Part 3 of 6 · JLPT N2
蜘蛛となめくじと狸 Kumo to Namekuji to Tanuki, part 3: The Spider Rots; the Slug Wrestles
In this part
Determined to outdo the tanuki, the spider builds net after net, but his hoarded food rots, and the whole spider family rots with it until the rain washes them away. Meanwhile a hungry snail visits the silver slug, who is famed as the kindest creature in the wood. The slug feeds the snail, then insists on wrestling bout after bout until the snail dies, and the slug gobbles him up. A month later a limping lizard comes to the slug's door.
AI translation · independently checked
「何を。狸め。一生のうちにはきっとおれにおじぎをさせて見せるぞ。」"What?! That rotten tanuki! One of these days, before I die, I'll make him bow to me, just you watch!"
それからは蜘蛛は、もう一生けん命であちこちに十も網をかけたり、夜も見はりをしたりしました。From then on the spider worked as hard as he possibly could, spinning as many as ten webs here and there and keeping watch even at night.
ところが困ったことは腐敗したのです。But the trouble was that the food rotted.
食物がずんずんたまって、腐敗したのです。The food piled up and up, and it went rotten.
そして蜘蛛の夫婦と子供にそれがうつりました。And the rot spread to the spider couple and their children.
そこで四人は足のさきからだんだん腐れてべとべとになり、ある日とうとう雨に流れてしまいました。So, starting from the tips of their legs, the four of them slowly rotted until they were all sticky goo, and one day they were finally washed away by the rain.
それは蜘蛛暦三千八百年の五月の事です。That was in the fifth month of the year 3800 of the Spider Calendar.
二、銀色のなめくじ2. The Silver Slug
丁度蜘蛛が林の入口の楢の木に、二銭銅貨の位の網をかけた頃、銀色のなめくじの立派なおうちへかたつむりがやって参りました。Right around the time the spider spun his web, about the size of a two-sen copper coin, on the oak tree at the entrance to the wood, a snail came calling at the fine house of the silver slug.
その頃なめくじは林の中では一番親切だという評判でした。In those days the slug had a reputation for being the kindest creature in the whole wood.
かたつむりはThe snail said,
「なめくじさん。今度は私もすっかり困ってしまいましたよ。まるで食べるものはなし、水はなし、すこしばかりお前さんのためてあるふきのつゆを呉れませんか。」と云いました。"Mr Slug, this time I'm in real trouble. I've nothing at all to eat and no water either. Won't you give me just a little of that butterbur dew you've got stored away?"
するとなめくじが云いました。And the slug said,
「あげますともあげますとも。さあ、おあがりなさい。」"Why, of course, of course you may have some! Come now, drink up!"
「ああありがとうございます。助かります。」と云いながらかたつむりはふきのつゆをどくどくのみました。"Oh, thank you so much. You've saved me," said the snail, gulping down the butterbur dew.
「もっとおあがりなさい。あなたと私とは云わば兄弟。ハッハハ。さあ、さあ、も少しおあがりなさい。」となめくじが云いました。"Have some more, do. You and I are practically brothers, after all. Ha-haha! Come, come, have a little more," said the slug.
「そんならも少しいただきます。ああありがとうございます。」と云いながらかたつむりはも少しのみました。"Well then, I'll have a little more. Oh, thank you so much," said the snail, and drank a little more.
「かたつむりさん。気分がよくなったら一つ相撲をとりましょうか。ハッハハ。久しぶりです。」となめくじが云いました。"Mr Snail, once you're feeling better, what say we have a little wrestling match? Ha-haha! It's been ages," said the slug.
「おなかがすいて力がありません。」とかたつむりが云いました。"I'm so hungry I've got no strength," said the snail.
「そんならたべ物をあげましょう。さあ、おあがりなさい。」となめくじはあざみの芽やなんか出しました。"Then let me give you something to eat. Come now, tuck in!" said the slug, bringing out thistle buds and such.
「ありがとうございます。それではいただきます。」といいながらかたつむりはそれを喰べました。"Thank you very much. Then I'll help myself," said the snail, and ate them.
「さあ、すもうをとりましょう。ハッハハ。」となめくじがもう立ちあがりました。"Right, let's wrestle! Ha-haha!" said the slug, already on his feet.
かたつむりも仕方なく、The snail had no choice but to stand up too, saying,
「私はどうも弱いのですから強く投げないで下さい。」と云いながら立ちあがりました。"I'm really very weak, so please don't throw me too hard."
「よっしょ。そら。ハッハハ。」かたつむりはひどく投げつけられました。"Heave-ho! There you go! Ha-haha!" The snail was flung down hard.
「もう一ぺんやりましょう。ハッハハ。」"Let's have another go! Ha-haha!"
「もうつかれてだめです。」"I'm worn out, I can't any more."
「まあもう一ぺんやりましょうよ。ハッハハ。よっしょ。そら。ハッハハ。」かたつむりはひどく投げつけられました。"Oh, come on, just one more go! Ha-haha! Heave-ho! There you go! Ha-haha!" The snail was flung down hard.
「もう一ぺんやりましょう。ハッハハ。」"Let's have another go! Ha-haha!"
「もうだめです。」"I can't any more."
「まあもう一ぺんやりましょうよ。ハッハハ。よっしょ、そら。ハッハハ。」かたつむりはひどく投げつけられました。"Oh, come on, just one more go! Ha-haha! Heave-ho, there you go! Ha-haha!" The snail was flung down hard.
「もう一ぺんやりましょう。ハッハハ。」"Let's have another go! Ha-haha!"
「もうだめ。」"I can't."
「まあもう一ぺんやりましょうよ。ハッハハ。よっしょ。そら。ハッハハ。」かたつむりはひどく投げつけられました。"Oh, come on, just one more go! Ha-haha! Heave-ho! There you go! Ha-haha!" The snail was flung down hard.
「もう一ぺんやりましょう。ハッハハ。」"Let's have another go! Ha-haha!"
「もう死にます。さよなら。」"I'm dying. Goodbye."
「まあもう一ぺんやりましょうよ。ハッハハ。さあ。お立ちなさい。起こしてあげましょう。よっしょ。そら。ヘッヘッヘ。」かたつむりは死んでしまいました。"Oh, come on, just one more go! Ha-haha! Come now, up you get. Let me help you up. Heave-ho! There you go! Heh-heh-heh!" The snail died.
そこで銀色のなめくじはかたつむりをペロリと喰べてしまいました。Then the silver slug gobbled the snail up in one slurp.
それから一ヶ月ばかりたって、とかげがなめくじの立派なおうちへびっこをひいて来ました。About a month after that, a lizard came limping to the slug's fine house.
そしてAnd then
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | JLPT |
|---|---|---|
| 一生けん命いっしょうけんめい | with all one's might, as hard as one candictionary form: 一生懸命Usually written 一生懸命; here the difficult kanji 懸 is written in kana. | N4 |
| 網あみ | net; here, a spider's web網をかける = to spin/spread a web or net. | N1 |
| 見はりみはり | watch, lookoutdictionary form: 見張り見張りをする = to keep watch. | — |
| 腐敗ふはい | rotting, decayA formal Sino-Japanese word; 腐る is the everyday verb. | N1 |
| 腐れてくされる | to rotdictionary form: 腐れるOlder/dialectal variant of standard 腐る (くさる). | — |
| べとべとべとべと | sticky, gooeyOnomatopoeic word for an unpleasant stickiness. | — |
| 参りましたまいる | to come (humble/polite)dictionary form: 参るThe narrator's polite storytelling style uses 参る for 来る. | N4 |
| 評判ひょうばん | reputation, what people say〜という評判 = to be said to be ~. | N3 |
| ふきふき | butterbur (a plant with very large round leaves)dictionary form: 蕗Dew collects on its broad leaves. | — |
| 云わばいわば | so to speak, as it weredictionary form: 言わば云 is an old kanji for 言う, used throughout this text. | N3 |
| 相撲すもう | sumo wrestling, a wrestling match相撲をとる = to wrestle. | N2 |
| 投げつけられましたなげつける | to fling down, hurl atdictionary form: 投げつけるつける adds force; here in the passive form. | — |
| ペロリとぺろりと | in one gulp, licking it updictionary form: ぺろりとMimetic word for eating something up quickly and completely. | — |
| びっこをひいてびっこをひく | to limpdictionary form: びっこを引くOld expression now considered offensive; use 足を引きずる today. | — |
Grammar
〜て見せる N3 to show that one will do ~; I'll make sure to ~
Attached to a verb's て-form, 見せる expresses determination to accomplish something to prove a point. Here the spider vows he will make the tanuki bow.
一生のうちにはきっとおれにおじぎをさせて見せるぞ。
One of these days, before I die, I'll make him bow to me, just you watch!
〜たり〜たりする N4 doing things like ~ and ~
Lists representative actions without claiming the list is complete. The spider's activities included spinning webs and keeping watch, among others.
あちこちに十も網をかけたり、夜も見はりをしたりしました。
He spun as many as ten webs here and there and kept watch even at night.
〜はなし、〜はなし N2 there's no ~ and no ~
なし (the old form of ない) is used to list things that are lacking, in a slightly colloquial, emphatic way. まるで strengthens it to 'none at all'.
まるで食べるものはなし、水はなし
I've nothing at all to eat and no water either
〜ますとも N2 of course ~, certainly ~
Sentence-final とも after a verb strongly affirms something. Repeating it makes the slug sound over-eager and falsely generous.
あげますともあげますとも。
Why, of course, of course you may have some!
〜てしまう N4 to end up ~; to do ~ completely
Marks an action as completed and often regrettable or final. It stresses the grim end of the snail and how thoroughly the slug devours him.
かたつむりをペロリと喰べてしまいました。
He gobbled the snail up in one slurp.