〜ヒント〜
2月27日出題分
あまりなじみの無い単語・熟語をちょっと解説。
Seven Years in Tibet :
Internment-10One night we decided to make the attempt. I climbed as usual through the fence into Marchese’s wing. There I found a ladder ready, which we had grabbed and hidden after a small fire in the camp. We leaned it against the wall of a hut and waited in the shadow. It was nearly midnight, and in ten minutes the guard would change. The sentries, waiting to come off duty, walked slackly up and down. A few minutes passed until they reached the point where we wanted them. Just then the moon came up over the tops of the tea plantation.
There we were. It was now or never.
Both the sentries had reached their farthest point from us. I got up from my crouching position and hurried to the fence with the ladder. I laid it against the overhanging top of the fence, climbed up, and cut the wires, which had been bunched together to prevent access to thatch. Marchese pushed the thicket of wires to one side with a long, forked stick, enabling me to slip through onto the roof. It was agreed that the Italian should follow me immediately, while I held the wire apart with my hands, but he did not come. He lingered for a few ghastly seconds, thinking that it was too late and that the guards were already returning ? and, indeed, I heard their steps. I left him no time for further reflection but caught him under the arms and pulled him onto the roof. He crept across and dropped heavily down into freedom.
make the attempt：企てを実行する
ready：用意されていた
grab：略奪する
a small fire：ぼや（小火）
lean：立てかける
it：はしご、を指します。
against the wall：壁に（立てかけて）
hut：小屋
shadow：物影
sentries：見張り兵達
in ten minutes：１０分のうちに
come off duty：仕事から解放される
slackly：だらだらと
up and down：行ったり来たり
where we wanted them：われわれにとって、都合のいい（位置＝point）。themは、見張り兵達のことを指します。
came up over：（月が）〜の上に上る
plantation：大規模農園
There we were：さあ、今だ！
got up from 〜：〜（の状態）から立ち上がった
crouching：かがんだ
overhanging：内側に張り出した
bunched together：束ねられて瘤状になった
thatch：わらぶき屋根
Marchese：人名
thicket：複雑に入り組んだもの
forked：また状の
slip through onto 〜：〜の上に逃げる。
held the wire apart with my hands：両手でワイヤーを押し広げる
lingered：ぐずぐずしていた
ghastly：ぞっとするような
indeed：本当に
left him no time for further reflection：彼に考える暇を与えず
caught him under the arms：腕の下を掴まえて
pulled him onto the roof：彼を屋根の上に引っ張った
crept across：（屋根の上を）這いながら横切り