lesson 13

　ひきつづき、英語の学習。
漠然と読んでも意味も湧かない。こうして、パソコンに入力して、辞書を引いていると、なんとなく、わかる。

　a secret for two

montreal is a very large city, but , like all large cities, it has some very small streets - streets , for instance,like prince edward street,which is only four blocks(町の区画） long, ending in a dead end（行き止まり）.
no one knew prince edward street as well as did peter , for peter had delivered milk to the families on the street for thirty years.30年間、その通りに暮らす家族にミルクを配っていた。
during the past fifteen years the horse which drew the milk wagon used by peter was a large white horse named joseph.
ピーターによって使用されたミルクワゴンを引いた馬は、ジョゼフと名付けられた大きな白い馬であった。
when the horse first came to the milk company, peter stroked its neck and said : "this is a kind horse, a gentle and faithful horse, and i can see a beautiful spirit shining out of the eyes of the horse."
within a year joseph knew the milk route as well as peter.
peter used to boast that he didn't need reins(手綱であやつる）-he never touched them.
each morning peter arrived at the stables(馬小屋） of the milk company at five o'clock.
the wagon would be loaded and joseph hitched to it.ジョゼフは、それにつないだ。
peter would call,"good morning, old friend," as he climbed into his seat and joseph would turn his head and the other drivers would smile and say that the horse smiled at peter.
then john, the foreman,親方は、would say ,気取って大またに歩く，闊歩(かつぽ)する.
“all right ,peter , go on,”and peter would call softly to joseph , “ go on, my friend,” and this splendid combination would stalk proudly down the street.
The wagon, without any direction from Peter, would roll three blocks down the street, then turn right at the avenue, and then left.
その荷車は、　ピーターの指導なく、通りを三ブロック下って進む、それから、アベニュで、右へ曲がり、それから左へ曲がります。
The horse would stop at the first house on prince Edward street, allow peter perhaps thirty seconds to get down from his seat and put a bottle of milk at the front door and would then go on , skipping two houses and stopping at the third.
So down the length of the street.
このようにして、ジョゼフは、通りの端まで、下っていくのである。
Then joseph , still without any direction from peter, would turn around （まわって向きを変える）and come back along the other side.yes, joseph was a smart horse.
So it went on for years –always the same. Peter and joseph both grew old together , but gradually, not suddenly. Peter’s huge walrus mustache
ピーターの大きな、両端のたれさがった、口ひげ
was pure white now and joseph didn’t lift his knees so high or raise his head as much.
ジョゼフは、以前ほど膝をそれほど高くはあげず、あるいは、頭を上げなかった・・。
John , the foreman of the stables, never noticed that they were both getting old until peter appeared one morning carrying a heavy walking stick
馬屋の親方は、彼ら二人が、老いているのに気づかなかった。ピーターが、ある朝、重い、スチックをつきながら、現れるのに。
“hey, peter,” john laughed. “maybe you got the gout , hey?” 痛風になったかな。
“ yes, john ,” peter said a bit uncertainly. “one grows old . one’s legs get tired.”
“ you should teach that horse to carry the milk to the front door for you,”john told him.
“he does everything else.”
All peter had to do was to arrive at five in the morning, walk to his wagon, which was always in the same spot at the curb,（縁石） and deliver his milk.
He returned some two hours later, got down stiffly ぎこちなく from his seat, called a cheery”good-by”to john, and then limped slowly down the street.
One morning the president of the milk company came to inspect the early morning deliveries, and said to john, “peter is a good man. He has been on this route now for thirty years and never once has there been a complaint. But he is getting old. Why don’t you tell him it is time for him to rest? His salary will go on just the same.”あいかわらず同じ
But peter refused to retire. He was panic-stricken 自暴自棄の状態に陥るat the thought of not driving joseph every day.
“we are two old men,” he said to john. “let us wear out together. When joseph is ready to retire-then I,too,will quit.”
John , who was a kind man, understood. There was something about peter and joseph which made a man smile tenderly.