1 THE “SHINANSHA,” OR THE SOUTH POINTING CARRIAGE
1 指南車
2 The compass, with its needle always pointing to the North, is quite a common thing, and no one thinks that it is remarkable now, though when it was first invented it must have been a wonder.
2 針が常に北を指している羅針盤はごくありふれたものであり、今ではだれもそれが注目に値するものだとは考えていませんが、最初に発明されたときは不思議だったに違いありません。
3 Now long ago in China, there was a still more wonderful invention called the shinansha. This was a kind of chariot with the figure of a man on it always pointing to the South. No matter how the chariot was placed the figure always wheeled about and pointed to the South.
3 今昔、中国に神南車というさらに素晴らしい発明がありました。これは一種の戦車で、常に南を指している男の姿が描かれていました。戦車がどのように配置されていても、人物は常に動き回り、南を指さしました。
4 This curious instrument was invented by Kotei, one of the three Chinese Emperors of the Mythological age. Kotei was the son of the Emperor Yuhi. Before he was born his mother had a vision which foretold that her son would be a great man.
4 この奇妙な楽器は、神話時代の中国の 3 人の皇帝の 1 人である孔帝によって発明されました。孝貞は由比天皇の子。彼が生まれる前に、彼の母親は、息子が偉大な人になることを予言するビジョンを持っていました.
5 One summer evening she went out to walk in the meadows to seek the cool breezes which blow at the end of the day and to gaze with pleasure at the star-lit heavens above her. As she looked at the North Star, strange to relate, it shot forth vivid flashes of lightning in every direction. Soon after this her son Kotei came into the world.
5 ある夏の夜、彼女は一日の終わりに吹く涼しいそよ風を求めて牧草地を散歩し、上空に輝く星空を喜んで見つめに出かけました。彼女が北極星を見ると、不思議なことに、あらゆる方向に鮮やかな稲妻の閃光が放たれました。この直後、息子の公亭が世に出た。
6 Kotei in time grew to manhood and succeeded his father the Emperor Yuhi. His early reign was greatly troubled by the rebel Shiyu. This rebel wanted to make himself King, and many were the battles which he fought to this end. Shiyu was a wicked magician, his head was made of iron, and there was no man that could conquer him.
6 公貞はやがて成人し、父の雄飛天皇を継いだ。彼の初期の治世は、反逆者シユによって大いに悩まされました。この反逆者は自分が王になることを望んでおり、この目的のために彼が戦った多くの戦いがありました。シユは邪悪な魔術師で、頭は鉄でできていて、彼を征服できる人はいませんでした。
7 At last Kotei declared war against the rebel and led his army to battle, and the two armies met on a plain called Takuroku. The Emperor boldly attacked the enemy, but the magician brought down a dense fog upon the battlefield, and while the royal army were wandering about in confusion, trying to find their way, Shiyu retreated with his troops, laughing at having fooled the royal army.
7 ついに公亭は反逆者に宣戦布告し、軍を率いて戦いに臨み、両軍は拓六と呼ばれる平原で激突した。皇帝は果敢に敵を攻撃したが、魔術師は戦場に濃い霧を降らせ、王軍が混乱して道を探ろうとする中、シユは王軍を騙したことを笑いながら部隊を率いて退却した.
8 No matter however strong and brave the Emperor�fs soldiers were, the rebel with his magic could always escape in the end.
8 皇帝の兵士がどんなに強く勇敢でも、反逆者は彼の魔法でいつでも逃げることができた.
9 Kotei returned to his Palace, and thought and pondered deeply as to how he should conquer the magician, for he was determined not to give up yet. After a long time he invented the shinansha with the figure of a man always pointing South, for there were no compasses in those days. With this instrument to show him the way he need not fear the dense fogs raised up by the magician to confound his men.
9 コウテイは宮殿に戻り、どのようにして魔術師を征服するべきかを深く考え、熟考した。長い年月を経て、彼は常に南を指している男性の姿をした神南社を発明しました。当時は羅針盤がなかったからです。この道具を使えば、魔術師が部下を混乱させるために立ち上げた濃い霧を恐れる必要がないことを彼に示すことができます。
10 Kotei again declared war against Shiyu. He placed the shinansha in front of his army and led the way to the battlefield.
10 公亭は再び紫雨に宣戦布告した。彼は軍の前に信南社を置き、戦場への道を導きました。
11 The battle began in earnest. The rebel was being driven backward by the royal troops when he again resorted to magic, and upon his saying some strange words in a loud voice, immediately a dense fog came down upon the battlefield.
11 戦いが本格的に始まった。反逆者が再び魔法に訴えたとき、反逆者は王立軍によって追い返され、彼が大きな声で奇妙な言葉を言ったとき、すぐに濃い霧が戦場に降りました.
12 But this time no soldier minded the fog, not one was confused. Kotei by pointing to the shinansha could find his way and directed the army without a single mistake. He closely pursued the rebel army and drove them backward till they came to a big river. This river Kotei and his men found was swollen by the floods and impossible to cross.
12 しかし、今度は霧を気にする兵士はいなかったし、混乱した者はいなかった。甲貞は信南社を指さすことで道を見つけ、一点のミスもなく軍を指揮した。彼は反乱軍を綿密に追跡し、大きな川に到達するまで後退させました。孔亭たちが見つけたこの川は、洪水で増水し渡れなくなっていた。
13 Shiyu by using his magic art quickly passed over with his army and shut himself up in a fortress on the opposite bank.
13 士遊は術を使ってすぐに軍勢を追い越し、対岸の要塞に幽閉した。
14 When Kotei found his march checked he was wild with disappointment, for he had very nearly overtaken the rebel when the river stopped him.
14 コーテイは行軍が阻止されたのを見つけたとき、失望のあまり狂乱した.川が彼を止めたとき、彼は反逆者を追い越すところだったからである.
15 He could do nothing, for there were no boats in those days, so the Emperor ordered his tent to be pitched in the pleasantest spot that the place afforded.
15 当時は船がなかったので、彼には何もできなかったので、皇帝はその場所で最も快適な場所に天幕を張るよう命じた。
16 One day he stepped forth from his tent and after walking about for a short time he came to a pond. Here he sat down on the bank and was lost in thought.
16 ある日、彼は天幕から出て、しばらく歩き回った後、池に着いた。ここで彼は土手に腰を下ろし、物思いに沈んだ。
17 It was autumn. The trees growing along the edge of the water were shedding their leaves, which floated hither and thither on the surface of the pond. By and by, Kotei�fs attention was attracted to a spider on the brink of the water. The little insect was trying to get on to one of the floating leaves near by. It did so at last, and was soon floating over the water to the other side of the pond.
17 秋でした。水辺に生えていた木々は葉を落とし、池の水面をあちこちに浮いていました。やがて公庭の注意は、水際にいるクモに引きつけられた。小さな虫は、近くに浮いている葉の 1 つに乗ろうとしていました。とうとうそうして、すぐに池の向こう側に浮かんでいました。
18 This little incident made the clever Emperor think that he might try to make something that could carry himself and his men over the river in the same way that the leaf had carried over the spider. He set to work and persevered till he invented the first boat. When he found that it was a success he set all his men to make more, and in time there were enough boats for the whole army.
18 このちょっとした出来事で、賢い皇帝は、木の葉がクモを運んできたのと同じように、自分と部下を川の上に運ぶことができる何かを作ろうと考えました。彼は仕事に取り掛かり、最初のボートを発明するまで辛抱しました。それが成功したことを知ったとき、彼はすべての部下にもっと多くを作るように命じ、やがて全軍に十分な数のボートができました。
19 Kotei now took his army across the river, and attacked Shiyu�fs headquarters. He gained a complete victory, and so put an end to the war which had troubled his country for so long.
19 公亭は軍勢を率いて川を渡り、師友の本拠地を攻撃した。彼は完全な勝利を収め、長い間彼の国を悩ませてきた戦争に終止符を打ちました。
20 This wise and good Emperor did not rest till he had secured peace and prosperity throughout his whole land. He was beloved by his subjects, who now enjoyed their happiness of peace for many long years under him. He spent a great deal of time in making inventions which would benefit his people, and he succeeded in many besides the boat and the South Pointing shinansha.
20 この賢明で善良な皇帝は、全土に平和と繁栄を確保するまで休むことはありませんでした。彼は、彼の下で何年にもわたって平和の幸福を楽しんでいた彼の主題に愛されていました。彼は多くの時間を費やして人々に利益をもたらす発明を行い、ボートと南向きの新南社以外にも多くの発明を成功させました。