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E-Books (english-e-reader), The Book of Houghts (2)

The Book of Houghts (2)

Ah, Dorothy!

'No problem,' he told Miss Han. 'Tell the others I'll be there to prepare for the meeting in half an hour.'

When he met the others Chester was confident and did his job well. He made sure that everybody knew what to do. The meeting that afternoon was sure to be a success. If, of course, the figures he had were all correct.

Just then he noticed a little smile on the face of Mr Shaw.

'What's the old man got to smile about?' thought Chester. 'He never smiles - why is he smiling now?'

Then he remembered his little book.

He took it out of his pocket and hid it behind some papers. He pretended to be looking at his notes and thought of Mr Shaw. The words appeared immediately:

I'll teach that young fool a lesson. I've got some figures he doesn't know about hidden in my office. I've been working on this longer than he has. When he can't come up with the right figures he'll look stupid. Then I'll produce them and save the day. He'll look like a boy trying to do a man's job. He needs to learn some respect for experienced professionals tike me.

Chester felt a cold sweat on the back of his neck.

'So the old man really does dislike me, after all!'

Chester wondered what all the others thought about him but had no time to consult his book.

'Thanks everybody - see you all this afternoon,' Chester told them all. 'Enjoy your lunch.'

While Mr Shaw was eating his sandwiches in the park, as he always did, Chester spent his lunch hour looking for the missing figures in Mr Shaw's office. Shaw was old-fashioned and preferred to use paper rather than recording things on a computer. It was a simple matter to copy the figures then leave Shaw's copies where he had found them -in a box in a cupboard. Chester felt almost disappointed. This was too easy!

Chester had missed his lunch but it had been worth it. His little book was turning out to be most useful.

The meeting that afternoon was a great success. He had all the figures he needed. The Eastern company people were happy and the papers were signed. Chester's future looked good. And as for Shaw... well, Chester could tell from his red face that he was angry because his little plan had gone wrong.

Chester made himself a promise: he would make sure that Shaw's future would not be good. Not if he could help it.

Chester did not like to lose.

After the meeting there would be just enough time to call in on Dorothy. Perhaps she would like to congratulate him over a drink.

When he got to her desk he found that she was away on a training course. She would be back the next day.

Just my bad luck, thought Chester.

Ah, well; for the time being he could find somebody else to share this happy time with. But how and who with?

Squash! It was his favourite game. Why not arrange agame with Kim, his younger brother? Kim was a salesman. He had not gone to college but he had, like Chester, moved to the city. Chester always beat Kim at squash. He liked playing with Kim. He would telephone him as soon as he got home and see if a game could be arranged for that very night.

'Yeah... mmm... I see.'

Chester was in his apartment speaking on his mobile telephone. As he spoke he held the telephone more tightly than usual. He was listening to Kim. Kim was telling him that he had already promised to take his girlfriend to the cinema. As he spoke, Chester tried out the book to see if it would work over the telephone.

It did. It read:

I hate it when Chester and I play squash - he always wants to beat me. But he's always wanted to be a winner, at home, at school - it never stops, even when he has a career of his own. He never thinks of me, but then he never was much of a brother. He can do without his game this time. I'm staying home to watch television.

'OK, Kim,' said Chester. 'Enjoy the film. Yes... goodbye.'

Chester had never realised that his brother felt like that towards him. It came as a shock.

He spent the evening watching television and drieking wine with a takeaway meal.

At least, he thought, he would see Dorothy tomorrow.

The next morning Chester was sitting on his train to work. He was wondering whether he should look at The Book of Thoughts again when he noticed a photograph of the attractive middle-aged woman he had seen the day before. It appeared on the front page of a newspaper held open by the person sitting opposite him. Her picture was next to that of an older man. The headline read: TWO DIE IN LOVERS' SHOOTING.

He didn't have to read anymore. It was obvious that the book had correctly read the woman's mind the day before and that she had carried out her plan. But it was too late to do anything now.

Anyway, it was none of his business.

Chester didn't feel like looking at the book for the rest of the journey. However, he did start to think more about the book. Why, he wondered, had he not told anyone else about it?

The truth was that he could hardly believe in it himself. If he started telling others about an amazing book that could read thoughts they would think he was crazy. And what harm might it do to his career? In any case, he did not know whether it would work for other people. Perhaps the book only worked for him.

'Best leave the book alone for now,' thought Chester. 'Yes, that would be best.'

But the book still sat in his pocket as he walked off the train.

The first part of the morning was brilliant. The Manager was very happy indeed with the way Chester had arranged the meeting with the Eastern company. It had been a great success. He received congratulations from all the people at the office. Many fine words were said to him about his bright future. Chester felt very pleased with himself.

Then he thought of his book.

"What were they all really thinking about him? He wanted to know who he could trust and who he couldn't. He couldn't trust Shaw, he knew that. But, surely, there were not many like him. 'After all,' thought Chester, 'I am young, good-looking, cheerful, successful - and I'm one of the rising stars of the company. I must be one of the most popular guys here!'

But he wasn't.

In fact, the book told him so every time he looked at it. At first he thought it was only the older people who were jealous of his success. But it was the young ones, too. All of them. They thought he was clever but believed himself better than they were: good-looking but without any feelings. Some even thought he might be dishonest. Y They hated him.

Chester had a lonely lunch at a cafe near the park. As he sat at his table, drinking strong coffee, he took out the book and looked at its cover. He read it: The Book of Thoughts.

He opened it. There was nothing there. Not a word. He wondered why it didn't show his own thoughts. Maybe it was because he already knew them. Maybe.

But what if he asked it to show him his deepest thoughts, the ones he didn't realise he was thinking? Would it do that? Should he ask it?

The idea frightened him. If thoughts were hidden, perhaps there was a good reason for it. Yet he still wanted to look. It was almost too much for him.

'I won't do it!' he told himself. 'The last time I looked in the book it told me things I wish I hadn't found out. No, I won't do it!... Not yet.'

The cafe was becoming crowded so Chester walked back to the office.

Back to Dorothy.

She would be back from her training course by now. He would see her and ask her to dinner. He was certain that she would not be like the other people in the office.

His darling Dorothy.

When Chester got back to the office he saw Dorothy. She was talking to old Shaw. But Dorothy was nice to everybody. She was that kind of person. He called her over and she smiled to him. Even Shaw smiled.

Chester took her to a quieter part of the office and asked. Dorothy said yes, she would love to go to dinner with him. Her intelligent eyes were shining in her lovely face. Chester watched as her soft, round figure walked back to her desk.

Dorothy, at least, liked him. He could be sure of her.

Darling Dorothy!

But he would have just one quick look in the book to make sure.

He reached into his pocket. The book was not there. He felt alarmed. He quickly went back to his office. He searched all his pockets and his briefcase, even his desk drawers, though he knew he hadn't put the book in any of them. It was no use. The Book of Thoughts was gone.

Chester remembered the crowds as he left the cafe. Had somebody taken the book out of his pocket? Things don't just disappear by themselves.

Do they?

All kinds of thoughts crowded through his mind. But the least expected and perhaps the most welcome thought was the feeling that a heavy weight had been taken away from him. He went back to try and see Dorothy again. She was talking to old Shaw - again. She saw Chester and waved to him.

At least, he thought, he still had Dorothy.

He had his career and he had Dorothy. None of the other people mattered. He could trust Dorothy. Of course he could. He was almost sure of it.

- THE END -

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The Book of Houghts (2) Das Buch der Hugenotten (2) El libro de las toses (2) Le Livre des Houghts (2) ハウツの書 (2) 생각의 책 (2) O Livro dos Houghts (2) Houghts Kitabı (2) Книга думок (2) 思想之书(2)

Ah, Dorothy!

'No problem,' he told Miss Han. 'Tell the others I'll be there to prepare for the meeting in half an hour.' |||||||hazırlanmak|||||||

When he met the others Chester was confident and did his job well. ||diğerleriyle bul||diğerleri|||kendine güvenen|||||iyi bir şekilde He made sure that everybody knew what to do. o|||||||| 彼は誰もが何をすべきかを知っていることを確認しました。 The meeting that afternoon was sure to be a success. |||||||||başarı その日の午後の会議はきっと成功した。 If, of course, the figures he had were all correct. ||||veriler|||||doğru もちろん、彼が持っていた数字がすべて正しければ。

Just then he noticed a little smile on the face of Mr Shaw. ||||||||||||Shaw ちょうどその時、ショー氏の顔に小さな笑みが浮かんでいることに彼は気づいた。

'What's the old man got to smile about?' 「老人は何について笑わなければならないのですか?」 thought Chester. 'He never smiles - why is he smiling now?'

Then he remembered his little book.

He took it out of his pocket and hid it behind some papers. |çıkardı|||||||||birkaç kağıd||kağıtlar ||||||||schował|||| He pretended to be looking at his notes and thought of Mr Shaw. |gibi davrandı||||||||düşündü|||Shaw The words appeared immediately: Belirli|kelimeler|göründü|hemen

I'll teach that young fool a lesson. ||||aptal|| 私はその若い愚か者にレッスンを教えます。 I've got some figures he doesn't know about hidden in my office. |||rakamlar|||||||| 彼が知らない人物像を私のオフィスに隠しています。 I've been working on this longer than he has. ||çalışıyorum|||||| When he can't come up with the right figures he'll look stupid. Ne zaman||||||||||| 彼が正しい数字を思いつくことができないとき、彼は愚かに見えるでしょう. Then I'll produce them and save the day. O zaman||üreteceğim||||günü kurtaracağ|günü kurtaracağ それから私はそれらを生産し、その日を救います。 He'll look like a boy trying to do a man's job. |||||çalışan||||| 彼は男の仕事をしようとしている少年のように見えるでしょう. He needs to learn some respect for experienced professionals tike me. O|||||saygı||deneyimli||gibi| Il doit apprendre à respecter les professionnels expérimentés comme moi. 彼は私のような経験豊富な専門家への敬意を学ぶ必要があります.

Chester felt a cold sweat on the back of his neck. Chester|hissetti|||soğuk ter||||||boynu

'So the old man really does dislike me, after all!' ||||||||in conclusion| ||||||hoşlanmıyor||| 「だからおじいさんは本当に私のことを嫌っているのね!」

Chester wondered what all the others thought about him but had no time to consult his book. Chester|merak etti|||||||||||||danışmak||kitap チェスターは他の人たちが自分のことをどう思っているのか気になりましたが、彼の本を調べる時間はありませんでした。

'Thanks everybody - see you all this afternoon,' Chester told them all. 「みんなありがとう。今日の午後に会いましょう」とチェスターはみんなに言った。 'Enjoy your lunch.' Afiyet olsun||

While Mr Shaw was eating his sandwiches in the park, as he always did, Chester spent his lunch hour looking for the missing figures in Mr Shaw's office. |||||||||||||||||||||||numerical data|||| iken|||||||||parkta||||yapardı||geçirdi||||||||rakamlar||||ofisinde Shaw was old-fashioned and preferred to use paper rather than recording things on a computer. Shaw|||eski moda||tercih etti|||||||||| |||||||||||zapisywaniu|||| It was a simple matter to copy the figures then leave Shaw's copies where he had found them -in a box in a cupboard. Bu||||iş|||||||||||||||||||dolapta |||||||||||||||||||||||szafce フィギュアをコピーして、ショーのコピーを彼が見つけた場所、食器棚の箱に置いておくのは簡単なことでした。 Chester felt almost disappointed. |hissetti|neredeyse|hayal kırıklığı チェスターはほとんどがっかりした。 This was too easy! |idi||

Chester had missed his lunch but it had been worth it. チェスターは昼食を逃したが、それだけの価値はあった。 His little book was turning out to be most useful. 彼の小さな本が最も役に立つことがわかってきた.

The meeting that afternoon was a great success. He had all the figures he needed. ||||numbers or data|| ||||veriler|| The Eastern company people were happy and the papers were signed. |wschodnia||||||||| 東部の会社の人々は喜んで、書類に署名しました。 Chester's future looked good. And as for Shaw... well, Chester could tell from his red face that he was angry because his little plan had gone wrong. ショーに関しては...チェスターは赤い顔から、彼の小さな計画がうまくいかなかったために怒っていることがわかりました.

Chester made himself a promise: he would make sure that Shaw's future would not be good. チェスターは、ショーの将来が良くないことを確認するという約束をしました。 Not if he could help it. 彼がそれを助けることができるかどうかではありません。

Chester did not like to lose. チェスターは負けるのが好きではなかった。

After the meeting there would be just enough time to call in on Dorothy. 会議の後、ドロシーに電話するのに十分な時間があります. Perhaps she would like to congratulate him over a drink. おそらく、彼女は飲み物を飲みながら彼を祝福したいと思います.

When he got to her desk he found that she was away on a training course. 彼が彼女のデスクに着いたとき、彼は彼女が研修コースで不在であることに気づきました。 She would be back the next day.

Just my bad luck, thought Chester. 運が悪かっただけだ、とチェスターは思った。

Ah, well; for the time being he could find somebody else to share this happy time with. まぁ;とりあえず、彼はこの幸せな時間を共有できる誰かを見つけることができました. But how and who with? しかし、どのように、誰と?

Squash! Zgnieć 押しつぶす! It was his favourite game. Why not arrange agame with Kim, his younger brother? 弟のキムと一緒にゲームをしてみませんか? Kim was a salesman. He had not gone to college but he had, like Chester, moved to the city. 彼は大学に通っていませんでしたが、チェスターと同じように都会に引っ越しました。 Chester always beat Kim at squash. He liked playing with Kim. He would telephone him as soon as he got home and see if a game could be arranged for that very night. |||||||||||||||||zorganizowana|||| 彼は家に帰るとすぐに彼に電話して、その夜にゲームを手配できるかどうかを確認しました。

'Yeah... mmm... I see.'

Chester was in his apartment speaking on his mobile telephone. As he spoke he held the telephone more tightly than usual. Tout en parlant, il tenait le téléphone plus fermement que d'habitude. 彼が話している間、彼は電話をいつもより強く握った。 He was listening to Kim. Kim was telling him that he had already promised to take his girlfriend to the cinema. As he spoke, Chester tried out the book to see if it would work over the telephone. 彼が話している間、チェスターは本を試して、電話でうまくいくかどうかを確認しました.

It did. It read:

I hate it when Chester and I play squash - he always wants to beat me. But he's always wanted to be a winner, at home, at school - it never stops, even when he has a career of his own. He never thinks of me, but then he never was much of a brother. Il ne pense jamais à moi, mais il n'a jamais été un grand frère. 彼は私のことを決して考えませんでしたが、彼は決して兄弟ではありませんでした. He can do without his game this time. 今回はゲームなしでも大丈夫です。 I'm staying home to watch television.

'OK, Kim,' said Chester. 'Enjoy the film. Yes... goodbye.'

Chester had never realised that his brother felt like that towards him. It came as a shock. それはショックでした。

He spent the evening watching television and drieking wine with a takeaway meal. |||||||||||takeaway meal = takeout meal|

At least, he thought, he would see Dorothy tomorrow.

The next morning Chester was sitting on his train to work. He was wondering whether he should look at The Book of Thoughts again when he noticed a photograph of the attractive middle-aged woman he had seen the day before. 『思考の書』をもう一度見ようか迷っていると、昨日見た魅力的な中年女性の写真に気がついた。 It appeared on the front page of a newspaper held open by the person sitting opposite him. Her picture was next to that of an older man. The headline read: TWO DIE IN LOVERS' SHOOTING. 見出しは次のとおりです。

He didn't have to read anymore. 彼はもう読む必要はありませんでした。 It was obvious that the book had correctly read the woman's mind the day before and that she had carried out her plan. But it was too late to do anything now. しかし、今さら何をしても手遅れでした。

Anyway, it was none of his business.

Chester didn't feel like looking at the book for the rest of the journey. チェスターは残りの旅の間、本を見る気がしませんでした。 However, he did start to think more about the book. しかし、彼はその本についてもっと考え始めました。 Why, he wondered, had he not told anyone else about it? なぜ、そのことを誰にも話さなかったのだろうか?

The truth was that he could hardly believe in it himself. 真実は、彼自身、ほとんど信じられなかったということでした。 If he started telling others about an amazing book that could read thoughts they would think he was crazy. S'il commençait à parler aux autres d'un livre étonnant capable de lire les pensées, ils penseraient qu'il est fou. 彼が思考を読むことができる驚くべき本について他の人に話し始めたら、彼らは彼が狂っていると思うでしょう. And what harm might it do to his career? そして、それは彼のキャリアにどのような害を及ぼす可能性がありますか? In any case, he did not know whether it would work for other people. いずれにせよ、それが他の人に効くかどうかはわかりませんでした。 Perhaps the book only worked for him.

'Best leave the book alone for now,' thought Chester. 「今は本を放っておくのが一番だ」とチェスターは考えた。 'Yes, that would be best.'

But the book still sat in his pocket as he walked off the train. しかし、彼が電車を降りたとき、本はまだ彼のポケットに入っていた.

The first part of the morning was brilliant. 朝の最初の部分は素晴らしかった。 The Manager was very happy indeed with the way Chester had arranged the meeting with the Eastern company. |||||naprawdę|||||||||||| It had been a great success. He received congratulations from all the people at the office. Many fine words were said to him about his bright future. Chester felt very pleased with himself.

Then he thought of his book.

"What were they all really thinking about him? He wanted to know who he could trust and who he couldn't. 彼は、誰を信頼でき、誰を信頼できないかを知りたがっていました。 He couldn't trust Shaw, he knew that. But, surely, there were not many like him. |z pewnością|||||| しかし、確かに、彼のような人は多くありませんでした。 'After all,' thought Chester, 'I am young, good-looking, cheerful, successful - and I'm one of the rising stars of the company. I must be one of the most popular guys here!' 私はここで最も人気のある人の 1 人に違いない!」

But he wasn't.

In fact, the book told him so every time he looked at it. 実際、その本は彼がそれを見るたびにそう言った. At first he thought it was only the older people who were jealous of his success. 最初、彼は自分の成功に嫉妬しているのは高齢者だけだと思っていました。 But it was the young ones, too. All of them. They thought he was clever but believed himself better than they were: good-looking but without any feelings. 彼らは彼が賢いと思っていましたが、自分よりも自分自身を信じていました。 Some even thought he might be dishonest. 彼は不誠実かもしれないと考える人さえいました。 Y They hated him. Y 嫌われていました。

Chester had a lonely lunch at a cafe near the park. As he sat at his table, drinking strong coffee, he took out the book and looked at its cover. He read it: The Book of Thoughts. 彼はそれを読みました:思考の本。

He opened it. There was nothing there. Not a word. He wondered why it didn't show his own thoughts. Maybe it was because he already knew them. たぶん、彼は彼らをすでに知っていたからです。 Maybe.

But what if he asked it to show him his deepest thoughts, the ones he didn't realise he was thinking? しかし、彼が考えていることに気付いていなかった、彼の最も深い考えを見せてほしいと頼んだらどうなるでしょうか? Would it do that? Should he ask it?

The idea frightened him. If thoughts were hidden, perhaps there was a good reason for it. 想いが隠されているのなら、それにはそれなりの理由があったのかもしれません。 Yet he still wanted to look. それでも彼は見たいと思った。 It was almost too much for him. それは彼にとってほとんど多すぎました。

'I won't do it!' 「やらない!」 he told himself. 'The last time I looked in the book it told me things I wish I hadn't found out. 「この本を最後に見たとき、知らなければよかったことが書かれていました。 No, I won't do it!... Not yet.' まだ。'

The cafe was becoming crowded so Chester walked back to the office. カフェが混み始めたので、チェスターは歩いてオフィスに戻った。

Back to Dorothy.

She would be back from her training course by now. 彼女は今頃、トレーニング コースから戻ってきているはずです。 He would see her and ask her to dinner. He was certain that she would not be like the other people in the office. 彼は彼女がオフィスの他の人々のようにはならないだろうと確信していた.

His darling Dorothy.

When Chester got back to the office he saw Dorothy. She was talking to old Shaw. But Dorothy was nice to everybody. でも、ドロシーは誰にでも親切でした。 She was that kind of person. 彼女はそういう人でした。 He called her over and she smiled to him. 彼が彼女を呼ぶと、彼女は微笑んだ。 Even Shaw smiled.

Chester took her to a quieter part of the office and asked. |||||cichszej|||||| Dorothy said yes, she would love to go to dinner with him. Her intelligent eyes were shining in her lovely face. Chester watched as her soft, round figure walked back to her desk.

Dorothy, at least, liked him. He could be sure of her. 彼は彼女を確信することができた.

Darling Dorothy!

But he would have just one quick look in the book to make sure. しかし、彼は確認するために本をざっと見ただけでした。

He reached into his pocket. The book was not there. He felt alarmed. 彼は不安を感じた。 He quickly went back to his office. He searched all his pockets and his briefcase, even his desk drawers, though he knew he hadn't put the book in any of them. 彼はすべてのポケットとブリーフケース、さらには机の引き出しを調べましたが、本をどこにも入れていないことはわかっていました。 It was no use. それは役に立たなかった。 The Book of Thoughts was gone.

Chester remembered the crowds as he left the cafe. Had somebody taken the book out of his pocket? 誰かがポケットから本を取り出したのだろうか? Things don't just disappear by themselves. 物事は自然に消えるだけではありません。

Do they?

All kinds of thoughts crowded through his mind. Every type||||||| あらゆる種類の考えが彼の心に群がりました。 But the least expected and perhaps the most welcome thought was the feeling that a heavy weight had been taken away from him. しかし、最も期待されていなかった、そしておそらく最も歓迎された考えは、彼から重荷が取り除かれたという感覚でした. He went back to try and see Dorothy again. She was talking to old Shaw - again. 彼女は古いショーと話していました - 再び。 She saw Chester and waved to him.

At least, he thought, he still had Dorothy. 少なくとも、ドロシーはまだいると彼は思った。

He had his career and he had Dorothy. None of the other people mattered. 他の人は誰も重要ではありませんでした。 He could trust Dorothy. Of course he could. He was almost sure of it. 彼はそれをほぼ確信していました。

- THE END -