原文
"I didn't know what to do. Would the conductor, I wondered, stop the
car and put me off in ignominy and shame? Was it possible that I could
convince him that I was merely the victim of my own absentmindedness,
and not an unprincipled creature trying to obtain a ride upon false
pretenses? How I wished that Alec or Alonzo were there. But they weren't
because I wanted them. If I HADN'T wanted them they would have been
there by the dozen. And I couldn't decide what to say to the conductor
when he came around. As soon as I got one sentence of explanation
mapped out in my mind I felt nobody could believe it and I must compose
another. It seemed there was nothing to do but trust in Providence, and
for all the comfort that gave me I might as well have been the old lady
who, when told by the captain during a storm that she must put her trust
in the Almighty exclaimed, 'Oh, Captain, is it as bad as that?'
語彙など
- conductor:車掌
- ignominy:屈辱
- shame:恥
- convince:説得する
- absent-mindedness:放心
- unprincipled:無節操な
- false pretense:詐欺罪
- by the dozen:大量に
- map out:策定する
- compose:作る
- providence:神意
- for all:〜にもかかわらず
- might as well:〜する方がましだ
- Almighty:全能の神