よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 41: Watson's Part
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Notes on this scene
Holmes gives Watson a smoke device and explains the signal. When Holmes raises his hand, Watson must throw it into the room and shout that there is a fire. Others will echo the cry. Watson is then to walk to the end of the street and meet Holmes ten minutes later.
Japanese in this scene
- 挙げたら
- Past form + たら can establish a future condition. The raised hand will be Watson’s signal to act.
- ひとりでに
- ひとりでに means “by itself,” without someone separately performing the action. Holmes describes the device’s ignition.
- つけてある
- Transitive て-form + ある describes a deliberately prepared state. The caps have already been attached to the device.
Background
- Plumber’s smoke device
- Plumbers sometimes introduced smoke into drains or chimneys to find leaks. The smoke-rocket was a tool for producing that smoke rather than a dangerous explosive. Holmes repurposes an ordinary trade tool for his plan.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"Yes."
「わかった」
"You are to watch me, for I will be visible to you."
「私を見ていてくれ、きみからは私の姿が見えるはずだ」
"Yes."
「うん」
"And when I raise my hand—so—you will throw into the room what I give you to throw, and will, at the same time, raise the cry of fire. You quite follow me?"
「そして私が手を挙げたら――こんなふうにね――渡しておく物を部屋の中へ投げ込み、それと同時に『火事だ』と叫んでくれ。わかったかね？」
"Entirely."
「すっかりわかったよ」
"It is nothing very formidable," he said, taking a long cigar-shaped roll from his pocket. "It is an ordinary plumber's smoke-rocket, fitted with a cap at either end to make it self-lighting. Your task is confined to that. When you raise your cry of fire, it will be taken up by quite a number of people. You may then walk to the end of the street, and I will rejoin you in ten minutes. I hope that I have made myself clear?"
「何も物騒な物じゃない」と彼は言い、ポケットから葉巻の形をした細長い筒を取り出した。「ごく普通の配管工用の発煙筒で、ひとりでに火がつくよう両端に雷管がつけてある。きみの役目はそれだけだ。きみが『火事だ』と叫べば、かなり大勢の人がそれに続いて叫ぶだろう。そうしたら通りの端まで歩いていってくれ、十分後に私がそこで落ち合う。これで、わかってもらえたと思うが？」