The King in Yellow — Page 3
He laid down his hammer and read me the history of the suit, traced since 1450 from owner to owner until it was acquired by Thomas Stainbridge.
彼はハンマーを置き、その甲冑の来歴を私に読み聞かせてくれた。それは1450年以来、所有者から所有者へと受け継がれ、ついにトーマス・ステインブリッジの手に渡ったものだった。
When his superb collection was sold, this client of Hawberk's bought the suit, and since then the search for the missing greave had been pushed until it was, almost by accident, located in Paris.
彼の素晴らしいコレクションが売りに出されたとき、ホーバークの顧客であるこの人物がその甲冑を購入し、それ以来、失われた脛当ての捜索が続けられ、ほとんど偶然にもパリで発見されたのだった。
"Did you continue the search so persistently without any certainty of the greave being still in existence?" I demanded.
「脛当てがまだ現存しているという確証もなしに、そこまで執拗に捜索を続けたのですか？」と私は尋ねた。
"Of course," he replied coolly.
「もちろんです」と彼は涼しい顔で答えた。
Then for the first time I took a personal interest in Hawberk.
そのとき初めて、私はホーバークという人物に個人的な関心を抱いた。
"It was worth something to you," I ventured.
「それはあなたにとって何か利益になったのでしょう」と私は思い切って言った。
"No," he replied, laughing, "my pleasure in finding it was my reward."
「いいえ」と彼は笑いながら答えた。「それを見つけた喜びこそが、私への報酬でした。」
"Have you no ambition to be rich?" I asked, smiling.
「金持ちになりたいという野心はないのですか？」と私は微笑みながら尋ねた。
"My one ambition is to be the best armourer in the world," he answered gravely.
「私の唯一の野心は、世界最高の甲冑師になることです」と彼は真剣な面持ちで答えた。
Constance asked me if I had seen the ceremonies at the Lethal Chamber.
コンスタンスは、私が致死室での式典を見たかどうかを尋ねた。
She herself had noticed cavalry passing up Broadway that morning, and had wished to see the inauguration, but her father wanted the banner finished, and she had stayed at his request.
彼女自身もその朝、ブロードウェイを騎兵隊が通り過ぎるのを目にしており、式典を見たいと思っていたのだが、父親が旗の仕上げを望んでいたため、彼の頼みに応じて留まっていたのだった。
"Did you see your cousin, Mr. Castaigne, there?" she asked, with the slightest tremor of her soft eyelashes.
「あなたのいとこのカスターニュさんをそこでお見かけになりましたか？」と彼女は、柔らかな睫毛をかすかに震わせながら尋ねた。
"No," I replied carelessly. "Louis' regiment is manœuvring out in Westchester County."
「いいえ」と私は何気なく答えた。「ルイの連隊はウェストチェスター郡で演習中ですよ。」
I rose and picked up my hat and cane.
私は立ち上がり、帽子と杖を手に取った。
"Are you going upstairs to see the lunatic again?" laughed old Hawberk.
「また上の階へ、あの狂人に会いに行くのかね？」と老ホーバークは笑った。
Vocabulary
- 彼
- kare — He; that person (male third-person pronoun).
- は
- wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the sentence topic.
- ハンマー
- hanmā — Hammer; a striking tool.
- を
- wo — Object-marking particle indicating direct object.
- 置き
- oki — To place or set something down somewhere.
- その
- sono — That; referring to something near the listener.
- 甲冑
- katchū — Armor and helmet; traditional Japanese or medieval armor.
- の
- no — Possessive or linking particle connecting nouns.
- 来歴
- raireki — History; background or provenance of an object.
- 私
- watashi — I; first-person singular pronoun.
- に
- ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or indirect object.
- 読み聞かせ
- yomikikase — Reading aloud to someone; storytelling by reading.
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verbs or clauses.
- くれ
- kure — To give (a favor) to the speaker; imperative form.
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary indicating completed action.
- それ
- sore — That; pronoun referring to something near listener.
- 年
- nen — Year; counter for years.
- 以来
- irai — Since; ever since a particular point in time.
- 所有者
- shoyūsha — Owner; person who possesses or holds something.
- から
- kara — From; particle indicating starting point or cause.
- へ
- e — To; directional particle indicating movement toward something.
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle connecting elements.
- 受け継が
- uketsuga — To inherit or pass down through generations.
- れ
- re — Passive auxiliary verb suffix indicating passive voice.
- ついに
- tsui ni — Finally; at last; after a long time.
- 手
- te — Hand; also used to mean possession or care.
- 渡っ
- watatt(e) — To pass over to; to be transferred or handed over.
- もの
- mono — Thing; object; something tangible or abstract.
- だっ
- datt(a) — Past copula; was/were (informal past of だ).
- 素晴らしい
- subarashii — Wonderful; magnificent; splendid; excellent.
- コレクション
- korekushon — Collection; an assembled group of items.
- が
- ga — Subject-marking particle indicating grammatical subject.
- 売り
- uri — Sale; selling; act of putting something up for sale.
- 出さ
- dasa — To put out; to offer for sale or present.
- とき
- toki — Time; moment; occasion when something happens.
- 顧客
- kokyaku — Customer; client; regular patron of a business.
- で
- de — Particle indicating location, means, or context.
- ある
- aru — To exist; to be; copula for inanimate things.
- この
- kono — This; referring to something near the speaker.
- 人物
- jinbutsu — Person; individual; notable figure or character.
- 購入
- kōnyū — Purchase; act of buying something formally.
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form; and; listing reasons or actions.
- 失わ
- ushinawa — To lose; to be deprived of something.
- 脛当て
- suneate — Greaves; armor protecting the shins or lower legs.
- 捜索
- sōsaku — Search; investigation; systematic hunt for something.
- 続け
- tsuzuke — To continue; to keep doing something without stopping.
- られ
- rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
- ほとんど
- hotondo — Almost; mostly; nearly all of something.
- 偶然
- gūzen — Coincidence; by chance; accidental occurrence.
- も
- mo — Also; even; too; inclusive particle.
- 発見
- hakken — Discovery; finding something previously unknown.
- さ
- sa — Nominalizing suffix or sentence-final casual particle.
- まだ
- mada — Still; yet; not yet; continuing state.
- 現存
- genzon — Still existing; currently surviving or extant.
- いる
- iru — To exist; to be (animate); continuing state.
- という
- to iu — Called; said to be; that (quotative expression).
- 確証
- kakushō — Definite proof; firm evidence; conclusive confirmation.
- なし
- nashi — None; without; lacking; does not exist.
- そこ
- soko — There; that place; that point or degree.
- まで
- made — Until; up to; as far as; to that extent.
- 執拗
- shitsuyō — Persistent; tenacious; stubbornly relentless in pursuit.
- です
- desu — Polite copula; is/are; formal sentence ending.
- か
- ka — Question particle placed at end of a sentence.
- 尋ね
- tazune — To ask; to inquire; to question someone.
- もちろん
- mochiron — Of course; naturally; certainly; without doubt.
- 涼しい
- suzushii — Cool; calm and composed; unruffled in demeanor.
- 顔
- kao — Face; facial expression; appearance.
- 答え
- kotae — Answer; reply; response to a question.
- 初めて
- hajimete — For the first time; never done before.
- 個人的
- kojinteki — Personal; individual; relating to oneself privately.
- な
- na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
- 関心
- kanshin — Interest; concern; attention toward something.
- 抱い
- dakai/idakai — To hold; to harbor (a feeling or interest).
- あなた
- anata — You; second-person singular pronoun (polite).
- とっ
- tott(e) — For; as for; regarding (contracted form of とって).
- 何か
- nanika — Something; anything; some kind of thing.
- 利益
- rieki — Profit; benefit; advantage gained from something.
- なっ
- natt(e) — To become; to turn into (contracted connective form).
- でしょう
- deshō — Probably; I suppose; conjecture or polite assertion.
- 思い切っ
- omoikitta/omoikitt(e) — To make up one's mind; to decide boldly.
- 言っ
- itt(e) — To say; to tell; to express in words.
- いいえ
- iie — No; a polite negative response.
- 笑い
- warai — Laughter; smile; act of laughing.
- ながら
- nagara — While; simultaneously doing two actions.
- 見つけ
- mitsuke — To find; to discover; to locate something.
- 喜び
- yorokobi — Joy; delight; happiness; pleasure in something.
- こそ
- koso — Emphatic particle stressing the preceding word.
- 報酬
- hōshū — Reward; compensation; remuneration for effort.
- でし
- deshi — Polite past copula (contracted form of でした).
- 金持ち
- kanemochi — Wealthy person; someone who has a lot of money.
- なり
- nari — To become; connective form of なる.
- たい
- tai — Want to do; expresses desire to perform an action.
- 野心
- yashin — Ambition; drive; strong desire for achievement.
- ない
- nai — Not; negative auxiliary indicating absence or negation.
- 微笑み
- hohoemi — Smile; gentle facial expression of happiness.
- 唯一
- yuiitsu — Only; sole; unique; the one and only.
- 世界
- sekai — World; the entire globe or realm of existence.
- 最高
- saikō — Best; highest; supreme; greatest of all.
- 甲冑師
- katchūshi — Armorsmith; craftsman who makes armor and helmets.
- なる
- naru — To become; to turn into something.
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; nominalized action or state.
- 真剣
- shinken — Serious; earnest; grave in attitude or intent.
- 面持ち
- omochi — Expression; look on one's face; facial demeanor.
- 式典
- shikiten — Ceremony; formal ritual or official event.
- 見
- mi — To see; to look at; to witness something.
- どう
- dō — How; in what way; what do you think.
- 彼女
- kanojo — She; her; girlfriend (female third-person pronoun).
- 自身
- jishin — Oneself; personally; by one's own self.
- 朝
- asa — Morning; early part of the day.
- 騎兵隊
- kiheitai — Cavalry; a military unit of soldiers on horseback.
- 通り過ぎる
- tōrisugiru — To pass by; to go past a place or person.
- 目
- me — Eye; gaze; point of view or attention.
- おり
- ori — To be; to exist (humble or literary form of いる).
- 思っ
- omott(e) — To think; to feel; to consider something.
- い
- i — Connective form of いる indicating ongoing state.
- だ
- da — Informal copula; is/are; plain form of です.
- 父親
- chichioya — Father; one's male parent.
- 旗
- hata — Flag; banner; standard carried or displayed.
- 仕上げ
- shiage — Finishing; final completion of a task or work.
- 望ん
- nozond(e) — To wish for; to desire; to hope for something.
- ため
- tame — For the sake of; in order to; because of.
- 頼み
- tanomi — Request; favor; act of asking someone for help.
- 応じ
- ōji — To respond to; to comply with a request.
- 留まっ
- todomatt(e) — To stay; to remain; to stop at a place.
- いとこ
- itoko — Cousin; child of one's aunt or uncle.
- さん
- san — Honorific suffix; Mr./Ms./Mrs. attached to names.
- お
- o — Honorific prefix indicating politeness or respect.
- 見かけ
- mikake — Appearance; outward look; to happen to see.
- まし
- mashi — Polite past auxiliary (part of ました ending).
- 柔らか
- yawaraka — Soft; gentle; tender in texture or manner.
- 睫毛
- matsuge — Eyelashes; the hairs growing on the eyelids.
- かすか
- kasuka — Faint; slight; barely perceptible; subtle.
- 震わせ
- furuwase — To make tremble; to cause to quiver or shake.
- 何気
- nanige — Casual; nonchalant; acting as if unconcerned.
- なく
- naku — Without; not doing; negative connective form.
- 連隊
- rentai — Regiment; a large military unit of soldiers.
- 郡
- gun — County; administrative district below prefecture level.
- 演習
- enshū — Military drill; exercise; training maneuver.
- 中
- chū / naka — Inside; middle; during; in the midst of.
- よ
- yo — Sentence-final particle asserting or informing listener.
- 立ち上がり
- tachiagari — To stand up; to rise from a seated position.
- 帽子
- bōshi — Hat; cap; headwear worn on the head.
- 杖
- tsue — Cane; walking stick used for support.
- 取っ
- tott(e) — To take; to pick up; to grab something.
- また
- mata — Again; also; once more; in addition.
- 上
- ue — Up; above; upper floor; higher position.
- 階
- kai — Floor; story of a building; level.
- あの
- ano — That (over there); referring to something distant.
- 狂人
- kyōjin — Madman; lunatic; person acting irrationally.
- 会い
- ai — To meet; to encounter someone in person.
- 行く
- iku — To go; to move toward a destination.
- ね
- ne — Sentence-final particle seeking agreement or confirmation.
- 老
- rō — Old; aged; prefix meaning elderly or venerable.
- 笑っ
- waratt(e) — To laugh; to smile; to chuckle at something.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →