Part 6 of 7 · JLPT N2
走れメロス Hashire Merosu, part 6: A Spring, and Renewed Hope
In this part
Collapsed and despairing, Melos hears a spring bubbling from the rocks. He drinks, recovers his strength and resolve, and races toward Syracuse as the sun sinks. Near the city, Philostratus runs up beside him and begs him to stop, saying it is too late: Selinuntius is about to be executed, though he trusted Melos to the end.
AI translation · independently checked
ふと耳に、潺々、水の流れる音が聞えた。Suddenly there came to his ears a soft murmuring: the sound of running water.
そっと頭をもたげ、息を呑んで耳をすました。Gently he lifted his head, held his breath, and listened.
すぐ足もとで、水が流れているらしい。It seemed that water was flowing right at his feet.
よろよろ起き上って、見ると、岩の裂目から滾々と、何か小さく囁きながら清水が湧き出ているのである。He staggered to his feet and looked, and there, from a cleft in the rock, clear water was welling up in a steady stream, whispering something softly as it came.
その泉に吸い込まれるようにメロスは身をかがめた。Melos stooped over the spring as though he were being drawn into it.
水を両手で掬って、一くち飲んだ。He scooped up the water in both hands and drank a mouthful.
ほうと長い溜息が出て、夢から覚めたような気がした。A long sigh escaped him, and he felt as if he had woken from a dream.
歩ける。I can walk.
行こう。Let us go.
肉体の疲労恢復と共に、わずかながら希望が生れた。As his body recovered from its weariness, a hope, however faint, was born.
義務遂行の希望である。The hope of fulfilling his duty.
わが身を殺して、名誉を守る希望である。The hope of giving up his own life to keep his honour.
斜陽は赤い光を、樹々の葉に投じ、葉も枝も燃えるばかりに輝いている。The slanting sun cast its red light upon the leaves of the trees, and leaves and branches alike shone as if they were on fire.
日没までには、まだ間がある。There is still time before sunset.
私を、待っている人があるのだ。There is someone waiting for me.
少しも疑わず、静かに期待してくれている人があるのだ。There is someone who, without the slightest doubt, is quietly expecting me.
私は、信じられている。I am trusted.
私の命なぞは、問題ではない。My life is no matter at all.
死んでお詫び、などと気のいい事は言って居られぬ。I cannot indulge in easy talk of dying to make amends.
私は、信頼に報いなければならぬ。I must repay that trust.
いまはただその一事だ。Now there is only that one thing.
走れ！Run!
メロス。Melos!
私は信頼されている。I am trusted.
私は信頼されている。I am trusted.
先刻の、あの悪魔の囁きは、あれは夢だ。That devil's whisper a while ago was a dream.
悪い夢だ。An evil dream.
忘れてしまえ。Forget it.
五臓が疲れているときは、ふいとあんな悪い夢を見るものだ。When a man is worn out to his very core, he will sometimes have such evil dreams out of nowhere.
メロス、おまえの恥ではない。Melos, it is no shame to you.
やはり、おまえは真の勇者だ。You are, after all, a true hero.
再び立って走れるようになったではないか。Have you not risen again and found you can run?
ありがたい！Thank heaven!
私は、正義の士として死ぬ事が出来るぞ。I can die as a man of justice!
ああ、陽が沈む。Ah, the sun is setting.
ずんずん沈む。Down and down it sinks.
待ってくれ、ゼウスよ。Wait for me, O Zeus.
私は生れた時から正直な男であった。I have been an honest man since the day I was born.
正直な男のままにして死なせて下さい。Let me die an honest man still.
路行く人を押しのけ、跳ねとばし、メロスは黒い風のように走った。Pushing aside the people on the road, knocking them flying, Melos ran like a black wind.
野原で酒宴の、その宴席のまっただ中を駈け抜け、酒宴の人たちを仰天させ、犬を蹴とばし、小川を飛び越え、少しずつ沈んでゆく太陽の、十倍も早く走った。He dashed straight through the middle of a feast being held in a meadow, startling the revellers out of their wits; he kicked a dog aside, leapt over a stream, and ran ten times faster than the slowly sinking sun.
一団の旅人と颯っとすれちがった瞬間、不吉な会話を小耳にはさんだ。At the instant he swept past a band of travellers, he caught a snatch of ominous talk.
「いまごろは、あの男も、磔にかかっているよ。」ああ、その男、その男のために私は、いまこんなに走っているのだ。"About now that fellow will be hanging on the cross." Ah, that man, it is for that man that I am running like this now.
その男を死なせてはならない。I must not let that man die.
急げ、メロス。Hurry, Melos.
おくれてはならぬ。You must not be late.
愛と誠の力を、いまこそ知らせてやるがよい。Now is the time to show them the power of love and faithfulness.
風態なんかは、どうでもいい。What you look like does not matter at all.
メロスは、いまは、ほとんど全裸体であった。By now Melos was very nearly stark naked.
呼吸も出来ず、二度、三度、口から血が噴き出た。He could not breathe, and twice, three times, blood spurted from his mouth.
見える。He can see it.
はるか向うに小さく、シラクスの市の塔楼が見える。Far off in the distance, small, he can see the towers of the city of Syracuse.
塔楼は、夕陽を受けてきらきら光っている。The towers are glittering in the evening sun.
「ああ、メロス様。」うめくような声が、風と共に聞えた。"Ah, Master Melos." A voice like a groan came to him on the wind.
「誰だ。」メロスは走りながら尋ねた。"Who is it?" Melos asked as he ran.
「フィロストラトスでございます。貴方のお友達セリヌンティウス様の弟子でございます。」その若い石工も、メロスの後について走りながら叫んだ。"It is Philostratus, sir. I am the apprentice of your friend, Master Selinuntius." The young stonemason shouted this as he ran along behind Melos.
「もう、駄目でございます。むだでございます。走るのは、やめて下さい。もう、あの方をお助けになることは出来ません。」"It is no use now, sir. It is in vain. Please stop running. You can no longer save him."
「いや、まだ陽は沈まぬ。」"No, the sun has not yet set."
「ちょうど今、あの方が死刑になるところです。ああ、あなたは遅かった。おうらみ申します。ほんの少し、もうちょっとでも、早かったなら！」"This very moment he is being put to death. Ah, you came too late. I hold it against you, sir. If only you had been a little earlier, even just a little!"
「いや、まだ陽は沈まぬ。」メロスは胸の張り裂ける思いで、赤く大きい夕陽ばかりを見つめていた。"No, the sun has not yet set." With a heart fit to burst, Melos kept his eyes fixed on nothing but the great red evening sun.
走るより他は無い。There was nothing to do but run.
「やめて下さい。走るのは、やめて下さい。いまはご自分のお命が大事です。あの方は、あなたを信じて居りました。刑場に引き出されても、平気でいました。王様が、さんざんあの方をからかっても、メロスは来ます、とだけ答え、強い信念を持ちつづけている様子でございました。」"Please stop. Please stop running. Now it is your own life that matters. He believed in you. Even when he was dragged out to the place of execution, he was calm. However much the King mocked him, he would only answer, 'Melos will come,' and he seemed to hold firm to that belief."
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | JLPT |
|---|---|---|
| 潺々せんせん | murmuring, babbling (of flowing water)Literary onomatopoeic word in kanji. Compare the everyday さらさら. | — |
| 湧き出ているわきでる | to well up, to gush out (of a spring)dictionary form: 湧き出る | — |
| 掬ってすくう | to scoop up (with the hands)dictionary form: 掬うDifferent from 救う (to save), which has the same reading. | N1 |
| 恢復かいふく | recoveryAn older spelling. Today it is usually written 回復. | N3 |
| 斜陽しゃよう | the setting sun, slanting evening sunlightAlso the title of a famous Dazai novel, where it suggests decline. | — |
| 報いなければならぬむくいる | to repay, to reward (trust, kindness)dictionary form: 報いるUsually used as 〜に報いる. | — |
| 先刻せんこく | a little while agoA formal or literary equivalent of さっき. | — |
| 囁きささやき | a whisperNoun from 囁く (to whisper), which is used for the spring earlier in the passage. | — |
| 仰天ぎょうてん | being astounded or startled仰天させる = to astound someone. | — |
| 小耳にはさんだこみみにはさむ | to overhear by chance, to catch a snatch ofdictionary form: 小耳にはさむ | — |
| 磔はりつけ | crucifixion (execution on a cross or post)磔にかかる = to be crucified. | — |
| 風態ふうてい | appearance, how one looks or is dressed (風態 is a variant spelling of 風体)dictionary form: 風体Usually written 風体 today. | — |
| 刑場けいじょう | place of execution | — |
| 信念しんねん | conviction, firm belief | — |
Grammar
〜なければならぬ N4 must, have to
ぬ is the classical negative, equivalent to ない, so ならぬ = ならない. The archaic ending gives Melos's resolve a solemn, heroic tone.
私は、信頼に報いなければならぬ。
I must repay that trust.
〜てはならない／〜てはならぬ N3 must not
The te-form plus は plus ならない expresses a strong prohibition. The passage uses both the modern ならない and the literary ならぬ.
その男を死なせてはならない。
I must not let that man die.
〜ばかりに N2 almost as if, to the point of seeming to
Dictionary form + ばかりに: 'so much that it seems about to (do X)', 'to the point of almost'. This is not the causal ばかりに ('just because'). Here the leaves and branches shine so brightly they seem about to burst into flames.
葉も枝も燃えるばかりに輝いている。
Leaves and branches alike shone as if they were on fire.
〜ものだ N3 it is natural that, that is how things are
ものだ after a plain verb states a general truth. Melos consoles himself that anyone who is exhausted will have such dreams.
五臓が疲れているときは、ふいとあんな悪い夢を見るものだ。
When a man is worn out to his very core, he will sometimes have such evil dreams out of nowhere.
〜ところだ N4 to be just about to, at the point of
Dictionary form + ところだ: 'be just about to; be on the point of'. Here 死刑になるところです means 'he is just about to be executed'.
ちょうど今、あの方が死刑になるところです。
This very moment he is being put to death.
〜より他（は）ない N2 there is nothing to do but
Dictionary form plus より他はない means the action is the only option left. Melos has no choice but to keep running.
走るより他は無い。
There was nothing to do but run.