So busy were we at first, that it was some time before we had an opportunity of inquiring how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben, when they pulled alongside the schooner. (A Voyage round the World by W.H.G. Kingston）注：schooner =スクーナー／縦帆の帆船（海賊の船）
動画の後半部分でリスニング用音声が流れます。
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。
So busy were we at first,／（接続詞の前）that it was some time／（接続詞の前）before we had an opportunity of inquiring／（疑問詞の前）how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben,／（接続詞の前）when they pulled alongside the schooner.
語句のかたまりを前から訳していきます。
So busy were we at first,
最初のうち、私たちはあまりにも忙しかったので
that it was some time
しばらく時間がかかった
before we had an opportunity of inquiring
私たちが尋ねる機会を得るまでに
how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben,
海賊が彼とベンを殺さなかったのはどんな事情があったためかと
when they pulled alongside the schooner.
彼らが船をスクーナーに横付けしたとき
最初のうち、私たちはあまりにも忙しかったので、彼とベンが船をスクーナーに横付けしたとき、海賊が２人を殺さなかったのはどんな事情があったためかと尋ねる機会を得るまでに、しばらく時間がかかった。
So busy were we at first, that it was some time before we had an opportunity of inquiring how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben, when they pulled alongside the schooner.
So busy were we at first, that it was some time〜 →that の前にコンマがありますが、普通のso〜that―構文と同じです。so busyを強調するために文頭に置かれているので、動詞の were と 主語の we の順番が逆になっています（倒置）。
it was some time before〜 → 〜するまでに、しばらく時間がかかった
how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben→ how it is that 〜 = 〜はどういう事情のためか
