英文を読む：オー・ヘンリー「賢者の贈り物」(4/21)
さて、次は、本文 第４段落です。
■４■
Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.
例によって、1文ずつ訳します。
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1/
Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag.
・attend to：注意する、世話をする
デラは泣きやみ、化粧を整えた。
2/
She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.
・dully：鈍く、ぼんやりと
窓のそばに立つと、灰色の裏庭に灰色のフェンスを歩く灰色の猫をぼんやりと眺めた。
3/
Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present.
明日はクリスマス。彼女はジムにプレゼントを買うのに1.87ドルしかなかった。
4/
She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result.
何ヵ月もの間、小銭を貯めてきたのにこの結果だ。
5/
Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far.
・go far：十分である、成功する
１週間に２０ドルは十分ではなかった。
6/
Expenses had been greater than she had calculated.
・expense：費用
出費は、彼女が計算したよりも多かった。
7/
They always are.
いつもそうなのだ。
8/
Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim.
ジムにプレゼントを買うのに、たったの1.87ドル。
9/
Her Jim.
彼女のジムに。
10/
Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him.
彼女が彼に素敵なものをと計画していた幸せな時間。
11/
Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.
・sterling：純粋の、立派な
・worthy：価値のある
・honor：名誉、栄誉、光栄
・own：自分自身の、独特な
素晴らしくて貴重で立派なもの、ジムの個性あふれる、名誉ある、価値ある、近くに置けるちょっとした何かを。
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これで、この段落はおしまいです。
それでは、もう一度本文と、訳を載せます。
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Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.
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デラは泣きやみ、化粧を整えた。
窓のそばに立つと、灰色の裏庭に灰色のフェンスを歩く灰色の猫をぼんやりと眺めた。
明日はクリスマス。彼女はジムにプレゼントを買うのに1.87ドルしかなかった。
何ヵ月もの間、小銭を貯めてきたのにこの結果だ。
１週間に２０ドルは十分ではなかった。
出費は、彼女が計算したよりも多かった。
いつもそうなのだ。
ジムにプレゼントを買うのに、たったの1.87ドル。
彼女のジムに。
彼女が彼に素敵なものをと計画していた幸せな時間。
素晴らしくて貴重で立派なもの、ジムの個性あふれる、名誉ある、価値ある、近くに置けるちょっとした何かを。
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まだまだデラは、ちびちび貯めた小銭を見ては嘆いている状態です。
物語を起承転結で言うなら、まだ「起」ですかねー。
でも、次からちょっとお話しは動きます。
次回をお楽しみにー！
