よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 26: The Alpha Inn
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Notes on this scene
The landlord confirms that the club's geese came from a Covent Garden dealer named Breckinridge. 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
- なるほど
- In なるほど, なるほど shows that the speaker now understands or accepts the point just made.
- ここのガチョウと同じくらい上等なら
- In ガチョウと同じくらい上等なら, 同じくらい means ‘as good as.’ The beer is compared directly with the quality of the goose.
- 主人は驚いたようだった
- In 主人は驚いたようだった, だった is the plain past copula and identifies what the preceding noun or description was.
- ここのガチョウと同じくらい上等なら
- In ここのガチョウと同じくらい上等なら, 同じ states that the following noun shares the identity or quality already mentioned.
Background
- Covent Garden Market
- Covent Garden was a great central London market for fruit, vegetables, flowers, and poultry, busy with traders and porters from before dawn.
- dozen
- A dozen is twelve, so two dozen birds are twenty-four. The unit was common in market trading for eggs and poultry.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese," said he.
「ここのガチョウと同じくらい上等なら、ビールもさぞすばらしいはずですね」と彼は言った。
"My geese!" The man seemed surprised.
「うちのガチョウですって！」主人は驚いたようだった。
"Yes. I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr. Henry Baker, who was a member of your goose club."
「ええ。つい三十分前に、こちらのガチョウ積立会の会員だったヘンリー・ベイカー氏と話していたのですよ」
"Ah! yes, I see. But you see, sir, them's not our geese."
「ああ、はい、なるほど。でもね旦那、あれはうちのガチョウじゃないんですよ」
"Indeed! Whose, then?"
「なんと！では、誰のです？」
"Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden."
「いえね、二ダースをコヴェント・ガーデンの商人から仕入れたんですよ」