よみうち英語Read the classics by typingNotes Scene 55: A Life Built Over Time
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Notes on this scene
St. Clair found that his theatrical makeup and quick replies gave him exceptional earning power, far above an ordinary beggar's income. He became a recognized City character and saved substantial sums, while the Lascar provided a private changing room for payment.
Japanese in this scene
- 誰も本当の職業を疑いませんでした
- 誰も with a negative means no one. His country household never suspected that begging was his actual occupation.
- かなりの金がたまるようになりました
- 〜ようになる describes a developing change: over time he came to accumulate a substantial amount of money.
- 誰でも年七百ポンド稼げると言うのではありません
- 〜のではない rejects a possible overgeneralization: St. Clair is not claiming every London beggar can earn that sum.
- 二ポンドに届かなければひどく悪い日でした
- The negative conditional 届かなければ sets earning less than two pounds as the condition for calling a day very poor.
Full text: original English and Japanese translation
"Well, very soon I found that I was saving considerable sums of money. I do not mean that any beggar in the streets of London could earn £ 700 a year—which is less than my average takings—but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making up, and also in a facility of repartee, which improved by practice and made me quite a recognised character in the City. All day a stream of pennies, varied by silver, poured in upon me, and it was a very bad day in which I failed to take £ 2.
「やがて、かなりの金がたまるようになりました。ロンドンの物乞いなら誰でも年七百ポンド稼げると言うのではありません。私の平均収入はそれ以上でしたが、私には化粧の技術という特別な強みと、練習で上達した切り返しのうまさがあり、シティではすっかり知られた存在になっていたのです。一日中、一ペニー銅貨が、ときには銀貨も交じって流れ込み、二ポンドに届かなければひどく悪い日でした。
"As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took a house in the country, and eventually married, without anyone having a suspicion as to my real occupation. My dear wife knew that I had business in the City. She little knew what.
「金が増えるにつれて望みも大きくなり、田舎に家を構え、やがて結婚しました。誰も本当の職業を疑いませんでした。大切な妻は、私にシティでの用事があることは知っていました。その中身までは、少しも知りませんでした。