or drug or sex, or try to reesttablish themselves through crime, or stake their pride on their religion or ethnicity.

family problems：家族の問題
psychological wound：精神的な傷
persevere：耐える
be stronger of character ：より強い人格を持っている
retreat into neurosis：神経症に避難する
stake their pride on ：プライドを－に委（ゆだ）ねる
ethnicity：民族性、

(328) 働く人の夢

働く人の夢―33人のしごと、夢、きっかけ

• 作者:
• 出版社/メーカー: いろは出版
• 発売日: 2008/04
• メディア: 単行本

  Those who made this book are very young. They are in their twenties. I am almost 60 years old. Young people seem to have  a lot of chances, but they have to live real life, having family, jobs to support their family. There is a real life standing in front of them. They have to work for money. Finally many of them have to give up their original dreams to start working in society.

  On the contrary, people around their retirement age have, might have another chances to start their dreams that they once had given up to challenge, or new-born dreams. Old man has experienced several unforgetable encounters and happening. Those things suggest him the way to go in the rest of his life. Some of them successfully found new dreams from them.

  Everyday people have their own problems and hardship. There seems to be no ending of everyday struggles, even though happy things occure too. We can not find any starting points while waiting the end of problems. The important thing is that stop worrying and start living now. We have to restart walking on our ways.