NO LIVING WITNESS, by Emile C. Tepperman
Originally published in Secret Agent X, June 1934.
(10)
Cronin stopped short on the staircase, his face gray with the realization of what he had done. He turned quickly, his arm coming backward in a short arc. His elbow jabbed Pell in the mouth, and the detective was thrown against the wall. Cronin faced him snarling. His right fist, balled into a vicious weapon of hard knuckles, was coming up in a smashing uppercut, when Pell’s gun began to roar. Three times it kicked as he pulled the trigger. The slugs caught Cronin in the chest, and he toppled down the steps with a frightful cry that was drowned by the reverberations of the gunshots in the narrow hallway. He was dead when he hit the landing.
意味と解説
Cronin stopped short / on the staircase, / his face gray / with the realization of what he had done.
クローニンは急に立ち止まった / 階段の上で / 彼の顔は灰色だった / 彼がなにをしたのか気づいて
〔註〕stop short は「急に・ぴたりと立ち止まる」。with the realization of は「～という気づきととともに」。言い換えると realizing that he had made a terrible mistake.
He turned quickly, his arm coming backward in a short arc.
彼はすばやく振り返った / 片腕がうしろに飛んできた / 短い弧を描きながら
〔註〕arc は「弧」。e. g., The sun moves across the sky in an arc.
His elbow jabbed Pell in the mouth, / and the detective was thrown / against the wall.
彼の肘がペルの口に一撃をくらわせた / そして巡査はうしろに飛ばされ / 壁にぶつかった
〔註〕jabbed Pell in the mouth は第七回の文法説明を参照のこと。
Cronin faced him snarling.
クローニンは歯を剥き出してうなりながら彼と向き合った
〔註〕snarl は犬などが歯を剥き出してうなるさまを示す動詞。
His right fist, / balled into a vicious weapon of hard knuckles, / was coming up in a smashing uppercut, / when Pell’s gun began to roar.
彼の右の拳は / 固い関節からなる残忍な武器に丸められた / 猛烈なアッパーカットなって下から突き上げてきた / ペルの銃が轟音をあげはじめたときに
〔註〕この文の主語は his right fist 、動詞は was coming up 。balled into ... hard knuckles は主語を修飾する形容詞句。ball into は「丸めて……の形にする」の意。into はＡという状態からＢという別の状態への「移行」を表している。a vicious weapon of hard knuckles の of は構成物とか材料を示す。e. g., a wall of stone.
Three times / it kicked / as he pulled the trigger.
三度 / それ（銃）は跳ね返った / 彼が引き金を引いたとき
〔註〕kick は銃を撃ったとき反動で銃がはねることを指す。
The slugs caught Cronin in the chest, / and he toppled down the steps / with a frightful cry / that was drowned / by the reverberations of the gunshots in the narrow hallway.
弾丸はクローニンの胸にあたった / そして彼は階段を転げ落ちた / おそろしい悲鳴とともに / （その悲鳴は）かきけされた / 狭い廊下にひびく銃撃音のこだまによって
〔註〕topple はふらふらして倒れることを指す。drown は「大きな音が小さな音を掻き消す」。reverberation は「こだま、反響音」。
He was dead when he hit the landing.
彼は死んでいた / 踊り場にぶつかったとき
文法の復習 with the realization of
よく似たフレーズとして with the recognition of..., with the awareness of..., with the understandig of..., with the knowledge of... などがある。「……に気づいて」「……を知って」の意味。
- She gasped with the realization of what the letter meant.
- He turned pale with the recognition of the man's voice.
- I froze with the awareness of someone standing behind me.
- They exchanged uneasy glances with the understanding of what would happen next.
- The children fell silent with the knowledge of their father's illness.
驚き、怖れを表す shock, surprise, horror, fear, dread などを使ったケースをあげておく。「……を怖れて」「……に驚いて」「……が恐くて」
- He staggered backward with the shock of the explosion.
- She stared at him with the surprise of seeing him alive.
- They were speechless with the horror of the discovery.
- The old woman trembled with the fear of being recognized.
- His face tightened with the dread of what lay ahead.
喜び、安堵、満足を表す relief, joy, happiness, satisfaction, comfort を使った例。
- She laughed with the relief of knowing her son was safe.
- His eyes shone with the joy of seeing his family again.
- They embraced with the happiness of a long-awaited reunion.
- He sighed with the satisfaction of a job well done.
- She smiled with the comfort of having friends nearby.
後悔、罪責の念、戸惑い、躊躇を表す shame, regret, guilt, embarrassment, uncertainty を使った例。
- He lowered his head with the shame of his failure.
- She burst into tears with the regret of having spoken so harshly.
- He sat in silence with the guilt of betraying his friend.
- They looked at one another with the embarrassment of being caught.
- She hesitated with the uncertainty of what to do.
自信、決心、確信、希望を表す confidence, determination, conviction, certainty, hope を使った例。
- He faced the crowd with the confidence of an experienced speaker.
- She continued with the determination of someone who refused to quit.
- They marched on with the conviction of fighting for a just cause.
- He answered calmly with the certainty of knowing he was right.
- She accepted the challenge with the hope of proving herself.
