よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 32: The List of Suppliers
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Notes on this scene
The dealer explains his books and challenges Holmes to read the third name among the town suppliers. 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
- それで
- In それで, それで introduces the result or next step arising from what was just said.
- さあて、自信満々の旦那
- さあて is a drawn-out, colloquial さて, meaning ‘well then.’ The dealer uses it to challenge the overconfident gentleman before opening the ledger.
- この小さい帳面が見えるか
- In この小さい帳面が見えるか, この points to the specific nearby or currently discussed noun that follows.
- どこにそいつの勘定が載ってるかって番号だ
- In どこにそいつの勘定が載ってるかって番号だ, って colloquially quotes the preceding question-like clause: it is ‘the number showing where its account is recorded.’
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"Now then, Mr. Cocksure," said the salesman, "I thought that I was out of geese, but before I finish you'll find that there is still one left in my shop. You see this little book?"
「さあて、自信満々の旦那」と商人は言った。「ガチョウは売り切れたと思ってたが、話が済むころには、うちの店にまだ間抜けなのが 一羽残ってたと分かるだろうよ。この小さい帳面が見えるか？」
"Well?"
「それで？」
"That's the list of the folk from whom I buy. D'you see? Well, then, here on this page are the country folk, and the numbers after their names are where their accounts are in the big ledger. Now, then! You see this other page in red ink? Well, that is a list of my town suppliers. Now, look at that third name. Just read it out to me."
「こいつは俺が仕入れてる相手の一覧だ。分かるか？いいか、このページにあるのが田舎の連中で、名前のあとの数字は、でかい台帳のどこにそいつの勘定が載ってるかって番号だ。さあ、それでだ！赤インクで書いた、こっちのページが見えるか？こいつは町の仕入れ先の一覧だ。さて、その 3 番目の名前を見てみな。ちょっと声に出して読んでみろ」