14. THE PEROXIDE BLONDE
14．脱色した金髪の女
I was very disappointed with the results of Poirot's bomb attack on the premises in Chinatown. To begin with, the leader of the gang had escaped. When Japp's men rushed up in response to Poirot's whistle they found four Chinamen unconscious in the hall, but the man who had threatened me with death was not among them.
ポアロが使ったチャイナタウンの家でのガス爆弾の結果は残念なものだった。まず、あのリーダーには逃げられてしまった。ジャップがポアロの笛に応えて突入した時、中国人が４人倒れていたが、その中に私を殺すと脅した男はいなかったのだ。
I remembered afterwards that when I was forced out on to the doorstep, to decoy Poirot into the house, this man had kept well in the background. Presumably he was out of the danger zone of the gas bomb, and made good his escape by one of the many exits which we afterwards discovered.
後で思えば、私がポアロを誘い込むために外に出された時、彼は後ろの方に引っ込んでいた。おそらく、毒ガスの及ばないところにいて、後ほど我々が見つけた多くの出口のどれかから逃げ出しただろう。
From the four who remained in our hands we learnt nothing. The fullest investigation by the police failed to bring to light anything to connect them with the Big Four. They were ordinary low-class residents of the district, and they professed bland ignorance of the name Li Chang Yen. A Chinese gentleman had hired them for service in the house by the waterside, and they knew nothing whatever of his private affairs.
捕まえた４人からは何も得るところがなかった。警察での徹底的な取り調べにもかかわらず、ビッグ４との繋がりは突き止めることができなかった。もともとあの地域の低階層に暮らす者たちで、リー・チャン・イェンという名もまったく知らないという。中国人紳士に雇われて水辺のあの家で働いていただけで、彼の個人的なことは何も知らないというのだった。
By the next day I had, except for a slight headache, completely recovered from the effects of Poirot's gas bomb. We went down together to Chinatown and searched the house from which I had been rescued. The premises consisted of two ramshackle houses joined together by an underground passage.
翌日には、少々の頭痛を除いてはポアロのガス爆弾の影響はなくなっていた。私たちは一緒にチャイナタウンのあの家へ検分のために行ってみると、今にも倒れそうな二つの家が地下通路で繋がっていた。
The ground floors and the upper stories of each were unfurnished and deserted, the broken windows covered by decaying shutters. Japp had already been prying about in the cellars, and had discovered the secret of the entrance to the subterranean chamber where I had spent such an unpleasant half-hour.
双方とも、地上階と上の階は家具も何もなく、壊れた窓は腐敗しかけた鎧戸で覆われていた。ジャップは既に調査しており、私が30分の不愉快な時間を過ごした地下室への秘密の入り口も見つけていた。
Closer investigation confirmed the impression that it had made on me the night before. The silks on the walls and divan and the carpets on the floors were of exquisite workmanship. Although I know very little about Chinese art, I could appreciate that every article in the room was perfect of its kind.
更なる調査で、私の見たものが確認された。絹の壁掛けやカーペットは素晴らしい品物だった。私は中国細工に詳しくはないが、それでもあの部屋のものは完璧だとわかった。
With the aid of Japp and some of his men we conducted a most thorough search of the apartment. I had cherished high hopes that we would find documents of importance. A list, perhaps, of some of the more important agents of the Big Four, or cipher notes of some of their plans, but we discovered nothing of the kind.
ジャップとその部下と共に、私たちはその家を徹底的に調べた。私は重要な書類、例えばビッグ４の重要人物のリストや、何かの計画の暗号ノートなどを見つけられるのではないかと期待したが、そういったものは何も見つからなかった。
The only papers we found in the whole place were the notes which the Chinaman had consulted whilst he was dictating the letter to Poirot. These consisted of a very complete record of each of our careers, and estimate of our characters, and suggestions about the weaknesses through which we might best be attacked.
見つかったのは、私が書かされたポアロへの手紙の原稿だけだった。そこには、我々一人ひとりの詳細な経歴や性格の評価、つけば痛い弱点などが記されていた。
Poirot was most childishly delighted with this discovery. Personally I could not see that it was of any value whatever, especially as whoever compiled the notes was ludicrously mistaken in some of his opinions. I pointed this out to my friend when we were back in our rooms.
ポアロはこの発見を子供のように喜んだ。私にはこれが重要なものとは思えなかった。誰が作ったものか知らないが、いくつか馬鹿げた間違いもあったのだ。家に戻ってから、私はポアロにその点を話した。
"My dear Poirot," I said, "you know now what the enemy thinks of us. He appears to have a grossly exaggerated idea of your brain power, and to have absurdly underrated mine, but I do not see how we are better off for knowing this."
「ポアロ、いまや敵が私たちをどう思っているかわかったんだ。君の頭脳に関してはひどく大袈裟に捉えているようだし、私のことは過小評価している。これを知ったところで何もいいことはないと思えるんだが。」
Poirot chuckled in rather an offensive way.
ポアロはちょっと嫌な笑い方をした。
"You do not see, Hastings, no? But surely now we can prepare ourselves for some of their methods of attack now that we are warned of some of our faults. For instance my friend, we know that you should think before you act. Again, if you meet a red-haired young woman in trouble you should eye her—what you say—askance, is it not?"
「わからないのかい、ヘイスティングス？ これで私たちは、我々の弱点について忠告を受けたわけだから、彼らの攻撃に対して備えることができるじゃないか。例えば、君が動く前に考えるべきだということを我々は知っている。もし君が赤い髪の若い女性が困っているのを見たら、君は見てしまう。横目で・・と言うのかな？」
Their notes had contained some absurd references to my supposed impulsiveness, and had suggested that I was susceptible to the charms of young women with hair of a certain shade. I thought Poirot's reference to be in the worst of taste, but fortunately I was able to counter him.
彼らのノートには、私が衝動的であるとか、一定の髪色の若い女性の魅力に弱いとかいった馬鹿げたことが書かれていた。ポアロの言っていることは趣味が悪いと思ったが、幸い言い返すことができた。
