よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 52: A Chance to Explain
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Notes on this scene
Holmes warns that a court would make the entire affair public. If St. Clair instead convinces the police that no crime occurred, the details may stay out of the newspapers. This possibility gives him a reason to explain everything privately.
Japanese in this scene
- 裁判になること自体がなくなるでしょう
- こと自体 emphasizes the very occurrence of a trial, and なくなる means it will cease to be a possibility.
- しかるべき当局へ提出してくれる
- しかるべき means proper or appropriate, while 〜てくれる presents Bradstreet's submission of the statement as helpful action.
- 裁判所に真相を明らかにしてもらおうとすれば
- 〜てもらおうとする means seeking to have another party do something; here it is having the court reveal the truth.
- ありがたいことです
- ありがたい describes something received with gratitude. St. Clair responds fervently to the possibility of avoiding public proceedings.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"If you leave it to a court of law to clear the matter up," said he, "of course you can hardly avoid publicity. On the other hand, if you convince the police authorities that there is no possible case against you, I do not know that there is any reason that the details should find their way into the papers. Inspector Bradstreet would, I am sure, make notes upon anything which you might tell us and submit it to the proper authorities. The case would then never go into court at all."
「裁判所に真相を明らかにしてもらおうとすれば」と彼は言った。「もちろん世間に知られることは、まず避けられません。一方で、あなたを訴える理由がまったくないと警察を納得させられれば、詳しい事情が新聞に出る理由もないでしょう。ブラッドストリート警部なら、お話を記録し、しかるべき当局へ提出してくれると思います。そうすれば、裁判になること自体がなくなるでしょう」
"God bless you!" cried the prisoner passionately. "I would have endured imprisonment, ay, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as a family blot to my children.
「ありがたいことです」と囚人は熱を込めて叫んだ。「子供たちに家の汚点としてこの惨めな秘密を残すくらいなら、投獄も、いえ、死刑さえ耐えるつもりでした。