よみうち英語Read the classics by typing解説 場面 6「貸付の客」
この場面を読み終えました
この場面の解説
ホールダーは、預金者を増やすだけでなく、利益の上がる貸付先を見つけることも銀行の成功に必要だと説明する。前日、最高位に属する著名な人物が来店し、挨拶を待たず本題へ入った。
表現・文法のポイント
- "It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors.
- as much depends upon A as upon B は、AとBが同じ程度に重要だと示す比較である。ここでは有利な資金運用と顧客・預金者の拡大を並べている。
- I was overwhelmed by the honour and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but he plunged at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry quickly through a disagreeable task.
- plunged at once into business は、ためらわず直ちに用件へ入ったことをいう。with the air of ... は、不快な仕事を急いで済ませたい様子に見えたと表す。
全文の対訳
"It is, of course, well known to you that in a successful banking business as much depends upon our being able to find remunerative investments for our funds as upon our increasing our connection and the number of our depositors. One of our most lucrative means of laying out money is in the shape of loans, where the security is unimpeachable. We have done a good deal in this direction during the last few years, and there are many noble families to whom we have advanced large sums upon the security of their pictures, libraries, or plate.
「ご存じのとおり、銀行業の成功には預金者と取引先を増やすことと同じくらい、資金に対して利益の得られる投資先を見つけられるかが重要です。担保が申し分ない貸付は、資金を運用する最も有利な手段の一つです。ここ数年、私たちはその分野でかなりの取引をしてきました。絵画、書籍、銀食器を担保に多額の金をお貸しした貴族も大勢います。
"Yesterday morning I was seated in my office at the bank when a card was brought in to me by one of the clerks. I started when I saw the name, for it was that of none other than—well, perhaps even to you I had better say no more than that it was a name which is a household word all over the earth—one of the highest, noblest, most exalted names in England. I was overwhelmed by the honour and attempted, when he entered, to say so, but he plunged at once into business with the air of a man who wishes to hurry quickly through a disagreeable task.
「昨日の朝、私が銀行の個室に座っていると、事務員の一人が名刺を持ってきました。名を見て私ははっとしました。なにしろそれは……いえ、あなたにも、世界中の家庭で知られている名、英国でも最高位で最も高貴な名の一つだとしか申さないほうがよいでしょう。私はその光栄に圧倒され、その方が入って来られた時にそう申し上げようとしました。しかし彼は、不快な用件を早く済ませたい人のように、すぐ本題へ入りました。