영어로 읽는 고전 _ 앤드류 랭의 문제해결자들
"문제해결자들"은 20세기 초에 앤드류 랭이 쓴 희극 소설입니다. 이 이야기는 특히 로맨틱한 관계와 가족의 기대와 관련된 사회적 얽힘을 다루고 있습니다.
주인공 머튼과 로건은 재정적 어려움을 해결하기 위한 방법을 찾고 있는 젊은이들입니다. 그들은 부적절한 결혼으로 인한 가족 간의 충돌을 방지하기 위해 연애 관계를 중재하는 독특한 아이디어를 떠올립니다.
소설의 시작에서, 두 주인공은 초라한 방에서 그들의 암울한 전망을 한탄하고 있습니다. 그들의 대화는 사랑과 사회적 기대에 대한 좌절감을 드러내며, 이는 머튼이 다소 괴짜스러운 계획을 제안하게 되는 계기가 됩니다. 바로 개인들이 자신들의 로맨틱한 선택에 대한 가족들의 반대를 해결할 수 있도록 도와주는 "얽힘을 푸는 자들"이라는 서비스를 만드는 것입니다.
이러한 영리하고 유머러스한 설정은 결혼과 관계에 대한 사회적 규범을 풍자적으로 바라보며, 머튼과 로건이 이 특이한 사업을 시작하면서 겪게 되는 모험담의 기조를 마련합니다.
Classics Read in English _ The Disentanglers by Andrew Lang
"The Disentanglers" by Andrew Lang is a comedic novel written in the early 20th century. The story engages with themes surrounding social entanglements, particularly those related to romantic relationships and familial expectations. The main characters, Merton and Logan, are young men in search of a solution to their financial troubles, leading them to concoct a unique idea that involves mediating love interests to prevent familial clashes over unsuitable marriages. At the start of the novel, the two protagonists find themselves in a shabby room, lamenting their bleak prospects. Their discussions reveal their frustrations about love and society's expectations, paving the way for Merton to propose a rather eccentric plan: the creation of a service that provides "disentanglers" to help individuals navigate familial objections to their romantic choices. This clever and humorous setup provides a satirical look at societal norms regarding marriage and relationships, setting the tone for the unfolding adventures of Merton and Logan as they embark on this unusual business venture.
Among the contents
The scene was a dusky shabby little room in Ryder Street. To such caves many repair whose days are passed, and whose food is consumed, in the clubs of the adjacent thoroughfare of cooperative palaces, Pall Mall. The furniture was battered and dingy; the sofa on which Logan sprawled had a certain historic interest: it was covered with cloth of horsehair, now seldom found by the amateur. A bookcase with glass doors held a crowd of books to which the amateur would at once have flown. They were in ‘boards’ of faded blue, and the paper labels bore alluring names: they were all First Editions of the most desirable kind. The bottles in the liqueur case were antique; a coat of arms, not undistinguished, was in relief on the silver stoppers. But the liquors in the flasks were humble and conventional. Merton, the tenant of the rooms, was in a Zingari cricketing coat; he occupied the arm-chair, while Logan, in evening dress, maintained a difficult equilibrium on the slippery sofa. Both men were of an age between twenty-five and twenty-nine, both were pleasant to the eye.
