今日のメモ-再び-

☆　今日のメモ　☆

・Even now, I would not go so far as to say it is a bad staff plan; after all, it enables a staff of four to cover an unexpected amount of ground. But you will no doubt agree that the very best staff plans are those which give clear margins of error to allow for those days when an employee is ill or for one reason or another below par.
go so far as to say ～ : ～とまで言う
margins of error : 誤ってもよい余裕
below par : 体の調子が悪く、標準以下で

・For it had occurred to me that the proposed trip in the car could be put to good professional use; that is to say, I could drive to the West Country and call on Miss Kenton in passing, thus exploring at first hand the substance of her wish to return to employment hear at Darlington Hall.
put ～ to good use : ～を上手く役立てる
（put ～to ... : ～を...に用いる、適用する）
in passing : 通りがかりに、ついでに（言えば）
at first hand : 直接に、じかに

・Then there was the question of what sorts of costume were appropriate on such a journey, and whether or not it was worth my while to invest in a new set of clothes.
（仕事にかける）時間・労力

・As it was, I believe my judgement proved quite sound on the question of timing; the fact that things turned out as they did is entirely attributable to an error of judgement in another direction altogether.
as it was : しかし実情は、実際は（前出の過程に対応して実情を述べる際に用いる）
sound : 良識のある、賢明な

・Naturally, I felt the temptation to deny immediately and unambiguously such motivations as my employer was imputing to me, but saw in time that to do so would be to rise to Mr Farraday's bait, and the situation would only become increasingly embarrassing.
rise to the bait : （主語が）誘いや挑発にのる

・And of course, in Lord Darlington's days, when ladies and gentlemen would often visit for many days on end, it was possible to develop a good understanding with visiting colleagues.
続けて、断続的に　（直立して）

・Sometimes, naturally, there would be strong disagreements, but more often than not, the atmosphere was dominated by a feeling of mutual respect.
大抵、しばしば

・We were all essentially cut from the same cloth, so to speak.
似たもの同士である

・I looked forward to the visit not only because visitors from Lord Darlington's days are most rare now ― Mr Farraday's circle, naturally, being quite different from his lordship's ― but also because I presumed Mr Graham would accompany Sir James as of old, and I would thus be able to get his opinion on this question of bantering.
昔ながらの

・I would like to have discovered what had become of Mr Graham, for although we had not known each other well, I would say we had got on on those occasions we had met.
what become of ～ : ～はどうなる
get on (with ～） : （～と）うまくやる、仲良くやっていく

・This was due, no doubt, to the fact that though I motored further and further from the house, I continued to find myself in surroundings with which I had at least a passing acquaintance.
cf. have a nodding acquaintance with ～ : 合えば会釈する程度の知り合いである

・And I believe it was then, looking on that view, that I began for the first time to adopt a frame of mind appropriate for the journey before me.  For it was then  that I felt the first healthy flush of anticipation for the many interesting experiences I know these days ahead hold in store for me.
a frame of mind : （一時的な）心の状態、気分、心構え、気の持ちよう
in store : （運命などが）待ち構えて、降りかかろうとして、（蓄えて、用意して）

・The landlady, a woman of around forty or so, appears to regard me as a rather grand visitor on account of Mr Farraday's Ford and the high quality of my suit.
～のため、～により

・Of course, the servants' hall at Darlington Hall, like any servants' hall anywhere, was obliged to receive employees of varying degree of intellect and perception, and I recall many a time having to bite my lip while some employee ― and at times, I regret to say, members of my own staff ― excitedly eulogized the likes of, say, Mr Jack Neighbours.
many a time : （many の後に不定冠詞＋単数名詞を伴って）多くの～、あまたの～
at times : 時々、たまに
the likes of ～ : ～のような人達

・I could have told you this at the height of his reputation, just as I could have predicted his downfall after a few short years in the limelight.
at the height of ～ : ～の絶頂で、～真っ盛り
in the limelight : 世間の注目を浴びて、（スポットライトを浴びて）

・How often have you known it for the butler who is on everyone's lips one day as the greatest of his generation to be proved demonstrably within a few years to have been nothing of the sort?
be on everyone's lipes : 誰もが話題にして、関心を持って
nothing of the sort : 決してそうでない、決してそのようなものではない、少しもそれに似ない

・The object of this sort of servants' hall talk is invariably some butler who has come to the fore quite suddenly through having been appointed by a prominent house, and who has perhaps managed to pull off two or three large occasions with some success.  There will then be all sorts of rumours buzzing through servants' hall up and down the country to the effect that he has been approached by this or that personage or that several of the highest houses are competing for his services with wildly high wages.
to the fore : 前面に、目立つ位置に
pull off : 上手くやり遂げる
to the effect that ～ : ～という趣旨の

・But then, of course, I hasten to add, there are many valets who would never dream of indulging in this sort of folly ― who are, in fact, professionals of the highest discernment.
hasten to add : 念のために付け加える　（hasten to say : 念のために言っておく）

・This, and the fact that the Hayes Society tended to be a rather secretive body, lent it much mystique for a time, ensuring that the pronouncements it occasionally issued on professional matters were received as though hewn on tablets of stone.
for a time : 一時の間、当面、当分
hewn on tablets on stone : cf. not carved [or written] on tablets of stone : 絶対不変[確固たるもの]ではない
（hewn : hew （たたき切る、切って～を作る）の過去分詞）

　　　　　　　　　　from The Remains of the Day (UK) -

How are you enjoying your holidays?
I almost did nothing but chat over something delicious with some friends of mine and take a nap with Ruu the budgerigar, and maybe today, the last day of these holidays, will end up with no special memory.
I must say, however, I like such holidays!
If I have something to write, it may be that I went to department store with my friend and checked all sorts of skin essences to choose a present for this Mother's day.
However, needless to say, I never buy it at the department store, because I always use the Net in buying such things.
I also made a card for Mother's day by using the Net.
I was going to make a pop-up card according to my friend's advice that I could make it by myself if using one of sites which introduce how to make some kinds of pop-up cards.
So we went back to my home and found one of the kind of sites we looked for only to realize it's impossible for me to make something complicated like that.
It was one of the simple cards for Mother's day that I managed to make for my mother.

やたらとメモが長くなっておりますが、読書自体は全く進んでおりません。~(=^‥^A
これ以上メモせずに放置しておくと、とんでもないことになりそうなので、ここで一度メモっとく。
『「Never Let Me Go」よりも若干簡単』と紹介されていたはずなのに、主人公である執事さんの語りになっているからでしょうか、私にとっては恐ろしいほどの量の未知の単語とイディオムに早くもめげそうです。
でも話が主人公の淡々とした＆愛情深い語りによって紡がれていくのは『Never Let Me Go』と同じ♪

かつては栄華を極めただろうDarlington Hallに仕える執事さんが、初めてイギリス紳士ではなくアメリカ出身の主人に仕えることになり、同時にたった４人でDarlington Hallの雑事の全てをやりくりするよう言われ、スケジューリングに四苦八苦するところから始まります。
そして『もし必要なら追加で誰かを雇ってもいい』、『少し休みをとって国内を旅行でもしてきたらどうだ』などの主人からの言葉と、以前Darlington Hallで働いていた女性から、もう一度ここで働きたいという意向を匂わす手紙を受け取り、ほとんど初めてといってもいい国内ドライブ旅行に繰り出します。
・・・私が読んだのはまだその辺ぐらいまで。~(=^‥^A

イギリス紳士にはないアメリカ人特有のからかいの言葉に、それを親愛の情の表現だと受け止めつつ、どう答えていいかわからずに戸惑う執事さんが可愛い♪
例えば、『今朝、雄鶏が鳴くような音をたてていたのは君じゃないよな？』と聞かれ、それがジプシーのたてていた音だと知っている執事さん、ウィットに富んだところを見せようとして、『雄鶏というよりツバメでしょう。放浪性のあるところをみますと・・・』と答えます。
ところが音の正体がジプシーだと知らない主人に "I beg your pardon?" と返されて、用事のあるフリをして部屋からそそくさと出て行ってしまうところなんて、可哀相だけど可愛い。（^m^*)

この連休はいろいろとショックなこともありましたが、めげずにマイペースで頑張るぞ！

* Click Me♪ Blog Ranking *