THE NAVAL TREATY

海軍条約文書

THE JULY which immediately succeeded my marriage was made memorable by three cases of interest, in which I had the privilege of being associated with Sherlock Holmes and of studying his methods. I find them recorded in my notes under the headings of “The Adventure of the Second Stain,” “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty,” and “The Adventure of the Tired Captain.” The first of these, however, deals with interests of such importance and implicates so many of the first families in the kingdom that for many years it will be impossible to make it public. No case, however, in which Holmes was engaged has ever illustrated the value of his analytical methods so clearly or has impressed those who were associated with him so deeply. I still retain an almost verbatim report of the interview in which he demonstrated the true facts of the case to Monsieur Dubugue of the Paris police, and Fritz von Waldbaum, the well-known specialist of Dantzig, both of whom had wasted their energies upon what proved to be side-issues. The new century will have come, however, before the story can be safely told. Meanwhile I pass on to the second on my list, which promised also at one time to be of national importance and was marked by several incidents which give it a quite unique character.

私が結婚直後の七月は / 忘れられないものとなった / 興味深い三つの事件で / その事件で私は恩恵を受けた / シャーロックホームズと一緒に行動するという / 彼の手法を研究するという◆私のノートの中にそれらが記録されている / 表題の元に / 「第二の汚点の冒険」 / 「海軍条約文書の冒険」 / 「疲れた船長の冒険」 / しかし、最初のものは / 非常に重要で複雑な利害関係がある / 英国の沢山の上流階級との / そのため長い年月の間公開することは不可能だ◆しかしホームズが関ったどの事件も / 彼の分析的手法の値打ちを際立たせたものはなく / 彼と関係を持った人間にこれほどまでに深い印象を与えたものはない◆私はいまだにほとんど聞いたとおりの会談の記録を持っている / その中で彼は事件の真相を立証している / パリ警察のデュビュク氏 / そしてフリッツ・フォン・ヴァルトバウム / ダンツィヒの著名な専門家に / 両者とも派生的な問題と後に分かったことに精力を費やしていた◆しかし、新しい世紀が来ているだろう / この事件が安全に語れるようになるまでに◆それまでの間私はリストの二番目に移ろう / これも一時は国家的に重要な事件と見られていたし / その事件を極めて特異な性格とする様々な出来事に彩られていた

During my school-days I had been intimately associated with a lad named Percy Phelps, who was of much the same age as myself, though he was two classes ahead of me. He was a very brilliant boy and carried away every prize which the school had to offer, finishing his exploits by winning a scholarship which sent him on to continue his triumphant career at Cambridge. He was, I remember, extremely well connected, and even when we were all little boys together we knew that his mother’s brother was Lord Holdhurst, the great conservative politician. This gaudy relationship did him little good at school. On the contrary, it seemed rather a piquant thing to us to chevy him about the playground and hit him over the shins with a wicket. But it was another thing when he came out into the world. I heard vaguely that his abilities and the influences which he commanded had won him a good position at the Foreign Office, and then he passed completely out of my mind until the following letter recalled his existence:

私は学生のころ / パーシー・フェルプスという少年と親しくしていた / 彼は私とほぼ同じ年頃だった / しかし彼は私より二年上級だった◆彼は非常に優秀な少年で / 学校が設けるあらゆる賞を総なめにしていた / 快挙の仕上げに奨学金を得た / それで彼は順風満帆の学歴を続けることとなった / ケンブリッジ大学で◆彼は / 私の記憶では / 素晴らしい親類がいた / 我々は小さな少年だった頃でさえ / 我々は知っていた彼の母方のおじはホールドラスト卿だと / 大物保守政治家の◆この派手な親類は学校ではあまり役に立たなかった◆それどころか / 我々にはちょっと刺激的なことに思えた / 遊び場で彼を追い掛け回して / クリケットのゴールに膝を打たせるのが◆しかし実社会に出ると事情は違った◆私は風の便りに聞いた / 彼が振るう能力と影響力が / 外務省で彼を良い立場に押し上げたと / しかしその後彼は完全に私の記憶から消えていた / 次のような手紙が彼の存在を思い出させるまで

Briarbrae, Woking.

ブライアブレー、ウォーキング

MY DEAR WATSON:

ワトソン様

I have no doubt that you can remember “Tadpole” Phelps, who was in the fifth form when you were in the third. It is possible even that you may have heard that through my uncle’s influence I obtained a good appointment at the Foreign Office, and that I was in a situation of trust and honour until a horrible misfortune came suddenly to blast my career.

「おたまじゃくし」フェルプスはきっと記憶にあると思います / あなたが三年生のときに五年生だった◆私のことをお聞き及びかもしれません / 叔父の影響力を背景に / 私は外務省でいい役職に付いています / そして私は信頼と尊敬を得てきました / 突然私の経歴を粉々にする恐ろしい災難が起きるまで

There is no use writing the details of that dreadful event. In the event of your acceding to my request it is probable that I shall have to narrate them to you. I have only just recovered from nine weeks of brain-fever and am still exceedingly weak. Do you think that you could bring your friend Mr. Holmes down to see me? I should like to have his opinion of the case, though the authorities assure me that nothing more can be done. Do try to bring him down, and as soon as possible. Every minute seems an hour while I live in this state of horrible suspense. Assure him that if I have not asked his advice sooner it was not because I did not appreciate his talents, but because I have been off my head ever since the blow fell. Now I am clear again, though I dare not think of it too much for fear of a relapse. I am still so weak that I have to write, as you see, by dictating. Do try to bring him.

この恐ろしい出来事の詳細を書くことは出来ません◆あなたが私の懇願をかなえてくれたなら / 直接お話することになるでしょう◆私は九週間の脳炎からやっと回復したばかりで / まだ非常に病弱の状態です◆あなたの友人のシャーロックホームズ氏を連れてきていただけないでしょうか？ / この事件に関して彼の意見をぜひとも伺いたいのです / 警察はこれ以上はどうしようもないと言っていますが◆是非、彼に来てもらえるように頑張ってみてください / 出来るだけ早く◆一分が一時間にも思えます / この恐ろしい不安な状態で生きていると◆彼に良く分かってもらってください / 私が彼の助言をもっと早く聞きに行かなかったとしても / それは彼の才能を認識していなかったからではなく / この出来事があって以来私は人事不省の状態にあったからだということを◆今、私の意識は明瞭です / もちろんぶり返しがないとはいえませんが◆私は、ご覧のとおり代筆で手紙を書かねば成らない程体調が戻っていません◆何とか彼を連れてきて下さい

Your old school-fellow,

学校の旧友

PERCY PHELPS.

パーシー・フェルプス

There was something that touched me as I read this letter, something pitiable in the reiterated appeals to bring Holmes. So moved was I that even had it been a difficult matter I should have tried it, but of course I knew well that Holmes loved his art, so that he was ever as ready to bring his aid as his client could be to receive it. My wife agreed with me that not a moment should be lost in laying the matter before him, and so within an hour of breakfast-time I found myself back once more in the old rooms in Baker Street.

この手紙を読んで心を動かされるものがあった / ホームズを連れてきて欲しいと何度も懇願するちょっと哀れな◆私は非常に同情したので / 仮に難しい事だとしてもあえてやってみていただろう / しかしもちろん私はホームズが彼の仕事を愛していると知っていた / そのために彼はいつでも助力をする準備をしていた / 彼の依頼人がそれを受けられるように◆私の妻は賛成してくれた / 一刻も早くこの件をホームズに託すべきだと / そして朝食から一時間以内に / 私はベーカー街のかつての部屋をもう一度訪れていた

Holmes was seated at his side-table clad in his dressing-gown and working hard over a chemical investigation. A large curved retort was boiling furiously in the bluish flame of a Bunsen burner, and the distilled drops were condensing into a two-litre measure. My friend hardly glanced up as I entered, and I, seeing that his investigation must be of importance, seated myself in an armchair and waited. He dipped into this bottle or that, drawing out a few drops of each with his glass pipette, and finally brought a test-tube containing a solution over to the table. In his right hand he held a slip of litmus-paper.

ホームズはガウンを着てサイドテーブルに向かって座り / 熱心に化学実験をしていた◆大きな彎曲した蒸留器が / ブンゼンバーナーの炎で激しく沸騰していて / 2リットル容器に蒸留された雫が滴り落ちていた◆ホームズは私が入ってきてもほとんどこちらを見なかった / 私は / 彼の実験が重要なのだと分かり / 肘掛け椅子に座って待った◆彼はあちこちの瓶を掴んでは / ガラスのピペットでそれぞれ何滴かずつ吸い取り / そして遂に溶液が入った試験管をテーブルの上に持ってきた◆右手にはリトマス紙を持っていた

“You come at a crisis, Watson,” said he. “If this paper remains blue, all is well. If it turns red, it means a man’s life.” He dipped it into the test-tube and it flushed at once into a dull, dirty crimson. “Hum! I thought as much!” he cried. “I will be at your service in an instant, Watson. You will find tobacco in the Persian slipper.” He turned to his desk and scribbled off several telegrams, which were handed over to the page-boy. Then he threw himself down into the chair opposite and drew up his knees until his fingers clasped round his long, thin shins.

「大変な局面のところに来たね、ワトソン」 / 彼は言った◆「もしこの紙が青いままなら何も問題はない◆もし赤に変わったら、男の命に関わる」 / 彼が試験管の中にそれを浸すと / すぐに鈍い濁った赤に変わった◆「フム、思っていた通りだ！」 / 彼は叫んだ◆「すぐに君の用事にかかるから、ワトソン◆煙草はペルシャスリッパの中にある」 / 彼は机に向かい、何通かの電報を走り書きし / ボーイにそれを手渡した◆それから、彼は向かいの椅子に体を投げ出し / 膝を立てて細い脛の前で指を組んだ

“A very commonplace little murder,” said he. “You’ve got something better, I fancy. You are the stormy petrel of crime, Watson. What is it?”

「ごくありたきりのちょっとした殺人だ」 / 彼は言った◆「君はもっといいものを持ってきたようだな◆君は犯罪のウミツバメだ / ワトソン◆どんな事件だ？」

I handed him the letter, which he read with the most concentrated attention.

私は彼に手紙を手渡した / 彼はそれを非常に集中して読んだ

“It does not tell us very much, does it?” he remarked as he handed it back to me.

「あまり詳しく書いてないね」 / 彼はそれを私に戻しながら言った

“Hardly anything.”

「ほとんど何もないな」

“And yet the writing is of interest.”

「しかし筆跡は面白いな」

“But the writing is not his own.”

「しかし、彼のものではないが」

“Precisely. It is a woman’s.”

「その通り◆女性のものだ」

“A man’s surely,” I cried.

「間違いなく男だろう」 / 私は叫んだ

“No, a woman’s, and a woman of rare character. You see, at the commencement of an investigation it is something to know that your client is in close contact with someone who, for good or evil, has an exceptional nature. My interest is already awakened in the case. If you are ready we will start at once for Woking and see this diplomatist who is in such evil case and the lady to whom he dictates his letters.”

「いや / 女性だ / しかも、なかなか見ない性格の女だ◆いいか / 調査の始めの時点で / ちょっと面白いことに / 君の依頼人は密に接触している / 善悪は分からんが、変わった性格の人物と◆この事件に僕はすでに興味を掻きたてられたよ◆もし準備が出来きているなら / すぐにウォーキングに出発して / そこまで大変な目に遭っているこの外交官に会いに行き / 彼の手紙を口述筆記した女性にも会おう」