LITTLE WOMEN

FOUR SISTERS

A SUMMARY OF THE STORY

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," said Jo crossly. "It's so awful to be poor!" agreed Meg, looking at her old dress. "it's not right for some girls to have pretty things, and others to have nothing at all,' said little Amy. "We've got father and Mother,and each other," said Beth gently. The four young faces round the fire cheered up as they thought of this, but then Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and we won't have him for a long time.' She didn't say "perhaps never", but each silently thought it, remembering that he was away at the war in the south. Mrs March arrived home soon after. " I've got a letter from Father!" cried Mrs March. It was a letter to cheer them up, and the special message for the girls. Then the four girls decided that they would all try very hard to be good. They would never be cross, or lazy,or selfish-and they would all help each other. Jo was the first to wake up on Christmas morning, but soon they were all awake and they went downstairs....

tidy:きちんとした　She keeps her flat very tidy.

cruel:非常な　　　　It's cruel of you to ignore their plight.

miserable:みじめな　You look so miserable today.

LITTLE WOMEN

LITTLE WOMEN

A summary of the story

At Christmas the four March girls decide that they will all try hard to be good, and never to be cross, or lazy, or selfish again. Meg, the oldest, won't complain about her job or not having pretty dresses. Shy Beth will try hard to be braver, and little Amy will think less of herself and more of other people. They don't always succeed, of course, and sometimes there are arguments and secrets and angry tears. But there is also laughter and fun, and soon a new friend Laurie, the and lonely boy next door. Many trouble and difficulties lie in the year ahead and the girls are growing up. Wild Jo hates the idea of being a polite young lady, but Meg will soon be seventeen, and ready to fall in love...

WORDS

cross:イライラした Don' be so cross.

lazy:怠惰な He felt too lazy to get out of bed.

THE UMBRELLA MAN

eTHE UMBRELLA MAN

ROALD DAHL



A SUMMARY OF THE STORY
They saw him crossing the street. They suspected him. So they ran after him. He was scutting along like a rabbit and they had to walk fast to keep up with him. He entered a shop. It's a pub! They peered into the shop to watch him. He was gladly drinking the whisky. "It's ridiculous!"her mother said. The little man was standing by the bar with the empty glass in his hand. Then he turned away from the bar and edged back through the crowed to where his hat and coat were hanging. He lifted from the coat-rack one of the many wet umbrellas hanging there, and off he went. Out he came. But he never looked in our direction. He opened his new umbrella over his head and scurried off down the road the way he had come. We followed him back to the main street where we had first met him, and we watched him as he proceed,with no trouble at all, to exchange his new umbrella for another pound note. And as soon as the transaction was completed, he was lost in the crowd... THE END


scurry:急ぐ
transaction:取引
peep:のぞき見る
in a hurry:急いで
pedestrain:歩行者
proceed:実行する

THE UMBRELLA

THE UMBRELLA

Roald Dahl

CHARACTERS

I... a heroine

her mother

a man

A SUMARRY OF THE STORY

"It cost me over twenty ponds, I promise you. But that's of no importance so long as I can get home and rest these old legs of mine." he said.I saw my mother's hand feeling for the clasp on her purse. She saw me watching her. I was giving her one of my own frosty-nosed looks this time and she knew exactly what I was telling her. I was telling her, you simply mustn't take advantage of a tired old man in this way. But She fished into her purse and took out a pound note. she held it out to the little man. He thanked her and he was gone. She was very happy to

get it. "This will be good lesson to you," she went on . "Never rush things. Always take your time when you are summing someone up. Then you'll never make mistakes."

I'm going to read sentences of the remainder and summarize it by next my blog.

so long as: ~するかぎりは

sum some up:人を見定める

horrid：ひどく不親切な

satisfy oneself:納得する

simply:どうしても

fish into~:〜の中を探る

take advantage of~:~を利用する