Heart of Darkness — Page 12
And as I looked at the map of it in a shop-window, it fascinated me as a snake would a bird—a silly little bird.
そして店の窓にかかったその地図を眺めていると、まるで蛇が鳥を魅了するように——馬鹿げた小さな鳥を——私はすっかり魅せられてしまった。
Then I remembered there was a big concern, a Company for trade on that river.
それから私は、その川での交易を行う大きな会社があることを思い出した。
Dash it all! I thought to myself, they can't trade without using some kind of craft on that lot of fresh water—steamboats!
まったく、と私は心の中で思った、あれほど広い淡水域を航行する何らかの船なしには交易などできるはずがない——蒸気船だ！
Why shouldn't I try to get charge of one?
その一隻を任せてもらえるよう試みてみてはどうだろう？
I went on along Fleet Street, but could not shake off the idea.
私はフリート街を歩き続けたが、その考えが頭から離れなかった。
The snake had charmed me.
蛇は私を魅了していた。
"You understand it was a Continental concern, that Trading society; but I have a lot of relations living on the Continent, because it's cheap and not so nasty as it looks, they say.
「わかるだろうが、あの交易会社は大陸の企業だった。しかし私には大陸に住んでいる親戚がたくさんいる。なぜなら、見かけほど悪くなくて物価が安いから、と彼らは言う。
"I am sorry to own I began to worry them.
「恥ずかしながら、私は彼らを悩ませ始めたのだ。
This was already a fresh departure for me.
これはすでに私にとって新たな出発だった。
I was not used to get things that way, you know.
そんなやり方で物事を進めることには慣れていなかったのだ。
I always went my own road and on my own legs where I had a mind to go.
私はいつも行きたいと思う場所へ、自分の道を自分の足で歩いていた。
I wouldn't have believed it of myself; but, then—you see—I felt somehow I must get there by hook or by crook.
自分がそんなことをするとは思いもしなかった。しかし——わかるだろう——なんとしてでもそこへ行かなければならないという気持ちが湧いてきたのだ。
So I worried them.
だから私は彼らを煩わせた。
The men said 'My dear fellow,' and did nothing.
男たちは「やあ、君」と言うだけで何もしなかった。
Then—would you believe it?—I tried the women.
そこで——信じられるか——私は女性たちに頼ってみた。
I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work—to get a job.
このチャーリー・マーロウが、職を得るために女性たちを動かしたのだ。
Heavens!
なんということだ！
Well, you see, the notion drove me.
まあ、わかるだろう、その考えが私を突き動かしていたのだ。
I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul.
私には叔母がいて、熱心で愛すべき人だった。
She wrote: 'It will be delightful.
彼女はこう書いてきた。「それは素晴らしいことでしょう。
Vocabulary
- そして
- soshite — and then; and; therefore
- かかった
- kakatta — took (time/money); cost; hung; caught
- その
- sono — that; that kind of; the said
- 地図
- chizu — map; chart; diagram
- 眺めて
- nagamete — gazing at; viewing; looking out over
- まるで
- marude — just like; exactly as; as if; seemingly
- 魅了
- miryō — fascination; enchantment; captivation
- する
- suru — to do; to perform; to make
- よう
- yō — way; manner; appearance; seems like
- 馬鹿げた
- bakageta — absurd; ridiculous; foolish; preposterous
- 小さな
- chiisana — small; little; tiny; petite
- すっかり
- sukkari — completely; entirely; totally; thoroughly
- しまった
- shimatta — finished; ended; done for; unfortunately
- それから
- sorekara — after that; then; afterwards; since
- 交易
- kōeki — trade; commerce; exchange of goods
- 行う
- okonau — to carry out; to perform; to conduct
- 大きな
- ōkina — big; large; great; considerable in size
- 会社
- kaisha — company; corporation; business; firm
- ある
- aru — to exist; to be; to have; there is
- こと
- koto — thing; matter; fact; event; case
- 思い出した
- omoidashita — remembered; recalled; recollected from memory
- まったく
- mattaku — completely; entirely; absolutely; not at all
- 思った
- omotta — thought; considered; felt; believed
- 広い
- hiroi — wide; broad; spacious; vast; extensive
- 航行
- kōkō — navigation; sailing; voyage; passage by ship
- 何らか
- naniraka — some kind of; any; some; one way or another
- なし
- nashi — without; none; pear fruit; nothing
- など
- nado — etc.; and so on; and the like; such as
- できる
- dekiru — can; be able to; be possible; feasible
- はず
- hazu — should; ought to; must; be supposed to
- ない
- nai — not; no; none; there is not
- 蒸気船
- jōkisen — steamship; steam-powered vessel; paddle steamer
- 一隻
- isseki — one (counter for ships); one vessel
- 任せて
- makasete — entrust to; leave to; rely on someone
- もらえる
- moraeru — can receive; be able to get; be given
- 試みて
- kokoromite — attempt; try; endeavor; make an effort
- どう
- dō — how; in what way; what; which way
- だろう
- darō — probably; likely; I suppose; I expect
- 考え
- kangae — thought; idea; view; opinion; conception
- から
- kara — from; since; because; out of; after
- 離れ
- hanare — separate; distance; gap; detach; move away
- なかった
- nakatta — was not; did not; there was not
- いた
- ita — was; were; was doing; have been
- わかる
- wakaru — understand; comprehend; grasp; know; realize
- あの
- ano — that; that kind of; the said; that over there
- 大陸
- tairiku — continent; mainland; vast land area
- 企業
- kigyō — enterprise; corporation; company; business; firm
- だった
- datta — was; were; have been; past form of copula
- しかし
- shikashi — but; however; yet; nevertheless; still
- 住んで
- sunde — live; reside; dwell; inhabit; staying
- いる
- iru — be; exist; stay; live; am; are; is
- 親戚
- shinseki — relative; relation; family connection; kinship
- たくさん
- takusan — a lot; many; much; plenty; large amount
- なぜなら
- nazenara — because; for the reason that; since; as
- 見かけ
- mikake — appearance; looks; impression; what one sees
- ほど
- hodo — extent; degree; as much as; about; to the point
- 悪く
- waruku — badly; poorly; wrong; amiss; not good
- 物価
- bukka — price level; commodity prices; cost of living
- 安い
- yasui — cheap; inexpensive; low-priced; reasonable; easy
- 彼ら
- karera — they; them; those people; that group
- 言う
- iu — say; tell; speak; talk; utter; mention
- 恥ずかしながら
- hazukashinagara — shamefully; embarrassingly; I must confess; though embarrassed
- 始めた
- hajimeta — began; started; commenced; initiated; began to
- これ
- kore — this; this thing; this one; these things
- すでに
- sudeni — already; yet; by now; formerly; before
- とって
- totte — take; catch; grab; pick; seize; for
- 新たな
- aratana — new; fresh; novel; latest; recent; another
- 出発
- shuppatsu — departure; setting off; leaving; exit; start
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