“Don’t touch me, (「僕に触るな) Jimmie. (ジミー) Keep your distance. (離れていてくれ) Yes, (そうだ) you may well stare! (見て驚くのも当然だ) I don’t quite look the smart Lance-Corporal Emsworth, of B Squadron, do I?” (かっこいいB中隊のエムスワース伍長には全く見えないだろう？」)

His appearance was certainly extraordinary. (彼の外観は確かにものすごかった) One could see that he had indeed been a handsome man (彼がかつては本当に男前だったことが分かる) with clear-cut features sunburned by an African sun, (目鼻立ちがしっかりとしてアフリカの太陽で日に焼けた) but mottled in patches over this darker surface (しかし彼の黒い肌一面に点々と) were curious whitish patches which had bleached his skin. (漂白したような奇妙な白い斑点が浮かんでいた)

“That’s why I don’t court visitors,” (「僕が人と会おうとしなかったのはこれが原因だ」) said he. (彼は言った) “I don’t mind you, Jimmie, (「君の事は構わないんだ、ジミー) but I could have done without your friend. (しかし友達を連れてきて欲しくはなかった) I suppose there is some good reason for it, (なにかしかるべき理由があるんだとは思うが) but you have me at a disadvantage.” (しかし君は僕を非常にまずい立場にしている」)

“I wanted to be sure that all was well with you, (「君が何も問題を抱えていないか知りたかったんだ) Godfrey. (ゴドフリー) I saw you that night when you looked into my window, (君が僕の窓から覗き込んでいるときに君を見かけた) and I could not let the matter rest till I had cleared things up.” (僕は全てをはっきりさせるまでそのままにしておくことはできなかった」)

“Old Ralph told me you were there, (「ラルフ爺が君が来ていると言った) and I couldn’t help taking a peep at you. (そしてどうしても一目見たくなった) I hoped you would not have seen me, (君には見られたくなかった) and I had to run to my burrow (だから僕は隠れ家に逃げる必要があった) when I heard the window go up.” (窓が開くのを聞いた時」)

“But what in heaven’s name is the matter?” (「しかし、一体全体どういうことなんだ？」)

“Well, (「まあ) it’s not a long story to tell,” (話すのに時間はかからない」) said he, (彼は言った) lighting a cigarette. (煙草に火をつけて) “You remember that morning fight at Buffelsspruit, outside Pretoria, on the Eastern railway line? (「君は、プレトリアの外の、東線路のバフルスプルートの午前中の戦闘を覚えているだろう？) You heard I was hit?” (僕が撃たれたことは聞いたか？」)

“Yes, I heard that, (「ああ、それは聞いた) but I never got particulars.” (しかし詳細は全然分からなかった」)