原文
"I was horribly frightened," she told Mrs. Allan the next day, "and it
seemed like years while the flat was drifting down to the bridge and the
water rising in it every moment. I prayed, Mrs. Allan, most earnestly,
but I didn't shut my eyes to pray, for I knew the only way God could
save me was to let the flat float close enough to one of the bridge
piles for me to climb up on it. You know the piles are just old tree
trunks and there are lots of knots and old branch stubs on them. It was
proper to pray, but I had to do my part by watching out and right well
I knew it. I just said, 'Dear God, please take the flat close to a pile
and I'll do the rest,' over and over again. Under such circumstances you
don't think much about making a flowery prayer. But mine was answered,
for the flat bumped right into a pile for a minute and I flung the scarf
and the shawl over my shoulder and scrambled up on a big providential
stub. And there I was, Mrs. Allan, clinging to that slippery old pile
with no way of getting up or down. It was a very unromantic position,
but I didn't think about that at the time. You don't think much about
romance when you have just escaped from a watery grave. I said a
grateful prayer at once and then I gave all my attention to holding on
tight, for I knew I should probably have to depend on human aid to get
back to dry land."
語彙など
- flat:平底船
- pray:祈る
- pile:杭
- trunk:幹
- knot:節,木節
- stub:切り株,切れ残り
- proper:適当な
- watch out:見張る
- under such circumstances: こうした状況では
- flowery:華やかな
- prayer:祈りの言葉
- bump:ドスンと当たる
- fling:投げ飛ばす
- scramble:よじ登る
- providential:幸運な
- cling to:〜にしがみつく
- slippery:滑りやすい
- watery grave:水中墓場
- attention:注意
- hold on tight:しっかりつかまる
- depend on:〜に頼る
- aid:救済