Scene 46 · Notes

Notes　Scene 46: The Sound of Wheels

Next scene: 47 The Street Brawl ›Read this scene again (from the start)

Notes on this scene

Holmes tells Watson he will not search for the photograph; Adler herself will show it to him. Watson expects her to refuse, but Holmes is confident she cannot. As her carriage approaches, he brings the discussion to an end and tells Watson to follow the instructions without any deviation.

Japanese in this scene

探さがしはしない
Placing は after a verb stem before しない emphasizes the denial: Holmes will certainly not search in the ordinary way.
見みせてもらう
てもらう presents an action as something received from another person. Adler will do the showing, and Holmes will benefit.
断ことわれはしない
断れる is the potential of 断る. はしない emphatically negates that ability: Holmes says she will not be able to refuse.

Background

The point of suspense
Holmes’s mysterious answer that he will be shown rather than search is not explained here. Together with the smoke device, it encourages readers to wonder how he will make Adler reveal the photograph’s location.

Full text: original English and Japanese translation

"But how will you look?"

「でも、きみはどうやって探すんだい？」

"I will not look."

「探しはしないよ」

"What then?"

「じゃあ、どうするんだい？」

"I will get her to show me."

「彼女に見せてもらうのさ」

"But she will refuse."

「でも、断られるに決まっているよ」

"She will not be able to. But I hear the rumble of wheels. It is her carriage. Now carry out my orders to the letter."

「断れはしないさ。おや、車輪の音が聞こえる。彼女の馬車だ。さあ、私の指示を一字一句そのとおりに実行してくれたまえ」

Japanese words in this scene (with English meanings; ☆ saves a word)

  • たまえ — Old-fashioned authoritative request ending after a verb stem.hard
  • でも — As a conjunction, means but; With a noun or another expression, highlights an example: even, or something like that; With a question word, expresses unrestricted choice: any.
  • だい — Marks an informal question, often after a question word.
  • 彼女（かのじょ） — she; her
  • さ — Adds an informal explanatory or assertive tone.
  • 車輪（しゃりん） — wheel
  • 馬車（ばしゃ） — horse-drawn carriage
  • 私（わたし） — I; me

Next scene: The Street Brawl

A small four-wheeled carriage stops outside Briony Lodge. Men who rush forward to open its door begin arguing, and the disturbance quickly spreads. The lady stepping from the carriage finds herself surrounded by the struggling men. The street suddenly becomes noisy as the quarrel draws more people into the commotion.

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