영어로 읽는 고전 _ 넬슨 S. 본드의 상식꾼 행크의 활약
넬슨 S. 본드의 "상식꾼 행크의 활약"은 제2차 세계대전을 배경으로 1940년대 초에 쓰여진 유머러스한 중편소설입니다. 이야기는 상식과 수학적 능력을 갖춘 남자인 주인공 상식꾼 행크 클리버를 중심으로 전개되며, 그는 진주만 폭격 이후 전쟁 노력에 기여하고자 하는 의무감을 느낍니다. 이 경쾌한 서사는 모험과 코미디의 요소들을 결합하며 애국심, 창의성, 그리고 위기 상황에서 실용적 지식의 가치라는 주제들을 탐구합니다.
이야기에서 행크는 친구 짐 블레이크슨과 함께 노던 브릿지, 스틸 앤 거더 컴퍼니에 자원하여 국방 업무를 돕고자 합니다. 하지만 처음에는 환영받았지만, 행크는 그림퍼라는 정부 효율성 전문가에 의해 해고당하게 됩니다. 굴복하지 않은 행크는 자신만의 독특한 상식으로 여러 긴급한 문제들을 해결하며, 공장에서 독일 사보타주범들과의 스릴 넘치는 대결로 절정에 달합니다. 행크의 재빠른 사고와 관습에 얽매이지 않는 접근법이 상황을 구원하고, 운명의 장난으로 그는 대통령의 기밀 고문직을 제안받습니다. 이 중편소설은 행크의 진지함과 영리함을 보여주며, 도전적인 시기에 창의성과 결단력의 중요성을 강조합니다.
Classics Read in English _ Horsesense Hank does his bit by Nelson S. Bond
Nelson S. Bond's "Horsesense Hank Does His Bit" is a humorous novella written in the early 1940s against the backdrop of World War II. The story centers on the titular character, Horsesense Hank Cleaver, a man endowed with common sense and mathematical prowess who feels compelled to contribute to the war effort following the Pearl Harbor bombing. This lighthearted narrative combines elements of adventure and comedy while exploring themes of patriotism, ingenuity, and the value of practical knowledge during times of crisis.
In the story, Hank volunteers at the Northern Bridge, Steel and Girder Company alongside his friend Jim Blakeson, eager to assist with defense work. Though initially welcomed, Hank finds himself dismissed by a government efficiency expert named Mr. Grimper. Undaunted, Hank solves several pressing problems using his unique brand of common sense, culminating in a thrilling confrontation with German saboteurs at the factory. Hank's quick thinking and unconventional approach save the day, and in a twist of fate, he is offered a position as a confidential adviser to the President. The novella showcases Hank's earnestness and cleverness, emphasizing the importance of ingenuity and determination during challenging times.
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Like the rain-drenched angler said as he reeled in a fish, "Life is just one damp thing after another!" I thought I'd fixed everything all hunky-dory around the campus of dear old Midland U. when I finally got my friend "Horsesense Hank" Cleaver engaged to Helen MacDowell. Which just goes to prove that you shouldn't count your chickens until they're hitched. Because That Man stepped in and messed up everything.
You know the guy I mean. The chief germ in Germany. The little ex-housepainter with a scrap of old paintbrush on his upper lip. First he "protected" himself against the poor Austrians. Then the Czechs and the Poles. Then came Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg?it sounds like a geography lesson, doesn't it??then France, the Balkans, Greece and Crete. And finally, as his armies, having come a cropper against the outraged Russian bear, stalled on the icy steppes of Moscow's doorway, he invoked the aid of his yellow-skinned and -spined allies, the Japs.
