영어로 읽는 고전 _ 제롬 빅스비의 종소리 전투
제롬 빅스비의 "종소리 전투"는 20세기 중반, 구체적으로는 1954년에 발표된 단편소설입니다. 이 유머러스한 이야기는 펜실베이니아 서부의 작은 마을을 배경으로 장난과 도덕적 성찰이라는 주제를 탐구합니다. 소도시 생활의 순수함과 인간 본성 및 신성의 복잡성을 대조시킵니다.
이야기는 자신의 화장실에 들르는 의심 없는 여행자들을 대상으로 장난을 치는 것으로 유명한 마을 주민 찰리 메이슨을 중심으로 전개됩니다. 찰리의 장난은 도시에서 온 뚱뚱한 여성이 그의 최신 희생자가 되면서 예상치 못한 전개를 맞게 되는데, 그녀는 도덕성과 죄에 대한 장광설을 늘어놓으며 천상과 지옥의 존재들의 관심을 끌게 됩니다. 선을 대표하는 젊은 남성과 악을 상징하는 어두운 인물이 찰리의 장난으로 시작된 우주적 투쟁에 참여하여, 선악의 본질과 겉보기에는 무해해 보이는 이런 장난이 인간의 영혼에 미치는 영향에 대해 논쟁을 벌입니다. 궁극적으로 이야기는 자기 인식의 중요성과 유혹에 맞서는 내적 투쟁을 강조하는 유머러스하고 예상치 못한 결말로 마무리되며, 독자들로 하여금 유머와 무신경함 사이의 미묘한 경계를 숙고하게 만듭니다.
Classics Read in English _ The Battle of the Bells by Jerome Bixby
Jerome Bixby's "The Battle of the Bells" is a short story published in the mid-20th century, specifically in 1954. This humorous tale explores themes of pranks and moral introspection set against the backdrop of a small town in western Pennsylvania. It contrasts the innocence of small-town life with the complexities of human nature and divinity.
The story centers on Charley Mason, a town resident notorious for playing practical jokes on unsuspecting travelers who stop at his outhouse. Charley's antics take an unexpected turn when an overweight woman from the city becomes his latest target, launching into a passionate sermon about morality and sin that attracts the attention of celestial and infernal beings. A young man representing good and a dark figure embodying evil engage in a cosmic struggle triggered by Charley's prank, debating the nature of good and evil and the impact such seemingly harmless jokes have on the human soul. Ultimately, the story concludes with a humorous and surprising resolution that emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the internal struggle against temptation, prompting readers to contemplate the delicate boundary between humor and insensitivity.
Among the contents
It would happen maybe once or twice a week?never much more. Because things had to be just right.
For example, it had to be daytime for it to work. At night, nobody was likely to notice the chain hanging down with the handle on the end of it.
And naturally the victims had to be city folk. Had to be used to just reaching up and grabbing and pulling without a thought. Because when you stop to think about it, a chain like that in a place like that is about the most unlikely thing in the world.
But it worked?it worked often enough to bring grins to the faces of any men who were around at the time, and enough to make the town women sometimes a little cool toward Charley Mason when they went in to buy things at his store. Because it was strictly a man's joke, and he was the man.
