解説　場面 9「変わり果てた義父」

"But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time. Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our neighbours, who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of Stoke Moran back in the old family seat, he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path. Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather's case it had, I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics. A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court, until at last he became the terror of the village, and the folks would fly at his approach, for he is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger.

「ところが、このころから義父にひどい変化が起こりました。義父は、ストーク・モランのロイロットが先祖の屋敷に戻ったと初めは大喜びしていた隣人たちと親しくなって行き来するどころか、家に閉じこもり、行く手に立つ者とは誰とでも激しい喧嘩をするときのほかは、めったに外へ出ませんでした。狂気に近いほどの激しい気性は、この家の男たちに代々受け継がれてきたもので、義父の場合は、思うに、熱帯での長い暮らしでいっそう強まったのでしょう。恥ずべき乱闘が何度も起こり、そのうち二件は警察裁判所にまで持ち込まれて、ついに義父は村の恐怖の的となり、村人たちは近づくと逃げ出すほどでした。なにしろ並外れた力の持ち主で、怒ると手がつけられないのです。

"Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream, and it was only by paying over all the money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure. He had no friends at all save the wandering gipsies, and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate, and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end. He has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent, and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon, which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the villagers almost as much as their master.

「先週、義父は土地の鍛冶屋を欄干越しに小川へ投げ込み、私がかき集められるだけのお金を払って、やっと、またも世間に知れ渡るのを避けられたのです。義父には友人が一人もなく、いるとすれば放浪のジプシーだけで、彼らに、茨に覆われた、家の領地として残るわずかな土地での野営を許し、お返しに天幕でのもてなしを受け、ときには彼らと一緒に何週間もさまよい歩くのです。義父はインドの動物にも目がなく、向こうの知人が送ってくるのですが、今はチーターとヒヒを飼っていて、それが敷地を自由にうろつき、村人たちからは主人とほとんど同じくらい恐れられています。