原文
"I don't think Mr. Smith would have done, Matthew" was Anne's final
summing up. "Mrs. Lynde says his delivery was so poor, but I think his
worst fault was just like Mr. Bentley's--he had no imagination. And Mr.
Terry had too much; he let it run away with him just as I did mine in
the matter of the Haunted Wood. Besides, Mrs. Lynde says his theology
wasn't sound. Mr. Gresham was a very good man and a very religious man,
but he told too many funny stories and made the people laugh in church;
he was undignified, and you must have some dignity about a minister,
mustn't you, Matthew? I thought Mr. Marshall was decidedly attractive;
but Mrs. Lynde says he isn't married, or even engaged, because she made
special inquiries about him, and she says it would never do to have
a young unmarried minister in Avonlea, because he might marry in the
congregation and that would make trouble. Mrs. Lynde is a very farseeing
woman, isn't she, Matthew? I'm very glad they've called Mr. Allan. I
liked him because his sermon was interesting and he prayed as if he
meant it and not just as if he did it because he was in the habit of it.
Mrs. Lynde says he isn't perfect, but she says she supposes we couldn't
expect a perfect minister for seven hundred and fifty dollars a year,
and anyhow his theology is sound because she questioned him thoroughly
on all the points of doctrine. And she knows his wife's people and they
are most respectable and the women are all good housekeepers. Mrs. Lynde
says that sound doctrine in the man and good housekeeping in the woman
make an ideal combination for a minister's family."
語彙など
- summing-up:要約
- delivery:話し方,話しぶり
- fault:欠点
- run away with:暴走する,抑制がきかなくなる
- besides:そのうえ
- theology:神学
- sound:健全な
- religious man:信仰家,信心家
- undignified:威厳のない,みっともない
- dignity:品位,品格
- minister:牧師
- decidedly:全く
- attractive:魅力的な
- inquiry:調査,問い合わせ
- will do:〜に役に立つ,差し支えない
- congregation:信徒
- make trouble:トラブルを引き起こす
- farseeing:見通しが利く
- sermon:(教会での)説教
- pray:祈る
- be in the habit of:〜するのを常とする
- thoroughly:徹底的に
- doctrine:教義
- combination:組み合わせ