『怪夢（空中）』
―― まえがき ――
ＷＥＢ絵本『怪夢（空中）』
絵・訳：茜町春彦
原作：夢野久作
概要：夢野久作の掌編小説を絵本にしました．英語に翻訳しております．
A Picture Book
Title: "Nightmare (In the Air)"
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko.
Original author: Yumeno Kyusaku
―― ０１ ――
A reconnaissance monoplane with No.T11 began to climb at a sharp angle.
It looked as if it kicked the green hills and fields down.
Ｔ１１と番号を打った単葉の偵察機が、緑の野山を蹴落としつつスバラシイ急角度で上昇し始めた．
―― ０２ ――
... Hey! ...
Lieutenant Y!
Don't fly the monoplane 11!
You have just taken up your new post, and so, you probably don't know.
The pilot of that plane was missing in the air, twice!
In addition, mysteriously, only the airplane body landed without damage, both times.
It's a thing with such a past.
The engine and the body are still good, but, everyone is unwilling to fly it.
So, it was fixed to the ceiling.
... Stop! Stop! ...
「・・・オイ・・・．Ｙ中尉．あの１１の単葉なら止せ．君は赴任そうそうだから知るまいが、アイツは今までに二度も搭乗者が空中で行方不明になったんだ．おまけに二度とも機体だけが、不思議に無疵のまま落ちていたというイワクつきのシロモノなんだ．発動機も機体もまだシッカリしているんだが、みんな乗るのを嫌がるもんだから、天井裏にくっ付けておいたんだ・・・止せ、よせ・・・」
―― ０３ ――
My commander gave me such an advice.
And my colleagues anxiously saw me off.
In a short period of time, his advice and their faces vanished beneath stratus like an event in the past century.
そう云って忠告した司令官の言葉も、心配そうに見送った同僚の顔も、みるみるうちに旧世紀の出来事のように層雲の下に消え失せて行った．
―― ０４ ――
Soon, a summer sky appeared above my head.
The blue sky was expanding endlessly.
And the morning sun was shining clearly.
そうして間もなく私の頭の上には朝の清新な太陽に濡れ輝いている夏の大空が、青く青く涯てしもなく拡がって行った．
―― ０５ ――
I prided myself.
I didn't believe anyone, except for their accurate inspection ability for the whole plane body, their sensitive observation power for weather and their experience of breakthough for all kinds of dangers.
I simply had ill feeling against the superstitious concern of the commander and the colleagues.
So, I plunked up my courage and controlled the elevator at this acute angle.
... "Can they go to the front line with such a mind?" ... I felt ...
But ... That ill feeling died out completely while I broke through a chilly moving mass of stratus.
After that, there were only an altimeter indicating 2500 meters, mysteriously calm hum of the propeller, and inexpressible smooth inspiration to the spark plugs.
私は得意であった．
機体の全部に関する精確な検査能力と、天候に対する鋭敏な観察力と、あらゆる危険を突破した経験以外には、何者をも信用しない事に決めている私は、そうした指令官や同僚たちの、迷信じみた心配に対する単純な反感から、思い切ってこうした急角度の上げ舵を切ったのであった．
・・・そんな事で戦争に行けるか・・・という気になって・・・
だが・・・ソンナような反感も、ヒイヤリと流れかかる層雲の一角を突破して行くうちに、あとかたもなく消え失せて行った．
そうして、あとには二千五百メートルを示す高度計と、不思議なほど静かなプロペラの唸りと、何とも言えず好調子なスパークの霊感だけが残っていた．
―― ０６ ――
... "This No. 11 is very nice!" ...
... "It's already been over 300 km/hour, but it's very calm!" ...
... "Also, there ought to be no air pockets in this kind of weather!" ...
... "If there was no stratus, I would surprise them by showing my aerobatics around here." ...
・・・この１１機はトテモ素敵だぞ・・・
・・・もう３００キロを突破しているのにこの静かさはドウダ・・・
・・・おまけにコンナ日にはエア・ポケットもない筈だからナ・・・
・・・層雲が無ければここいらで一つ、高等飛行をやって驚かしてくれるんだがナア・・・
―― ０７ ――
... Thinking such a thing, I took the control stick for slightly climbing.
After a while, I happened to find that the shadow of No.11 was gliding on the stratus 200 or 300 meters below me up and down in parallel.
I saw it and I felt inexpressible gladness although I was used to the flight.
I couldn't stop deriving the obvious satisfaction which only the sky conquerors feel in the air.
... really childish ... excitingly ...
... the altitude of 2500 meters ...
... the calm hum of the propeller ...
... the smooth inspiration to the spark plugs ...
・・・なぞと思い続けながら、軽い上げ舵を取って行くうちに、私はフト、私の脚下二三百メートルの処に在る層雲の上を、１１機の投影が高くなり、低くなりつつ相並んで、すべって行くのを発見した．
それを見ると流石に飛行慣れた私も、何ともいえない嬉しさを感じない訳に行かなかった．
大空のただ中で、空の征服者のみが感じ得る、澄み切った満足をシミジミ味わずにはいられなかった．
・・・真に子供らしい・・・胸のドキドキする・・・
・・・二千五百の高度・・・
・・・静かなプロペラのうなり・・・
・・・好調子なスパークの霊感・・・
―― ０８ ――
Hot tears, which made me forget everything, sprang up in my eyes.
I was lonesomely flying among the sun, the blue sky and the cloud with the emotional tears.
... In order to stop them, I winked a few times in my goggles.
私の眼に、何もかも忘れた熱い涙がニジミ出した．
太陽と、蒼空と、雲の間を、ヒトリポッチで飛んで行く感激の涙が・・・
それを押し鎮めるべく私は、眼鏡の中で二三度パチパチと瞬きをした．
―― ０９ ――
... At that time ...
A little airplane appeared in the sky, which was glittering like a big mirror, in front of this propeller.
And it began to become bigger and bigger ...
・・・その瞬間であった・・・
ちょうどプロペラの真正面にピカピカ光っている、大きな鏡のような青空の中から、一台の小さな飛行機があらわれて、ズンズン形を大きくしはじめたのは・・・
―― １０ ――
That was strange.
That happened suddenly, so I couldn't believe my eyes.
While I thought so, the black figure was enlarging rapidly.
And it clearly showed its shape of a monoplane.
I tightly held the control stick with preparedness.
... the altitude of 2500 meters ...
... the calm hum of the propeller ...
... the smooth inspiration to the spark plugs ...
私は不思議に思った．
あまりに突然の事なので眼の誤りかと思ったが、そう思ううちに向こうの黒い影はグングン大きくなって、ハッキリした単葉の姿をあらわして来た．
私は心構えしながら舵機をシッカリと握り締めた．
・・・二千五百の高度・・・
・・・静かなプロペラのうなり・・・
・・・好調子なスパークの霊感・・・
―― １１ ――
I was surprised.
I opened my eyes wide holding my breath.
What was coming from the opposite direction was a reconnaissance plane for land. It was the same as my plane.
And it seemed that the aircrew was one.
Needless to say, I couldn't read the mark nor the number of the plane, though ...
... the altitude of 2500 meters ...
... the calm propeller ...
... the smooth sparks ...
... the sky ...
... the sun ...
... a sea of stratus ...
私は驚いた．
固唾を呑んで目を見張った．
向こうから来るのは私の乗機と一分一厘違わぬ陸上の偵察機である．
搭乗者も一人らしい．
機のマークや番号はむろん見えないが・・・
・・・二千五百の高度・・・
・・・静かなプロペラ・・・
・・・好調子なスパーク・・・
・・・青空・・・
・・・太陽・・・
・・・層雲の海・・・
―― １２ ――
I uttered a cry.
I turned left with a long radius and tried to avoid it.
At the same time, that plane turned with a long radius, showing the left side of its gloomy body.
And, it was headed toward me.
Cold sweat broke out all over my body.
私はアット声を立てた．
私が大きく左舵を取って避けようとすると、同時に向こうの機も薄暗い左の横腹を見せつつ大きく迂回して私の真正面に向かって来た．
私の全身に冷汗がニジミ出た．
―― １３ ――
... I hurriedly turned right, thinking "That's ridiculous!"
Also, that plane was headed toward me, shining its right side of its body, as if it mimed my plane.
... such as an image reflected in a mirror ...
・・・コンナ馬鹿な事がと思いつつ慌てて機体を右に向けると、向こうの機も真似をするかのように右の横腹を眩しく光らせつつ、やはり真正面に向かって来る．
・・・鏡面に映ずる影の通りに・・・
―― １４ ――
My whole nerves got excited.
My teeth began to chatter.
私の全神経が強直した．
歯の根がカチカチ鳴り出した．
―― １５ ――
Suddenly, my plane pitched. It seemed that it entered a small air pocket.
... At the same time, that plane also pitched.
At the moment, I saw the mark of that plane, which read ... T11 ... unmistakably ...
その途端に私の機体が、軽いエア・ポケットに陥ったらしくユラユラと前に傾いた．
・・・と同時に向こうの機もユラユラと前に傾いたが、
その一刹那に見えた対機のマークは紛れもなく・・・Ｔ１１・・・と読まれたではないか・・・
―― １６ ――
... I had no time for thinking such a thing.
That plane recovered the position of both wings simultaneously.
And it directly came to collide with this ...
・・・と思う間もなくその両翼を、こっちと同時に立て直して向こうの機は、真正面から一直線に衝突して来たではないか・・・
―― １７ ――
... I switched off
... I unfastened my belt.
... And, I escaped from the cockpit.
・・・私はスイッチを切った．
・・・ベルトを解いた．
・・・座席から飛び出した．
―― １８ ――
... I fell down about 100 meters without opening my parachute.
・・・パラシュートを開かないまま百メートルほど落ちて行った．
―― １９ ――
He was falling down at the same posture as mine, without opening his parachute, like a bullet. He looked just like me.
... I was gazing at his face just like mine ...
私と同じ姿勢で、パラシュートを開かないまま、弾丸のように落下して行く私そっくりの相手の姿
・・・私そっくりの顔を凝視しながら・・・
―― ２０ ――
... the endless blue sky ...
... the dazzling sun ...
... the sea of the stratus shining in yellow ...
・・・果てしもない青空・・・
・・・眩しい太陽・・・
・・・黄色く光る層雲の海・・・
（了）
―― あとがき ――
この本はパブーで公開した電子書籍、夢野絵本「怪夢（空中）」を加筆修正したものです．
参考文献：夢野久作全集3（1992年8月24日第1刷発行 夢野久作著 ちくま文庫）
