Title: The Trembling of a Leaf
Little Stories of the South Sea Islands
CONTENTS
I The Pacific
II Mackintosh
III The Fall of Edward Barnard
IV Red
V The Pool
VI Honolulu
VII Rain
VIIIEnvoi
Author: William Somerset Maugham
IV Red
The skipper thrust his hand into one of his trouser pockets and with difficulty, for they were not at the sides but in front and he was a portly man, pulled out a large silver watch.He looked at it and then looked again at the declining sun. The Kanaka at the wheel gave him a glance, but did not speak. The skipper's eyes rested on the island they were approaching. A white line of foam marked the reef.
船長は、ズボンの片方のポキットゥに手を滑り込ませ、苦労して、というのも、それは両脇にではなく前側にあり、自身、恰幅（かっぷく）の良い性質（たち）だった所為（せい）で・・・大きな銀時計を引っ張り出した。
彼はそれに目をやり、次に傾こうとする太陽を見た。
操舵のカナカ（ハワイ及び南洋の島々の原住民の意）は、彼を一瞥した、が口を開かなかった。
船長の目線が、寄せるつもりの島の上で止まった。
泡の白いラインは、暗礁の痕跡を表した。
2019年12月14日土曜日
投稿者 成田悦子 時刻: 18:51:00
He knew there was an opening large enough to get his ship through, and when they came a little nearer he counted on seeing it. They had nearly an hour of daylight still before them. In the lagoon the water was deep and they could anchor comfortably. The chief of the village which he could already see among the coconut trees was a friend of the mate's, and it would be pleasant to go ashore for the night. The mate came forward at that minute and the skipper turned to him.
そこは、船が通り抜けるのに十分広い裂け目である事を、彼は知っていたので、少し近付いた時、それを見ながら計測した。
今尚、前方ほぼ一時の余裕を、彼らは保持していた。
礁湖は水深があり、楽に錨を下ろせた。
ココナッツ林の間に間に今まで見えていた村の長は、航海士の友人でもあるし、夜の内に接岸する方がいいだろう。
航海士は、例の分刻みで前進し、船長は彼に任せた。
"We'll take a bottle of booze along with us and get some girls in to dance," he said.
"I don't see the opening," said the mate.
He was a Kanaka, a handsome, swarthy fellow, with somewhat the look of a later Roman emperor, inclined to stoutness; but his face was fine and clean-cut.
"I'm dead sure there's one right here," said the captain, looking through his glasses. "I can't understand why I can't pick it up. Send one of the boys up the mast to have a look."
The mate called one of the crew and gave him the order. The captain watched the Kanaka climb and waited for him to speak. But the Kanaka shouted down that he could see nothing but the unbroken line of foam. The captain spoke Samoan like a native, and he cursed him freely.
"Shall he stay up there?" asked the mate.
"What the hell good does that do?" answered the captain. "The blame fool can't see worth a cent. You bet your sweet life I'd find the opening if I was up there."
He looked at the slender mast with anger. It was all very well for a native who had been used to climbing up coconut trees all his life. He was fat and heavy.
"Come down," he shouted. "You're no more use than a dead dog. We'll just have to go along the reef till we find the opening."