よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 56: A Meeting in Town
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Notes on this scene
McCarthy recognized Turner in London and threatened to expose him unless Turner supported him and his son. They settled on Turner's land without paying rent. Turner describes years without peace as McCarthy exploited his fear of Alice learning the past. He surrendered money and property, until McCarthy demanded something he could not give: Alice herself.
Japanese in this scene
- おれ
- おれ is a blunt, familiar first-person pronoun. Its use in McCarthy's quoted speech contrasts with Turner's polite 私 in the surrounding confession and makes the threat sound coarse and presumptuous.
- 借地料も払わず
- 払わず is a negative linking form of 払う: ‘without paying.’ も emphasizes that they did not pay even the ground rent, adding to the account of McCarthy's demands.
- 成長するにつれ
- 〜につれ means ‘as’ a continuing change develops. Turner's difficulties worsen in parallel with Alice growing up. It connects gradual developments rather than two isolated events.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"I had gone up to town about an investment, and I met him in Regent Street with hardly a coat to his back or a boot to his foot.
「投資の用事でロンドンへ出たとき、リージェント街であの男に会いました。ろくな上着も靴も身に着けていませんでした。
"'Here we are, Jack,' says he, touching me on the arm; 'we'll be as good as a family to you. There's two of us, me and my son, and you can have the keeping of us. If you don't—it's a fine, law-abiding country is England, and there's always a policeman within hail.'
「『やあ、ジャック』と、あの男は私の腕に触れて言うのです。『おれたちは、あんたの家族も同然になってやろう。おれと息子の二人だから、養ってもらえるな。嫌だと言うなら……イングランドは、結構な、法を守る国だからな。呼べば届く所には、いつでも警官がいるんだぜ』
"Well, down they came to the west country, there was no shaking them off, and there they have lived rent free on my best land ever since. There was no rest for me, no peace, no forgetfulness; turn where I would, there was his cunning, grinning face at my elbow. It grew worse as Alice grew up, for he soon saw I was more afraid of her knowing my past than of the police. Whatever he wanted he must have, and whatever it was I gave him without question, land, money, houses, until at last he asked a thing which I could not give. He asked for Alice.
「それで、あの二人は西部へやってきました。振り払うすべはなく、それ以来ずっと、私のいちばんよい土地に、借地料も払わず住んでいるのです。休息も、平穏も、忘れる時もありませんでした。どこを向いても、あのずるくにやついた顔が、すぐそばにありました。アリスが成長するにつれ、事態はひどくなりました。私が警察よりも、娘に過去を知られることを恐れていると、あの男はすぐに気づいたからです。欲しいものは何でも手に入れねば気が済まず、私は土地も金も家も、何一つ逆らわずに渡しました。そうして、とうとう、渡せないものを求めてきたのです。アリスを求めてきたのです。