Chapter 6
IV
Dr. Armstrong came out to the terrace. He stood there hesitating. To his left were Blore and Lombard. To his right was Wargrave, slowly pacing up and down, his head bent down.
Armstrong, after a moment of indecision, turned towards the latter.
But at that moment Rogers came quickly out of the house.
“Could I have a word with you, sir, please?”
Armstrong turned.
He was startled at what he saw.
Rogers’ face was working. It’s colour was grayish green. His head shook.
It was such a contrast to his restraint of a few minutes ago that Armstrong was quite taken aback.
“Please sir, if I could have a word with you. Inside, sir.”
The doctor turned back and reentered the house with the frenzied butler. He said:
“What’s the matter, man, pull yourself together.”
“In here, sir, come in here.”
He opened the dining door. The doctor passed in. Rogers followed him and shut the door behind him.
“Well,” said Armstrong, “what is it?”
The muscles of Rogers’ throat were working. He was swallowing. He jerked out:
“There’s things going on, sir, that I don’t understand.”
Armstrong said sharply:
“Things? What things?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy, sir. You’ll say it isn’t anything. But it’s got to be explained, sir. It’s got to be explained. Because it doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, man, tell me what it is. Don’t go on talking in riddles.”
Rogers swallowed again.
He said:
“It’s those little figures, sir. In the middle of the table. The little china figures. Ten of them, there were. I’ll swear to that, ten of them.”
Armstrong said:
“Yes, ten. We counted them last night at dinner.”
Rogers came nearer.
“That’s just it, sir. Last night, when I was cleaning up, there wasn’t but nine, sir. I noticed it and thought it queer. But that’s all I thought. And now, sir, this morning. I didn’t notice when I laid the breakfast. I was upset and all that.
“But now, sir, when I came to clear away. See for yourself if you don’t believe me.
“There’s only eight, sir! Only eight! It doesn’t make sense, does it? Only eight …”
注釈:
Dr. Armstrong came out to the terrace.
He stood there hesitating.
「hesitating」はここでは「ためらう、ちゅうちょする、口ごもる」の意の形容詞。ここでは「何か言おうか言うまいかためらって」の意。
To his left were Blore and Lombard.
To his right was Wargrave, slowly pacing up and down, his head bent down.
「pace」は「ゆっくり歩く(walk)」。「up and down」はここでは「行ったり来たり」。
Armstrong, after a moment of indecision, turned towards the latter.
「indecision」は「優柔不断、不決断(hesitation)」。「the latter」は「後者」、ここでは「Wargrave」を指します。
But at that moment Rogers came quickly out of the house.
“Could I have a word with you, sir, please?”
Armstrong turned.
He was startled at what he saw.
「startled」は「surprised, frightened, scared」。
Rogers’ face was working.
「work」はここでは「動く⇒ひきつる(twitch, quiver, convulse)」。
It’s colour was grayish green.
「grayish」は「灰色がかった」。「green」はここでは「青」。
His head shook.
It was such a contrast to his restraint of a few minutes ago that Armstrong was quite taken aback.
「restraint」は「抑制」。「be taken aback」で「非常に驚いた」。「such … that …」構文。
“Please sir, if I could have a word with you. Inside, sir.”
The doctor turned back and reentered the house with the frenzied butler.
「frenzied」はここでは「とり乱した(frantic, mad)」
He said:
“What’s the matter, man, pull yourself together.”
「pull oneself together」はここでは「冷静になる、しっかりする」の意。
“In here, sir, come in here.”
He opened the dining door. The doctor passed in. Rogers followed him and shut the door behind him.
“Well,” said Armstrong, “what is it?”
The muscles of Rogers’ throat were working. He was swallowing.
He jerked out:
「jerk out」はここでは「・・・をあえぎあえぎ言う」。
“There’s things going on, sir, that I don’t understand.”
「There’s」のあとに複数形が来るのは口語では一般的です。
Armstrong said sharply:
「sharply」はここでは「詰問調で」。
“Things? What things?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy, sir. You’ll say it isn’t anything. But it’s got to be explained, sir. It’s got to be explained.
Because it doesn’t make any sense.”
「make sense」はここでは「道理にかなう、意味がわかる」。
“Well, man, tell me what it is.
Don’t go on talking in riddles.”
「riddle」は「puzzle」。「talk in riddles」は「なぞめいたことを言う」。
Rogers swallowed again.
He said:
“It’s those little figures, sir. In the middle of the table. The little china figures. Ten of them, there were. I’ll swear to that, ten of them.”
Armstrong said:
“Yes, ten. We counted them last night at dinner.”
Rogers came nearer.
“That’s just it, sir. Last night, when I was cleaning up, there wasn’t but nine, sir.
I noticed it and thought it queer.
「queer」は「strange」。
But that’s all I thought. And now, sir, this morning.
I didn’t notice when I laid the breakfast.
「notice」は自動詞では「気をつける、注意する」「気づく」の意。
I was upset and all that.
「upset」はここでは「(感情的に)混乱した」。「and all that」は「その他いろいろ」の意の成句。
“But now, sir, when I came to clear away.
「clear away」はここでは「片付ける」。
See for yourself if you don’t believe me.
「see for yourself」は「自分で確かめてみる」。
“There’s only eight, sir! Only eight! It doesn’t make sense, does it? Only eight …”
IV
Dr. Armstrong came out to the terrace. He stood there hesitating. To his left were Blore and Lombard. To his right was Wargrave, slowly pacing up and down, his head bent down.
Armstrong, after a moment of indecision, turned towards the latter.
But at that moment Rogers came quickly out of the house.
“Could I have a word with you, sir, please?”
Armstrong turned.
He was startled at what he saw.
Rogers’ face was working. It’s colour was grayish green. His head shook.
It was such a contrast to his restraint of a few minutes ago that Armstrong was quite taken aback.
“Please sir, if I could have a word with you. Inside, sir.”
The doctor turned back and reentered the house with the frenzied butler. He said:
“What’s the matter, man, pull yourself together.”
“In here, sir, come in here.”
He opened the dining door. The doctor passed in. Rogers followed him and shut the door behind him.
“Well,” said Armstrong, “what is it?”
The muscles of Rogers’ throat were working. He was swallowing. He jerked out:
“There’s things going on, sir, that I don’t understand.”
Armstrong said sharply:
“Things? What things?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy, sir. You’ll say it isn’t anything. But it’s got to be explained, sir. It’s got to be explained. Because it doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, man, tell me what it is. Don’t go on talking in riddles.”
Rogers swallowed again.
He said:
“It’s those little figures, sir. In the middle of the table. The little china figures. Ten of them, there were. I’ll swear to that, ten of them.”
Armstrong said:
“Yes, ten. We counted them last night at dinner.”
Rogers came nearer.
“That’s just it, sir. Last night, when I was cleaning up, there wasn’t but nine, sir. I noticed it and thought it queer. But that’s all I thought. And now, sir, this morning. I didn’t notice when I laid the breakfast. I was upset and all that.
“But now, sir, when I came to clear away. See for yourself if you don’t believe me.
“There’s only eight, sir! Only eight! It doesn’t make sense, does it? Only eight …”
注釈:
Dr. Armstrong came out to the terrace.
He stood there hesitating.
「hesitating」はここでは「ためらう、ちゅうちょする、口ごもる」の意の形容詞。ここでは「何か言おうか言うまいかためらって」の意。
To his left were Blore and Lombard.
To his right was Wargrave, slowly pacing up and down, his head bent down.
「pace」は「ゆっくり歩く(walk)」。「up and down」はここでは「行ったり来たり」。
Armstrong, after a moment of indecision, turned towards the latter.
「indecision」は「優柔不断、不決断(hesitation)」。「the latter」は「後者」、ここでは「Wargrave」を指します。
But at that moment Rogers came quickly out of the house.
“Could I have a word with you, sir, please?”
Armstrong turned.
He was startled at what he saw.
「startled」は「surprised, frightened, scared」。
Rogers’ face was working.
「work」はここでは「動く⇒ひきつる(twitch, quiver, convulse)」。
It’s colour was grayish green.
「grayish」は「灰色がかった」。「green」はここでは「青」。
His head shook.
It was such a contrast to his restraint of a few minutes ago that Armstrong was quite taken aback.
「restraint」は「抑制」。「be taken aback」で「非常に驚いた」。「such … that …」構文。
“Please sir, if I could have a word with you. Inside, sir.”
The doctor turned back and reentered the house with the frenzied butler.
「frenzied」はここでは「とり乱した(frantic, mad)」
He said:
“What’s the matter, man, pull yourself together.”
「pull oneself together」はここでは「冷静になる、しっかりする」の意。
“In here, sir, come in here.”
He opened the dining door. The doctor passed in. Rogers followed him and shut the door behind him.
“Well,” said Armstrong, “what is it?”
The muscles of Rogers’ throat were working. He was swallowing.
He jerked out:
「jerk out」はここでは「・・・をあえぎあえぎ言う」。
“There’s things going on, sir, that I don’t understand.”
「There’s」のあとに複数形が来るのは口語では一般的です。
Armstrong said sharply:
「sharply」はここでは「詰問調で」。
“Things? What things?”
“You’ll think I’m crazy, sir. You’ll say it isn’t anything. But it’s got to be explained, sir. It’s got to be explained.
Because it doesn’t make any sense.”
「make sense」はここでは「道理にかなう、意味がわかる」。
“Well, man, tell me what it is.
Don’t go on talking in riddles.”
「riddle」は「puzzle」。「talk in riddles」は「なぞめいたことを言う」。
Rogers swallowed again.
He said:
“It’s those little figures, sir. In the middle of the table. The little china figures. Ten of them, there were. I’ll swear to that, ten of them.”
Armstrong said:
“Yes, ten. We counted them last night at dinner.”
Rogers came nearer.
“That’s just it, sir. Last night, when I was cleaning up, there wasn’t but nine, sir.
I noticed it and thought it queer.
「queer」は「strange」。
But that’s all I thought. And now, sir, this morning.
I didn’t notice when I laid the breakfast.
「notice」は自動詞では「気をつける、注意する」「気づく」の意。
I was upset and all that.
「upset」はここでは「(感情的に)混乱した」。「and all that」は「その他いろいろ」の意の成句。
“But now, sir, when I came to clear away.
「clear away」はここでは「片付ける」。
See for yourself if you don’t believe me.
「see for yourself」は「自分で確かめてみる」。
“There’s only eight, sir! Only eight! It doesn’t make sense, does it? Only eight …”