ローリング・ストーンズのBlack and Blueを借りてきて，それを聞きながら読みました。イアンランキンの本には必ずGold Ｄａｇｇｅｒ Ｗｉｎｎｅｒ Ａｎｄ Ｅｄｇａｒ Ｎｏｍｉｅｅといった肩書きがついています。Ian
Rankinが今あるのはこの作品のおかげのようで，邦訳もまずこの作品から登場したようです。
さて，前作 Mortal Causesでお上にたてついたためと思われますが，RebusはCraigmillarに転勤。どうも，居心地悪そう。相変わらず頼りになるのはBrian
HolmsにShiobern Clarke。１作に登場してそれきりになったJack Mortonが現在はGlasgowにいて，重要な役割をはたします。さすがに出世作だけあって，筋は横糸，縦糸と織られていて，かつ，Rebusは過去の事件もかんで身動きできない状況にあり。
前作ではもう絶対にアル中だった，リーバスは禁酒をはじめ，徐々にまとものなりそう。仕事か家庭かの選択を迫られていたBrianも気になるところ。スケールの大きい作品でした。
|
Austin
Reed |
Bannockbum |
Black
Bush |
|
Bob's
Rare Vinyl |
carotid
artery |
chalk
and cheese |
|
chutzpah |
Dearie
me |
dreich |
|
Furry
|
gen |
get
inklings |
|
hem
and haw |
In
a Broken Dream |
into
her spiel |
|
kohl |
Lose
yourself |
Nap
hand |
|
Orkzzeyinga
Saga |
OVD
or Black Heart |
Quid
pro quo |
|
rankle |
segued
into |
smirr |
|
sporran |
The
Book of Exodus |
west
coast drawl |
A fisherman in Stonehaven
had introduced him to the stuff. OVD or Black Heart, but he liked Black Heart
best. He liked the name.
"It's Brian."
Brian Holmes. Rebus opened the Black Bush and poured, listening. "Just to
say. . . well, thanks. Minto's recanted, so I'm off the hook. Hope I can return
the favour." No energy in the voice, a mouth tired of words. End message.
Rebus savoured the whiskey.
His credit-card bill: two
supermarkets, three off-licences, and Bob's Rare Vinyl.
Impulse buys one Saturday
afternoon, after a lunchtime sesh in the Ox-Freak out on single vinyl, mint;
The Velvet Underground, peel-off banana intact; Sergeant Pepper in mono with
the sheet of cut-outs. He'd yet to play any of them, already had scratchy
copies of the Velvets and Beatles.
Bob’s Rare Vinylはレコード店のようです。
"Thanks for getting back to me, sir. Two words really: Joseph Toal."
Ancram snorted. He had a
west coast drawl, nasal, always managing to sound a little condescending.
なまりには結構敏感なようです。西海岸はdrawl（アメリカ南部の発音の特徴だと思うのですが…）が特徴のようで
for there shall no straw
be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. The Book of Exodus.
「出エジプト記」ですね。［日本語訳］まで確認したかったのですが…
There was nothing
memorable about either face or figure, and the clothes were always
conservative: a suit from Austin Reed, shirt by Double 2. A well-dressed and
successful businessman.
The Scots language is
especially rich in words to do with the weather: "dreich" and
"smirr" are only two of them.
【スコットランド】ものさびしい
Only it wasn't real rain,
it was smirr, a fine spray-mist which drenched you before
you knew it. It was
blowing in from the west, moisture straight from the
【スコットランド】小ぬか雨
"Life and death
decisions. You can't afford to hem and haw.
口ごもる；確答を避ける(hum and haw)（ジーニアス大英和）
"Careful,
laddie."
The "laddie"
rankled; it was meant to.
"We can't all go
running to friends in Barlinnie! I'll see you around, Inspector..
「長く心にうずく」
When they asked you where
you were from, it sounded like they were saying "Furry boot ye fran?"
Thus,
やはり言葉の問題のようで，"Where are you from?"
今回はエジンバラを離れてグラスゴーそしてアバディーンさらにアバディーン近くの島へと移動します。かなり発音も違うようです。
It was Major Weir,
dressed in a kilt, sporran attached.
キルトのスカートをはいて，横につけている袋はsporranということがわかります。
Why did you name your
oilfield after an oatcake?"
Weir's face reddened with
sudden rage. "It's short for Bannockbum!"
【名】バノックバーン《スコットランド中部 Stirling 独立自治体の町；1314年に Robert the Bruce に率いられたスコットランド軍が Edward II のイングランド軍に勝利した場所》（ジーニアス大英和）
スコットランドの知識が求められるようで…
He reeled the number off
and put down the receiver, thanking God the Di had been playing a slow number:
Python Lee Jackson, "In a Broken Dream."
And what was he doing with the blonde from the hotel?
Rebus was starting to get inklings.
give 人 an incklingで「それとなくにおわす」だそうですから，「あてこすられた」とでもなるでしょうか。
Readying to pump him for
information? Nap hand. And up here with
nap hand((略式))(トランプのナポレオンで)全勝できそうな状態.
A woman was knocking on
the window. Lumsden lowered it, and she was into her spiel.
「長話し」
"Lose yourself,
Cleo." Lumsden wound the window back up.
「姿をくらます」（リーダーズ）
「情報；真相」
"I also notice you
interviewed one of Spaven's friends at the time, Fergus McLure. He's just died,
you know."
"Dearie me."
「おやおや」
"Mousa Broch has
always been lucky for the hunted. There's a story in the Orkzzeyinga Saga, an
eloping couple took shelter here..." He smiled at Briony.
There was kohl around her
eyes and her hair was white fire in the glow from
the
gas lighting.
コール墨《アンチモニーの粉末で, アラビア･エジプトの婦人などがまぶたを黒く染める》
She shrugged. "He had the chutzpah." "Did he?"
あつかましさ, ずぶとさ, 厚顔無恥, すごい自信
"He was so uptight when we met. Nobody could believe it when we started seeing one another---chalk and cheese they said.
as alike as chalk and cheese ((略式))外見だけ似て内容の違う, 似て非なる.
"And you told him
your own story?"
''Quid pro quo.”
約因; 相当物, 報償; しっぺ返し.
The shower stopped.
"Puppy Love" segued into "What Made Milwaukee Famous."
Rebus liked a man with catholic tastes.
間をおかずに移行する
In Rebus went, ducking
too late. The hand hit his neck like a side of beef, flooring him. Fingers
sought his throat, probing for the carotid artery, applying pressure.
頚動脈
（ちょっと忙しい ２００３年５月２５日）
