I went home and showered and shaved and changed clothes and began to feel clean again.
change clothes
(着替える)
[動]
put on different clothes
feel clean
(清潔な気分になる)
[動]
have a feeling of being clean
私は家に帰り、シャワーを浴び、髭を剃り、着替え、再び清潔な気分になった。
I cooked some breakfast, ate it, washed up, swept the kitchen and the service porch, filled a pipe and called the phone answering service.
cook
(作る)
[動]
prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by combining and heating the ingredients in various ways
wash up
(洗い物をする)
[動]
wash one's hands and face
service porch
(勝手口)
[名]
a porch used for deliveries and service
私は朝食を作り、食べ、洗い物をして、台所と勝手口を掃除し、パイプに煙草を詰め、電話代行サービスに電話した。
I shot a blank.
blank
(空砲)
[名]
a cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet
私は空砲を撃った。
Why go to the office?
なぜ事務所に行くのか?
There would be nothing there but another dead moth and another layer of dust.
そこにはもう一匹の死んだ蛾ともう一層の埃以外何もないだろう。
In the safe would be my portrait of Madison.
金庫の中には私の描いたマディソンの肖像画があるだろう。
I could go down and play with that, and with the five crisp hundred dollar bills that still smelled of coffee.
hundred dollar bills
(百ドル紙幣)
[名]
a bill worth one hundred dollars
私は降りて行って、それで遊ぶことができた。そして、まだコーヒーの匂いがするパリッとした5枚の百ドル紙幣で。
I could do that, but I didn't want to.
私はそうすることができたが、そうしたくなかった。
Something inside me had gone sour.
go sour
(酸っぱくなる)
[動]
to become unpleasant or bad
私の中の何かが酸っぱくなっていた。
None of it really belonged to me.
どれも本当に私のものには思えなかった。
What was it supposed to buy?
何を買うつもりだったのか?
How much loyalty can a dead man use?
loyalty
(忠誠心)
[名]
the quality of being loyal
死んだ人間がどれだけの忠誠心を使えるだろうか?
Phooey: I was looking at life through the mists of a hangover.
くそっ、私は二日酔いのもやを通して人生を見ていた。
It was the kind of morning that seems to go on forever.
go on
(続く)
[動]
continue without stopping
永遠に続くように思える朝だった。
I was flat and tired and dull and the passing minutes seemed to fall into a void, with a soft whirring sound, like spent rockets.
flat
(無気力な)
[形]
lacking energy or enthusiasm
passing
(過ぎ去る)
[形]
going by
void
(虚空)
[名]
an empty space
whirring
(ヒューヒューと音を立てる)
[動]
make a continuous high-pitched sound
rocket
(ロケット)
[名]
a cylindrical projectile that can be propelled to a great height or distance by the combustion of its contents, used typically as a firework or signal
私は無気力で疲れ果て、退屈で、過ぎ去る時間が、使い果たしたロケットのように、柔らかくヒューヒューと音を立てて、虚空に落ちていくように思えた。
Birds chirped in the shrubbery outside and the cars went up and down Laurel Canyon Boulevard endlessly.
chirp
(さえずる)
[動]
make a short, high-pitched sound
go up and down
(行き来する)
[動]
move from one place to another
Laurel Canyon Boulevard
(ローレル・キャニオン大通り)
[名]
a street in Los Angeles
endlessly
(延々と)
[副]
for a very long time
外の植え込みで鳥がさえずり、車がローレル・キャニオン大通りを延々と行き来していた。
Usually I wouldn't even hear them.
普段はそんな音は聞こえない。
But I was brooding and irritable and mean and oversensitive.
brood
(考え込む)
[動]
to think about something in a sad or angry way
irritable
(イライラする)
[形]
easily annoyed or made angry
mean
(意地悪)
[形]
unkind or spiteful
oversensitive
(過敏)
[形]
too sensitive
しかし、私は考え込んでいて、イライラしていて、意地悪で、過敏だった。
I decided to kill the hangover.
私は二日酔いを治すことにした。
Ordinarily I was not a morning drinker.
ordinarily
(普段は)
[副]
under normal conditions
普段は朝酒を飲む方ではない。
The Southern California climate is too soft for it.
Southern California
(南カリフォルニア)
[名]
the southern part of the state of California
climate
(気候)
[名]
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
soft
(穏やか)
[形]
not rough or violent; mild, moderate, or slight
南カリフォルニアの気候はそれにはあまりにも穏やかだ。
You don't metabolize fast enough.
metabolize
(代謝する)
[動]
convert (food) into living tissue or energy
代謝が十分に速くない。
But I mixed a tall cold one this time and sat in an easy chair with my shirt open and pecked at a magazine, reading a crazy story about a guy that had two lives and two psychiatrists, one was human and one was some kind of insect in a hive.
easy chair
(安楽椅子)
[名]
a comfortable padded armchair
しかし、今回は背の高い冷たいものを混ぜて、シャツを開けて安楽椅子に座り、雑誌をつついて、2つの人生と2人の精神科医を持つ男についての狂った話を読んでいた。1人は人間で、もう1人は巣箱の中の昆虫の一種だった。
The guy kept going from one to the other and the whole thing was as crazy as a crumpet, but funny in an off-beat sort of way.
one to the other
(次から次へと)
[名]
from one thing to another
whole thing
(全体)
[名]
everything
その男は次から次へと行き続け、全体がクランペットのように狂っていたが、風変わりな方法で面白かった。
I was handling the drink carefully, a sip at a time, watching myself.
sip
(一口)
[名]
a small mouthful of liquid
私は飲み物を注意深く扱い、一口ずつ飲み、自分自身を観察していた。
I was slow getting down there because I stopped on the way for a sandwich.
sandwich
(サンドイッチ)
[名]
two pieces of bread with a layer of food between them
途中でサンドイッチを食べるために立ち寄ったので、そこまで行くのが遅くなった。
I aired out the office and switched on the buzzer and poked my head through the communicating door and she was there already, sitting in the same chair where Mendy Menendez had sat and looking through what could have been the same magazine.
air out
(換気する)
[動]
ventilate
switch on
(鳴らす)
[動]
turn on
私は事務所の換気をしてブザーを鳴らし、内扉から頭を突き出したが、彼女はすでにそこにいて、メンディ・メネンデスが座っていたのと同じ椅子に座り、同じ雑誌かもしれないものを眺めていた。
She had a tan gabardine suit on today and she looked pretty elegant.
彼女は今日は黄褐色のギャバジンのスーツを着ていて、かなり優雅に見えた。
She put the magazine aside, gave me a serious look and said:
put aside
(脇に置く)
[動]
to not consider or think about something
give a look
(見る)
[動]
to direct one's gaze at someone or something
彼女は雑誌を脇に置き、私を真面目な顔で見て言った。
I held the door open for her.
私は彼女のためにドアを開けた。
The hell with the Boston fern.
the hell with
(どうでもいい)
[名]
an expression of anger or annoyance
ボストンシダなんてどうでもいい。
When she was inside and I had let the door swing shut I held the customer's chair for her and she gave the office the usual once-over.
be inside
(中に入る)
[動]
be in the interior of something
swing shut
(閉める)
[動]
move or cause to move back and forth or from one side to another
once-over
(ざっと見渡す)
[名]
a quick examination or inspection
彼女が中に入り、私がドアを閉めると、私は彼女のために客用の椅子を用意し、彼女はいつものように事務所をざっと見渡した。
I got around to my side of the desk.
私は机の自分の側に回った。
“A five-thousand-dollar bill.
five-thousand-dollar
(五千ドル)
[名]
a unit of money equal to 100 cents
「五千ドル札。
Retainer. I've got it in the safe.”
着手金。金庫に入れてある。」
I got up and started over there.
start
(向かう)
[動]
go or travel toward a place
私は立ち上がってそこに向かった。
I spun the knob and opened it and unlocked a drawer inside, opened an envelope, and dropped it in front of her.
私はノブを回して開け、中の引き出しの鍵を開け、封筒を開けて彼女の前に落とした。
She stared at it in something like amazement.
amazement
(驚き)
[名]
a feeling of great surprise or wonder
彼女は驚きのようなものでそれを見つめた。
“Don't let the office fool you,” I said.
fool
(騙す)
[動]
deceive or trick
「事務所に騙されてはいけない」と私は言った。
“I worked for an old boy one time that would cash in at about twenty millions.
old boy
(老いた男)
[名]
a man who has been at a particular school
one time
(かつて)
[名]
a particular occasion or event
cash in
(現金で受け取る)
[動]
to exchange something for money
twenty millions
(2000万)
[名]
a very large number
「私はかつて、約2000万ドルを現金で受け取る老いた男のために働いていた。
Even your old man would say hello to him.
あなたの父親でさえ彼に挨拶するだろう。
His office was no better than mine, except he was a bit deaf and had that soundproofing stuff on the ceiling.
no better than
(より良いところはない)
[形]
not any better than
deaf
(耳が遠い)
[形]
unable to hear or hear well
soundproofing
(防音)
[名]
the process of making a room or building soundproof
彼の事務所は私の事務所より良いところはなかったが、彼は少し耳が遠く、天井に防音材を貼っていた。
On the floor brown linoleum, no carpet.”
on the floor
(床に)
[前]
on the ground
carpet
(カーペット)
[名]
a floor covering made of thick woven fabric
床には茶色のリノリウムが敷いてあり、カーペットは敷いていなかった。」
She pushed the bill away from her, frowning.
彼女は眉をひそめながら、その紙幣を押しのけた。
“He had one. He carried it on him ever since he and Sylvia were married the second time.
ever since
(ずっと)
[副]
from the time that
「彼は持っていたよ。彼はシルヴィアと二度目の結婚をしてからずっとそれを持ち歩いていた。
He called it his mad money.
mad money
(非常用資金)
[名]
a small amount of money kept for emergencies or unexpected expenses
彼はそれを自分の非常用資金と呼んでいた。
It was not found on his body.”
be found
(見つかる)
[動]
to be discovered or noticed
彼の遺体からは見つからなかったよ」
“And what were you supposed to do for it, Mr. Marlowe?
「そして、あなたはそのために何をすることになっていたの、マーロウさん?
Or would you tell me?
それとも教えてくれる?
On that last ride down to Tijuana he had plenty of time to talk.
ティファナへの最後のドライブで彼は話す時間が十分にあった。
You made it very clear the other evening that you didn't believe his confession.
make it clear
(はっきりと示す)
[動]
to make something easy to understand
other evening
(先日の夜)
[名]
the evening of the day before the present day
あなたは先日の夜、彼の自白を信じていないことをはっきりと示した。
Did he give you a list of his wife's lovers so that you might find a murderer among them?”
lover
(愛人)
[名]
a person having a sexual or romantic relationship with someone, often outside marriage
彼はあなたに妻の愛人のリストを渡して、その中から殺人者を見つけられるようにしたのか?」
“And would the name of Roger Wade appear on that list by any chance?” she asked harshly.
appear
(載っている)
[動]
be presented to the sight or mind
「そして、ロジャー・ウェードの名前は、ひょっとしてそのリストに載っているだろうか?」と彼女は厳しく尋ねた。
“If Terry didn't kill his wife, the murderer would have to be some violent and irresponsible man, a lunatic or a savage drunk.
irresponsible
(無責任な)
[形]
not showing or having a proper sense of responsibility
「もしテリーが妻を殺さなかったなら、殺人者は暴力的で無責任な男、狂人、あるいは野蛮な酔っぱらいでなければならない。
Only that sort of man could, to use your own repulsive phrase, beat her face into a bloody sponge.
repulsive
(嫌な)
[形]
causing a feeling of disgust
phrase
(言い回し)
[名]
a small group of words that forms a unit
あなた自身の嫌な言い回しを使うと、そのような男だけが彼女の顔を血まみれのスポンジに殴打することができる。
Is that why you are making yourself so very useful to the Wades--a regular mother's helper who comes on call to nurse him when he is drunk, to find him when he is lost, to bring him home when he is helpless?”
make oneself useful
(役に立つ)
[動]
to be helpful
mother's helper
(母親の助手)
[名]
a person who helps a mother with her children or with housework
come on call
(電話で呼び出される)
[動]
to be summoned by telephone
nurse
(看病する)
[動]
to care for a sick or injured person
だからあなたはウェード家でとても役に立っているのですか? 彼が酔っ払ったときに看病し、彼が迷子になったときに見つけ、彼がどうしようもないときに家に連れて帰るために、電話で呼び出される母親の助手なのですか?」
“Let me set you right on a couple of points, Mrs. Loring.
set right
(正しいことを言う)
[動]
to correct or make right
「2、3点、正しいことを言わせてください、ローリング夫人。
Terry may or may not have given me that beautiful piece of engraving.
may or may not
(かもしれないし、ないかもしれない)
[助]
expressing possibility
engraving
(彫刻)
[名]
the art of cutting designs into a hard surface
テリーは私にあの美しい彫刻をくれたかもしれないし、くれなかったかもしれない。
But he gave me no list and mentioned no names.
mention
(挙げる)
[動]
refer to briefly
しかし、彼は私にリストを渡さず、名前も挙げなかった。
There was nothing he asked me to do except what you seem to feel sure I did do, drive him to Tijuana.
彼が私に頼んだことは、あなたが私がやったと確信しているように見える、彼をティファナまで連れて行くこと以外には何もなかった。
My getting involved with the Wades was the work of a New York publisher who is desperate to have Roger Wade finish his book, which involves keeping him fairly sober, which in turn involves finding out if there is any special trouble that makes him get drunk.
involve
(必要)
[動]
require as a necessary logical consequence
turn
(必要)
[名]
a change of direction, position, or course
special
(特別)
[形]
better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual or common
私がウェード家に関わるようになったのは、ロジャー・ウェードに本を完成させようと必死になっているニューヨークの出版社の仕事で、彼をかなりしらふに保つことが必要で、そのためには彼を酔わせる特別な問題がないかどうかを調べる必要があった。
If there is and it can be found out, then the next step would be an effort to remove it.
もし問題があって、それが判明したら、次のステップはそれを解決する努力になる。
I say effort, because the chances are you couldn't do it.
努力と言うのは、おそらくあなたにはできないだろうからだ。
But you could try.”
でも、試すことはできる」
I went back and sat on the corner of the desk.
私は戻って机の角に座った。
“You're getting bitchy, Mrs. Loring. Why?
get bitchy
(意地悪になる)
[動]
become mean or spiteful
「あなたは意地悪になってきたよ、ローリング夫人。なぜ?
Are you carrying a torch for our alcoholic friend?”
carry a torch
(恋する)
[動]
to be in love with someone who does not love you back
alcoholic
(アルコール中毒)
[名]
a person who has a strong desire to drink alcohol and who does not have control over their drinking
あなたは私たちのアルコール中毒の友人に恋しているの?」
“I hate remarks like that,” she said bitingly.
bitingly
(辛辣に)
[副]
in a sharp or sarcastic way
「私はそのような発言は嫌い」と彼女は辛辣に言った。
“I hate them. I suppose that idiotic scene my husband made makes you think you have the right to insult me.
idiotic
(馬鹿げた)
[形]
extremely stupid or foolish
「私は彼らが嫌い。私の夫が作った馬鹿げた場面があなたに私を侮辱する権利があると思わせているのでしょうね。
No, I am not carrying a torch for Roger Wade.
いいえ、私はロジャー・ウェードに恋していません。
I never did--even when he was a sober man who behaved himself.
私はそうしたことは一度もなかった--彼が素面で自分を律していた時でさえ。
Still less now that he is what he is.”
still less
(なおさら)
[副]
to an even smaller extent or degree
what he is
(今のような状態)
[名]
the state that he is in now
彼が今のような状態になってからはなおさらです」
“You people with a lot of money are really something,” I said.
「あなたたちお金持ちは本当にすごいね」と私は言った。
“You think anything you choose to say, however nasty, is perfectly all right.
choose
(選ぶ)
[動]
pick from a number of options
perfectly
(まったく)
[副]
in a way that is complete or correct in every way
「どんなにひどいことを言っても、まったく問題ないと思っている。
You can make sneering remarks about Wade and his wife to a man you hardly know, but if I hand you back a little change, that's an insult.
sneering
(嘲笑的な)
[形]
showing contempt or scorn
change
(お返し)
[名]
the act or process of becoming different
あなたはほとんど知らない男にウェードとその妻について嘲笑的な発言をすることができるが、私があなたに少しお返しをすると、それは侮辱になる。
Okay, let's play it low down.
low
(低く)
[副]
at or to a low level or position
よし、低く弾こう。
Any drunk will eventually turn up with a loose woman.
eventually
(やがて)
[副]
in the end; finally
turn up
(現れる)
[動]
to arrive or appear
どんな酔っ払いも、やがてふしだらな女と現れる。
Wade is a drunk, but you're not a loose woman.
ウェードは酔っ払いだが、あなたはふしだらな女ではない。
That's just a casual suggestion your high-bred husband drops to brighten up a cocktail party.
high-bred
(育ちの良い)
[形]
of good breeding
drop
(言う)
[動]
to say something casually
brighten up
(盛り上げる)
[動]
to make more cheerful or lively
それはあなたの育ちの良い夫がカクテルパーティーを盛り上げるために言う何気ない提案に過ぎない。
He doesn't mean it, he's just saying it for laughs.
彼はそれを本気で言っているのではなく、ただ笑いのために言っているだけだ。
So we rule you out, and look for a loose woman elsewhere.
rule out
(除外する)
[動]
to prevent the occurrence or effectiveness of
だから私たちはあなたを除外して、他の場所でふしだらな女を探す。
How far do we have to look, Mrs. Loring--to find one that would involve you enough to bring you down here trading sneers with me?
trade
(交わす)
[動]
exchange something for something else
ローリング夫人、どれだけ遠くを見渡せば、あなたをここまで連れてきて、私と冷笑を交わすほどあなたを巻き込むような女性を見つけられるだろうか?
It has to be somebody rather special, doesn't it--otherwise why should you care?”
かなり特別な誰かであるに違いない、そうでなければなぜあなたが気にかけるのか?」
She sat perfectly silent, just looking.
彼女はただ見つめながら、完全に沈黙して座っていた。
A long half minute went by.
長い30秒が過ぎた。
The corners of her mouth were white and her hands were rigid on her gabardine bag that matched her suit.
corner
(端)
[名]
the place where two or more lines or edges meet
gabardine
(ギャバジン)
[名]
a smooth, durable, tightly woven fabric, typically of worsted or cotton, used especially for raincoats, suits, and uniforms
彼女の口の端は白く、彼女の手はスーツに合ったギャバジンバッグに硬直していた。
“You haven't exactly wasted your time, have you?” she said at last.
「あなたは時間を無駄にしたわけではないのね?」と彼女はついに言った。
“How convenient that this publisher should have thought of employing you!
「この出版社があなたを雇おうと思ったなんて、なんて都合がいいの!
So Terry named no names to you!
だからテリーさんはあなたに名前を言わなかったんだ!
But it really didn't matter, did it, Mr. Marlowe?
でも、それは本当に問題ではなかったでしょう、マーロウさん?
Your instinct was unerring.
instinct
(直感)
[名]
a natural ability that makes you know something without having to think about it
unerring
(間違っていない)
[形]
making no mistakes
あなたの直感は間違っていなかった。
May I ask what you propose to do next?”
propose
(提案する)
[動]
put forward a plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written one, for consideration or discussion by others
次に何をするつもりか聞いてもいいかな?」
“Just between the two of us,” I said, “you're getting pretty corny.
between the two of us
(ここだけの話)
[名]
a secret between two people
「ここだけの話」と私は言った。「君は随分と陳腐になってきたな。
So Wade knew your sister.
つまりウェードは君の妹を知っていたんだ。
Thanks for telling me, however indirectly.
indirectly
(間接的)
[副]
not directly
教えてくれてありがとう。間接的ではあったけど。
I already guessed it.
すでに推測していた。
So what?
so
(だから)
[接]
for that reason; therefore
だから何?
He's just one of what was most likely a fairly rich collection.
just one
(1つにすぎない)
[名]
a single item
fairly rich
(かなり豊富な)
[形]
quite a lot
collection
(コレクション)
[名]
a gathering of things
彼はおそらくかなり豊富なコレクションの1つにすぎない。
Let's leave it there.
そこに置いておこう。
And let's get around to why you wanted to see me.
そして、あなたが私に会いたかった理由に話を移そう。
That kind of got lost in the shuffle didn't it?”
get lost
(失われる)
[動]
to become unable to find your way
shuffle
(混乱)
[名]
a state of confusion or disorder
そういうのは混乱の中で失われてしまったね?」