1 THE OGRE OF RASHOMON
1 羅生門
2 Long, long ago in Kyoto, the people of the city were terrified by accounts of a dreadful ogre, who, it was said, haunted the Gate of Rashomon at twilight and seized whoever passed by. The missing victims were never seen again, so it was whispered that the ogre was a horrible cannibal, who not only killed the unhappy victims but ate them also. Now everybody in the town and neighborhood was in great fear, and no one durst venture out after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon.
2 むかしむかし、京都の人々は、たそがれ時に羅生門の門に出没し、通りすがりの人を捕らえた恐ろしい鬼の話に恐怖を覚えた.行方不明の犠牲者は二度と見られなかったので、オーガは恐ろしい人食い人種であり、不幸な犠牲者を殺すだけでなく、それらを食べた.今、町と近所の誰もが非常に恐れており、日没後、羅生門の門の近くに出かける人は誰もいなかった.
3 Now at this time there lived in Kyoto a general named Raiko, who had made himself famous for his brave deeds. Some time before this he made the country ring with his name, for he had attacked Oeyama, where a band of ogres lived with their chief, who instead of wine drank the blood of human beings. He had routed them all and cut off the head of the chief monster.
3 さて、この頃、京都に頼光という名の将軍が住んでいたが、彼はその勇敢な行為で名を馳せていた。この少し前に、彼は大江山を攻撃したため、彼の名前で国を鳴らしました.彼はそれらすべてをルーティングし、主要なモンスターの頭を切り落としました.
4 This brave warrior was always followed by a band of faithful knights. In this band there were five knights of great valor. One evening as the five knights sat at a feast quaffing SAKE in their rice bowls and eating all kinds of fish, raw, and stewed, and broiled, and toasting each other’s healths and exploits, the first knight, Hojo, said to the others:
4 この勇敢な戦士の後には、常に忠実な騎士の一団が従いました。このバンドには、勇敢な5人の騎士がいました。ある晩、五人の騎士が饗宴に座って、お椀に酒を飲み、生魚、煮物、焼き魚などあらゆる種類の魚を食べ、お互いの健康と功績を乾杯していると、最初の騎士である北条が他の騎士に言った：
5 “Have you all heard the rumor that every evening after sunset there comes an ogre to the Gate of Rashomon, and that he seizes all who pass by?”
5 「毎晩日没後、鬼が羅生門の門にやって来て、通りすがりの人をすべて捕まえるという噂を皆さんは聞いたことがありますか?」
6 The second knight, Watanabe, answered him, saying:
6 二番目の騎士、渡辺は彼に答えて言った：
7 “Do not talk such nonsense! All the ogres were killed by our chief Raiko at Oeyama! It cannot be true, because even if any ogres did escape from that great killing they would not dare to show themselves in this city, for they know that our brave master would at once attack them if he knew that any of them were still alive!”
7「そんなナンセンスなこと言うな！鬼は皆大江山で頼光長に討たれた！仮にオーガが大殺戮から逃れたとしても、彼らはあえてこの街に姿を現そうとはしないだろうから、彼らは我々の勇敢なマスターがまだ生きていることを知ったらすぐに彼らを攻撃することを知っているからです! 」
8 “Then do you disbelieve what I say, and think that I am telling you a falsehood?”
8 「では、あなたは私の言うことを信じないで、私があなたに嘘を言っていると思いますか?」
9 “No, I do not think that you are telling a lie,” said Watanabe; “but you have heard some old woman’s story which is not worth believing.”
9 「いいえ、あなたが嘘をついているとは思いません」と渡辺は言った。 「しかし、あなたは信じるに値しないおばあさんの話を聞いたことがあります。」
10 “Then the best plan is to prove what I say, by going there yourself and finding out yourself whether it is true or not,” said Hojo.
10 「それなら、自分でそこに行って、それが真実かどうかを自分で調べて、私の言うことを証明するのが最善の策です」と北条は言いました。
11 Watanabe, the second knight, could not bear the thought that his companion should believe he was afraid, so he answered quickly:
11 二番目の騎士である渡辺は、仲間が自分が恐れていると信じるべきだという考えに耐えられなかったので、すぐに答えた：
12 “Of course, I will go at once and find out for myself!”
12「もちろん、すぐに行って自分で調べます！」
13 So Watanabe at once got ready to go—he buckled on his long sword and put on a coat of armor, and tied on his large helmet. When he was ready to start he said to the others:
13 それで渡辺はすぐに出発の準備をした。彼は長剣を締め、甲冑を着て、大きな兜を結んだ。彼が始める準備ができたとき、彼は他の人に言いました：
14 “Give me something so that I can prove I have been there!”
14 「行ったことを証明できるものをください！」
15 Then one of the men got a roll of writing paper and his box of Indian ink and brushes, and the four comrades wrote their names on a piece of paper.
15 そのうちの 1 人が筆記用紙のロールと墨と筆の入った箱を受け取り、4 人の同志は一枚の紙に自分の名前を書きました。
16 “I will take this,” said Watanabe, “and put it on the Gate of Rashomon, so to-morrow morning will you all go and look at it? I may be able to catch an ogre or two by then!” and he mounted his horse and rode off gallantly.
16 渡辺は言った。それまでにオーガを1、2匹捕まえられるかもしれません！」そして彼は馬に乗って勇敢に走り去りました。
17 It was a very dark night, and there was neither moon nor star to light Watanabe on his way. To make the darkness worse a storm came on, the rain fell heavily and the wind howled like wolves in the mountains. Any ordinary man would have trembled at the thought of going out of doors, but Watanabe was a brave warrior and dauntless, and his honor and word were at stake, so he sped on into the night, while his companions listened to the sound of his horse’s hoofs dying away in the distance, then shut the sliding shutters close and gathered round the charcoal fire and wondered what would happen—and whether their comrade would encounter one of those horrible Oni.
17 その夜は非常に暗く、途中で渡辺を照らす月も星もありませんでした。暗闇をさらに悪化させるために、嵐が襲い、雨が激しく降り、風が山でオオカミのように吠えました。普通の人なら誰でも戸外に出ると思うと身震いするだろうが、渡辺は勇敢な戦士であり、勇敢であり、彼の名誉と言葉が危機に瀕していた.遠くで馬のひづめが死んでいくのを見て、引き戸を閉めて炭火の周りに集まり、何が起こるのか、そして彼らの仲間は恐ろしい鬼の1つに遭遇するのではないかと考えました.
18 At last Watanabe reached the Gate of Rashomon, but peer as he might through the darkness he could see no sign of an ogre.
18 ついに渡辺は羅生門の門にたどり着いた。
19 “It is just as I thought,” said Watanabe to himself; “there are certainly no ogres here; it is only an old woman’s story. I will stick this paper on the gate so that the others can see I have been here when they come to-morrow, and then I will take my way home and laugh at them all.”
19 「思った通りだ」と渡辺は独り言を言った。ここには確かに鬼はいません。それはただの老婆の話です。この紙を門に貼り付けて、他の人が明日来るときに私がここにいたことをわかるようにしてから、家に帰ってみんなを笑わせます.
20 He fastened the piece of paper, signed by all his four companions, on the gate, and then turned his horse’s head towards home.
20 彼は四人の仲間全員が署名した一枚の紙を門に留め、馬の頭を家の方へ向けた。
