1 MY LORD BAG OF RICE
1 マイ ロード バッグ オブ ライス
2 Long, long ago there lived, in Japan a brave warrior known to all as Tawara Toda, or ��My Lord Bag of Rice.�� His true name was Fujiwara Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change his name.
2 むかしむかし、日本には俵戸田、または「お米の主君」として知られる勇敢な戦士が住んでいました。彼の本当の名前は藤原秀郷でした。彼の名前を変更します。
3 One day he sallied forth in search of adventures, for he had the nature of a warrior and could not bear to be idle. So he buckled on his two swords, took his huge bow, much taller than himself, in his hand, and slinging his quiver on his back started out. He had not gone far when he came to the bridge of Seta-no-Karashi spanning one end of the beautiful Lake Biwa. No sooner had he set foot on the bridge than he saw lying right across his path a huge serpent-dragon. Its body was so big that it looked like the trunk of a large pine tree and it took up the whole width of the bridge. One of its huge claws rested on the parapet of one side of the bridge, while its tail lay right against the other. The monster seemed to be asleep, and as it breathed, fire and smoke came out of its nostrils.
3 ある日、彼は冒険を求めて出撃しました。彼は戦士の性質を持っていて、怠けていることに耐えられなかったからです。そこで彼は二本の剣を握り締め、自分よりもはるかに高い巨大な弓を手に取り、背中に矢筒を投げ始めました。美しい琵琶湖の一端に架かる瀬田の辛子の橋に着いたとき、彼は遠く離れていませんでした。橋に足を踏み入れるやいなや、道の向こう側に巨大なヘビドラゴンが横たわっているのを見ました。その体は大きな松の幹のように大きく、橋の幅いっぱいに広がっていました。その巨大な爪の 1 つが橋の片側の欄干にかかっており、尾は反対側にぴったりとくっついていました。怪物は眠っているようで、息を吐くと鼻孔から火と煙が出てきました。
4 At first Hidesato could not help feeling alarmed at the sight of this horrible reptile lying in his path, for he must either turn back or walk right over its body. He was a brave man, however, and putting aside all fear went forward dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch! he stepped now on the dragon��s body, now between its coils, and without even one glance backward he went on his way.
最初、秀郷はこの恐ろしい爬虫類が道に横たわっているのを見て不安を感じずにはいられなかった。しかし、彼は勇敢な男であり、すべての恐怖を脇に置いて、勇敢に前進しました.クランチ、クランチ！彼は今、竜のとぐろの間にある竜の体に足を踏み入れ、後ろを一瞥もせずに道を進んだ。
5 He had only gone a few steps when he heard some one calling him from behind. On turning back he was much surprised to see that the monster dragon had entirely disappeared and in its place was a strange-looking man, who was bowing most ceremoniously to the ground. His red hair streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in the shape of a dragon��s head, and his sea-green dress was patterned with shells. Hidesato knew at once that this was no ordinary mortal and he wondered much at the strange occurrence. Where had the dragon gone in such a short space of time? Or had it transformed itself into this man, and what did the whole thing mean? While these thoughts passed through his mind he had come up to the man on the bridge and now addressed him:
5 数歩進んだところで、誰かが後ろから彼を呼んでいるのが聞こえました。振り返ると、彼はモンスタードラゴンが完全に姿を消し、その場所に最も儀式的に地面に頭を下げている奇妙な男がいるのを見て非常に驚いた.彼の赤い髪は肩に流れ、その上には竜の頭の形をした王冠があり、彼の海緑色のドレスは貝殻で模様が付けられていました.秀郷はすぐにこれが普通の人間ではないことを知り、その奇妙な出来事に多くの疑問を抱いた。ドラゴンはそのような短い時間でどこに行ったのですか？それとも、それはこの男に変身したのだろうか？これらの考えが彼の心を通り過ぎたとき、彼は橋の上の男に近づき、今彼に話しかけました：
6 ��Was it you that called me just now?��
6 ��今私に電話したのはあなたでしたか?��
7 ��Yes, it was I,�� answered the man: ��I have an earnest request to make to you. Do you think you can grant it to me?��
7 「はい、それは私でした」と男性は答えました：「あなたに切実なお願いがあります。あなたはそれを私に与えてくれると思いますか?��
8 ��If it is in my power to do so I will,�� answered Hidesato, ��but first tell me who you are?��
8 「私にできることならそうします」と秀郷は答えた。
9 ��I am the Dragon King of the Lake, and my home is in these waters just under this bridge.��
9 ��私は湖の竜王であり、私の家はこの橋のすぐ下の水域にあります.��
10 ��And what is it you have to ask of me?�� said Hidesato.
10 「そして、あなたは私に何を尋ねなければならないのですか?」と秀郷は言った。
11 ��I want you to kill my mortal enemy the centipede, who lives on the mountain beyond,�� and the Dragon King pointed to a high peak on the opposite shore of the lake.
11 「向こうの山に住む大敵であるムカデを殺してほしい」と、竜王は湖の対岸にある高い峰を指差した。
12 ��I have lived now for many years in this lake and I have a large family of children and grand-children. For some time past we have lived in terror, for a monster centipede has discovered our home, and night after night it comes and carries off one of my family. I am powerless to save them. If it goes on much longer like this, not only shall I lose all my children, but I myself must fall a victim to the monster. I am, therefore, very unhappy, and in my extremity I determined to ask the help of a human being. For many days with this intention I have waited on the bridge in the shape of the horrible serpent-dragon that you saw, in the hope that some strong brave man would come along. But all who came this way, as soon as they saw me were terrified and ran away as fast as they could. You are the first man I have found able to look at me without fear, so I knew at once that you were a man of great courage. I beg you to have pity upon me. Will you not help me and kill my enemy the centipede?��
12 ��私は長年この湖に住んでいて、子供と孫の大家族がいます。怪物ムカデが私たちの家を発見し、夜ごとにやって来て、私の家族の 1 人を連れ去りました。私には彼らを救う力がありません。これ以上続けば、我が子を失うどころか、我が身も怪物の犠牲にならざるを得ない。したがって、私は非常に不幸であり、極限状態で人間の助けを求めることにしました.この意図を持って、私は何日もの間、あなたが見た恐ろしい蛇竜の形をした橋で待っていました。強い勇敢な男が来ることを願っています。しかし、ここに来た人は皆、私を見るやいなや恐れおののき、あわてて逃げ出しました。あなたは恐れることなく私を見つめることができた最初の男性だったので、すぐにあなたが勇気のある人だとわかりました。私を憐れんでください。私を助けて、私の敵であるムカデを殺してくれませんか?
13 Hidesato felt very sorry for the Dragon King on hearing his story, and readily promised to do what he could to help him. The warrior asked where the centipede lived, so that he might attack the creature at once. The Dragon King replied that its home was on the mountain Mikami, but that as it came every night at a certain hour to the palace of the lake, it would be better to wait till then. So Hidesato was conducted to the palace of the Dragon King, under the bridge. Strange to say, as he followed his host downwards the waters parted to let them pass, and his clothes did not even feel damp as he passed through the flood. Never had Hidesato seen anything so beautiful as this palace built of white marble beneath the lake. He had often heard of the Sea King��s palace at the bottom of the sea, where all the servants and retainers were salt-water fishes, but here was a magnificent building in the heart of Lake Biwa. The dainty goldfishes, red carp, and silvery trout, waited upon the Dragon King and his guest.
13 秀郷は竜王の話を聞いて非常に気の毒に思い、彼を助けるためにできる限りのことをすることをすぐに約束した.戦士はムカデがどこに住んでいるか尋ねたので、ムカデをすぐに攻撃することができました。竜王は、家は三上山にあるが、毎晩ある時間に湖の宮殿に来るので、それまで待ったほうがいいと答えた。そこで秀郷は、橋の下にある竜王の宮殿に連れて行かれました。不思議なことに、彼が軍勢を下って行くと、水が分かれて水が流れ、彼が洪水の中を通り過ぎたとき、彼の衣服は湿っていることさえ感じなかった。秀郷は、湖の下に白い大理石で建てられたこの宮殿ほど美しいものを見たことがありませんでした.海の王宮が海の底にあり、使用人も家臣も海水魚だったという話はよく耳にするが、ここは琵琶湖の真ん中にある立派な建物だった。可憐な金魚、赤い鯉、銀色の鱒が、竜王とその客人を待っていました。
14 Hidesato was astonished at the feast that was spread for him. The dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers, and the chopsticks were of the rarest ebony. As soon as they sat down, the sliding doors opened and ten lovely goldfish dancers came out, and behind them followed ten red-carp musicians with the koto and the samisen. Thus the hours flew by till midnight, and the beautiful music and dancing had banished all thoughts of the centipede. The Dragon King was about to pledge the warrior in a fresh cup of wine when the palace was suddenly shaken by a tramp, tramp! as if a mighty army had begun to march not far away.
14 秀郷は自分のために催されたごちそうに驚いた。皿は蓮の葉と花を結晶させたもので、箸は最も希少な黒檀でした。座るとすぐに襖が開き、可愛らしい金魚の踊り手10人が出てきて、その後ろに箏と三味線を持った10人の鯉囃子が続きました。このようにして、時間は真夜中まで過ぎ去り、美しい音楽と踊りがムカデのすべての考えを追い払いました。龍王が新鮮なワインで戦士に誓いを立てようとしたとき、宮殿が不意に浮浪者、浮浪者に揺れました！あたかも強力な軍隊が遠くないところに進軍し始めたかのように。
15 Hidesato and his host both rose to their feet and rushed to the balcony, and the warrior saw on the opposite mountain two great balls of glowing fire coming nearer and nearer. The Dragon King stood by the warrior��s side trembling with fear.
15 秀郷とその軍勢は立ち上がり、バルコニーに駆け寄ると、戦士は反対側の山で、2 つの大きな火の玉がどんどん近づいてくるのを見た。竜王は恐怖に震えながら戦士の側に立っていた。
16 ��The centipede! The centipede! Those two balls of fire are its eyes. It is coming for its prey! Now is the time to kill it.��
16 ムカデ！ムカデ！その2つの火の玉はその目です。獲物を狙ってやってくる！今こそそれを殺す時です.��
17 Hidesato looked where his host pointed, and, in the dim light of the starlit evening, behind the two balls of fire he saw the long body of an enormous centipede winding round the mountains, and the light in its hundred feet glowed like so many distant lanterns moving slowly towards the shore.
17 秀郷は軍勢が指し示した方向を見ると、星明かりの夜の薄明かりの中で、2つの火の玉の後ろに巨大なムカデの長い体が山の周りを巻き、百フィートの光が非常に多くのように輝いているのを見た.遠くの提灯がゆっくりと海岸に向かって移動します。
18 Hidesato showed not the least sign of fear. He tried to calm the Dragon King.
18 秀郷は少しも怯えた様子を見せなかった。竜王をなだめようとした。
19 ��Don��t be afraid. I shall surely kill the centipede. Just bring me my bow and arrows.��
19 恐れるな。ムカデは必ず殺す。私の弓と矢を持ってきてください.��
20 The Dragon King did as he was bid, and the warrior noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver. He took the bow, and fitting an arrow to the notch, took careful aim and let fly.
20 竜王は命じられたとおりに行動し、戦士は自分の矢筒に矢が 3 本しか残っていないことに気づきました。彼は弓を取り、ノッチに矢を当て、注意深く狙いを定めて飛ばした。
