原文
"Thank you, no," said Anne politely, but with a fine, needle-like
disdain in her voice that pierced even Judson Parker's none too
sensitive consciousness. His face reddened and he twitched his reins
angrily; but the next second prudential considerations checked him. He
looked uneasily at Anne, as she walked steadily on, glancing neither to
the right nor to the left. Had she heard Corcoran's unmistakable
offer and his own too plain acceptance of it? Confound Corcoran! If
he couldn't put his meaning into less dangerous phrases he'd get
into trouble some of these long-come-shorts. And confound redheaded
school-ma'ams with a habit of popping out of beechwoods where they had
no business to be. If Anne had heard, Judson Parker, measuring her corn
in his own half bushel, as the country saying went, and cheating himself
thereby, as such people generally do, believed that she would tell
it far and wide. Now, Judson Parker, as has been seen, was not overly
regardful of public opinion; but to be known as having accepted a bribe
would be a nasty thing; and if it ever reached Isaac Spencer's ears
farewell forever to all hope of winning Louisa Jane with her comfortable
prospects as the heiress of a well-to-do farmer. Judson Parker knew
that Mr. Spencer looked somewhat askance at him as it was; he could not
afford to take any risks.
語彙など
- disdain:軽蔑
- pierce:刺し通す
- sensitive:敏感な
- consciousness:感情
- twitch:グイッと引く
- rein:手綱
- prudential:慎重な
- consideration:考慮
- uneasily:不安気に
- steadily:堅実に,しっかりと
- glance:ちらりと見る
- unmistakable:疑う余地のない
- acceptance:承諾
- confound:困らせる
- get into trouble:厄介なことになる
- long-come-short:そのうち(?)
- habit:癖,習性
- pop out:急に飛び出る
- beechwood:ブナ材
- measure one's corn by one's own bushel:自分の尺度で人を測る
- bushel:ブシェル(米=2150.42立法インチ=35.238リットル)
- cheat:ごまかす
- thereby:その結果
- far and wide:あまねく,津々浦々に
- regardful:気にかける
- public opinion:世論
- bribe:わいろ
- nasty:嫌な,ひどく不潔な
- farewell:別れ
- forever:永遠に
- prospect:見込み
- heiress:遺産相続人,女相続人
- askance:疑いの目で