解説　場面 70「本人への説明」

"Your request is a very reasonable one," Holmes answered. "Dr. Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your story as you told it to us."

「ごもっともなご要望です」とホームズは答えた。「モーティマー医師、私たちに話したとおりにお話しくださるのが、いちばんでしょう」

Thus encouraged, our scientific friend drew his papers from his pocket and presented the whole case as he had done upon the morning before. Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest attention and with an occasional exclamation of surprise.

こう促され、科学に携わる友人はポケットから書類を取り出し、前の朝にしたとおり、事情をすべて説明した。ヘンリー・バスカヴィル卿は非常に熱心に耳を傾け、時折、驚きの声を上げた。

"Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance," said he when the long narrative was finished. "Of course, I've heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. It's the pet story of the family, though I never thought of taking it seriously before. But as to my uncle's death—well, it all seems boiling up in my head, and I can't get it clear yet. You don't seem quite to have made up your mind whether it's a case for a policeman or a clergyman."

「いや、これはとんでもない相続をしたものだ」と長い話が終わると、彼は言った。「もちろん、子供部屋にいた頃から犬の話は聞いていました。一族のお気に入りの話なんですが、真剣に受け止めたことはなかった。だが、伯父の死となると、頭の中が煮え立つようで、まだ整理できません。警官に頼む事件なのか、聖職者に頼む件なのか、皆さんもまだ決めていないようですね」

"Precisely."

「まさに、そのとおりです」

"And now there's this affair of the letter to me at the hotel. I suppose that fits into its place."

「そして今度は、ホテルの僕への手紙だ。これもつながるんでしょうね」