原文
The A.V.I.S. met at Mr. Harmon Andrews' that evening and a full
attendance had been requested, since important business was to be
discussed. The A.V.I.S. was in a flourishing condition, and had already
accomplished wonders. Early in the spring Mr. Major Spencer had redeemed
his promise and had stumped, graded, and seeded down all the road front
of his farm. A dozen other men, some prompted by a determination not to
let a Spencer get ahead of them, others goaded into action by Improvers
in their own households, had followed his example. The result was
that there were long strips of smooth velvet turf where once had been
unsightly undergrowth or brush. The farm fronts that had not been done
looked so badly by contrast that their owners were secretly shamed into
resolving to see what they could do another spring. The triangle of
ground at the cross roads had also been cleared and seeded down, and
Anne's bed of geraniums, unharmed by any marauding cow, was already set
out in the center.
語彙など
- attendance:出席
- flourish:栄える
- accomplish:成し遂げる
- wonder:素晴らしいもの
- redeem:(義務･約束を)果たす
- stump:抜根する
- grade:…の勾配[傾斜]をゆるくする
- seed:種をまく
- prompt:駆り立てる
- get ahead of:〜に先んじる
- goad:〜を突き動かす
- household:世帯,家族
- strip:細長い一片
- smooth:平坦な,なだらかな
- velvet:ビロード製の
- turf:芝生
- unsightly:見苦しい
- undergrowth:下生え
- brush:低木の茂み
- by contrast:それに対して
- resolve to:〜すると固く決心する
- triangle:三角地帯
- bed:花壇
- geranium:ゼラニウム
- maraud:襲撃する
- set out:植え付ける,移植する