よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 18: A Sea of Red Heads
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Notes on this scene
Red-haired applicants pour into Fleet Street from every direction, displaying an astonishing range of colors. Wilson is ready to give up, but Spaulding forces a path through the people and takes him into the office. Back at Baker Street, Holmes prompts Wilson to continue after he pauses for snuff.
Japanese in this scene
- ている
- The 〜ている form can show an action in progress, a continuing condition, or the present result of a completed action. The surrounding context selects the meaning.
- という
- という connects quoted words, a name, or an idea to the noun that follows. Depending on context, it can mean “called,” “that,” or “the idea that.”
- ほど
- ほど expresses degree or an approximate extent: “to the point that; as much as; about.” The comparison in the sentence determines its natural English rendering.
- たり
- The 〜たり form lists representative actions or states. It often appears as 〜たり〜たりする, meaning “do things such as A and B.”
Background
- Snuff
- Snuff is powdered tobacco taken through the nose. It remained a familiar habit among older men in the late nineteenth century and gives Wilson a slightly old-fashioned air.
- Coster
- Costermongers sold fruit, vegetables, and fish from handcarts in London streets. Their loud cries and distinctive speech made them a familiar part of working-class city life.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes. From north, south, east, and west every man who had a shade of red in his hair had tramped into the city to answer the advertisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk, and Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange barrow. I should not have thought there were so many in the whole country as were brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade of colour they were—straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish-setter, liver, clay; but, as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the real vivid flame-coloured tint. When I saw how many were waiting, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it. How he did it I could not imagine, but he pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd, and right up to the steps which led to the office. There was a double stream upon the stair, some going up in hope, and some coming back dejected; but we wedged in as well as we could and soon found ourselves in the office."
「あんな光景は、もう二度と見られないでしょうね、ホームズさん。北から、南から、東から、西から、髪にちょっとでも赤みのある男という男が、あの広告に応えようと、町の中心まで歩いて押し寄せてきたんです。フリート街は赤毛の連中でぎっしり埋まり、ポープス・コートはまるで、オレンジを山積みにした行商人の手押し車みたいでした。あのたった一つの広告で集まった数ほど、国じゅうに赤毛がいるとは思ってもみませんでした。色合いもさまざまで、麦わら色、レモン色、オレンジ色、れんが色、アイリッシュ・セッター色、レバー色、粘土色とありましたが、スポールディングの言ったとおり、本物の鮮やかな炎の色をした者はそう多くありませんでした。待っている人の多さを見て、私はがっかりしてあきらめかけましたが、スポールディングが承知しませんでした。どうやったのか見当もつきませんが、あいつは押したり引いたり頭で突いたりして私を人ごみの中に通し、事務所へ上がる階段の前まで連れていってくれたんです。階段には上りと下りの二筋の流れができていて、望みを抱いて上がっていく者もいれば、しょんぼりして下りてくる者もいましたが、私たちはなんとか割り込んで、まもなく事務所の中に入っていました」
"Your experience has been a most entertaining one," remarked Holmes as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge pinch of snuff. "Pray continue your very interesting statement."
「なんとも愉快なご経験だ」と、依頼人が話を止めて嗅ぎたばこをたっぷりひとつまみ吸い、記憶を呼び覚ますのを見て、ホームズが言った。「どうぞ、そのたいへん興味深いお話の続きを」