ホームズ、四人の署名

* はじめに
シャーロック・ホームズの長編、四人の署名をユーチューブから聞きとった。次がそれである。
(Sherlock Holmes : The Sign of Four)

* ヒロインの登場、おもわずワトソンが感嘆の声
Watson: There's a very prety youg woman crossing the street. And I think she may be coming here.

* ホームズがワトソンの作品に注文を、感情的にすぎる
Holmes: ... be I have glanced to be your last count on my work
W: Oh yes
H: Honestly I can not congraturate .... Detection is ought to be exact science. Observation deduction and a call on a national subject. You attemted to change ... the romanticism ... has much story ... if you work ... love story ... proposition of Euclide.

* 依頼人として登場
Hudson: There is a young lady is to see you, Mr Holmes
H: Miss Mary Morston, no collection of my memory. Don't go Doctor, I may need you.

W: I was right
W: Miss Morston
M: Good afternoon

* モーストン嬢が依頼の説明、丁寧すぎる、本題にとホームズが
M: I come to you because you once enable my employer Sessol Forester to unravel minor domestic complication. She was much implressed with your kindness and skills.
H: Thank you
M: I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable than a situation in which I found myself.
H: State your case.

* とりなすワトソン、気をとりなおして本題にはいる。
W: You may ... I'm sure, excuse me
M: If you are kind ... good enogh to remain. You might be a ... service to me
W: Of course

* インド駐在の父からはなれ英国で寄宿学校
M: Briefly the facts are these. My father was an officer of Indian regement. My mother dies when I was still quite a child. And he was forced to send me home. Despite the fact I have no relative here, I was placed in a comfortable boarding establishment here. I remain there until 17 years of age.

* 十七歳の時、一時帰国の父から連絡、ホテルにむかう
M: At the same year, my father who was a senior captain in the regiment obtained 12 month leave, returned home, telegraphed to me from London to say that he arrived in safe. Directed mt to come down at once, giving Langham Hotel' s address.n

* 父は外出、愛情あふれるメッセージが、一晩待ちわびるが音信なし
M: His message are, I remeber, with full of love and kindness. On reaching London and I straighted to the Langham Hotel and was informed that captain Morston was staying there, but he has go out at night and had not returned.
M: So I waited all day without news in and that night on the advice of manager Hotel[ I communicated to the police.

* 翌朝、父親をたずねる新聞広告、しかし連絡なし
M: The next day we adversised all newspapers, I enquired without result. From that day to this, no words had been heard about unfortunate father.

* 父を思いやり、おもわず涙、その日はいつ、荷物に何が
M: He came home with this heart, full of hope. Some peace, some comfort instead.
H: the date
M: the third of December, exact 10 yeaas ago
H: his luguage
M: .. the Hotel. ... over ... There was notthing in it, suggest clothes and box and considerable number of curiousties from Andaman iland.

* 父の任務、職は、英国に知人、ショールトに連絡、消息はつかめず
M: My father had bee one of the officer in charge of ... Calcuta
H: Watson This pase is a mess.
H: how do you any friends in town
M: Only one But we know of major Shawlto in his regiment, 34 Bombay street.
M: We communicated to the major, of course. But he did not seem to know of brethren officer in England.
H: It's a singular case.

* 四年後に不思議な新聞広告、自分の住所をたずねる、ためらったが通知する
M: I have not yet communicate to you the most singurar part. Four years later an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of miss Morston and stating but it had to be hard advantage to come forward. I had remained and pended.
M: I had at time just sent to the family Mrs. Sassel Forester,
capacity of governess and on her advice I publised my name and the advertisment call in.

* すると送付者不明の郵便物、中に大粒の真珠、何のメッセージもない
M: At the same day there appeared though the post small cardboad box trusted to me which I found to contain very larg lustrous pearl.No words writing were enclosed.

* それから毎年、大粒の真珠、でも不思議はこれだけでは
M: And since then every year on the same date as all the appeared
similar box containing a similar perl and no clues to the sender
they had been pronunced by ... ... considerable valued.
M: You coneive yourself that they are very handsome.
H: Your case is most interesting. Something else occurred to you.

* 今日、不思議な手紙が、差しだす
M: Yes and no later than today that is why I have come to you. This letter arrived throug the post this morning which will perhaps sweep yourself.
H: Envelop please.

* 封筒の点検
H: Arrived ... at October 7th. ... and stamp mark on Cronwell. Probably person. Best quality paper, 6 pences a package. It take care about them of the station.
H: Watson

* 内容は。指定の場所に友人を同伴と、もし警官がいたら話しはこわれると警告、さらに不公平な扱いから正当な境遇にと助言
W: Be at the third telephone of left outside to last drive at 7 o'clock. If you are distrustful, bring two friends. You are wrong woman and you should have justice. Do not bring the pollice and if you do, then all things being frail. Your unknown friend

H: Well really this is really pretty little ...
H: What do you intend to ? Miss Morston
M: That is exact what I want ask to you.

* どうすべきかと相談、ホームズとワトソンが友人として付き添いと、夕方に再会を約束
H: ... I shall ... together, Doctor Watson is the very man. Your correspondant says two friends.
M: But would you be to come ?
W: I shall be proud and happy if I can be service.
M: How you both very kind ... ... I've no friends I could appeal to. I reallly would be at six that will do.
H: Yes, but you mustn't be late. Good bye, Miss Morston
M: Good bye, Mr. and ...
W: Au revoir
M: Au revoir

* うつくしい依頼人に感嘆のワトソン、無感動のホームズをなじる、ホームズが反論
W: Very attractive woman
H: It is the first important ... judgement ... by personal quality
H: Client to me is the mere unit of facts and problems.
W: Holmes, you are an automaton and calculating machine. There is something positively human ...
H: I asure youw that the most winning woman I ever knew is hang ... poisoning and ensure the money.
most apparent man, my acquatance, is a phyrantropist
who expect ... to court of a million upon London poor.
W: However in this case ...
H: I never mak any exception.

* 原則どおり依頼人をあつかう、例外なし、一時間後の再会を、ホームズが外出
H: exception this true Mr. rule. I'm going out. See you an hour.

* 物語の展開
父の同僚のショールトは死亡、双子の息子がいる。その一人にあい、父親の不幸な顛末をしる。彼女にあたえられるべき財宝の存在をしる。この息子と三人は双子の兄のすむ館にむかう。この兄は父ののこした館を相続、行方不明となってた財宝を捜しだした。そのため弟が連絡しその財宝に案内しようとするのである。

ところが館について、兄が何者かに殺害され、財宝もきえた。ホームズはさっそく調査をおこなう。そこにスコットランド・ヤードからジョーンズ刑事がやってくる。兄に最後にあった弟を有力容疑者として連行しようとする。ホームズはこの事件には未知の二人の人物がいる。一人は片足が義足、もう一人はきわめて身軽な不思議な人物と指摘する。

ホームズは探偵犬や子どもたちからなる探偵団の助けをかりて犯人の所在を探知する。いよいよ警察と犯人の捕物劇がはじまる。場所はテームズ川、犯人は蒸気船で逃走をはかるが警察も蒸気船で追跡。ホームズの指揮により見事に犯人は逮捕、不思議な共犯者は射殺される。

ベイカー街にもどり犯人にきく。インド駐留時代にさかのぼる発端からショウールトとモーストンとの関係、四人の署名の由来があきらかになる。うばわれた財宝は追跡劇の中ですべてテームズ川に散布、すてられてしまったこともわかる。ジョーンズ刑事は犯人を連行する。部屋にはモーストン嬢と二人がのこる。

* モーストン嬢が二人の親切を何度も感謝してさる。ワトソン、この結末はあまりにも不公平といかる。手柄はジョーンズ刑事にホームズに何が

M: I feel most ashemed of you, Mr. Holmes and you dear Doctor Watson
M: I had to put youself to such pa... on my behalf
W: Oh that's all over and fogetten.
Hu: Mrs. Forester had sent her a carriage, Miss Morston
M: I don't pose on you gentlmen no longer. You, gentlmen, must be so exhausted ...
H: Is ... best reactions already upon me. I still ... don't we ?
M: I am so very grateful to you cleraing my father's name. I' m so very grateful to you, both.

W: Things're so unfair. You've done all work and bussiness. But ... Jones gets all credits. What remains for you ?

* 自分は面白い事件を解決した喜びが。最後に再度、ワトソンが彼女が魅力的だともらすと、ホームズは、そう、気づかなかったという。

H: For me pleasure of having, solved an interesting case on my single handed.
H: You not I pleasures, obliging it up. You are usual slowly ramantic star.

W: A very attractive woman.
H: Was she ? I haven't noticed it.
(end)
* 感想
推理小説というより冒険小説の要素がつよい。世界中に植民地をほこったビクトリア女王の時代である。随所にインドへの異国趣味が横溢し物語をかざってる。ホームズの有名な長編だから筋はしってる。文章の大意はすぐわかるが、あらためてきくと、どうしても音がとれないところ、文法上おかしいところに出あう。私の実力の問題だろう。ボイスレコーダーで半分に減速しても音がとれないところがある。まだまだ未熟である。

タグ：英語喉 上川一秋 ホームズ