よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 28: One Morning
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Notes on this scene
After eight weeks of copying entries under A, Wilson has produced enough pages to fill a shelf and expects soon to reach B. On the morning he later visits Baker Street, however, he arrives at the office to find the door locked and a small card fastened to its center.
Japanese in this scene
- そうな
- The stem of an adjective or verb + そうな modifies a noun with the sense “looks likely to…” or “appears….” It is based on visible impression.
- 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.
- は
- は marks the topic of a sentence and can also set up a contrast with another item.
- が
- が marks the grammatical subject or newly focused information. It can also link clauses with a mild contrast.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica, and hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B's before very long. It cost me something in foolscap, and I had pretty nearly filled a shelf with my writings. And then suddenly the whole business came to an end."
「こうして八週間が過ぎ、私は修道院長や弓術や甲冑や建築やアッティカについて書き写して、この調子でせっせと励めば、まもなくBの項に進めるだろうと思っていました。紙代もそこそこかかりましたが、書いたものでもう棚がひとつ埋まりそうなほどでした。ところが突然、何もかもが終わってしまったんです」
"To an end?"
「終わったと？」
"Yes, sir. And no later than this morning. I went to my work as usual at ten o'clock, but the door was shut and locked, with a little square of cardboard hammered on to the middle of the panel with a tack. Here it is, and you can read for yourself."
「ええ、そうなんです。それもつい今朝のことです。いつもどおり十時に仕事に行きますと、ドアは閉まって鍵がかかっていて、扉板の真ん中に小さな四角い厚紙が鋲で留めてありました。これがそうです、どうぞご自分でお読みください」