原文
"Everything's ready, Miss Shirley, ma'am, and nothing dreadful has
happened YET," was Charlotta's cheerful statement as she betook herself
to her little back room to dress. Out came all the braids; the resultant
rampant crinkliness was plaited into two tails and tied, not with two
bows alone, but with four, of brand-new ribbon, brightly blue. The two
upper bows rather gave the impression of overgrown wings sprouting from
Charlotta's neck, somewhat after the fashion of Raphael's cherubs. But
Charlotta the Fourth thought them very beautiful, and after she had
rustled into a white dress, so stiffly starched that it could stand
alone, she surveyed herself in her glass with great satisfaction . . . a
satisfaction which lasted until she went out in the hall and caught
a glimpse through the spare room door of a tall girl in some softly
clinging gown, pinning white, star-like flowers on the smooth ripples of
her ruddy hair.
語彙など
- dreadful:恐ろしい
- statement:発言
- betake oneself to:〜へ行く
- braid:三つ編み
- resultant:結果として起こる
- rampant:手に負えない
- crinkle:縮れる
- plait:〜を編む
- bow:蝶形リボン
- brand-new:新品の
- overgrown:大きくなりすぎた
- wing:翼,羽根
- sprout:芽を出す,急に伸びる
- cherub:美しい子供,天子童子
- rustle:衣擦れの音をさせる
- stiffly:堅く
- starch:のりをつける
- survey:調査する
- catch a glimpse of:〜をちらりと見る
- clinging:からだにぴったりつく
- pin:〜をピンで留める
- ripple:さざ波
- ruddy:赤い