“But the twelve-mile drive?” (「しかし12マイルの移動は？」) gasped Hatherley. (ハザリーは言葉を詰まらせながら訊いた)

“Six out and six back. (「６マイル行って６マイル戻る) Nothing simpler. (簡単至極だ) You say yourself that the horse was fresh and glossy when you got in. (あなたが乗り込んだときに馬は艶々して元気だったとご自分でおっしゃいましたよね) How could it be that if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads?” (悪路を１２マイルも来たのならどうしてそんなことがあり得るだろう？」)

“Indeed, (「確かに) it is a likely ruse enough,” (そういう企みはありえそうですな」) observed Bradstreet thoughtfully. (ブラッドストリートは考え深げに言った) “Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature of this gang.” (「もちろん、この一味の素性ははっきりしている事だし」)

“None at all,” (「一片の疑いもない」) said Holmes. (ホームズは言った) “They are coiners on a large scale, (「彼らは大規模に硬貨を偽造しているやつらだ) and have used the machine (やつらはその機械を使って) to form the amalgam which has taken the place of silver.” (銀の替わりになる合金を作っていた」)

“We have known for some time that a clever gang was at work,” (「巧妙な悪党が動いているのはちょっと前から分かっていました」) said the inspector. (警部は言った) “They have been turning out half-crowns by the thousand. (「彼らは半クラウン貨を千枚単位で偽造している) We even traced them as far as Reading, (彼らの手がかりをレディングまで追ったのですが) but could get no farther, (それ以上はたどれませんでした) for they had covered their traces (彼らは足取りを隠していたので) in a way that showed that they were very old hands. (彼らが相当に老練な人間だと示すような方法で) But now, (しかし今) thanks to this lucky chance, (この幸運な出来事のおかげで) I think that we have got them right enough.” (我々は彼らを確実に逮捕できると思います」)

But the inspector was mistaken, (しかし警部の考えは間違っていた) for those criminals were not destined to fall into the hands of justice. (この犯罪者たちは司法の手にかかる運命にはなかった) As we rolled into Eyford Station (私達がアイフォード駅に着いた時) we saw a gigantic column of smoke (巨大な煙の柱が見えた) which streamed up from behind a small clump of trees in the neighbourhood (それは近くの小さな木の茂みの向こうから立ち登っていた) and hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape. (そして地面を覆う巨大なダチョウの羽のように漂っていた)