ＷＥＢ絵本「電報（黒島伝治）」前編

"Gensaku's son has gone to a city."

"His son will take an entrance examination for a public junior high school."

Such a rumor was spreading all over his village.

源作の息子が市の中学校の入学試験を受けに行っているという噂が、村中にひろまった．

Gensaku was a poor independent farmer in the village. And he had only paid the tax less than the standard level.

It was natual and normal that sons of the landowners or the soy sauce factory owners would go to universities in Tokyo.

Nobody would gossip about such sons.

But, Gensaku was a small poor farmer. And he was going to send his son to school of a city.

This aroused curiosity for the village people.

源作は、村の貧しい、等級割一戸前も持っていない自作農だった．

地主や、醤油屋の坊っちゃん達なら、東京の大学へ入っても、当然で、何も珍しいことはない．

噂の種にもならないのだが、ドン百姓の源作が、息子を、市の学校へやると云うことが、村の人々の好奇心をそそった．

Okino was Gensaku's wife.

When she asked the neighbors to let her use their bathroom or when she went to a temple for a prayer, other wives made sarcrastic remarks.

"Your son will go to junior high school, won't he? You have much money! You can send him to school. Tee-hee, tee-hee."

Okino hadn't said anything about the entrance examination for her son.

On the day after her son left, she met some village people on the street.

Everyone already knew that matter.

They said "Oh! You are going to make your son a somebody. So, you are going to send him to school."

At first, she felt proud of her son. Also, she was happy.

源作の嬶の、おきのは、隣家へ風呂を貰いに行ったり、念仏に参ったりすると、「お前とこの、子供は、まあ、中学校へやるんじゃないかいな．銭が仰山あるせになんぼでも入れたらえいわいな．ひひひひ．」と、他の内儀達に皮肉られた．

おきのは、自分から、子供を受験にやったとは、ひと言も喋らなかった．しかし、息子の出発した翌日、既に、道辻で出会った村の人々はみなそれを知っていた．

最初、「まあ、えら者にしようと思うて学校へやるんじゃぁろう．」と、他人から云われると、おきのは、肩身が広いような気がした．嬉しくもあった．

"Did you say to others that he had left?" She asked Gensaku at a lunch time.

"No. I have said nothing." He answered unpleasantly.

"So, ... but, everybody already knew."

"Well." He was deep in thought.

「あんた、あれが行たんを他人に云うたん？」と、彼女は、昼飯の時に、源作に訊ねた．

「いいや．俺は何も云いやせんぜ．」と源作はムシムシした調子で答えた．

「そう．・・・けど、早や皆な知ってしもうとら．」

「ふむ．」と、源作は考えこんだ．

When Gensaku was 16 years old, his father died. After that, he stood on his own feet.

He obtained 1 acre of farmland and saved about 20 dollars. Now, he became 50 years old.

When he was young, he intended to save 200 or 300 dollars and he continued working hard with poor meals.

源作は、十六歳で父親に死なれ、それ以後一本立ちで働きこみ、四段歩ばかりの畠と、二千円ほどの金とを作り出していた．彼は、五十歳になっていた．

若い時分には、二三万円の金をためる意気込みで、喰い物も、ろくに食わずに働き通した．

He was able to save 20 dollars with his best effort, but he could not save money anymore.

He went down the slope of his life far away. He felt that he used up his energy and that he could not work hard.

According to his experience from 16 years old, the soy-sauce factory owner and the landowner got much money without hard labor and they led luxurious lives. He was only able to save money for hard labor little by little, though.

しかし、彼は最善を尽くして、ようよう二千円たまったが、それ以上はどうしても積りそうになかった．

そしてもう彼は人生の下り坂をよほどすぎて、精力も衰え働けなくなって来たのを自ら感じていた．

十六からこちらへの経験によると、彼が困難な労働をして僅かずつ金を積んで来ているのに、醤油屋や地主は、別に骨の折れる仕事もせず、沢山の金を儲けて立派な暮らしを立てていた．

The third son of the landowner was as old as he.

The son was a mediocre student. But the son went to advanced school using the power of money.

Now, the son became a priest of Konpira Shrine and he easily cheated people out of their money.

また彼と同年だった、地主の三男は、別に学問の出来る男ではなかったが、金のお蔭で学校へ行って今では、金毘羅さんの神主になり、うまうまと他人から金をまき上げている．

Also, there were some people who were as old as he or who were younger than he.

At school, their grades were pretty worce than his. But they were able to go to advanced school and learned reading and writing.

Now, one became a manager of a soy-sauce factory, another became a chief clerk of a soy-sauce dealer, another became the head of an elementary school.

And they took power in the village. So, he had to bow his head to such persons.

They became members of the village council and dicided the tax rates for each farm family as they pleased.

彼と同年輩、または、彼より若い年頃の者で、学校へ行っていた時分には、彼よりよほど出来が悪かった者が、少しよけい勉強をして、読み書きが達者になった為に、今では、醤油会社の支配人になり、醤油屋の番頭になり、または小学校の校長になって、村でえらばっている．

そして、彼はそういう人々に対して、頭を下げねばならなかった．彼はそういう人々の支配を受けねばならなかった．

そういう人々が村会議員になり勝手に戸数割をきめているのだ．

Now, the peasant farmers were working all year round, but they were nevertheless on very hungry.

The proceeds of their crops were low. But their taxes and their living costs were high. The balances were always in the red.

But, even if such peasant farmers had been employed as laborers of a soy-sauce factory, the labors would have been hard and the wages would have been low.

Anyway, they could not change from peasant farmers to dealers or managers of soy-sauce factories.

百姓たちは、今では、一年中働きながら、うえなければならないようになった．畠の収穫物の売上げは安く、税金や、生活費はかさばって、差引き、切れこむばかりだった．

そうかといって、醤油屋の労働者になっても、仕事がえらくて、賃ぎんは少なかった．

が今更、百姓をやめて商売人に早変わりすることも出来なければ、醤油屋の番頭になる訳にも行かない．

But, he could not stand to pull his son into unfavorable place like his place.

He had two children. The older daughter married into a family in a neighboring village the previous
year.

The younger son was remaining in his family.

Fortunately, he had money enough to pay fees of a junior high school.

So, he asked his cousin, who was an umbrella seller in the city, to take care of his son.

He intended to send his son to school economically.

しかし息子を、自分がたどって来たような不利な立場に陥入れるのは、彼れには忍びないことだった．

二人の子供の中で、姉は、去年隣村へ嫁づけた．

あとには弟が一人残っているだけだ．

幸い、中学へやるくらいの金はあるから、市で傘屋をしている従弟に世話をして貰って、安くで通学させるつもりだった．

"I hope he will pass the exam," he said putting his rice bowl on the table.

"He is sure to pass it because he has always got the highest grades in his class since he was a first-year student," she said looking at his broad head.

His gray hair grew and was messy because he hadn't had a haircut for the past one month or more.

"Um, there are many good students in the city. Who knows what will happen."

"Every morning, I pray to Kannon God for him. He is sure to pass the exam."

Gensaku didn't answer to that word.

「具合よく通ってくれりゃえいがなあ．」と彼は茶碗を置いて云った．

「そりゃ、通るわ．一年からずっと一番ばかりでぬけて来たんじゃもの．」と、おきのは源作の横広い頭を見て云った．胡麻塩の頭髪は一ヵ月以上も手入れをしないので長く伸び乱れていた．

「いいや、それでも市に行きゃえらい者が多いせにどうなるやら分からんて．」

「毎朝、私、観音様にお願を掛けよるんじゃものきっと通るわ．」

源作はそれには答えなかった．

He was dreaming that his son would graduate from the jounior high school and enter a technical high school and graduate from it and join an industrial experimental station as an engineer and earn the salary of 1 dollar 20 cents.

彼は、息子が中学を卒業して、高等工業へ入って、出ると、工業試験場の技師になり、百二十円の月給を取るのを想像していた．

A post card came from his cousin in the city.

It said that his son was very well and lively.

Further it said that there were many applicants to the prefectual junior high school.

It also said:

The students from elementary schools in the city had started the preparation of the entrance exam with their teachers' help six month before;

Additionally, they wouldn't panic in the exam room and would answer the questions calmly to the best of their knowledge;

The students from the rural area would suffer a loss of 20 or 30 percents in this regard;

However, the son would pass the exam because he was an brilliant student.

市の従弟から葉書が来た．

息子は丈夫で元気が好いと書いてあった．

県立中学は、志願者が非常に多いと云って来た．

市内の小学校を出た子供は、先生が六ヵ月も前から、肝煎って受験準備を整えている上に、試験場でもあわてずに落ちついて知って居るだけを書いて出すが、田舎から出て来た者は、そういう点で二三割損をする．もっとも、この子はよく出来るということだから、通ることは通るだろうが、と書いてあった．

Gensaku read out the post card to his wife and said, "I want him passing the exam."

"I will pray harder."

If people prayed to a god for something, their dreams would not come true; Gensaku always thought so; but now, he didn't intend to deny her word.

「通ったらえらいものじゃがなあ．」源作は、葉書を嬶に読んできかせた後、こう云った．

「もっと熱心にお願いをするわ．」

こういうことを、神仏に願っても、効くものでない、と常々から思っている源作も、今は、妻の言葉を退ける気になれなかった．

While Gensaku was working in the field, Okino's uncle visited her.

源作が野良仕事に出ている留守に、おきのの叔父が来た．

"I heard you let your son go to the entrance exam of a junior high school. What will you make him in the future?", her uncle said sitting on the porch with a worn smooth surface.

「そちな、子供を中学校へやったと云うじゃないかいや．一体、何にする積りどいや」と叔父は、磨りちびてつるつるした縁側に腰を下ろして、おきのに訊ねた．

"Even if he stops going to school now and gets a job, his wages will not be high. And, within his life, he also can't get ahead and must live a poor life. Even if we spend pretty money, we only want him to have an education. We don't intend to make him a somebody," Okino said.

"Um, anyway, even if he graduates from junior high school, he will not be able to become a richman."

"My husband intends to send our son to advanced school."

"Um," her uncle sighed tilting his head for a while.

"The village headman hates it when the poor send their children to school of the city. Keep it a secret!", he said in a low tone emphatically.

"I see."

"When someone asks you, you had better answer he is working in the city as a live-in worker."

"Well."

"Be carefull about this ... ", her uncle added.

「あれを今、学校をやめさして、働きに出しても、そんなに銭はとれず、そうすりゃ、あれの代になっても、また一生頭が上がらずに、貧乏たれで暮さにゃならんせに、今、ちいと物入れて学校へでもやっといてやったら、また何ぞになろうと思うていない．」と、おきのは答えた．

「ふむ．そりゃ、まあえいが、中学校を上がったって、えらい者になれやせんぜ．」

「うちの源さん、まだ上へやる云いよらあの．」

「ふむ．」と、叔父は、しばらく頭を傾けていた．

「庄屋の旦那が、貧乏人が子供を市の学校へやるんをどえらい嫌うとるんじゃせにやっても内所にしとかにゃならんぜ．」と、彼は、声を低めて、しかも力を入れて云った．

「そうかいな．」

「誰ぞに問われたら、市へ奉公にやったと云うとくがえいぜ．」

「はあ．」

「よおく、気をつけにゃならんぜ・・・」と叔父は念をおした．

He stood up and went to the pigpen.

そして、立って豚小屋を見に行った．

"This female is very fat!"

Its parent pigs had been sold about a month before and only a pair of their young had been kept.

Pointing the female mate, her uncle said so.

「この牝はずかずか肥えるじゃないかいや．」

親豚は、一ヵ月程前に売って、仔豚のつがいだけ飼っている．その牝の方を指して叔父はそう云った．

"Well," said Okino, who also went to the pigpen.

「はあ．」と、おきのは云って、彼女も豚小屋の方へ行った．

"If you keep ten pigs or so, the sales of them could cover the school fees ... Anyway, it is the practice of this village that the poor do not send their children to advanced school. You had better say to others that he is working," her uncle repeated.

「豚を十匹ほど飼うたら、子供の学費くらい取られんこともないんじゃがな、・・・なにせ、ここじゃ、貧乏人は上の学校へやれんことにしとるせに、奉公にやったと云うとかにゃいかんて．」と、叔父は繰り返した．

Okino followed her uncle's advice.

When people asked about her son, she said that he was working at an umbrella shop. But, the village people didin't believe what she said.

"No! No! We can't send our son to school in the city. We don't have enough money. We live humbly. He is really working as a live-in worker," she insisted stubbornly.

おきのは、叔父の注意に従って、息子のことを訊ねられると、傘屋へ奉公に出したと云った．

しかし、村の人々は、彼女の言葉を本当にしなかった．

でも、頑固に、「いいえいな、家に、市の学校へやったりするかいしょうがあるもんかいな．食うや食わずじゃのに、奉公に出したんにきまっとら．」と、彼女は云い張った．

But the people sarcastically remarked, "You have much this (making the gesture of money with a thumb and an index finger). Why is your only son working as a live-in worker? You send him to school! You are kidding! Your son gets good grades. He will become a richman. Tee-hee ... "

が、人々は却って皮肉に、「お前んとこにゃ、なんぼかこれが（と親指と示指とで丸ものをこしらえて、）あるやら分らんのに、何で、一人息子を奉公やかいに出したりすらあ！学校へやったんじゃが、うまいこと嘘をつかあ、・・・まあ、お前んとこの子供はえらいせに、旦那さんにでもなるわいの、ひひひ・・・．」

When Okino ran into people, they made sacrastic remarks. That was paintful for her.

So, she said to Gensaku, "I wonder if we should make him give up and make him work as a live-in worker."

"Live-in?", said Gensaku, slightly giving a sneer in gloomy tone; "Our life is almost over. But his life has only just begun. We should give him a good education rather than save a bit of money for him. It will be very helpful to him. I don't care what people are saying! We don't ask the village headman for money. I pay fees and send my son to school. We don't have to worry about what people say."

おきのは、出くわした人々から、嫌味を浴びせかけられるのがつらさに、「もういっそ、やめさして、奉公にでも出すかいの．」と源作に云ったりした．

「奉公やかい．」と、源作は、一寸冷笑を浮かべて、むしむしした調子で、「おれ等一代はもうすんだようなもんじゃが、あれは、まだこれからじゃ．少々の銭を残してやるよりや、教育をつけてやっとく方が、どんだけ為になるやら分からせん．村の奴等が、どう云おうがかもうたこっちゃない．庄屋の旦那に銭を出して貰うんじゃなし、俺が、銭を出して、俺の子供を学校へやるのに、誰に気兼ねすることがあるかい．」

Her uncle's advice and the village people's sarcastic remark made Okino feel it bad to send her son to school.

But she listened to Gensaku and tought that his opinion was reasonable and quite plain.

She felt the people's remark to be unreasonable.

おきのは、叔父の話をきいたり、村の人々の皮肉をきいたりすると、息子を学校へやるのが良くないような気がするのだったが、源作の云うことをきくと、源作に十二分の理由があって、簡単、明瞭で、他から文句を云う余地はないように思われた．

（つづく）

――　奥付　――
ＷＥＢ絵本「電報（黒島伝治）」前編
訳・絵：茜町春彦
原作：黒島伝治

A Picture Book : "A telegram" vol.1
Translated and illustrated by : Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author : Kuroshima Denji

黒島伝治の短編小説を翻訳し、絵本にしました．
何か所か、難しい漢字を平易な漢字もしくは仮名に改めました．

黒島伝治について：
二十世紀前半に活躍した小説家です．
1943年没

参考文献：
橇／豚群（2017年8月9日第1刷発行　黒島伝治著　講談社文芸文庫）

初出：
日本文学英訳化計画『黒島伝治：電報』第１巻 2017年10月16日発行
日本文学英訳化計画『黒島伝治：電報』第２巻 2017年10月23日発行

電子書籍プラットフォーム「パブー」で公開した作品です．
パブーの閉店に際し、こちらに移植しました．