영어로 읽는 고전 _ 짐 하먼의 부러진 다리
Jim Harmon의 "Break a Leg"는 1950년대 후반에 쓰인 공상과학 소설이다. 이 작품은 우주선에 탑승한 사고 경향자(Accident Prone) 찰리 백스터의 삶을 탐구하며, 그가 외계 환경에서 자신의 독특한 상태로 인한 도전들을 헤쳐나가는 과정을 다룬다. 이야기는 자기 수용, 사고의 본질, 그리고 역경에 직면했을 때의 두려움과 자신감의 복잡한 역학관계라는 주제를 탐구한다.
줄거리에서 잭슨 선장과 그의 승무원들은 사고 경향자인 찰리 백스터의 도움을 받아 모란 III 행성을 재조사하는 임무를 맡는다. 백스터의 여정은 그가 자신의 평판이라는 부담과 씨름하면서 승무원 내에서 자신의 가치를 증명하려 노력하는 가운데 파란만장하게 펼쳐진다. 행성 원주민들 사이에서 그를 심각한 위험에 빠뜨리는 일련의 사고들이 발생한 후, 백스터가 생존을 위해 자신의 불안감과 마주해야 한다는 것이 분명해진다. 행성 거주민들과의 대결과 간헐천과의 거의 치명적인 조우를 포함한 여러 위기에 직면하면서, 그는 궁극적으로 사고 경향자로서의 자신의 정체성을 받아들이게 된다. 이야기는 백스터가 자신의 상태에 적응하는 법을 배웠을지도 모르지만, 그의 수용이 예상치 못한 결과로 이어질 수도 있다는 모호한 암시로 끝나며, 독자들로 하여금 운명에 의존하는 것의 복잡성에 대해 숙고하게 만든다.
Classics Read in English _ Break a Leg by Jim Harmon
Jim Harmon's "Break a Leg" is a science fiction story written in the late 1950s. The work explores the life of Charlie Baxter, an Accident Prone individual aboard a spaceship, as he navigates the challenges posed by his unique condition in an alien environment. The narrative examines themes of self-acceptance, the nature of accidents, and the complex dynamics between fear and confidence when facing adversity.
In the plot, Captain Jackson and his crew undertake a re-survey mission of planet Moran III with assistance from Charlie Baxter, an Accident Prone. Baxter's journey unfolds turbulently as he struggles with the burden of his reputation while attempting to prove his worth among the crew. Following a series of mishaps that place him in serious danger among the planet's natives, it becomes evident that Baxter must confront his insecurities to survive. As he faces multiple crises, including confrontations with planetary inhabitants and a near-fatal encounter with a geyser, he ultimately comes to terms with his identity as an Accident Prone. The story concludes with an ambiguous suggestion that while Baxter may have learned to adapt to his condition, his acceptance might also lead to unforeseen consequences, prompting readers to contemplate the complexities of relying on fate.
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If there is anything I am afraid of, and there probably is, it is having a rookie Accident Prone, half-starved from the unemployment lines, aboard my spaceship. They are always so anxious to please. They remember what it is like to live in a rathole behind an apartment house furnace eating day-old bread and wilted vegetables, which doesn't compare favorably to the Admiralty-style staterooms and steak and caviar they draw down in the Exploration Service.
You may wonder why anybody should make things so pleasant for a grownup who can't walk a city block without tripping over his own feet and who has a very low life expectancy on Earth due to the automobiles they are constantly stepping in front of and the live wires they are fond of picking up so the street won't be littered.
The Admiralty, however, is a very thorough group of men. Before they open a planet to colonization or even fraternization, they insist on knowing just what they are up against.
