21 The arrow hit the centipede right in the middle of its head, but instead of penetrating, it glanced off harmless and fell to the ground.
21 矢はムカデの頭の真ん中に当たったが、貫通する代わりに、無害に一瞥して地面に落ちた。
22 Nothing daunted, Hidesato took another arrow, fitted it to the notch of the bow and let fly. Again the arrow hit the mark, it struck the centipede right in the middle of its head, only to glance off and fall to the ground. The centipede was invulnerable to weapons! When the Dragon King saw that even this brave warrior��s arrows were powerless to kill the centipede, he lost heart and began to tremble with fear.
22 ひるむことなく、秀郷は別の矢を手に取り、それを船首のノッチに合わせて飛ばした。再び矢は的を射、ムカデの頭の真ん中に命中し、一瞥して地面に落ちた。ムカデは武器に無敵でした！この勇敢な戦士の矢でさえムカデを殺す力がないことを知った竜王は、心を失い、恐怖に震え始めました。
23 The warrior saw that he had now only one arrow left in his quiver, and if this one failed he could not kill the centipede. He looked across the waters. The huge reptile had wound its horrid body seven times round the mountain and would soon come down to the lake. Nearer and nearer gleamed fireballs of eyes, and the light of its hundred feet began to throw reflections in the still waters of the lake.
23 戦士は矢筒に矢が一本しか残っていないことに気がついた。彼は海を見渡した。巨大な爬虫類はその恐ろしい体を山に7回巻きつけており、すぐに湖に降りてきました。火の玉がどんどん近づいてきて、その百フィートの光が湖の静かな水面に反射し始めました。
24 Then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had heard that human saliva was deadly to centipedes. But this was no ordinary centipede. This was so monstrous that even to think of such a creature made one creep with horror. Hidesato determined to try his last chance. So taking his last arrow and first putting the end of it in his mouth, he fitted the notch to his bow, took careful aim once more and let fly.
24 すると突然、戦士は人間の唾液がムカデにとって致命的だと聞いたことを思い出した。しかし、これは普通のムカデではありませんでした。これは非常に恐ろしいもので、そのような生き物のことを考えるだけでも恐怖でゾッとしました。秀郷は最後のチャンスに挑むことを決意した。そこで彼は最後の矢を手に取り、最初に矢の先を口に入れ、弓にノッチを合わせ、もう一度注意深く狙いを定めて飛ばしました。
25 This time the arrow again hit the centipede right in the middle of its head, but instead of glancing off harmlessly as before, it struck home to the creature��s brain. Then with a convulsive shudder the serpentine body stopped moving, and the fiery light of its great eyes and hundred feet darkened to a dull glare like the sunset of a stormy day, and then went out in blackness. A great darkness now overspread the heavens, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the wind roared in fury, and it seemed as if the world were coming to an end. The Dragon King and his children and retainers all crouched in different parts of the palace, frightened to death, for the building was shaken to its foundation. At last the dreadful night was over. Day dawned beautiful and clear. The centipede was gone from the mountain.
25 今回も矢はムカデの頭の真ん中に当たりましたが、以前のように無害に一瞥する代わりに、ムカデの脳に命中しました。それから痙攣的な身震いとともに蛇の体は動きを止め、その大きな目と百フィートの燃えるような光は、嵐の日の夕日のような鈍い輝きに暗くなり、そして黒く消えました.今や大きな闇が天を覆い、雷が鳴り響き、稲妻が閃き、風が猛烈に轟き、まるで世界が終わりに近づいているかのようでした。竜王とその子供たち、家臣たちは皆、宮殿のさまざまな場所でうずくまり、怯えて死にました。ついに恐ろしい夜が明けた。美しく澄んだ夜明け。山からムカデはいなくなった。
26 Then Hidesato called to the Dragon King to come out with him on the balcony, for the centipede was dead and he had nothing more to fear.
26 それからヒデサトは竜王に、彼と一緒にバルコニーに出るように呼びかけた。
27 Then all the inhabitants of the palace came out with joy, and Hidesato pointed to the lake. There lay the body of the dead centipede floating on the water, which was dyed red with its blood.
27 すると、宮殿の住民はみな喜んで出てきたので、秀郷は湖を指差した。そこにはムカデの死体が浮いており、その血で赤く染まっていた。
28 The gratitude of the Dragon King knew no bounds. The whole family came and bowed down before the warrior, calling him their preserver and the bravest warrior in all Japan.
28 龍王の感謝には限りがありませんでした。家族全員が来て、戦士の前で頭を下げ、彼を保護者であり、日本で最も勇敢な戦士であると呼びました。
29 Another feast was prepared, more sumptuous than the first. All kinds of fish, prepared in every imaginable way, raw, stewed, boiled and roasted, served on coral trays and crystal dishes, were put before him, and the wine was the best that Hidesato had ever tasted in his life. To add to the beauty of everything the sun shone brightly, the lake glittered like a liquid diamond, and the palace was a thousand times more beautiful by day than by night.
29 最初の饗宴より豪華な別の饗宴が用意された。生、煮込み、煮物、焼き物など、想像を絶するあらゆる方法で調理されたあらゆる種類の魚が、サンゴのトレイやクリスタルの皿に盛り付けられ、彼の前に置かれました。すべての美しさに加えて、太陽が明るく輝き、湖は液体ダイヤモンドのように輝き、宮殿は夜よりも昼の方が千倍も美しかった.
30 His host tried to persuade the warrior to stay a few days, but Hidesato insisted on going home, saying that he had now finished what he had come to do, and must return. The Dragon King and his family were all very sorry to have him leave so soon, but since he would go they begged him to accept a few small presents (so they said) in token of their gratitude to him for delivering them forever from their horrible enemy the centipede.
30 彼のホストは戦士に数日滞在するよう説得しようとしたが、秀郷は家に帰ることを主張した.ドラゴンキングと彼の家族は皆、彼がすぐに去ってしまったことを非常に残念に思っていましたが、彼が行くので、彼らの恐ろしいものから永遠に救ってくれたことへの感謝のしるしとして、いくつかのささやかなプレゼントを受け取るように彼に懇願しました（そう彼らは言いました）.敵はムカデ。
31 As the warrior stood in the porch taking leave, a train of fish was suddenly transformed into a retinue of men, all wearing ceremonial robes and dragon��s crowns on their heads to show that they were servants of the great Dragon King. The presents that they carried were as follows:
31 戦士が休暇を取ってポーチに立っていたとき、魚の列が突然男性の従者に変わりました。彼らはすべて、彼らが偉大なドラゴンキングのしもべであることを示すために、頭に儀式用のローブとドラゴンの冠を身に着けていました。持ってきたプレゼントは以下の通り。
32 First, a large bronze bell. Second, a bag of rice. Third, a roll of silk. Fourth, a cooking pot. Fifth, a bell.
32 まず、大きな青銅の鐘。第二に、米袋。第三に、シルクのロール。四つ目は鍋。第五に、鐘。
33 Hidesato did not want to accept all these presents, but as the Dragon King insisted, he could not well refuse.
33 秀郷はこれらすべてのプレゼントを受け取りたくなかったが、竜王が主張したように断ることはできなかった。
34 The Dragon King himself accompanied the warrior as far as the bridge, and then took leave of him with many bows and good wishes, leaving the procession of servants to accompany Hidesato to his house with the presents.
34 龍王自身が橋まで戦士に同行し、その後、多くの弓と良い願いをもって彼に別れを告げ、贈り物を持って秀郷に同行する召使いの行列を残しました.
35 The warrior��s household and servants had been very much concerned when they found that he did not return the night before, but they finally concluded that he had been kept by the violent storm and had taken shelter somewhere. When the servants on the watch for his return caught sight of him they called to every one that he was approaching, and the whole household turned out to meet him, wondering much what the retinue of men, bearing presents and banners, that followed him, could mean.
35 戦士の家族と使用人は、彼が前の晩に戻ってこないことを知ったとき、非常に心配していましたが、最終的に彼は激しい嵐に襲われ、どこかに避難したと結論付けました.彼が戻ってくるのを見張っていた家来たちは、彼を見つけたとき、彼が近づいてきたすべての人に声をかけ、家族全員が彼に会いに行きました。意味することができます。
36 As soon as the Dragon King��s retainers had put down the presents they vanished, and Hidesato told all that had happened to him.
36 竜王の家臣たちは贈り物を下ろすとすぐに姿を消し、秀郷は彼に起こったことをすべて話しました。
37 The presents which he had received from the grateful Dragon King were found to be of magic power. The bell only was ordinary, and as Hidesato had no use for it he presented it to the temple near by, where it was hung up, to boom out the hour of day over the surrounding neighborhood.
37 感謝のドラゴンキングから彼が受け取った贈り物は、魔法の力であることがわかりました.鐘はただの普通のもので、秀郷は使い物にならなかったので近くの寺院に差し出し、そこで吊るされ、周囲に時を知らせた。
38 The single bag of rice, however much was taken from it day after day for the meals of the knight and his whole family, never grew less?the supply in the bag was inexhaustible.
38 1 袋の米は、騎士とその家族全員の食事のために毎日どれだけの量が取り出されたとしても、少なくなることはありませんでした。袋の中の供給は尽きることがありませんでした。
39 The roll of silk, too, never grew shorter, though time after time long pieces were cut off to make the warrior a new suit of clothes to go to Court in at the New Year.
39 絹の巻物も短くなることはありませんでしたが、戦士が正月に宮廷に行くための新しい服を作るために、何度も長い部分が切り取られました.
40 The cooking pot was wonderful, too. No matter what was put into it, it cooked deliciously whatever was wanted without any firing?truly a very economical saucepan.
40 鍋も素敵でした。何を入れても、焦がさずにおいしく炊ける、まさに経済的な鍋です。
