A Tale of Two Brothers: The Ant, the Grasshopper, and the Black Sheep

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  • In a world where industry is rewarded, a fable about an ant and a grasshopper teaches a valuable lesson.
  • George Ramsay, burdened by his trouble-causing brother, reflects on the fable and his own family's black sheep.
  • Tom Ramsay's life takes a turn when he abandons work and marriage to pursue pleasure, relying on his brother's generosity.
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長文を日本語に訳してください!(1)

よくわからないので、よろしくお願いします。  When I was a very small boy I was made to learn by heart certain of the fables of La Fontaine, and the moral of each was carefully explained to me. Among those I learnt was The Ant and the Grasshopper, which is devised to bring home to the young the useful lesson that in an imperfect world industry is rewarded and giddiness punished. In this admirable fable (I apologize for telling something which everyone is politely, but inexactly, supposed to know) the ant spends a laborious summer gathering its winter store, which the grasshopper sits on a blade of grass singing to the sun. Winter comes and the ant is comfortably provided for, but the grasshopper has an empty larder : he goes to the ant and begs for a little food. Then the ant gives him her classic answer : 'What were you doing in the summer time?' 'Saving your presence, I sang, I sang all days, all night.' 'You sang. Why, then go and dance.' I could not help thinking of this fable when the other day I saw George Ramsay lunching by himself in a restaurant. I never saw anyone wear an expression of such deep gloom. He was staring into space. He looked as though the burden of the whole world sat on his shoulder. I was sorry for him : I suspected at once that his unfortunate brother had been causing trouble again. I went up to him and held out my hand. 'How are you?' I asked. 'I am not in hilarious spirits,' he answered. 'Is it Tom again?' He sighed. 'Yes, it is Tom again.' 'Why don't you chuck him?You've done everything in the world for him. You must know by now that he's quite useless.' I suppose every family has a black sheep. Tom had been a sore trial to his for twenty years. He had begun life decently enough: he went into business, married, had two children. The Ramsays were perfectly respectable people and there was every reason to suppose that Tom Ramsay would have a useful and honourable career. But one day, without warning, he announced that he didn't like work and that he wasn't suited for marriage. He wanted to enjoy himself. He would listen to no expostulations. He left his wife and his office. He had a little money and he spent two happy years in the various capitals of Europe. Rumours of his doings reached his relations from time to time and they were profoundly shocked. He certainly had a very good time. They shook their heads and asked what would happen when his money was spent. They soon found out: he borrowed. He was charming and unscrupulous. I have never met anyone to whom it was more difficult to refuse a loan. He made a steady income from his friends and he made friends easily. But he always said that the money you spent on necessities was boring; the money that was amusing to spend was the money you spent on luxuries. For this he depended on his brother George. He did not waste his charm on him. George was a serious man and insensible to such enticements. George was respectable. Once or twice he fell to Tom's promises of amendment and gave him considerable sums in order that he might make a fresh start. On these Tom bought a motor-car and some very nice jewellery. But when circumstances forced George to realize that his brother would never settle down and he washed his hands of him, Tom, without a qualm, began to blackmail him. It was not very nice for a respectable lawyer to find his brother shaking cocktails behind the bar of his favourite restaurant or to see him waiting on the boxseat of a taxi outside his club. Tom said that to serve in a bar or to drive a taxi was a perfectly decent occupation, but if George could oblige him with a couple of hundred pounds he didn't mind for the honour of the family giving it up. George paid.

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  • 英語
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回答No.1

とても小さな少年だったころ、私はラフォンテーヌの寓話について暗誦させられました、そして、それぞれの教訓は私に注意深く説明されました。 私が覚えたものの中に、「アリとキリギリス」がありました、それは、不完全な世の中では、勤勉が報われ、軽薄さは罰せられると言う役に立つ教訓を若者にしっかりと覚えさせるように工夫されています。 この賞賛に値する寓話(誰でも丁寧に、しかし、不正確に知っているはずの事を言うことをお詫びします)では、アリはその冬の蓄えを集めることに面倒な夏を費やします、そしてその夏を、キリギリスは草の葉にとまって太陽に向かって歌っています。 冬が来ます、そして、アリは安楽な蓄えがあります、しかし、キリギリスの食糧貯蔵室は空っぽです: 彼はアリのところへ行って、少しの食物を乞います。 すると、アリは彼に彼女の有名な返事をします: 「あなたは、夏の間、何をしていましたか?」「あなたがいた以外は、私は歌いました、私は、一日中、一晩中、歌いました。」「あなたは歌いました。 では、踊りに行きなさいな。」 先日ジョージ・ラムゼーがレストランで一人で昼食をとっているのを見たとき、私はこの寓話について考えずにはいられませんでした。 私は、誰もそのような深い憂鬱の表情を帯びるのを決して見たことがありませんでした。 彼は、空間をじっと見ていました。 彼は、まるで全世界の負担が彼の肩に乗りかかっているような様子でした。 私は彼が気の毒でした: 私は、彼の不運な弟が再びトラブルを引き起こしているのだとすぐに思いました。 私は彼に歩み寄って、手を差し出しました。「お元気ですか?」と、私は尋ねました。 「私は、陽気な気分ではありません」と、彼は答えました。 「また、トムですか?」 彼はため息をつきました。 「ええ、またトムです。」 「なぜ、あなたは彼を捨てないのですか? あなたは、彼のためにありとあらゆることをしました。 あなたは、彼が全く役に立たないということをもう知っていなければなりません。」 私は、あらゆる家族には厄介者がいると思います。 トムは、20年間の彼の家族にとっては痛い厄介者でした。 彼は、かなりまともに人生を始めました: 彼は事業を始めて、結婚して、2人の子供ができました。 ラムゼー家の人々は完全に立派な人々でした、そして、トム・ラムゼーには役に立って尊敬すべき経歴を持つだろうと思えるだけのあらゆる理由がありました。 しかし、ある日、突然、彼は、仕事が好きではなかった、そして、結婚に適していなかったと、言い出しました。 彼は、楽しみたかったのです。 彼は、忠告を聞こうとはしませんでした。 彼は、妻のもとを去り、会社もやめました。 彼には多少のお金があったので、彼はヨーロッパのいろいろな中心地で幸せな2年を過ごしました。 彼の行状に関する噂は時々彼の親戚に届きました、そして、彼らは非常にショックを受けました。 確かに、彼は、非常に楽しい時間を過ごしていました。 彼のお金が費いはたされたとき、彼らは頭を振って、どうなるのかと尋ねました。 彼らは、すぐに判りました: 彼は借金をしたのです。 彼は魅力的で、悪辣でした。 私は、金を貸すのを拒否することがあれほど難しい人間には誰にもこれまで会ったことがありません。 彼は友人から安定した収入を得ました、そして、彼は簡単に友人を作りました。 しかし、彼は、必需品に使うお金は退屈だ; 使って面白いお金は、贅沢に使うお金だと常に言いました。 このために、彼は兄のジョージを頼りにしました。 彼は、魅力を彼に浪費しませんでした。 ジョージは真面目な男で、そのような誘惑を感じなかったのです。 ジョージは立派でした。 1,2度、出直しが出来るように、彼は心を入れ替えると言うトムの約束に折れて、彼に相当な金額を渡しました。 この金で、トムは自動車と非常に素晴らしい宝石をいくらか買いました。 しかし、状況からやむなく彼の弟が決して落ちつかないとジョージが理解して、トムと手を切った時、トムは、平気で、ジョージを恐喝し始めました。 立派な弁護士が彼の弟が彼のお気に入りのレストランのバーでカクテルを振っているのを見つけたり、弟が彼のクラブの外でタクシーの運転席で待っているのを見ることは、あまり素晴らしくありませんでした。 バーに勤めたり、タクシーの運転をすることは、全くまともな仕事だと、トムは言いました、しかし、ジョージが彼に200ポンドで恩恵を施すことができるならば、彼は家族の名誉のためにそれをあきらめてもよいと言いました。 ジョージは支払いました。

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いつもわかりやすい日本語訳ありがとうございます!とても助かります。

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