Part 7 of 8 · JLPT N2
双子の星 Futago no Hoshi, part 7: Cast Down Among the Starfish
In this part
Cast down into the sea, the twins bid farewell to the sky and its King, and are jeered at by red starfish. A boastful whale demands their papers of banishment and threatens to swallow them when they have none. A small sea-serpent arrives, looks above their heads and sees that they are no wrongdoers, scolds the whale, and offers to lead the twins to the King along a road lit by starfish.
AI translation · independently checked
「ポウセさん。もう仕方ありません。ここから空のみなさんにお別れしましょう。またおすがたは見えませんが王様におわびをしましょう。」"Pōse, it cannot be helped now. Let us say goodbye to everyone in the sky from here. And though we cannot see him, let us offer our apologies to the King."
「王様さよなら。私共は今日からひとでになるのでございます。」"Farewell, Your Majesty. From this day on, we are to become starfish."
「王様さよなら。ばかな私共は彗星に欺されました。今日からはくらい海の底の泥を私共は這いまわります。」"Farewell, Your Majesty. Foolish as we were, we let the comet deceive us. From this day on we shall crawl about in the mud at the bottom of the dark sea."
「さよなら王様。又天上の皆さま。おさかえを祈ります。」"Farewell, Your Majesty. And all of you in the heavens above, we pray that you may prosper."
「さよならみな様。又すべての上の尊い王さま、いつまでもそうしておいで下さい。」"Farewell, everyone. And noble King, high above all things, please stay just as you are for ever and ever."
赤いひとでが沢山集って来て二人を囲んでがやがや云って居りました。A great many red starfish came crowding together, surrounded the two of them, and set up a noisy clamour.
「こら着物をよこせ。」「こら。剣を出せ。」「税金を出せ。」「もっと小さくなれ。」「俺の靴をふけ。」"Hey, you, hand over your clothes!" "Hey! Out with your swords!" "Pay your taxes!" "Make yourselves smaller!" "Wipe my shoes!"
その時みんなの頭の上をまっ黒な大きな大きなものがゴーゴーゴーと哮えて通りかかりました。Just then, something huge, huge and pitch-black came passing over all their heads, roaring with a great whoosh and rumble.
ひとではあわててみんなお辞儀をしました。The starfish all hurriedly bowed.
黒いものは行き過ぎようとしてふと立ちどまってよく二人をすかして見て云いました。The black thing was about to go on by when it suddenly stopped, peered hard at the two of them through the water, and spoke.
「ははあ、新兵だな。まだお辞儀のしかたも習わないのだな。このくじら様を知らんのか。"Aha, new recruits, eh? Haven't even learned how to bow yet, I see. Don't you know me, the great Lord Whale?
俺のあだなは海の彗星と云うんだ。知ってるか。俺は鰯のようなひょろひょろの魚やめだかの様なめくらの魚はみんなパクパク呑んでしまうんだ。They call me the Comet of the Sea. Did you know that? Scrawny, spindly fish like sardines and blind little fish like killifish, I gulp them all down, snap, snap!
それから一番痛快なのはまっすぐに行ってぐるっと円を描いてまっすぐにかえる位ゆっくりカーブを切るときだ。And the most exhilarating thing of all is when I take a curve so slow and wide that I go straight ahead, sweep round in a circle and come straight back again.
まるでからだの油がねとねとするぞ。さて、お前は天からの追放の書き付けを持って来たろうな。早く出せ。」Why, it makes the very oil in my body go all sticky and gooey! Now then, I suppose you've brought your written order of banishment from heaven. Hand it over, quick!"
二人は顔を見合せました。The two of them looked at each other.
チュンセ童子がChunse Dōji
「僕らはそんなもの持たない。」と申しました。said, "We have no such thing."
すると鯨が怒って水を一つぐうっと口から吐きました。At that the whale grew angry and spewed out a great gush of water from its mouth.
ひとではみんな顔色を変えてよろよろしましたが二人はこらえてしゃんと立っていました。The starfish all turned pale and staggered, but the two boys held firm and stood up straight.
鯨が怖い顔をして云いました。The whale put on a frightening face and said:
「書き付けを持たないのか。悪党め。ここに居るのはどんな悪いことを天上でして来たやつでも書き付けを持たなかったものはないぞ。貴様らは実にけしからん。さあ。呑んでしまうからそう思え。いいか。」鯨は口を大きくあけて身構えしました。"You haven't got your papers? Why, you scoundrels! Everyone down here, whatever wicked deeds they did up in heaven, came with their papers. You two are a downright disgrace. Right! I'm going to swallow you up, so be ready for it. Understand?" The whale opened its mouth wide and made ready to strike.
ひとでや近所の魚は巻き添えを食っては大変だと泥の中にもぐり込んだり一もくさんに逃げたりしました。The starfish and the fish nearby, thinking it would be terrible to get caught up in it, burrowed into the mud or fled as fast as they could go.
その時向うから銀色の光がパッと射して小さな海蛇がやって来ます。Just then a silver light came flashing from the distance, and a small sea-serpent approached.
くじらは非常に愕ろいたらしく急いで口を閉めました。The whale seemed greatly startled and hurriedly shut its mouth.
海蛇は不思議そうに二人の頭の上をじっと見て云いました。The sea-serpent gazed intently above the two boys' heads with a puzzled look and said:
「あなた方はどうしたのですか。悪いことをなさって天から落とされたお方ではないように思われますが。」"What has happened to you? It seems to me that you are not persons who were cast down from heaven for doing wrong."
鯨が横から口を出しました。The whale butted in from the side.
「こいつらは追放の書き付けも持ってませんよ。」"These fellows haven't even got their papers of banishment, sir."
海蛇が凄い目をして鯨をにらみつけて云いました。The sea-serpent glared fiercely at the whale and said:
「黙っておいで。生意気な。このお方がたをこいつらなんてお前がどうして云えるんだ。"Hold your tongue, you insolent creature. How dare you call these honoured persons 'these fellows'?
お前には善い事をしていた人の頭の上の後光が見えないのだ。悪い事をしたものなら頭の上に黒い影法師が口をあいているからすぐわかる。You cannot see the halo above the heads of those who have lived good lives. With someone who has done wrong, you can tell at once, for above their head a black shadow gapes its mouth open.
お星さま方。こちらへお出で下さい。王の所へご案内申しあげましょう。おい、ひとで。Honoured stars, please come this way. Allow me to escort you to our King. You there, starfish!
あかりをともせ。こら、くじら。あんまり暴れてはいかんぞ。」Light the lamps. And you, whale, none of your rampaging, mind!"
くじらが頭をかいて平伏しました。The whale scratched its head and prostrated itself.
愕ろいた事には赤い光のひとでが幅のひろい二列にぞろっとならんで丁度街道のあかりのようです。To the twins' astonishment, the red-glowing starfish lined up in two wide rows, just like the lamps along a highway.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | JLPT |
|---|---|---|
| 欺されだます | to deceive, to trickdictionary form: 欺すUsually written 騙す today. 欺く (あざむく) is the more formal verb for this kanji. | N2 |
| 這いまわりますはいまわる | to crawl aboutdictionary form: 這い回る這う (to crawl) + 回る (around). | — |
| 集ってつどう | to gather, to assembledictionary form: 集うLiterary alternative to 集まる. | — |
| 追放ついほう | banishment, exile | N1 |
| 書き付けかきつけ | written document, papersOld-fashioned word for a note or official paper. | — |
| 痛快つうかい | thrilling, exhilaratingDespite the kanji 痛 (pain), it means intensely delightful. | — |
| 悪党あくとう | villain, scoundrel | — |
| けしからんけしからん | outrageous, disgracefulColloquial form of けしからぬ. Used by someone scolding from above. | — |
| 巻き添えまきぞえ | getting dragged into (someone else's trouble)巻き添えを食う = to be caught up in something as a bystander. | — |
| 一もくさんいちもくさん | at full speed (running away)dictionary form: 一目散Almost always used as 一目散に逃げる. | — |
| 生意気なまいき | cheeky, impertinent | N2 |
| 後光ごこう | haloOriginally the glow behind a Buddha's head. | — |
| 影法師かげぼうし | shadow, shadowy figureA person's shadow seen as a figure. 法師 becomes ぼうし by rendaku. | — |
| 平伏へいふく | prostrating oneselfBowing with the forehead to the ground, a gesture of deep submission. | — |
Grammar
〜でございます N4 humble/polite form of です
ございます is the very polite equivalent of あります/です. Here のでございます is the explanatory のです in its most polite form: 'it is the case that we are to become starfish'. The twins use it when addressing the King to show deep respect.
私共は今日からひとでになるのでございます。
From this day on, we are to become starfish.
〜ておいでください N3 please (honourably) remain / be doing
おいで is an honorific form of いる. Here the twins ask the King respectfully to stay just as he is. In the sea-serpent's お出で下さい it means 'come' instead.
いつまでもそうしておいで下さい。
Please stay just as you are for ever and ever.
〜たろう N3 I suppose (you) did ~
たろう is a contracted, rough form of ただろう. It expresses the speaker's assumption about a past action. The whale uses it to demand confirmation.
お前は天からの追放の書き付けを持って来たろうな。
I suppose you've brought your written order of banishment from heaven.
〜め N1 insulting suffix ('you ~!')
Attached to a noun, め turns it into an insult or a word of contempt. 悪党め is roughly 'you scoundrels!'
悪党め。
Why, you scoundrels!
〜ては大変だ N3 it would be terrible if ~
The て-form + は sets up a condition, and 大変だ says what a disaster that outcome would be. It gives the fish's reason for fleeing.
巻き添えを食っては大変だと泥の中にもぐり込んだり
thinking it would be terrible to get caught up in it, they burrowed into the mud
〜らしい N4 seems ~ (judging from appearances)
The narrator infers the whale's surprise from how it behaves, rather than stating it directly.
くじらは非常に愕ろいたらしく急いで口を閉めました。
The whale seemed greatly startled and hurriedly shut its mouth.