There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia, and the mail arrived after so long a delay that even if he asked advice, by the time he received it, it was useless, and so he equably did what he thought best and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.（The Vessel of Wrath by W. Somerset Maugham）
英文を前から読んでいくために、語句のかたまりを作ります。こんな具合に課題文をスラッシュ（斜め線）で区切ります（スラッシュリーディング）。語句のかたまりを意識すると、リスニングで英語の意味をつかむのが楽になります。
There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia,／（接続詞の前）and the mail arrived after so long a delay／（接続詞の前）that even if he asked advice,／（前置詞の前）by the time he received it,／（主語が文頭にないときの主語の前）it was useless,／（接続詞の前）and so he equably did what he thought best／（接続詞の前）and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.
語句のかたまりを前から訳していきます。
There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia,
彼が治める島々とバタビアの間にはケーブルによる通信手段がなかった
and the mail arrived after so long a delay
そして、手紙のやりとりにはあまりに時間がかかったので
that even if he asked advice,
彼がアドバイスを求めたとしても
by the time he received it,
それを受け取るころには
it was useless,
それは無用になっていた
and so he equably did what he thought best
そのため彼は自分でベストだと考えたことを冷静に実行した
and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.
そして、当局とトラブルにならないことを運に任せた
There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia, and the mail arrived after so long a delay that even if he asked advice, by the time he received it, it was useless, and so he equably did what he thought best and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.
even if he asked advice→ even if =「たとえ〜しても」
he equably did what he thought best→ what は先行詞を含んだ関係代名詞です。「〜すること」「〜するもの」
There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia, and the mail arrived after so long a delay that even if he asked advice, by the time he received it, it was useless, and so he equably did what he thought best and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.
彼が治める島々とバタビアの間にはケーブルによる通信手段がなかった。彼がアドバイスを求めたとしても、手紙のやりとりにはあまりに時間がかかったので、返事が届くころには役に立たなくなっていた。そのため彼は、自分でベストだと考えたことを冷静に実行し、当局とトラブルにならないことを運に任せた。
今回の課題文では、so〜that構文が使われていますが、語句と語句の間に埋め込まれる感じになっているので少し目につきにくくなっています。so があったら、必ず that の有無を確認するようにしましょう。
There was no cable communication between his islands and Batavia, and the mail arrived after so long a delay that even if he asked advice, by the time he received it, it was useless, and so he equably did what he thought best and trusted to his good fortune to keep out of trouble with the authorities.
after so long a delay→ あまりに長い遅れの後なので
that even if he asked advice, by the time he received it, it was useless→ 彼がアドバイスを求めたとしても、返事が届くころには役に立たなくなっていた
動画の後半部分でリスニング用音声が流れます。
