よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 4: A Scuffle in the Street
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Notes on this scene
Holmes recounts how a street scuffle left Peterson holding both a stranger's hat and a Christmas goose. The scene establishes this development clearly and closes before the next step begins, preserving the original passage's order and the limits of what the characters know at this point.
Japanese in this scene
- ごろつきどももピーターソンが現れると逃げてしまったので
- In ごろつきどももピーターソンが現れると逃げてしまったので, ので presents the preceding clause as the reason for what follows.
- これをぼろぼろの山高帽としてではなく
- In これをぼろぼろの山高帽としてではなく, として marks the preceding noun as the role or capacity being considered.
- 男がグッジ街の角まで来たとき
- In 男がグッジ街の角まで来たとき, まで marks the preceding item as the endpoint or outer limit reached in this statement.
- やや背の高い男が少しふらつきながら歩いていくのが見えた
- In やや背の高い男が少しふらつきながら歩いていくのが見えた, ながら links the action before it with the action or state that follows.
Background
- gaslight
- Victorian London streets were lit by gas lamps. Their light lets Peterson see the man ahead of him even in the dark hours before dawn.
- Christmas goose
- Roast goose was a common centrepiece of a Victorian British Christmas meal, so a well-fattened bird made a valuable holiday gift or purchase.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"No, no, he found it. Its owner is unknown. I beg that you will look upon it not as a battered billycock but as an intellectual problem. And, first, as to how it came here. It arrived upon Christmas morning, in company with a good fat goose, which is, I have no doubt, roasting at this moment in front of Peterson's fire. The facts are these: about four o'clock on Christmas morning, Peterson, who, as you know, is a very honest fellow, was returning from some small jollification and was making his way homeward down Tottenham Court Road. In front of him he saw, in the gaslight, a tallish man, walking with a slight stagger, and carrying a white goose slung over his shoulder. As he reached the corner of Goodge Street, a row broke out between this stranger and a little knot of roughs. One of the latter knocked off the man's hat, on which he raised his stick to defend himself and, swinging it over his head, smashed the shop window behind him. Peterson had rushed forward to protect the stranger from his assailants; but the man, shocked at having broken the window, and seeing an official-looking person in uniform rushing towards him, dropped his goose, took to his heels, and vanished amid the labyrinth of small streets which lie at the back of Tottenham Court Road. The roughs had also fled at the appearance of Peterson, so that he was left in possession of the field of battle, and also of the spoils of victory in the shape of this battered hat and a most unimpeachable Christmas goose."
「いや、いや、彼が拾ったのさ。持ち主はわからない。どうか、これをぼろぼろの山高帽としてではなく、頭を使う問題として見てくれたまえ。まずは、これがどうやってここへ来たかだ。クリスマスの朝、よく肥えた立派なガチョウといっしょにやって来たのだが、そのガチョウはきっと、いまごろピーターソンの家の暖炉の前で焼かれているはずだ。事実はこうだ。クリスマスの朝四時ごろ、知ってのとおりとても正直な男であるピーターソンが、ちょっとした酒盛りの帰りに、トテナム・コート・ロードを家へ向かって歩いていた。ガス灯の明かりの中、彼の前を、やや背の高い男が少しふらつきながら歩いていくのが見えた。男は白いガチョウを肩にかついでいた。男がグッジ街の角まで来たとき、この見知らぬ男と、数人のごろつきの一団との間でけんかが始まった。ごろつきの一人が男の帽子をたたき落とすと、男は身を守ろうと杖を振り上げたが、頭の上で振り回したはずみに、背後の店の窓を割ってしまった。ピーターソンは、襲いかかった連中から男を守ろうと駆け寄ったのだが、男のほうは窓を割ってしまったことにうろたえ、そのうえ制服を着たいかにも役人らしい人物が自分のほうへ駆けてくるのを見て、ガチョウを放り出して一目散に逃げ出し、トテナム・コート・ロードの裏手に入り組む迷路のような小道の中へ消えてしまった。ごろつきどももピーターソンが現れると逃げてしまったので、彼は一人で戦場に残され、勝利の戦利品まで手にしたというわけだ。このぼろぼろの帽子と、文句のつけようのないクリスマスのガチョウをね」
"Which surely he restored to their owner?"
「それはもちろん、持ち主に返したんだろうね？」