So it was that just after eleven o’clock last night, I found myself travelling by car through the elegant residential areas of the French Concession in the company of two officers from the Chinese secret police. We went down avenues lined with trees, last large houses, some entirely hidden behind high walls and hedges. Then we came through gates heavily guarded by men in gowns and hats, and halted in a graveled courtyard. A dark house, four or five stories high, stood before us.
Inside, the lights were low, and more guards lurked everywhere in the shadows. As I followed my escorts up the central staircase, I gained the impression the house had until recently belonged to a wealthy European, but had now, for some reason, fallen into the hands of the Chinese authorities; I could see crude notices and schedules pinned up on the walls right alongside exquisite works of Western and Chinese art.
To judge from its decor, the room I was shown into on the second floor had until recently contained a billiard table. There was now a yawning space in the middle of the room, around which I paced while I waited. After twenty minutes or so, I heard the sound of more cars arriving down in the courtyard, but when I tried to see out of the windows, I found these gave on to the gardens to the side of the house, and I could see nothing at all of the front.
It was perhaps another half-hour before I was finally fetched. I was escorted up another flight of stairs, then along a corridor past more guards. Then my escort stopped, and one of them pointed to a door several yards before us. I went the last lap alone, and entered what appeared to be a large study. There was thick carpet beneath my feet, and the walls were almost entirely lined with books. At the far end, where heavy drapes had been drawn across the bay windows, was a desk with a chair on either side of it. A reading lamp on the desk created a warm pool of light, but otherwise much of the room was in shadow. As I stood surveying my surroundings, a figure rose from behind the desk and, stepping carefully around it, gestured back to the chair he had vacated.
‘Why don’t you take this seat, Puffin?’
Uncle Philip said to me. ‘You remember, don’t you? You always loved to sit in my chair behind my desk.’
註釈：
So it was that just after eleven o’clock last night, I found myself travelling by car through the elegant residential areas of the French Concession in the company of two officers from the Chinese secret police.
「French Concession」は「フランス居留地、租界」。当時、フランスふぁけは自分たち独自の居留地を持っていました。「in the company of …」で「・・・と一緒に」。
We went down avenues lined with trees, last large houses, some entirely hidden behind high walls and hedges.
「line」はここでは「に沿って並べる」の意で、ここでは過去分詞として使われています。「木々が軒を連ねている大通り、・・・を下って行った」。「hedge」は「生垣」。
Then we came through gates heavily guarded by men in gowns and hats, and halted in a graveled courtyard.
「halt」は「止まる」。「graveled」は「砂利を敷いた」。「courtyard」は「中庭」。
A dark house, four or five stories high, stood before us.
「story」はここでは「階」。
Inside, the lights were low, and more guards lurked everywhere in the shadows.
「lurk」は「潜む」。
As I followed my escorts up the central staircase, I gained the impression the house had until recently belonged to a wealthy European, but had now, for some reason, fallen into the hands of the Chinese authorities;
「authorities」はここでは「当局」。
I could see crude notices and schedules pinned up on the walls right alongside exquisite works of Western and Chinese art.
「crude」はここでは「ぶっきらぼうな」。「exquisite」は「すばらしい」。「works」は「作品」。
To judge from its decor, the room I was shown into on the second floor had until recently contained a billiard table.
「decor」は「内装、装飾、飾り付け」。
There was now a yawning space in the middle of the room, around which I paced while I waited.
「yawning」は「（唖然とするほど）大きな」。
After twenty minutes or so, I heard the sound of more cars arriving down in the courtyard, but when I tried to see out of the windows, I found these gave on to the gardens to the side of the house, and I could see nothing at all of the front.
「give on to …」で「・・・に向いている」。
It was perhaps another half-hour before I was finally fetched.
「fetch」はここでは「連れて来る」。
I was escorted up another flight of stairs, then along a corridor past more guards.
「corridor」は「廊下」
Then my escort stopped, and one of them pointed to a door several yards before us.
I went the last lap alone, and entered what appeared to be a large study.
「lap」はここでは「１行程」。「study」は「書斎」。
There was thick carpet beneath my feet, and the walls were almost entirely lined with books.
At the far end, where heavy drapes had been drawn across the bay windows, was a desk with a chair on either side of it.
「drape」は「掛け布」。
A reading lamp on the desk created a warm pool of light, but otherwise much of the room was in shadow.
As I stood surveying my surroundings, a figure rose from behind the desk and, stepping carefully around it, gestured back to the chair he had vacated.
「surroundings」はここでは「周囲」。
‘Why don’t you take this seat, Puffin?’
Uncle Philip said to me. ‘You remember, don’t you? You always loved to sit in my chair behind my desk.’
Inside, the lights were low, and more guards lurked everywhere in the shadows. As I followed my escorts up the central staircase, I gained the impression the house had until recently belonged to a wealthy European, but had now, for some reason, fallen into the hands of the Chinese authorities; I could see crude notices and schedules pinned up on the walls right alongside exquisite works of Western and Chinese art.
To judge from its decor, the room I was shown into on the second floor had until recently contained a billiard table. There was now a yawning space in the middle of the room, around which I paced while I waited. After twenty minutes or so, I heard the sound of more cars arriving down in the courtyard, but when I tried to see out of the windows, I found these gave on to the gardens to the side of the house, and I could see nothing at all of the front.
It was perhaps another half-hour before I was finally fetched. I was escorted up another flight of stairs, then along a corridor past more guards. Then my escort stopped, and one of them pointed to a door several yards before us. I went the last lap alone, and entered what appeared to be a large study. There was thick carpet beneath my feet, and the walls were almost entirely lined with books. At the far end, where heavy drapes had been drawn across the bay windows, was a desk with a chair on either side of it. A reading lamp on the desk created a warm pool of light, but otherwise much of the room was in shadow. As I stood surveying my surroundings, a figure rose from behind the desk and, stepping carefully around it, gestured back to the chair he had vacated.
‘Why don’t you take this seat, Puffin?’
Uncle Philip said to me. ‘You remember, don’t you? You always loved to sit in my chair behind my desk.’
註釈：
So it was that just after eleven o’clock last night, I found myself travelling by car through the elegant residential areas of the French Concession in the company of two officers from the Chinese secret police.
「French Concession」は「フランス居留地、租界」。当時、フランスふぁけは自分たち独自の居留地を持っていました。「in the company of …」で「・・・と一緒に」。
We went down avenues lined with trees, last large houses, some entirely hidden behind high walls and hedges.
「line」はここでは「に沿って並べる」の意で、ここでは過去分詞として使われています。「木々が軒を連ねている大通り、・・・を下って行った」。「hedge」は「生垣」。
Then we came through gates heavily guarded by men in gowns and hats, and halted in a graveled courtyard.
「halt」は「止まる」。「graveled」は「砂利を敷いた」。「courtyard」は「中庭」。
A dark house, four or five stories high, stood before us.
「story」はここでは「階」。
Inside, the lights were low, and more guards lurked everywhere in the shadows.
「lurk」は「潜む」。
As I followed my escorts up the central staircase, I gained the impression the house had until recently belonged to a wealthy European, but had now, for some reason, fallen into the hands of the Chinese authorities;
「authorities」はここでは「当局」。
I could see crude notices and schedules pinned up on the walls right alongside exquisite works of Western and Chinese art.
「crude」はここでは「ぶっきらぼうな」。「exquisite」は「すばらしい」。「works」は「作品」。
To judge from its decor, the room I was shown into on the second floor had until recently contained a billiard table.
「decor」は「内装、装飾、飾り付け」。
There was now a yawning space in the middle of the room, around which I paced while I waited.
「yawning」は「（唖然とするほど）大きな」。
After twenty minutes or so, I heard the sound of more cars arriving down in the courtyard, but when I tried to see out of the windows, I found these gave on to the gardens to the side of the house, and I could see nothing at all of the front.
「give on to …」で「・・・に向いている」。
It was perhaps another half-hour before I was finally fetched.
「fetch」はここでは「連れて来る」。
I was escorted up another flight of stairs, then along a corridor past more guards.
「corridor」は「廊下」
Then my escort stopped, and one of them pointed to a door several yards before us.
I went the last lap alone, and entered what appeared to be a large study.
「lap」はここでは「１行程」。「study」は「書斎」。
There was thick carpet beneath my feet, and the walls were almost entirely lined with books.
At the far end, where heavy drapes had been drawn across the bay windows, was a desk with a chair on either side of it.
「drape」は「掛け布」。
A reading lamp on the desk created a warm pool of light, but otherwise much of the room was in shadow.
As I stood surveying my surroundings, a figure rose from behind the desk and, stepping carefully around it, gestured back to the chair he had vacated.
「surroundings」はここでは「周囲」。
‘Why don’t you take this seat, Puffin?’
Uncle Philip said to me. ‘You remember, don’t you? You always loved to sit in my chair behind my desk.’
