AndSHALL we take this Mary-creature, Marshall?"

"Yes, take her," said Marshall laconically.

"Just like a man," said his wife, despairingly."  'Take her'--as　if that was all.  There are a hundred things to be considered,
believe ME."

"Take her--and we'll consider them afterwards, Cornelia," said her husband.

In the end Miss Cornelia did take her and went up to announce her decision to the Ingleside people first.

"Splendid!" said Anne delightedly. "I've been hoping you would do that very thing, Miss Cornelia. I want that poor child to get a good home. I was a homeless little orphan just like her once."

"I don't think this Mary-creature is or ever will be much like you," retorted Miss Cornelia gloomily. "She's a cat of another colour. But she's also a human being with an immortal soul to save. I've got a shorter catechism and a small tooth comb and I'm going to do my duty by her, now that I've set my hand to the plough, believe me."

   laconically  adv.  簡潔に

   １．I don't think this Mary-creature is much like you .  2.　I don't think this Mary-creature willl be much like you. の二つの文章がorで繋がっています。つまり、メアリって（生き物）子はあなた（アン） みたいじゃないし、（これからも）あなたのようには決してならないと思いますがね。。。という意味になります。

   retort　vt.　言い返す。

　　　　Ex.　"It's no business of yours,"he retorted. 

              「それは君の知ったことではない」と彼は切り替えして言った。

   catechism  n.  教理問答

　 do my duty by her 　彼女に本文を尽くす

Miss Cornelia descended upon the manse the next day and cross-questioned Mary, who, being a young person of considerable discernment and astuteness, told her story simple and truthfully, with an entire absence of complaint or bravado. Miss Cornelia was more favourably impressed than she had expected to be, but deemed it her duty to be severe.

"Do you think," she said sternly, "that you showed your gratitude to this family, who have been far too kind to you, by insulting and chasing one of their little friends as you did yesterday?"

"Say, it was rotten mean of me," admitted Mary easily. "I dunno what possessed me. That old codfish seemed to come in so blamed handy. But I was awful sorry--I cried last night after I went to bed about it, honest I did.

　　　descend  vi.  （突然）～に押しかけていく

　　　　　Ex.　His whole family descended on me.

                彼の家族全員が私の所へ押しかけてきた。

　　　cross-question  vt.  詰問する。

　　　discernment  n.  洞察力

　　　astuteness  n.  抜け目のなさ

　　　bravado  n.  から威張り

　　　　　Ex.  with bravado  虚勢をはって

　　　it was rotten mean of me  私はとても悪かったわ。

Mary had a diabolical inspiration. She flew to the "flake" and seized the largest fish there--a huge, flat thing, nearly as big as herself. With a whoop she swooped down on the terrified Rilla, brandishing her weird missile. Rilla's courage gave way.  With a shriek she dropped her basket and fled. The beautiful berries, which Susan had so tenderly selected for the minister, rolled in a rosy torrent over the dusty road and were trodden on by the flying feet of pursuer and pursued. 

　　　diabolical  adj.  極楽非道の、ひどい

　　　flake  n.  魚乾し棚

　　　whoop  n.  ”うわっ”という叫び声

　　　swoop  vi.  飛びかかる

　　　　　　Ex.　The hawk swooped down on its prey. 

　　　　　　　　　タカは獲物をめがけてサーッと舞い降りた。

　　　brandish　ｖi.　振り回す

　　　give way 崩れる

　　　　　　Ex.　His conviction gave way.  彼の確信は崩れ去った。

　　　shriek  n.  悲鳴、かん高い叫び声

　　　　　　Ex. give a shriek of pain  痛くて悲鳴をあげる。

"A spanking doesn't amount to anything," said Mary contemptuously. "If my folks had just spanked me I'd have thought they were petting me. Well, it ain't a fair world. I wouldn't mind taking my share of wallopings but I've had a darn sight too many."

"※It isn't right to say that word, Mary," said Una reproachfully. "You promised me you wouldn't say it."

"G'way," responded Mary. "If you knew some of the words I COULD say if I liked you wouldn't make such a fuss over darn. And you know very well I hain't ever told any lies since I come here."

"What about all those ghosts you said you saw?" asked Faith.

Mary blushed.

"That was diff'runt," she said defiantly.

　　　contemptuously  adv.  軽蔑して

　　　walloping  n.  ひどく打つこと。

　　　darn＝damn　adj.（俗語）ひどい　Ex.　a damn lie  ひどいうそ

　　　　※darnは汚い言葉なので、 言っちゃいけないととユナはメアリに言っています。

　　　fuss  n.  無用な騒ぎ 

　　　　　Ex.　make a fuss about nothing  つまらぬことに騒ぎ立てる。

　　　defiantly  adv.  反抗的に

"Do you mean to tell me," demanded Mary, "that I'd be sent to hell for telling a lie now and then? Why, I HAD to. Mr. Wiley would have broken every bone in my body one time if I hadn't told him a lie.  

Una sighed. Here were too many difficulties for her to solve. She shuddered as she thought of being cruelly whipped. Very likely she would have lied too. She squeezed Mary's little calloused hand. "Is that the only dress you've got?" asked Faith, whose joyous nature refused to dwell on disagreeable subjects.

"I just put on this dress because it was no good," cried Mary flushing. "Mrs. Wiley'd bought my clothes and I wasn't going to be beholden to her for anything. And I'm honest. If I was going to run away I wasn't going to take what belong to HER that was worth anything. When I grow up I'm going to have a blue sating dress. Your own clothes don't look so stylish. I thought ministers' children were always dressed up."　　

　　　shudder vi.  ぞっと身震いする

　　　　　　　　Ex.　He shuddered at the sight of it.  彼はそれを見てぞっとした。

　　　whip  vt. (子供などを）折檻する

　　　callous  adj.  硬くなった、たこになった

　　　joyous  adj  = joyful  陽気な

　　　　　　　　Ex.　a joyful look  うれしそうな顔つき

　　　beholden   adj.  恩義を受けて

　　　　　　　　Ex.　I'm much beholden toyou for your kindness.  ご親切まことにありがとう存じます。

Nobody cared whether the manse children were out in the damp or not. Aunt Martha was already in bed and the minister was still too deeply lost in speculations concerning the immortality of the soul to remember the mortality of the body. But they went home, too, with visions of good times coming in their heads.

"I think Rainbow Valley is even nicer than the graveyard," said Una. "And I just love those dear Blythes. It's SO nice when you can love people because so often you CAN'T. Father said in his sermon last Sunday that we should love everybody. But how can we? How could we love Mrs. Alec Davis?"

"Oh, father only said that in the pulpit," said Faith airily. "He has more sense than to really think it outside."

The Blythe children went up to Ingleside, except Jem, who slipped away for a few moments on a solitary expedition to a remote corner of Rainbow Valley. Mayflowers grew there and Jem never forgot to take his mother a bouquet as long as they lasted.

　　　damp  adj.　じめじめした

　　　　　　　Ex.　a damp day  じめじめした日

　　　too deeply lost in speculations concerning the immortality of thesoul to remember the mortality of the body

　　　　　　魂の不滅性にかんする思索に没頭しすぎて、滅しやすい肉体のことを思い起こす事ができない。

　　　airily  adv.  軽く、軽やかに

　　　sence　n.　思慮、認識、常識

　　　solitry　adj.　ひとりの

　　　　　　　Ex. a solitary walk  ひとりの散歩

In daytime the Blythe children liked very well to play in the rich, soft greens and glooms of the big maple grove between Ingleside and the Glen St. Mary pond; but for evening revels there was no place like the little valley behind the maple grove. It was a fairy realm of romance to them. Once, looking from the attic windows of Ingleside, through the mist and aftermath of a summer thunderstorm, they had seen the beloved spot arched by a glorious rainbow, one end of which seemed to dip straight down to where a corner of the pond ran up into the lower end of the valley.

"Let us call it Rainbow Valley," said Walter delightedly, and Rainbow Valley thenceforth it was.

Outside of Rainbow Valley the wind might be rollicking and boisterous. Here it always went gently. 

　　　gloom  n.  暗がり、暗闇

　　　revel  n.　お祭り騒ぎ

　　　run up into～　～の中に達する、～まで延びている

　　　rollicking  adj.  はしゃぎ回る

　　　boisterous  adj.  （風・波など）荒れ狂う、 大暴れの

And Thomas Carlyle is nine. They call him Carl, and he has a regular mania for collecting toads and bugs and frogs and bringing them into the house."

"I suppose he was responsible for the dead rat that was lying on a chair in the parlour the afternoon Mrs. Grant called. It gave her a turn," said Susan, "and I do not wonder, for manse parlours are no places for dead rats. To be sure it may have been the cat who left it, there. HE is as full of the old Nick as he can be stuffed, Mrs. Dr. dear. A manse cat should at least LOOK respectable, in my opinion, whatever he really is. But I never saw such a rakish-looking beast. And he walks along the ridgepole of the manse almost every evening at sunset, Mrs. Dr. dear, and waves his tail, and that is not becoming."

　　　parlour  n.  客間、居間（現在ではliving roomが一般的）

　　　a turn n. ぎょっとする（させる）こと

　　　　　　　　　Ex. The sight gave me quite a turn.

                       それを見て私はまったくぎょっとした。

　　　manse  n.  牧師館

　　　old Nick  n.  悪魔

　　　rakish  adj.  放蕩な

　　　becoming  adj.  ふさわしい

　　　　　　　　　Ex.  Such conduct is not becoming to a respected businessman.

                        そんな行為は尊敬される実業家にふさわしくない。

"Here is Cornelia Bryant coming up the harbour road, Mrs. Dr. dear," said Susan. "She will be coming up to unload threemonths' gossip on us."

"I hope so," said Anne, hugging her knees. "I'm starving for Glen St. Mary gossip, Susan. I hope Miss Cornelia can tell me everything that has happened while we've been away--EVERYTHING-- who has got born, or married, or drunk; who has died, or gone away, or come, or fought, or lost a cow, or found a beau. It's so delightful to be home again with all the dear Glen folks, and I want to know all about them. Why, I remember wondering, as I walked through Westminster Abbey which of her two especial beaux Millicent Drew would finally marry. Do you know, Susan, I have a dreadful suspicion that I love gossip."

 "Well, of course, Mrs. Dr. dear," admitted Susan, "every proper woman likes to hear the news. I am rather interested in Millicent Drew's case myself. I never had a beau, much less two, and I do not mind now, for being an old maid does not hurt when you get used to it. Millicent's hair always looks to me as if she had swept it up with a broom. But the men do not seem to mind that."

"They see only her pretty, piquant, mocking, little face, Susan."

　　　especial 　adj. 　特別な、 格別の （現在ではspecialのほうが一般的

　　　beaux  n.  beau の複数形

　　　　　　　　　　恋人、ボーイフレンド

　　　suspicion that ～　～という感じ

　　　　　　　　　Ex. I had a suspicion that he was there.

　　　　　　　　　　　　どうも彼がそこにいるような気がした。

　　　much less まして～でない

　　　　　　　　　Ex. He doesn't even let me use his bicycle, much less his car.

　　                        彼は私に自転車さえ貸してくれない。まして車なんかなおさらだ。

　　　piquant adj. 人の心を小粋にそそる

　　　mock vi. 　あざける

私はすべてを試してみたのですが、私にとっては「NASA50年　宇宙開発の光と影1」が一番難しかったです。一番簡単なのは「 Atlas フランス」。「レボリューションX iPod革命」　もそれほど難しくはないのですが、全問正解するのはやはり大変で、 私は正しいスペル入力が苦手なので全国順位８９位という順位でした。

シルバーウイークの暇つぶしに３分間のリスニングけっこうお勧めです。ちなみに今は岡山県がトップのようです。

Anne felt like a released bird . . . she was flying again. Gilbert's arms were around her . . . his eyes were looking into hers in the moonlight.

"You do love me, Gilbert? I'm not just a habit with you? You haven't said you loved me for so long."

"My dear, dear love! I didn't think you needed words to know that. I couldn't live without you. Always you give me strength. There's a verse somewhere in the Bible that is meant for you . . . 'She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.'"

Life which had seemed so grey and foolish a few moments before was golden and rose and splendidly rainbowed again. The diamond pendant slipped to the floor, unheeded for the moment. It was beautiful . . . but there were so many things lovelier . . . confidence and peace and delightful work . . . laughter and kindness . . . that old safe feeling of a sure love.

"Oh, if we could keep this moment for ever, Gilbert!"

"We're going to have some moments. It's time we had a second honeymoon. Anne, there's going to be a big medical congress in London next February. We're going to it . . . and after it we'll see a bit of the Old World. There's a holiday coming to us. We'll be nothing but lovers again . . . it will be just like being married over again. You haven't been like yourself for a long time. ("So he had noticed.") You're tired and overworked . . . you need a change. ("You too, dearest. I've been so horribly blind.") I'm not going to have it cast up to me that doctors' wives never get a pill. We'll come back rested and fresh, with our sense of humour completely restored. Well, try your pendant on and let's get to bed. I'm half dead for sleep . . . haven't had a decent night's sleep for weeks, what with twins and worry over Mrs. Garrow."

"What on earth were you and Christine talking about so long in the garden tonight?" asked Anne, peacocking before the mirror with her diamonds.

Gilbert yawned.

"Oh, I don't know. Christine just gabbled on. But here is one fact she presented me with. A flea can jump two hundred times its own length. Did you know that, Anne?"

　　　unheeded  adj.  留意されない、無視された

　　　　　　　　　　Ex.　My advice went unheeded.  私の忠告は無視された。

　　　Old World  n.  ヨーロッパ

　　　nothing but ～　ただ～のみ、　～にほかならない

　　　　　　　　　　Ex.　I think of nothing but your return. 

                         私はあなたが帰ってくることばかりを思っている。

　　　peacock  vt.  着飾る

　　　gabble  vi.  早口にしゃべる

"Does anybody ever eat philopenas now?" asked Dr. Murray, who had just cracked a twin almond. Christine turned to Gilbert.

"Do you remember that philopena we ate once?" she asked.

("Did a significant look pass between them?")

"Do you suppose I could forget it?" asked Gilbert.

They plunged into a spate of "do-you-remembers," while Anne stared at the picture of fish and oranges hanging over the sideboard. She had never thought that Gilbert and Christine had had so many memories in common. "Do you remember our picnic up the Arm? . . . Do you remember the night we went to the negro church? . . . Do you remember the night we went to the masquerade? . . . you were a Spanish lady in a black velvet dress with a lace mantilla and fan."

Gilbert apparently remembered them all in detail. But he had forgotten his wedding anniversary!

　　philopenas  n.  (ゲーム）フィロピーナ

　　　　　　　　　　　　核のあるアーモンドなどの実を二人で分けて、約束を結び、約束を忘れたら罰として贈物をする。

　　significant  adj.  意味ありげな

　　　　　　　　　Ex. a significant nod  意味ありげなうなずき

　　pass between ～の間に起こる

　　　　　　　　　Ex. Nothing passed between Mary and me. 

                       メアリーと私の間には何もなかった。

　　a spate of  (言葉などの）ほとばしり

　　　　　　　　　Ex.  a spate of words  ほとばしり出る言葉

　　manntilla  n. マンティラ（スペイン・ メキシコなどの夫人が頭から肩にかける大きなスカーフ）

The noon mail brought her two letters. One was from Marilla . . . but Anne sighed as she folded it up. Marilla's handwriting was getting so frail and shaky. The other letter was from Mrs. Barrett Fowler of Charlottetown whom Anne knew very slightly. And Mrs. Barrett Fowler wanted Dr. and Mrs. Blythe to dine with her next Tuesday night at seven o'clock "to meet your old friend, Mrs. Andrew Dawson of Winnipeg, nee Christine Stuart."

Anne dropped the letter. A flood of old memories poured over her . . . some of them decidedly unpleasant. Christine Stuart of Redmond . . . the girl to whom people had once said Gilbert was engaged . . . the girl of whom she had once been so bitterly jealous . . . yes, she admitted it now, twenty years after . . . she had been jealous . . . she had hated Christine Stuart. She had not thought of Christine for years but she remembered her distinctly. A tall, ivory-white girl with great dark-blue eyes and blue-black masses of hair. And a certain air of distinction.

　　　frail   adj.  弱い

　　　　　　　Ex. He 's old and rather frail.

                   彼は年老いてだいぶ体が弱っている。

      shaky　adj.　震える

　　　　　　　Ex. I feel a bit shaky still.  まだちょっと足がふらふらする。

      decidedly　adv.　明らかに

　　　　　　　Ex. This is cecidedly better than that.

                   このほうがあれより断然すぐれている。

      masses　of hair  ふさふさとした髪　

      distinction　n.　優秀性、気品

　　　　　　　Ex.  a writer of distinction  著名な作家

Look at my new ring, girls. A boy I know at Lowbridge give it to me."

"Why, I've seen Diana Blythe wearing that ring often," said Peggy MacAllister contemptuously.

"And I don't believe one single word you've been saying about Ingleside, Delilah Green," said Laura Carr.

Before Delilah could reply Diana, who had recovered her powers of locomotion and speech, dashed into the schoolroom.

"Judas!" she said. Afterwards she thought repentantly that it had not been a very ladylike thing to say. But she had been stung to the heart and when your feelings are all stirred up you can't pick and choose your words.

　　　contemptuously  adv.  軽蔑して

      locomotion　　n.　動くこと、運動

      Judas　n.　ユダ・ （友情を装った）裏切り者

      repentantly　adv. 後悔して

      stir  vt.  奮起させる

            Ex.  This town needs stirring up.

                  この町は活気づかせる必要がある。