よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 9: The Hat-Securer
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Notes on this scene
The hat's quality, broken securer, and inked-over stains reveal former wealth, fading foresight, and lingering self-respect. 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
- インクで塗って隠そうとしている
- This means “is trying to conceal them by smearing them with ink.” A verb in the volitional form followed by としている shows an attempt that is in progress.
- 三年前にこれほど高価な帽子を買う余裕があり
- In 三年前にこれほど高価な帽子を買う余裕があり, ほど sets the degree or extent expressed by the surrounding description.
- ゴムひもが切れたまま付け替える手間もかけていないところを見ると
- In 手間もかけていないところを見ると, 〜ところを見ると means ‘judging from the fact that ….’ Holmes treats the neglected repair as evidence for his conclusion.
- 縁の反り返ったこういう平たいつばは
- In 縁の反り返ったこういう平たいつばは, こういう describes the following noun as ‘this kind of’ thing now under discussion.
Background
- hat-securer
- A hat-securer was a small cord or elastic attachment linking a hat to the wearer's coat so that a gust of wind could not carry it away. The fitting on this old hat has broken and has not been replaced. Holmes treats that neglect as evidence that the owner once planned ahead but has since become less provident.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"This hat is three years old. These flat brims curled at the edge came in then. It is a hat of the very best quality. Look at the band of ribbed silk and the excellent lining. If this man could afford to buy so expensive a hat three years ago, and has had no hat since, then he has assuredly gone down in the world."
「この帽子は三年前のものだ。縁の反り返ったこういう平たいつばは、そのころ出回り始めたのだ。品質はまさに最高級だ。畝織りの絹のリボンと、上等な裏地を見たまえ。三年前にこれほど高価な帽子を買う余裕があり、それ以来一度も帽子を買っていないのなら、この男は間違いなく落ちぶれたのだ」
"Well, that is clear enough, certainly. But how about the foresight and the moral retrogression?"
「なるほど、それは確かによく分かる。でも、先見の明と、品性の衰えのほうはどうなんだい？」
Sherlock Holmes laughed. "Here is the foresight," said he putting his finger upon the little disc and loop of the hat-securer. "They are never sold upon hats. If this man ordered one, it is a sign of a certain amount of foresight, since he went out of his way to take this precaution against the wind. But since we see that he has broken the elastic and has not troubled to replace it, it is obvious that he has less foresight now than formerly, which is a distinct proof of a weakening nature. On the other hand, he has endeavoured to conceal some of these stains upon the felt by daubing them with ink, which is a sign that he has not entirely lost his self-respect."
シャーロック・ホームズは笑った。「これが先見の明だよ」と彼は言い、帽子留めの小さな円盤と輪に指を当てた。「こういうものは、帽子に付けて売られることは決してない。この男がこれを注文したのなら、風に備えてわざわざこんな用心をしたわけだから、ある程度の先見の明があるしるしだ。ところが、ゴムひもが切れたまま付け替える手間もかけていないところを見ると、今は以前ほどの先見の明がないのは明らかで、これは性格が弱ってきたはっきりした証拠だ。一方で、彼はフェルトについた染みのいくつかをインクで塗って隠そうとしているが、それは自尊心をまだすっかりは失っていないしるしだ」
"Your reasoning is certainly plausible."
「きみの推論は、確かにもっともらしいね」