A Tale of Two Cities — Page 3

English → Japanese CHAPTER II. Level 8/10

As to the latter, when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in "the Captain's" pay, ranging from the landlord to the lowest stable non-descript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards.

後者については、すべての宿場や居酒屋が「船長」の手先を一人は抱えており、宿の主人から馬小屋の最も名もなき下働きに至るまで、それはほぼ確実なことと思われた。

So the guard of the Dover mail thought to himself, that Friday night in November, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, lumbering up Shooter's Hill, as he stood on his own particular perch behind the mail, beating his feet, and keeping an eye and a hand on the arm-chest before him, where a loaded blunderbuss lay at the top of six or eight loaded horse-pistols, deposited on a substratum of cutlass.

それゆえ、ドーバー郵便馬車の護衛はそう心中で考えていた。一七七五年十一月のその金曜日の夜、シューターズ・ヒルをゆっくりと登りながら、彼は馬車の後部にある自分専用の台に立ち、足踏みをして暖をとりながら、目と手を前方の武器箱に向けていた。その箱の中には、六丁か八丁の装填済み馬上ピストルの上に、装填されたブランダーバスが一丁載っており、その下にはカトラスが敷かれていた。

The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.

ドーバー郵便馬車はいつもの和やかな状態にあった。護衛は乗客を疑い、乗客は互いに、そして護衛を疑い、全員がほかの誰もかれもを疑っており、御者は馬以外には何も確信が持てなかった。その馬たちについては、旧約と新約の両聖書に誓っても良心が痛まないほど、旅に耐えられる代物ではないと断言できた。

"Wo-ho!" said the coachman. "So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!--Joe!"

「どーどー！」と御者は言った。「さあ！もう一踏ん張りで頂上だぞ、まったく呪われろ、ここまで来るのにどれだけ苦労したと思ってる！――ジョー！」

"Halloa!" the guard replied.

「おーい！」護衛は答えた。

"What o'clock do you make it, Joe?"

「今何時だ、ジョー？」

"Ten minutes, good, past eleven."

「十一時を十分はたっぷり過ぎてます。」

"My blood!" ejaculated the vexed coachman, "and not atop of Shooter's yet! Tst! Yah! Get on with you!

「なんてこった！」苛立った御者は叫んだ。「まだシューターズの頂上にも着いてないのか！ちっ！やい！さっさと進め！」

Vocabulary

後者: kōsha — The latter of two previously mentioned things.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or indirect object.
つい: tsui — Unintentionally; before one realizes it.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the subject of discussion.
すべて: subete — All; everything; every single one.
の: no — Possessive or linking particle between nouns.
宿場: shukuba — Post town; a rest stop along old travel routes.
や: ya — Particle meaning 'and' listing non-exhaustive items.
居酒屋: izakaya — Japanese pub serving alcohol and small food dishes.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle or conjunctive 'but.'
船長: senchō — Ship captain; commander of a vessel.
手先: tesaki — Henchman; someone used as a tool by another.
を: wo — Object-marking particle indicating the direct object.
一人: hitori — One person; alone.
抱え: kakae — To employ or hold someone under one's charge.
おり: ori — Humble or literary form of 'to be' (いる).
宿: yado — Inn; lodging place for travelers.
主人: shujin — Owner; master of a household or establishment.
から: kara — Particle meaning 'from' indicating starting point.
馬小屋: umagoya — Stable; a building where horses are kept.
最も: mottomo — Most; the highest degree of something.
名も: na mo — Even a name; used in phrase meaning nameless.
なき: naki — Without; lacking (literary attributive negation).
下働き: shitabataraki — Menial worker; someone doing low-level labor.
至る: itaru — To reach; to extend all the way to.
まで: made — Particle meaning 'until' or 'as far as.'
それ: sore — That; referring to something previously mentioned.
ほぼ: hobo — Almost; nearly; approximately.
確実: kakujitsu — Certain; definite; reliable without doubt.
な: na — Adjectival ending for na-adjectives modifying nouns.
こと: koto — Thing; fact; nominalization of verb phrases.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and,' 'with,' or quotation marker.
思わ: omowa — Stem form of 'to think' (思う) before passive ending.
れ: re — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending.
ゆえ: yue — Therefore; for that reason (literary expression).
郵便: yūbin — Mail; postal service.
馬車: basha — Horse-drawn carriage for transporting people.
護衛: goei — Guard; escort protecting a person or vehicle.
そう: sō — So; that way; indicating agreement or conjecture.
心中: shinchū — One's innermost thoughts; in one's heart/mind.
で: de — Particle indicating location of action or means.
考え: kangae — Thought; idea; to think or consider.
い: i — Stem of いる; being or existing continuously.
年: nen — Year; counter for years.
十一月: jūichigatsu — November; the eleventh month of the year.
その: sono — That (adjective); referring to a specific item.
金曜日: kin'yōbi — Friday; the sixth day of the week.
夜: yoru — Night; the nighttime hours.
ゆっくり: yukkuri — Slowly; in an unhurried manner.
登り: nobori — Climbing; ascending upward.
ながら: nagara — While doing; simultaneous action conjunction.
彼: kare — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun.
後部: kōbu — Rear section; the back part of something.
ある: aru — To exist; to be (for inanimate objects).
自分: jibun — Oneself; one's own self.
専用: sen'yō — Exclusive use; reserved for a specific person.
台: dai — Platform; stand; counter for machines or vehicles.
立ち: tachi — Standing; stem form of 'to stand' (立つ).
足踏み: ashifumi — Stomping feet; marking time in place.
し: shi — Conjunctive form of する; 'and' listing actions.
暖: dan — Warmth; heat to keep the body warm.
とり: tori — Taking; getting (stem form of 取る).
目: me — Eye; gaze; vision.
手: te — Hand; arm.
前方: zenpō — Forward; the area ahead in front.
武器: buki — Weapon; armament used for fighting.
箱: hako — Box; container for storing items.
向け: muke — Aimed at; directed toward something.
中: naka — Inside; within; the interior of something.
か: ka — Question particle; or used between alternatives.
装填: sōten — Loading ammunition into a weapon; charging a firearm.
済み: zumi — Already completed; finished (suffix indicating completion).
馬上: bajō — On horseback; mounted on a horse.
ピストル: pisutoru — Pistol; a small handheld firearm.
上: ue — Above; on top of something.
さ: sa — Filler particle; softens or emphasizes a statement.
一丁: ichichō — One unit; counter for guns or tools.
載っ: nott(e) — Placed on top of; loaded onto a surface.
下: shita — Below; underneath; the lower position.
敷か: shika — Spread under; laid beneath as a surface.
いつも: itsumo — Always; usually; at all times.
和やか: nagoyaka — Peaceful; mild; harmonious in atmosphere.
状態: jōtai — State; condition; the current situation.
あっ: att(e) — Was; existed (conjunctive past form of ある).
乗客: jōkyaku — Passenger; person riding in a vehicle.
疑い: utagai — Suspicion; doubt about someone or something.
互い: tagai — Each other; mutual; reciprocal relationship.
そして: soshite — And then; moreover; continuing the story.
全員: zen'in — All members; every single person present.
ほか: hoka — Other; besides; the rest of something.
誰もかれも: dare mo kare mo — Everyone; every single person without exception.
疑っ: utagatt(e) — Suspected; doubted (conjunctive form of 疑う).
御者: gyosha — Coachman; driver of a horse-drawn carriage.
馬: uma — Horse; a large domesticated equine animal.
以外: igai — Other than; except; besides something mentioned.
何も: nani mo — Nothing; not anything (with negative verb).
確信: kakushin — Conviction; firm belief; certainty about something.
持て: mote — Potential form of 持つ; able to hold or have.
なかっ: nakatt(e) — Was not; did not exist (past negative form).
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people or living things.
旧約: kyūyaku — Old Testament; the Hebrew scriptures.
新約: shin'yaku — New Testament; the Christian scriptures.
両: ryō — Both; two together; a pair of things.
聖書: seisho — Bible; the holy scripture of Christianity.
誓っ: chikatt(e) — Swore; pledged solemnly (conjunctive form of 誓う).
も: mo — Also; even; too (inclusive particle).
良心: ryōshin — Conscience; one's inner moral sense.
痛ま: itama — To ache; to feel moral pain or remorse.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary; does not; is not.
ほど: hodo — To the extent that; about; approximately.
旅: tabi — Journey; travel; a trip to distant places.
耐え: tae — To endure; to withstand difficulty or hardship.
られる: rareru — Potential or passive auxiliary verb ending.
代物: shiromono — Item; thing (often with a nuance of evaluation).
断言: dangen — Declare; assert with absolute certainty.
でき: deki — Can do; is possible; able to accomplish.
言っ: itt(e) — Said; uttered (conjunctive form of 言う).
さあ: sā — Well now; come on; let's go (encouraging interjection).
もう: mō — Already; anymore; soon; expressing exasperation.
一: hito / ichi — One; a single unit or instance.
踏ん張り: funbari — Bracing; pushing hard with one's feet; perseverance.
頂上: chōjō — Summit; top; the highest point of something.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'it is.'
ぞ: zo — Sentence-ending particle adding emphasis or assertion.
まったく: mattaku — Completely; utterly; expressing frustration or agreement.
呪わ: norowa — Cursed; to put a curse on someone.
ここ: koko — Here; this place; the current location.
来る: kuru — To come; to arrive at a place.
どれだけ: dore dake — How much; to what extent; how many.
苦労: kurō — Hardship; effort; trouble endured over time.
思っ: omott(e) — Thought; believed (conjunctive form of 思う).
てる: teru — Colloquial form of ている; ongoing action.
おーい: ōi — Hey! A call to get someone's attention.
答え: kotae — Answer; response to a question.
今: ima — Now; the present moment.
何時: nanji — What time; asking the current hour.
十一時: jūichiji — Eleven o'clock; the eleventh hour.
十分: juppun / jūbun — Ten minutes; or sufficiently/enough.
たっぷり: tappuri — Plenty; amply; more than enough of something.
過ぎ: sugi — Past; exceeding; gone beyond a point in time.
ます: masu — Polite verb ending indicating formal speech.
なんて: nante — Such a thing as; expressing surprise or disdain.
苛立っ: iradatt(e) — Became irritated; grew impatient or agitated.
叫ん: sakebn(de) — Shouted; cried out loudly (conjunctive of 叫ぶ).
まだ: mada — Still; not yet; continuing state.
着い: tsui — Arrived; reached a destination (form of 着く).
さっさと: sassato — Quickly; hurry up; without wasting time.
進め: susume — Advance! Move forward! (imperative of 進む).

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