The second appearance of the ghost was on Sunday night.
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
幽霊が次に出現したのは日曜日の夜だった。
Shortly after they had gone to bed they were suddenly alarmed by a fearful crash in the hall.
オーティス一家が寝床に入った少し後、突然、彼らは驚いた。ホールでものすごい音が鳴ったのだ。
Rushing down-stairs, they found that a large suit of old armour had become detached from its stand, and had fallen on the stone floor, while seated in a high-backed chair was the Canterville ghost, rubbing his knees with an expression of acute agony on his face.
オーティス一家が階段を駆け下りると、大型の古い甲冑が展示台から離れて、石の床に落ちていた。
その一方で、背もたれの高いイスに、カンタヴィルゴーストが座って、膝をさすっていた。苦痛の表情をうかべて。
The twins, having brought their pea-shooters with them, at once discharged two pellets on him, with that accuracy of aim which can only be attained by long and careful practice on a writing-master, while the United States Minister covered him with his revolver, and called upon him, in accordance with Californian etiquette, to hold up his hands!
オーティス家の双子は、豆鉄砲をもってきていて、即座に幽霊に発砲した。習字の先生について訓練を積むことでしか獲得できない、正確な狙いだった。
一方で、アメリカ公使は自分のリボルバーで幽霊に狙いをつけて、彼に要請した。カリフォルニアの流儀に従って、両手をあげるようにと！
The ghost started up with a wild shriek of rage, and swept through them like a mist, extinguishing Washington Otis’s candle as he passed, and so leaving them all in total darkness.
幽霊は荒々しい怒り声をあげて動き出し、霧のように彼らの間を通り抜けた。すれ違いざまに、ワシントンのロウソクを消して、彼らを真っ暗闇に取り残した。
On reaching the top of the staircase he recovered himself, and determined to give his celebrated peal of demoniac laughter.
階段の一番上に着いて、幽霊は身体を取り戻した。そして自身の名高い残忍な笑い声をあげようと決めた。
This he had on more than one occasion found extremely useful.
彼はこれが極めて効果的であると知っていた。
It was said to have turned Lord Raker’s wig grey in a single night, and had certainly made three of Lady Canterville’s French governesses give warning before their month was up.
それはロード・レイカーのかつらを一晩で灰色に変えたそうだ。レディ・カンタヴィルの三人のフランス人家庭教師は確かに警告していた。
He accordingly laughed his most horrible laugh, till the old vaulted roof rang and rang again, but hardly had the fearful echo died away when a door opened, and Mrs. Otis came out in a light blue dressing-gown.
彼がとても恐ろしい笑い声をあげると、古い丸天井が反響した。
しかし、その恐ろしい反響音が静まるとすぐに、ドアが開いて、ミセス・オーティスがライトブルーのガウン姿で出てきた。
“I am afraid you are far from well,” she said, “and have brought you a bottle of Doctor Dobell’s tincture. If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy.”
「調子が悪いんじゃないかと心配です。ドクタードーベルのチンキ剤を持ってきました。消化不良なら、それがとても素晴らしい薬だとわかりますよ」彼女が言った。
The ghost glared at her in fury, and began at once to make preparations for turning himself into a large black dog, an accomplishment for which he was justly renowned, and to which the family doctor always attributed the permanent idiocy of Lord Canterville’s uncle, the Hon. Thomas Horton.
幽霊は激怒して彼女をじっと睨んで、すぐに自分自身を大きなブラックドックに変える準備を始めた。
それは幽霊の特技で、ファミリードクターはロード・カンタヴィルの叔父トーマス・ホートン氏がボケたのをその特技のせいであると考えた。
The sound of approaching footsteps, however, made him hesitate in his fell purpose, so he contented himself with becoming faintly phosphorescent, and vanished with a deep churchyard groan, just as the twins had come up to him.
しかしながら、近づいてくる足音が彼の残忍な思惑をためらわせた。彼はわずかに青白く光ることで満足して、暗いうなり声とともに姿を消した。双子が現れた瞬間に。
Referenced from: The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde