I was on the point of asking him what that work might be, but something in his manner showed me that the question would be an unwelcome one. I pondered over our short conversation, however, and endeavoured to draw my deductions from it. He said that he would acquire no knowledge which did not bear upon his object. Therefore all the knowledge which he possessed was such as would be useful to him. I enumerated in my own mind all the various points upon which he had shown me that he was exceptionally well informed. I even took a pencil and jotted them down. I could not help smiling at the document when I had completed it. It ran in this way:

私は彼の仕事が何なのかを尋ねようとした / しかし彼の態度の何かが私にその質問はありがたくないものだと示した◆しかし、私はこの短い会話を何度も思い返した / そしてそこから私の推理を引き出そうと頑張った◆彼は言った / 彼の目的に関係ない知識は獲得しようとしないと◆したがって、彼が持っている全ての知識は彼にとって有用なものだろう◆私は心の中で列挙した / 全ての様々な点について / 彼が私に示していた / 彼が特によく理解している◆私は鉛筆を取り上げてそれらを書いてみたりさえした◆私はその文書を見て失笑を禁じえなかった / 私がそれを完成させた時◆それはこのようなものだった

Sherlock Holmes–his limits

シャーロックホームズ 彼の限界

1. Knowledge of Literature. –Nil.

1.文学の知識◆皆無

2. Knowledge of Philosophy. –Nil.

2.哲学の知識◆皆無

3. Knowledge of Astronomy. –Nil.

3.天文学の知識◆皆無

4. Knowledge of Politics. –Feeble.

4.政治学の知識◆貧弱

5. Knowledge of Botany. –Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.

5.植物学の知識◆様々◆ベラドンナ、阿片、毒草全般には詳しい◆実用的園芸に関しては知識がない

6. Knowledge of Geology. –Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.

6.地理の知識◆実用的 / しかし限界がある◆土壌を一目見ただけで違いを言い当てられる◆散歩の後 / ズボンの跳ねを私に見せて / その色と堅さで私に語った / ロンドンのどの場所でそれが付いたか

7. Knowledge of Chemistry. –Profound.

7.化学の知識◆深い

8. Knowledge of Anatomy. –Accurate, but unsystematic.

8.解剖学の知識◆正確 / しかし体系的でない

9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature. –Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.

9.異常な事件記録の知識◆膨大◆彼は今世紀に起きた惨事の全ての詳細を知っているようだ

10. Plays the violin well.

10.バイオリンを上手に弾く

11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.

11.熟練の木刀選手、ボクサー、剣士

12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.

12.イギリス法に関する極めて実用的な知識を保有

When I had got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. “If I can only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering a calling which needs them all,” I said to myself, “I may as well give up the attempt at once.”

私はここまでリストに書いた時 / あきらめてそれを暖炉に投げ入れた◆「見つける事さえできれば / この人物が何をしようとしているのか / これらの技能全てをまとめ上げることで / そしてこれら全てを必要とする天職を発見する事で」 / 私は自分に問い掛けた / 「いい加減にこんな試みは止めてもいいのに」

I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments. That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn’s Lieder, and other favourites. When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air. Leaning back in his armchair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee. Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy. Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of a whim or fancy, was more than I could determine. I might have rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole series of my favourite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience.

私は彼のバイオリンの腕前について言及した◆それは非常に素晴らしかった / しかし他の技能と同様で奇妙だった◆彼は楽曲を弾くことができた / それも難しい楽曲を / 私はよく分かった / 私の頼みで彼は私に弾いてくれたので / メンデルスゾーンのリートや他の好きな曲を◆しかし彼に任せていると / 彼はほとんど曲を奏でたり、聞き覚えのある旋律を弾いたりはしなかった◆夕方になると彼は肘掛け椅子にもたれかかり / 彼は目を閉じてぞんざいにバイオリンを弾いた / 膝の上にポンと置いた◆和音は時に朗々とそして陰鬱になった◆たまに幻想的かつ快活になった◆明らかにそれは彼が持っている考えを反映していた / しかし音楽がその考えを助けているのか / それとも演奏はただ気まぐれや思いつきの結果なのか / それは私の判断を越えていた◆私はこの腹立たしい独演会に文句を言っていたかもしれない / もし彼が大抵最後に / 私が好きな旋律全部を次々と弾かなかったら / 私の忍耐の試練に対する僅かな埋め合わせとして

During the first week or so we had no callers, and I had begun to think that my companion was as friendless a man as I was myself. Presently, however, I found that he had many acquaintances, and those in the most different classes of society. There was one little sallow, rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow, who was introduced to me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came three or four times in a single week. One morning a young girl called, fashionably dressed, and stayed for half an hour or more. The same afternoon brought a gray-headed, seedy visitor, looking like a Jew peddler, who appeared to me to be much excited, and who was closely followed by a slipshod elderly woman. On another occasion an old white-haired gentleman had an interview with my companion; and on another, a railway porter in his velveteen uniform. When any of these nondescript individuals put in an appearance, Sherlock Holmes used to beg for the use of the sitting-room, and I would retire to my bedroom. He always apologized to me for putting me to this inconvenience. “I have to use this room as a place of business,” he said, “and these people are my clients.” Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point-blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me. I imagined at the time that he had some strong reason for not alluding to it, but he soon dispelled the idea by coming round to the subject of his own accord.

最初に一週間ばかり訪問客はなかった / そして私は考え始めていた / この同居人は私と同じように友人がいないと◆しかし、まもなく / 私は彼に沢山の顔見知りがいると分かった / 非常に様々な階級の◆その一人に背の低い、土気色でネズミのような顔の黒い目をした人物がいた / 彼はレストレード氏だと紹介された / 彼は一週間に三・四回やって来た◆ある朝、若い女性が訪ねて来た / 流行の服を着て / そして三十分以上待っていた◆その日の午後には白髪交じりの / みすぼらしい訪問者が / ユダヤ人の行商人のような / 彼は私の目には非常に興奮しているように見えた / そしてそのすぐ後にはぞんざいな年配の女性がやって来た◆別の機会には / 白髪の老人が / ホームズと会談をしていた / また別の機会には / ベルベットの制服を来た駅のポーターが◆この得体の知れない人物達が現れると / ホームズは居間を使わせて欲しいと頼むのだった / そして私は寝室に引き下がった◆彼はいつも私に迷惑をかけてすまないと謝った◆「この部屋を仕事の場として使う必要がある」 / 彼は言った / 「あの人たちは僕の客なのだ」 / 私は再び彼に単刀直入な質問をする機会を得た / しかし再び私の繊細な気持ちが / 別の人間に私に打ち明けるように強要するのを阻んだ◆私はその時想像していた / 彼は何か私にそれを聞かないで欲しいという強い理由を持っていると / しかしすぐに彼はその疑念を晴らした / 彼が自らその話題をする事によって