原文
As for washing dishes, Mr. Harrison never made any pretence of doing it unless a rainy Sunday came. Then he went to work and washed them all at once in the rainwater hogshead, and left them to drain dry.
Again, Mr. Harrison was "close." When he was asked to subscribe to the Rev. Mr. Allan's salary he said he'd wait and see how many dollars' worth of good he got out of his preaching first . . . he didn't believe in buying a pig in a poke. And when Mrs. Lynde went to ask for a contribution to missions . . . and incidentally to see the inside of the house . . . he told her there were more heathens among the old woman gossips in Avonlea than anywhere else he knew of, and he'd cheerfully contribute to a mission for Christianizing them if she'd undertake it. Mrs. Rachel got herself away and said it was a mercy poor Mrs. Robert Bell was safe in her grave, for it would have broken her heart to see the state of her house in which she used to take so much pride.
語彙など
- dish:皿
- pretence:=pretense,見せかけ
- all at once:一挙に,一緒に
- rainwater:雨水
- hogshead:大樽
- drain:〜の水気を取る,〜の水を切る
- close:けちな
- subscribe:寄付する,出資する
- Rev.:=Reverend,牧師
- preaching:説教
- buy a pig in a poke:中身や品質をよく調べないで物を買う
- contribution:寄付
- mission:宗教の布教,伝道団体
- incidentally:偶然に
- heathen:異教徒
- gossip:うわさ話
- cheerfully:進んで
- Christianize:キリスト教化する,キリスト教徒にする
- undertake:引き受ける
- mercy:慈悲
- grave:墓
- take pride:誇りとする