アンは失敗をしながら、分別を身に付けていきます。失敗しても、そこから教訓を得れば、それは貴重な機会となるようです。 今回は最後のマシューの”お前のロマンスをすっかりやめてはいけないよ”という言葉も心に沁みます。
"Will you ever have any sense, Anne?" groaned Marilla.
"Oh, yes, I think I will, Marilla," returned Anne optimistically. A good cry, indulged in the grateful solitude of the east gable, had soothed her nerves and restored her to her wonted cheerfulness. "I think my prospects of becoming sensible are brighter now than ever"
"Well," explained Anne, "I've learned a new and valuable lesson today. Ever since I came to Green Gables I've been making mistakes, and each mistake has helped to cure me of some great shortcoming. The affair of the amethyst brooch cured me of meddling with things that didn't belong to me. The Haunted Wood mistake cured me of letting my imagination run away with me. The liniment cake mistake cured me of carelessness in cooking. Dyeing my hair cured me of vanity. I never think about my hair and nose now--at least, very seldom. And today's mistake is going to cure me of being too romantic. I have come to the conclusion that it is no use trying to be romantic in Avonlea. It was probably easy enough in towered Camelot hundreds of years ago, but romance is not appreciated now. I feel quite sure that you will soon see a great improvement in me in this respect, Marilla."
"I'm sure I hope so," said Marilla skeptically.
But Matthew, who had been sitting mutely in his corner, laid a hand on Anne's shoulder when Marilla had gone out.
"Don't give up all your romance, Anne," he whispered shyly, "a little of it is a good thing--not too much, of course--but keep a little of it, Anne, keep a little of it."
solitude n. 一人ぼっちでいる事、独居
Ex. live in solitude ひとりで暮らす
soothe 沈静させる、やわらげる。
Ex. I tried to soothe her nerves.
彼女の神経を静めようとした。
wonted adj. 慣れた、例の、いつもの
Ex. with his wonted courtesy
cure ＋目＋of＋代名詞 （悪癖などを）直す、取り除く
Ex. He tried to cure his cild of the habit.
彼は子供の癖を矯正してやろうと努めた。
meddle with ＋代名詞 （他人のものを）いじくり回す
Ex. I don't want you to meddle with my camera.
僕のカメラをいじくり回してもらいたくないな。
