原文
"Oh, I didn't let him in the house. I remembered what you told me, and I
went out, carefully shut the door, and looked at his things on the step.
Besides, he wasn't an Italian--he was a German Jew. He had a big box
full of very interesting things and he told me he was working hard to
make enough money to bring his wife and children out from Germany. He
spoke so feelingly about them that it touched my heart. I wanted to buy
something from him to help him in such a worthy object. Then all at once
I saw the bottle of hair dye. The peddler said it was warranted to dye
any hair a beautiful raven black and wouldn't wash off. In a trice I
saw myself with beautiful raven-black hair and the temptation was
irresistible. But the price of the bottle was seventy-five cents and I
had only fifty cents left out of my chicken money. I think the peddler
had a very kind heart, for he said that, seeing it was me, he'd sell it
for fifty cents and that was just giving it away. So I bought it, and as
soon as he had gone I came up here and applied it with an old hairbrush
as the directions said. I used up the whole bottle, and oh, Marilla,
when I saw the dreadful color it turned my hair I repented of being
wicked, I can tell you. And I've been repenting ever since."
語彙など
- besides:おまけに
- Jew:ユダヤ人
- feelingly:しみじみと
- touch one's heart:胸を打つ
- worthy:価値のある
- object:目的
- all at once:突然に
- hair dye:白髪染め,毛髪染料
- peddler:行商人
- warrant:保証する
- dye:染める
- raven black:濡れ羽色
- in a trice:瞬く間に,たちまち
- temptation:誘惑
- irresistible:抵抗できない
- chicken money:はした金,小銭
- give away:ただで与える
- apply:塗る,塗布する
- directions:使用法
- use up:〜を使い果たす
- dreadful:ひどい
- repent of:後悔する
- wicked:いたずらな
- I can tell you:請け合う
- ever since:その後ずっと