ジャンル: その他
英語難易度: ★☆☆
オススメ度: ★★★☆☆
タイトルロゴがアンディ・ウォーホルのイラストで有名なキャンベルスープ缶のそれを思わせる表紙です。 明らかにキャンベルを意識した装丁なんでしょうね。 ちなみに邦題は「こころのチキンスープ」。 たくさんの心を震わせる実話が掲載。 こういった話は陳腐でダサいと思う方がおられるかもしれませんが、僕はこれらの話で感動できる自分で良かったと思います。 とても読みやすい英語です。 心が風邪を引いた時に「あったかいスープを飲むように」読むのがオススメ! 世の中まだまだ捨てたもんじゃありませんね。(1993年発刊)
メモポイント
●「真の勇気とは？」
これほどまでに勇気を持った男の子の話を僕は知りません。 病気に冒された幼い妹の命を救うために男の子は輸血をしてあげる必要がありました。 男の子は一瞬ひるんだものの、大きく深呼吸して覚悟を決めます。 「ぼく、やるよ」
(読みやすい文章なので、良かったら読んでみて下さい。以下引用。)
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, ‘Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liza.’
“As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away?’ “Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood. “Yes, I’ve learned courage,” she added, “because I’ve had inspiring teachers.”
● 「父と息子の話」
最も誇りに思うのは誰?
黙っていても想いは伝わらない…
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, “The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I’m a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says ‘Who I Am Makes A Difference’ on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.
“My days are really hectic and when I come home I don’t pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You’re a great kid and I love you!”
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn’t stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, “I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn’t think you loved me. Now I don’t need to.”
● 「1989年アルメニアで起きた大地震」
父親を信じ続けた息子の話
The police came and said, “You’re angry, distraught and it’s over. You’re endangering others. Go home. We’ll handle it!” To which he replied, “Are you going to help me now?” No one helped.
Courageously he proceeded alone because he needed to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or is he dead?”
He dug for eight hours . . . 12 hours . . . 24 hours . . . 36 hours . . . then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice. He screamed his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told ’em that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it, Dad!”
“What’s going on in there? How is it?” the father asked.
“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We’re scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you’re here. When the building collapsed, it made a wedge, like a triangle, and it saved us.”
“Come on out, boy!”
“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, ’cause I know you’ll get me! No matter what, I know you’ll be there for me!”
一つ一つにドラマがある。
"「ほんとうに人間はいいものかしら。 ほんとうに人間はいいものかしら。」とつぶやきました。"
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