The Timmed Lamp

I read "The Trimmed Lamp" this time. The straight reaction of me toward this story is that I really liked the story and the characters. I'm pretty sure that this story is especially for woman to read.
I feel two main characters, Lou and Nancy very familiar and
you must know ladies such as these two as well.

Lou is a realistic character and she emphasizes to earn money as much as possible.
She abandon what she really wants to do or what she likes instead of earning money at an iron shop. As opposed to Lou, Nancy regards what she likes and what she wants more important than money. She get less wages than a sum of Lou gets but still, she always feels happy with the fact
that she is lucky enough to work where she wants to, at a department store.
Nancy loves and admires high standard culture and is hoping to join in the people who live in the high social class state. So that she is always learning such proper manner and attitude and
the ways to talk from customer at the department.

Lou and Nancy is the best friend each other but they both thinks that they do not want to be like the companions. Lou does not understand why Nancy seeks the elegance this much without earning enough and Nancy does not understand why Lou wants money the most.

Lou might be seem more clever and Nancy might be called "dreaming girl".  In real life, a girl such as Nancy is more likely to fail her dreams than Lou's types are because it is often difficult to keep
following the dreams.  But Nancy is the one who keeps effort and ambition in her heart to attain her goal, acquiring elegant manners and marring a truly rich gentleman.
Nancy can endure her destitute life believing her own faith and bright future.

On the contrary, Lou is a girl who does not believe her "dream". Her opinion is money is more believable and makes the life better.

In the end, Lou finds new rich boy friends (even though her previous boy friend Dan is not poor and he is a really kind, calm, faithful and gentle person) and dress herself in sparkling jewel superior furs.
Instead, Nancy got Dan!

Which girl do you want to be like and think happy?

Nancy tells me that what makes the life happy is not mone but what you choose to do.

The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein

I read "The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein" by O' Henry. It was written a bit old English and difficult to read.
First of all, I would like to summary the story itself simply.

Basically this story is about two man who fall in love with the same girl, Rosie.
One is a pharmacist, Ikey Schoesnstein and the other is named, Mr. McGowan. (He job is not clear but he earns 20$ a week)

Ikey is of course smart and respected by the citizens there but he was not confident when he is dealing with something other than medicines. McGowan is more confident and masculine type.
These two used to good friend and have been getting along well.

One day, McGowan come to Ikey's pharmacy and asked whether he could get what is called "love potion", to give it to Rosie of course. They have already fallen with love each other and planning o eloping but Rosie is often scared to do it. That's why McGowan wanted the "love portion".

Ikey does not like this idea at all so he doesn't give the "love portion" but give sleeping pills instead.
Ikey was waiting for what is going to happen but nothing happen.

The next day, Ikey is told from McGowan with much pleasure that he actually did not the "love portion"(sleeping pills) to her because he feels guilty. He give it to her father instead so they could succeed their strategy without any interruptions.


I was interested the use of  "love portion". In the stories of Western countries, I think it is not rare that the "love portion" appears. I have read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare before and "lobe portion" was an important factor on that story too. Also. the wrong person took the medicine, same as this O'henry's story. I agree that if the right person take the "love portion" and fall in love with the man easily, it is not interesting story at all.

I thought McGowan is once about to choose the nasty method to get her heart but Ikey should also
fight with him fairly. I like the ending because, the McGowan won who abandons to choose the wrong way but
to be honest.

At Arms with Morpheus

I read "At Arms with Morpheus" by O'Henry today.
I liked the humor which the story includes.
The humor is "funniness of a very sincere man".
Tom, who accidently hasvtaken morfine, is supposed to be funny and foolish
because he is too much honest. He believe all nonsense talk of his friend and try to warn himself.
But I think such a man is pretty cool even though he is scrupulously honest.

Here is one part from the story that describes Tom's character.

"He was good nature itself, and a gallant gentlman, fine and true and clean as sunlight.
He came from somewhere down South, where they still have ideals and a code. New York had charmed, but had not spoiled, him."

People might say this kind of person is tacky or out-of-date.
But I believe O'Henry liked a man such as Tom Hopkins and wanted more men respect Tom
hopeing not to lose faithful men in the US.

The Gift of The Magi

I read "The Gift Of The Magi" , written by O' Henry and listened to the audio on the Youtube.
I actually really liked the story. I thought this story would end with sad ending losing their most precious things, Dllea's hair and Jim's watch. I was especially nervous when Jim finds Della losing her hair having an peculiar expression on his face and when Della gets the set of combs. I was scared that they might regret what they have done terribly. It seems that their presents have no meanings and no value now.
But their love to each other was much stronger. They become happy enough with their feelings that they really wanted give something nice to each other and at least they both did their best to buy the present.
I believe even though they become rich someday in the future and be able to give each other expensive gifts, they are happy not because the value of the gift itself but rather, the fact that they are caring, and loving each other.It is really beautiful to figure out what you can do for someone you loves.                                                                                        ,                                                           

Breakfast

I read "Breakfast " written by John Steinbeck this week..
It is really short story but when I finished reading,, I was filled up with pleasure.
The main character, I, meet a family(it does not say it is a family but most likely so) on the way in the really cold morning and have breakfast together. They are not acquaintance or friends, they are just strangers each other.
But still, their conversation starts very naturally.
They say "Morning" each other and through the story, their talk is very friendly.
It is so natural that attracts the readers.
Also, description of  breakfast works very well to characterize this story.
I'll show that part below.
"The girl set out the platter of bacon, the brown high biscuits, a bowl of bacon gravy and pot of coffee..."
This sentence helps readers draw a picture of the story and also makes us hungry.
One of the important things here is that the situation is very cold morning.
I think we all love old morning and warm but simple breakfast.
I also noticed that there are three descriptions of the scenery and it changes as story goes.
First one is "The eastern mountains were black-blue, but behind them the light stood up faintly colored at the mountain rims with a washed res, growing colder, greyer and darker as it went up and overhead until, at a place the west, it merged with pure night." 
Second one is "There was color in the light now, reddish gleam that made the air seem colder." and the last one is "The air was blazing with light at the eastern skyline."
These sentences show the lapse of time and shows the man and changing of  "I" feeling.
As he meet this family, his heart becomes warm same as the atmosphere around.

Actually this story is about three pages only and I was surprised story can be made with such few words and sentences, make changes in the story and still can give readers impression.
 
 

Translation

In last class, we compared 3 types of "Moomintroll" story written in Finnish, English and Japanese, and I thought English and  Finnish are sometimes similar. It seems that their word order are the same and the sounds are very close too. Of course I cant understand Finnish but when I compare those two, English and Finnish, I can follow the meaning.
 
When I was a kid, I always thought something is strange in sentences when I read translated books. It still happens. I read Japanese version of "Moomintroll" and thought, some part are strange. Of course there should be a lot of great translation too but something strange is always noticeable. If we find out something unusual when we are reading , it tends to just stick to our mind and don't get out. 
One of the examples is here. "(All Moomintrolls go to sleep about November. This is a good idea, too, if  you don't like the cold and the long winter darkness)." This part with round brackets each sides, basically shows author's opinion. In Japanese children's books, personal words from the authors does not appear very much. It is rather rare maybe. Not only the words but translator have to translate the way of writing.. I thought the skill to chose the best words which fit into readers' minds is really important to translator.

Gambling on Gambling

Today I read a news about the incrising of Casinos in the US. Hearing the word 'Casinos', do you get a positive image or a nagitive one? For me, negative image. I just dont think it is right way to spend money event if it stimulates the flow of economic somehow.
In the US, currently Casinos are spreding out of Las Vegas to 39 states including Massachusetts, Detoroit and Philadelphia or so. One of the reason for these act is the expansion of new employment  opportunity for people who have to do with Casinos' business. It is said that Casino business would produce hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
It might sounds great but the best thing for us is producing new jobs?
I dont think so. Even if gambling could make people's life richer, it is not good.
There is always possibliy that people cannnt control themselves at Casinos. Gambling can destroy someone's   property and life. I feel that the risk of making Casinos as nation wide business place is too big.