蜜柑 Mikan, part 2: Tangerines Over the Level Crossing

それから幾分いくぶんか過すぎた後あとであった。It was some while after that.

ふと何なんかに脅おびやかされたような心こころもちがして、思おもわずあたりを見みまわすと、何時いつの間まにか例れいの小娘こむすめが、向むこう側がわから席せきを私わたくしの隣となりへ移うつして、頻しきりに窓まどを開あけようとしている。Suddenly I had the feeling that something was threatening me, and when I glanced around without thinking, I found that the girl I have mentioned had at some point moved from the seat opposite to the one beside me and was persistently trying to open the window.

が、重おもい硝子戸がらすどは中々なかなか思おもうようにあがらないらしい。But the heavy glass pane would not, it seemed, go up as she wanted.

あの皸ひびだらけの頬ほおは愈いよいよ赤あかくなって、時々ときどき鼻洟はなをすすりこむ音おとが、小ちいさな息いきの切きれる声こえと一いっしょに、せわしなく耳みみへはいって来くる。Her chapped cheeks grew redder still, and the sound of her sniffling now and then, along with small, breathless gasps, came hurriedly to my ears.

これは勿論もちろん私わたくしにも、幾分いくぶんながら同情どうじょうを惹ひくに足たるものには相違そういなかった。Of course, this was undoubtedly enough to draw some small measure of sympathy, even from me.

しかし汽車きしゃが今いま将まさに隧道すいどうの口くちへさしかかろうとしている事ことは、暮色ぼしょくの中なかに枯草かれくさばかり明あかるい両側りょうがわの山腹さんぷくが、間近まじかく窓側まどがわに迫せまって来きたのでも、すぐに合点がてんの行いく事ことであった。Yet it was plain at once that the train was at that very moment about to enter the mouth of a tunnel, if only from the way the hillsides on either side, their withered grass alone still bright in the dusk, had pressed in close to the windows.

にも関かかわらずこの小娘こむすめは、わざわざしめてある窓まどの戸とを下おろそうとする、――その理由りゆうが私わたくしには呑のみこめなかった。Nonetheless the girl was trying to bring down a window that had been shut on purpose, and why she should do so I could not comprehend.

いや、それが私わたくしには、単たんにこの小娘こむすめの気きまぐれだとしか考かんがえられなかった。No, I could think of it only as a mere whim on the girl's part.

だから私わたくしは腹はらの底そこに依然いぜんとして険けわしい感情かんじょうを蓄たくわえながら、あの霜焼しもやけの手てが硝子戸がらすどを擡もたげようとして悪戦あくせん苦闘くとうする容子ようすを、まるでそれが永久えいきゅうに成功せいこうしない事ことでも祈いのるような冷酷れいこくな眼めで眺ながめていた。And so, still nursing a harsh feeling deep inside me, I watched those chilblained hands struggling desperately to raise the glass pane, with cold eyes that seemed almost to pray it would never succeed.

すると間まもなく凄すさまじい音おとをはためかせて、汽車きしゃが隧道すいどうへなだれこむと同時どうじに、小娘こむすめの開あけようとした硝子戸がらすどは、とうとうばたりと下したへ落おちた。Then, a moment later, as the train plunged into the tunnel with a fearful roar, the pane she had been trying to open finally dropped down with a thud.

そうしてその四角しかくな穴あなの中なかから、煤すすを溶とかしたようなどす黒ぐろい空気くうきが、俄にわかに息苦いきぐるしい煙けむりになって、濛々もうもうと車内しゃないへ漲みなぎり出だした。And through that square opening, air as black as if soot had been dissolved in it suddenly turned into choking smoke and came billowing into the carriage.

元来がんらい咽喉のどを害がいしていた私わたくしは、手巾はんけちを顔かおに当あてる暇ひまさえなく、この煙けむりを満面まんめんに浴あびせられたおかげで、殆ほとんど息いきもつけない程ほど咳せきこまなければならなかった。My throat had been poor to begin with, and since the smoke struck me full in the face before I had time even to raise my handkerchief, I was forced to cough until I could scarcely breathe.

が、小娘こむすめは私わたくしに頓着とんじゃくする気色けしきも見みえず、窓まどから外そとへ首くびをのばして、闇やみを吹ふく風かぜに銀杏いちょう返がえしの鬢びんの毛けを戦そよがせながら、じっと汽車きしゃの進すすむ方向ほうこうを見みやっている。The girl, however, showed no sign of caring about me at all; she stretched her head out of the window and, with the side locks of her ginkgo-leaf chignon stirring in the wind that blew through the darkness, gazed steadily in the direction the train was travelling.

その姿すがたを煤煙ばいえんと電燈でんとうの光ひかりとの中なかに眺ながめた時とき、もう窓まどの外そとが見みる見みる明あかるくなって、そこから土つちの匂においや枯草かれくさの匂においや水みずの匂においが冷ひややかに流ながれこんで来こなかったなら、漸ようやく咳せきやんだ私わたくしは、この見知みしらない小娘こむすめを頭あたまごなしに叱しかりつけてでも、又また元もとの通とおり窓まどの戸とをしめさせたのに相違そういなかったのである。As I watched her figure there amid the soot and the electric light, had the outside not been growing lighter before my eyes, and had the smells of earth and dry grass and water not come flowing coolly in, I, having at last stopped coughing, would certainly have made this girl I did not know shut the window again as before, even if it meant scolding her roundly without hearing her out.

しかし汽車きしゃはその時分じぶんには、もう安々やすやすと隧道すいどうを辷すべりぬけて、枯草かれくさの山やまと山やまとの間あいだに挟はさまれた、或ある貧まずしい町まちはずれの踏切ふみきりに通とおりかかっていた。But by then the train had already slipped easily out of the tunnel and was passing a level crossing on the outskirts of a poor town, hemmed in between hills of withered grass.

踏切ふみきりの近ちかくには、いずれも見みすぼらしい藁屋根わらやねや瓦かわら屋根やねがごみごみと狭苦せまくるしく建たてこんで、踏切ふみきり番ばんが振ふるのであろう、唯ただ一旒いちりゅうのうす白じろい旗はたが懶ものうげに暮色ぼしょくを揺ゆすっていた。Near the crossing, shabby thatched roofs and tiled roofs alike stood huddled together in a cramped jumble, and a single pale white flag, waved no doubt by the crossing keeper, swayed listlessly in the dusk.

やっと隧道すいどうを出でたと思おもう――その時ときその蕭索しょうさくとした踏切ふみきりの柵さくの向むこうに、私わたくしは頬ほおの赤あかい三さん人にんの男おとこの子こが、目白押めじろおしに並ならんで立たっているのを見みた。Just as I thought we had at last come out of the tunnel, I saw, beyond the fence of that bleak crossing, three red-cheeked boys standing in a row, pressed close together.

彼かれ等らは皆みな、この曇天どんてんに押おしすくめられたかと思おもう程ほど、揃そろって背せが低ひくかった。They were all equally short, as if the overcast sky had pressed them down.

そうして又またこの町まちはずれの陰惨いんさんたる風物ふうぶつと同おなじような色いろの着物きものを着きていた。And they wore clothes of the same colour as the gloomy scenery of the town's outskirts.

それが汽車きしゃの通とおるのを仰あおぎ見みながら、一斉いっせいに手てを挙あげるが早はやいか、いたいけな喉のどを高たかく反そらせて、何なんとも意味いみの分わからない喊声かんせいを一生いっしょう懸命けんめいに迸ほとばしらせた。Looking up at the passing train, they all raised their hands at once, and the next moment, tilting back their small, tender throats, they sent up with all their might a shout whose meaning could not be made out at all.

するとその瞬間しゅんかんである。It was at that instant.

窓まどから半身はんしんを乗のり出だしていた例れいの娘むすめが、あの霜焼しもやけの手てをつとのばして、勢いきおいよく左右さゆうに振ふったと思おもうと、忽たちまち心こころを躍おどらすばかり暖あたたかな日ひの色いろに染そまっている蜜柑みかんが凡およそ五いつつ六むっつ、汽車きしゃを見送みおくった子供こどもたちの上うえへばらばらと空そらから降ふって来きた。The girl, who had been leaning half out of the window, suddenly stretched out those chilblained hands and waved them vigorously from side to side, and at once some five or six tangerines, glowing with the warm colour of sunlight that set the heart leaping, came tumbling down from the sky onto the children who were seeing the train off.

私わたくしは思おもわず息いきを呑のんだ。I caught my breath.

そうして刹那せつなに一切いっさいを了解りょうかいした。And in that instant I understood everything.

小娘こむすめは、恐おそらくはこれから奉公ほうこう先さきへ赴おもむこうとしている小娘こむすめは、その懐ふところに蔵ぞうしていた幾顆いくかの蜜柑みかんを窓まどから投なげて、わざわざ踏切ふみきりまで見送みおくりに来きた弟おとうとたちの労ろうに報むくいたのである。The girl, the girl who was probably now on her way to a place where she would go into service, had thrown from the window the few tangerines she had kept tucked in the front of her kimono, to reward her little brothers for taking the trouble to come all the way to the crossing to see her off.

暮色ぼしょくを帯おびた町まちはずれの踏切ふみきりと、小鳥ことりのように声こえを挙あげた三さん人にんの子供こどもたちと、そうしてその上うえに乱落らんらくする鮮あざやかな蜜柑みかんの色いろと――すべては汽車きしゃの窓まどの外そとに、瞬またたく暇ひまもなく通とおり過すぎた。The level crossing on the edge of town, tinged with dusk; the three children who had cried out like little birds; and the vivid colour of the tangerines scattering down upon them: all of it passed by outside the train window quicker than the blink of an eye.

が、私わたくしの心こころの上うえには、切せつない程ほどはっきりと、この光景こうけいが焼やきつけられた。But the scene was burned into my heart with a clarity that was almost painful.

そうしてそこから、或ある得体えたいの知しれない朗ほがらかな心こころもちが湧わき上あがって来くるのを意識いしきした。And I became aware of a strange, cheerful feeling I could not account for welling up from it.

私わたくしは昂然こうぜんと頭あたまを挙あげて、まるで別人べつじんを見みるようにあの小娘こむすめを注視ちゅうしした。I raised my head high and gazed at the girl as though she were someone else entirely.

小娘こむすめは何時いつかもう私わたくしの前まえの席せきに返かえって、相不変皸あいかわらずひびだらけの頬ほおを萌黄色もえぎいろの毛糸けいとの襟巻えりまきに埋うめながら、大おおきな風呂敷ふろしき包つつみを抱かかえた手てに、しっかりと三さん等とう切符きっぷを握にぎっている。She had already returned at some point to the seat in front of me, and with her chapped cheeks buried as before in her pale-green woollen scarf, she held a third-class ticket tightly in the hand that clasped her large cloth-wrapped bundle.

……………………

私わたくしはこの時とき始はじめて、云いいようのない疲労ひろうと倦怠けんたいとを、そうして又また不可解ふかかいな、下等かとうな、退屈たいくつな人生じんせいを僅わずかに忘わすれる事ことが出来できたのである。Only then, for the first time, was I able to forget, if only a little, my unspeakable fatigue and weariness, and this incomprehensible, vulgar, tedious life.