ＷＥＢ絵本『露店商人（金子文子）』第２巻
私は聖書なんか読むどころでなかった．
不安な思いばかりが胸の中を往来した．
穴の中へでも引き込まれるような心細さがヒシヒシと迫ってきた．
I couldn't bring myself to read the Bible.
My anxiety just kept growing in my heart.
Loneliness was coming close to me. I felt like I was dragged into a hole.
ほどなく集会が開かれ、祈祷があったり、賛美歌が歌われたりしたようだった．
私にはしかし、そんなことはすべて素通りした．
Soon, they started the assembly. It seemed that they were at prayer or sang hymns.
But such things passed through me.
私はただみんなと一緒に頭を下げ、みんなと一緒に立った．
Ｋ少佐の説教すらも頭の中に這入ってこなかった．
I only bowed my head together with them and stood up together with them.
The sermon of Major K also passed through my brain.
だが、しばらくしているうちに、空気になれてきたのか、いくらか気が落ち着いてきたのか、少しばかりは少佐の言葉も頭の中に這入るようになった．
が、その時分にはもう少佐の説教は終わっていた．
But soon, I became used to the atmosphere or I felt relaxed slightly.
So, Major K's words reached my brain a little bit. But then, his sermon already finished.
説教が終わると賛美歌がまた歌われた．
そのリズムは大浪のうねりのように澎湃として巻き起こって来るような力をもっていた．何かしら自分もその波の上に乗ってどこか広々としたところにつれて行かれるような気に私は襲われた．
After the lecture, they sang hymns again.
Their rhythms forcefully swelled like the swell of the ocean. They had such a power.
I was somehow feeling that their wave would take me to an open space somewhere.
自ら感激にせまって言葉もつまるような少佐の祈祷がそれに続いた．
悩める霊に代わってその救いを求める少佐の祈りは必ず聞かれなければならぬような気持を起こさせるのに充分であった．
After that, the major said his prayers. He seemed to be moved by himself and to be a loss of words.
The major desired the salvation for souls in agony. I felt that I had to absolutely listen to his prayers.
祈祷がすむと、信者たちの「あかし」が始まった．
死ぬほどの苦しみを抱いていたものが信ずることによって救われた、という意味のことを店員風の青年が立って証した．
「わしゃ、エス様に救われてほんとに仕合わせです」と私の側にいたお婆さんが言った、みんな口々に「アーメン」とか「ハレルヤ」とか叫んだ．
「そうです、おお神よ！」と感激に充ちて叫ぶものもあった．
After the prayers, the believers started showing their evidences.
A young man stood up. And he meant that his faith relieved him although he was in agony to death. He looked like a sales clerk.
"I'm really happy because I've been saved by our Saviour," an old woman said. She was sitting next to me.
They each shouted "Amen" or "Hallelujah".
One of them was filled with emotion and shouted "Yes, our Saviour!"
伊藤が進み出て、テーブルの脚のところに跪いて祈った．
それは主として私のために祈り、私の救われんことを願っているようであった．
Mr. Ito moved forward. He knelt near the table legs and prayed.
He seemed to pray mainly for me. He appeared to be hoping that the salvation would be given to me.
（つづく）
―― 奥付 ――
ＷＥＢ絵本『露店商人（金子文子）』第２巻
絵・訳：茜町春彦
原作：金子文子
Title: A Street Vendor (Kaneko Fumiko) volume 2
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author: Kaneko Fumiko
