【JP/EN】阿部一族 The Abe Clan(7/8) Japanese/English Weekly Bilingual Version by Nikhil /Tomoko (English Version below)初めに日本語版、スクロールダウンして英語版が続きます。Mataitokos' blog (Cousins' Blog) is published every Sunday. Cousins' Blog またいとこのブログ (日曜発信） 第 1 章 2020 疫病の年 12月の放談 Chapter 1: 2020 Year of the Epidemy / December Talk
阿部一族 The Abe Clan (7/8)
by 森鴎外 Ogai MORI(1862－1922)
二キル・ライ/ ブヴィエ・友子による日英抄訳 English excerpted translation by Nikhil Ray/Tomoko
寛永十九年四月二十一日は春先によくある、薄曇の日であった。数馬の一行は、明け方に表門の前に来た。夜通し鐘太鼓を鳴らしていた屋敷の中が、今はひっそりして空家かと思われるほどである。門の扉は閉ざしてある。板塀の上に二三尺伸びている夾竹桃の先端には、蜘蛛の巣が掛かっていて、それに夜露が真珠のように光っている。燕が一羽どこからか飛んで来て、つと塀の中に入った。
数馬は馬を降りて、｢門を開けろ｣と言った。足軽(歩兵)が二人塀を乗り越えて中に入った。門の廻りには敵は一人もいないので、錠前を壊して、貫木を抜いた。
隣家の柄本又七郎は門の開く物音を聞くと、前夜結び縄を切っておいた竹垣を踏み破って、駆け込んだ。毎日のように行き来して、隅々まで知っている家である。手槍を構えて台所の口から、さっと入った。座敷の戸を閉め切って、乱入する討手のものを一人一人討ち取ろうとして控えていた一族の中で、裏口に気配のするのに、先ず気がついたのは弥五兵衛である。弥五兵衛も手槍を提げて台所に見に行った。
二人は槍の穂先と穂先が触れ合うほどに向かい合った。「やい、又七郎か」と弥五兵衛が声を掛けた。｢おお、以前からご自慢の、おぬしのお手並みを拝見しに来た。｣｢よいとも。さあ｣
二人は一歩下がって槍を交え、暫く戦ったが、槍術は又七郎の方が優れていたので、弥五兵衛の胸板をしたたかに突き抜いた。弥五兵衛は槍をからりと捨てて、座敷の方へ引き返そうとした。「卑怯だ。下がるな」又七郎が叫んだ。｢いや、逃げはしない。腹を切るのだ｣言い捨てて座敷に入った。
その瞬間「叔父様、お相手」と叫んで、前髪の七之丞が電光のように飛んで来て、又七郎の太腿を衝いた。又七郎は、親しい弥五兵衛に深手を負わせて、思わず気が緩んでいたので、熟練の又七郎も少年の手に掛かったのである。又七郎は槍を捨ててその場に倒れた。
玄関の正面の板戸が細目に開けてある。真っ先に入ろうとした数馬の前に島徳右衛門が立ちはだかり、戸をがらりと開けて飛び込んだ。島は市太夫の槍に、右の目を衝かれてよろよろと数馬に倒れ掛かった。
「邪魔じゃ」数馬は徳右衛門を押しのけて進んだ。市太夫、五太夫の槍が数馬の左右の脇腹を衝きぬいた。
裏門を押し破って入った高見権右衛門は十文字槍で阿部の家来を衝きまくって、座敷に来た。
双方が入り違えて、おめき叫んで衝いて来る。三十畳に足らぬ座敷での惨状は、皿に盛られた百虫の相喰らうに譬えられるほどの有様である。(続く）
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20.12.2020 Tomoko's preface 【Some thoughts on the film adaptation of literature】
■I used to work as a Japanese teacher in Switzerland in an educational programme called the International Baccalaureate. The highest of the seven levels, the literature-only programme, required students to read 15 books in two years. One of the questions in the final examination for the diploma was: "What do you think of the idea that some people think that literary works do not need to be read if they watch the film adaptations?''
■Since I started to publish the bilingual version of The Abe Clan, I have learned that there are a few film adaptations of this work. I can only find their digest versions on the internet, but they are old-fashioned adaptations, and for someone like me who has lived abroad for a long time, the interpretation of this literary work is particularly disconcerting.
■The scene of today's blog is a scene of chambara (i.e.battle). In one of the film adaptations I have seen, there is not much horrible fighting on the screen, but in the other one, there is a lot of bloody killing of people. Even if I know it is fiction, I am not fond of such scenes.
■Compared to the actors in these films, today's actors seem, first of all, to be required to be good-looking. Hence, they all look the same. Actually, the world values being productive and beautiful. Isn't that crazy?
■In the International Baccalaureate course, it is good that the students can learn literature in an interesting way. For example, they can create a parody, rewrite a story into a scenario for a play, or write a continuation of a story, etc. Now, many high schools in Japan have introduced the International Baccalaureate programme, but can we call it the same diploma as the International Baccalaureate in Europe? In Japan, the students can take most of the subjects in Japanese in the programme, unlike in other countries where they have to study all the subjects in English? Isn't it a distortion of education? (Tomoko)
The 21st of April in the year Kan'ei 19 was a slightly cloudy day, as is typical in early spring. Kazuma's party reached the front gate at dawn. The house where they had been ringing the bells and beating the drums all night was now so quiet that it looked as if it were empty. The door of the gate was closed. The tips of the oleander trees growing a few feet above the wooden fence were covered with cobwebs, and the night dew glistened on them like pearls. A swallow flew in from somewhere and entered the wall.
Kazuma dismounted and said, "Open the gate. Two foot soldiers climbed over the wall and went inside. As there were no enemies around the gate, they broke the lock and pulled out the bar.
When Tsukamoto Matashichiro, a neighbour, heard the gate open, he stepped through the bamboo fence where he had cut the knotted rope the night before and rushed in. He had been to the Abe's residence almost every day and knew every inch of it. Armed with his short spear, he quickly entered through the kitchen door. The door of the guest room was closed, and while the clan was waiting inside to take out the intruders one by one, Yagobei was the first to notice the noise at the back door. Yagobei also took his short spear and went to the kitchen to see.
The two men faced each other, with spear points almost touching. Hey, Matashichiro," Yagobei called out. ''Oh, I have come to see your skill, of which you have been so proud.'' said Matashichiro. Yagobei ''Very well,' replied Yagobei.
The two men stepped back and fought for a while, but as Matashichiro was the better spearman, he thrust his spear sharply through Yagohei's breastplate. Yagohei threw away his spear quickly and tried to turn back towards the guest room. 'It's not fair. Don't retreat,' shouted Matashichiro. Yagobei left there saying 'No, I'm not going to run away. I'm going to cut my own stomach.'' With that he went into the guest room.
At that moment Shichinojo with fringe shouted: `Fight with me, sir,' and jumped in like a flash of lightning, striking Matashichiro on the thigh. Matashichiro was so distracted by the wound inflicted on his close friend Yagohei that even the experienced Matashichiro fell into the boy's hands. Matashichiro threw down his spear and fell to the ground.
The wooden door in front of the entrance was narrowly open. Shima Tokuemon blocked Kazuma who tried to be the first to enter and opened the door and jumped in. Shima was struck in the right eye by Ichidaifu's spear and staggered over to Kazuma.
Get out of the way," Kazuma walked forward, pushing Tokuemon away. The spears of Ichidaifu and Godaifu pierced Kazuma's both sides.
Takami Gon'emon, who entered the residence by breaking through the back gate, thrusted around Abe's men with his cross shaped spear and came to the guest room.
The two parties thrust each other, yelling. The devastation in the guest room, which was less than 30 tatami mats in size, could be likened to a hundred insects eating each other on a plate.(to be continued)
Tadatoshi said, "It's a good thing, but it's no use to commit seppuku", the page
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