Scene 45 · Notes

Notes　Scene 45: A Morning Drive

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Notes on this scene

As Watson dresses, Holmes cheerfully arranges the trap and reveals that his clue was in the bathroom. He has placed it in a Gladstone bag and invites Watson to come see whether this unusual key will fit the case's lock.

Japanese in this scene

まるでモグラのように見みえていなかった
まるで〜のように creates a simile: Holmes admits he had been as blind to the clue as a mole.
今いま行おこなって取とり出だしてきた
〜てきた shows Holmes went away, retrieved the object, and returned with it to the present location.
私わたしの疑うたがわしげな顔かおを見みて続つづけた
The suffix げ makes doubt an outward appearance; seeing Watson's expression prompts Holmes to continue explaining.
鍵かぎ穴あなに合あうかどうか確たしかめようじゃないか
かどうか embeds the yes-or-no question, while 〜ようじゃないか invites Watson to test it with him.

Full text: original English and Japanese translation

"And where is it?" I asked, smiling.

「それはどこにあるんだい」と私は笑って尋ねた。

"In the bathroom," he answered. "Oh, yes, I am not joking," he continued, seeing my look of incredulity. "I have just been there, and I have taken it out, and I have got it in this Gladstone bag. Come on, my boy, and we shall see whether it will not fit the lock."

「浴室に」と彼は答えた。「いや、冗談じゃないよ」と、私の疑わしげな顔を見て続けた。「今行って取り出してきた。このグラッドストン型の鞄に入っている。さあ行こう。これで鍵穴に合うかどうか確かめようじゃないか」

We made our way downstairs as quietly as possible, and out into the bright morning sunshine. In the road stood our horse and trap, with the half-clad stable-boy waiting at the head. We both sprang in, and away we dashed down the London Road. A few country carts were stirring, bearing in vegetables to the metropolis, but the lines of villas on either side were as silent and lifeless as some city in a dream.

私たちはできるだけ静かに階下へ下り、明るい朝日の中へ出た。道には馬と軽馬車が待ち、身支度の途中の厩番が馬の頭の所に立っていた。二人とも飛び乗り、ロンドン街道を勢いよく走り出した。都会へ野菜を運ぶ田舎の荷車が何台か動いていたが、両側の屋敷の列は、夢の中の町のように静かで人の気配がなかった。

"It has been in some points a singular case," said Holmes, flicking the horse on into a gallop. "I confess that I have been as blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all."

「いくつかの点では奇妙な事件だった」とホームズは言い、馬に軽く鞭を当てて駆け足にした。「まるでモグラのように見えていなかったことは認めるよ。でも、遅くとも賢くなる方が、一生学ばないよりはましだ」

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

  • 軽い（かるい） — light (i.e. not heavy); feeling light (i.e. offering little resistance, moving easily); light (i.e. of foot); effortlesshard
  • ん — explanatory contraction of no
  • だい — Marks an informal question, often after a question word.
  • 私（わたし） — I; me
  • 彼（かれ） — he; him
  • 疑わしい（うたがわしい） — suspicious; doubtful
  • 見る（みる） — to see; to look
  • 今（いま） — now; the present

Next scene: A Visit to Bow Street

Carrying the Gladstone bag, Holmes and Watson leave the quiet house and drive back toward London. Holmes admits that he failed to notice something earlier and now intends to test it. Their route crosses the river through streets where the city's earliest risers are already beginning to appear at windows.

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