おじいさんのランプ Ojiisan no Ranpu, part 4: Minosuke Becomes a Lamp Seller

「卸値おろしねで売うれって、そりゃ相手あいてがランプを売うる家いえなら卸値おろしねで売うってあげてもいいが、一人一人ひとりひとりのお客きゃくに卸値おろしねで売うるわけにはいかんな」Sell it at the wholesale price, you say? Well, if the buyer were a shop that sells lamps, I wouldn't mind selling at wholesale, but I can't go selling at wholesale to every single customer, now, can I?

「ランプ屋やなら卸値おろしねで売うってくれるだのイ？」So if it's a lamp seller, you'll sell at wholesale, is that right?

「ああ」"Sure."

「そんなら、おれ、ランプ屋やだ。卸値おろしねで売うってくれ」"Then I'm a lamp seller. Sell it to me at wholesale."

店みせの人ひとはランプを持もったまま笑わらい出だした。The shopkeeper, still holding the lamp, burst out laughing.

「おめえがランプ屋や？　はッはッはッはッ」"You, a lamp seller? Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

「ほんとうだよ、おッつあん。おれ、ほんとうにこれからランプ屋やになるんだ。な、だから頼たのむに、今日きょうは一ひとつだけンど卸値おろしねで売うってくれや。こんど来くるときゃ、たくさん、いっぺんに買かうで」"It's true, mister. I really am going to be a lamp seller from now on. So please, today it's only one, but sell it to me at wholesale, won't you? Next time I come, I'll buy a whole lot at once."

店みせの人ひとははじめ笑わらっていたが、巳之助みのすけの真剣しんけんなようすに動うごかされて、いろいろ巳之助みのすけの身みの上うえをきいたうえ、At first the shopkeeper laughed, but he was moved by how earnest Minosuke was, and after asking him all about his circumstances,

「よし、そんなら卸値おろしねでこいつを売うってやろう。ほんとは卸値おろしねでもこのランプは十五じゅうご銭せんじゃ売うれないけど、おめえの熱心ねっしんなのに感心かんしんした。負まけてやろう。そのかわりしっかりしょうばいをやれよ。うちのランプをどんどん持もってって売うってくれ」"All right, then, I'll let you have this one at wholesale. To tell the truth, even at wholesale I couldn't sell this lamp for fifteen sen, but I'm impressed by how keen you are. I'll knock the price down for you. In return, mind you run your business properly. Take plenty of our lamps and sell them for us."

といって、ランプを巳之助みのすけに渡わたした。he said, and handed the lamp to Minosuke.

巳之助みのすけはランプのあつかい方かたを一通ひととおり教おしえてもらい、ついでに提燈ちょうちんがわりにそのランプをともして、村むらへむかった。Minosuke was shown the basics of how to handle the lamp, and then, while he was at it, lit it to use in place of a paper lantern and set off toward his village.

藪やぶや松林まつばやしのうちつづく暗くらい峠道とうげみちでも、巳之助みのすけはもう恐こわくはなかった。Even on the dark mountain path over the pass, lined all the way with thickets and pine woods, Minosuke was no longer afraid.

花はなのように明あかるいランプをさげていたからである。For he was carrying a lamp as bright as a flower.

巳之助みのすけの胸むねの中なかにも、もう一ひとつのランプがともっていた。In Minosuke's heart, too, another lamp had been lit.

文明ぶんめい開化かいかに遅おくれた自分じぶんの暗くらい村むらに、このすばらしい文明ぶんめいの利器りきを売うりこんで、村人むらびとたちの生活せいかつを明あかるくしてやろうという希望きぼうのランプが――It was a lamp of hope: the hope of bringing this wonderful tool of civilisation to his own dark village, left behind by civilisation and enlightenment, and of brightening the lives of the villagers—

巳之助みのすけの新あたらしいしょうばいは、はじめのうちまるではやらなかった。At first, Minosuke's new business did not catch on at all.

百姓ひゃくしょうたちは何なんでも新あたらしいものを信用しんようしないからである。That was because the farmers had no trust in anything new.

そこで巳之助みのすけはいろいろ考かんがえたあげく、村むらで一軒いっけんきりのあきないやへそのランプを持もっていって、ただで貸かしてあげるからしばらくこれを使つかって下くださいと頼たのんだ。So, after much thought, Minosuke took the lamp to the only shop in the village and asked them to use it for a while, saying he would lend it to them for free.

雑貨屋ざっかやの婆ばあさんは、しぶしぶ承知しょうちして、店みせの天井てんじょうに釘くぎを打うってランプを吊つるし、その晩ばんからともした。The old woman who kept the general store reluctantly agreed, hammered a nail into the shop's ceiling, hung the lamp from it, and lit it from that evening on.

五いつ日かほどたって、巳之助みのすけが草鞋わらじを買かってもらいに行いくと、雑貨屋ざっかやの婆ばあさんはにこにこしながら、こりゃたいへん便利べんりで明あかるうて、夜よるでもお客きゃくがよう来きてくれるし、釣銭つりせんをまちがえることもないので、気きに入いったから買かいましょう、といった。About five days later, when Minosuke went to get her to buy some straw sandals from him, the old woman at the general store said with a big smile that the lamp was very handy and bright, that customers came in plenty even at night, and that she never made mistakes with the change any more, so she liked it and would buy it.

その上うえ、ランプのよいことがはじめてわかった村人むらびとから、もう三みっつも注文ちゅうもんのあったことを巳之助みのすけにきかしてくれた。On top of that, she told Minosuke that villagers who had now seen for the first time how good lamps were had already ordered as many as three of them.

巳之助みのすけはとびたつように喜よろこんだ。Minosuke was so happy he could have flown.

そこで雑貨屋ざっかやの婆ばあさんからランプの代だいと草鞋わらじの代だいを受うけとると、すぐその足あしで、走はしるようにして大野おおのへいった。So, taking the money for the lamp and the sandals from the old woman at the general store, he went straight off to Ōno, almost at a run.

そしてランプ屋やの主人しゅじんにわけを話はなして、足たりないところは貸かしてもらい、三みっつのランプを買かって来きて、注文ちゅうもんした人ひとに売うった。There he explained things to the owner of the lamp shop, borrowed what he was short, bought three lamps, brought them back, and sold them to the people who had ordered them.

これから巳之助みのすけのしょうばいははやって来きた。From then on, Minosuke's business began to flourish.

はじめは注文ちゅうもんをうけただけ大野おおのへ買かいにいっていたが、少すこし金かねがたまると、注文ちゅうもんはなくてもたくさん買かいこんで来きた。At first he went to Ōno to buy only as many as he had orders for, but once he had saved a little money, he bought in plenty even without orders.

そして今いまはもう、よその家いえの走はしり使づかいや子守こもりをすることはやめて、ただランプを売うるしょうばいだけにうちこんだ。And now he gave up running errands and minding babies for other households, and threw himself entirely into the business of selling lamps.

物干台ものほしだいのようなわくのついた車くるまをしたてて、それにランプやほやなどをいっぱい吊つるし、ガラスの触ふれあう涼すずしい音おとをさせながら、巳之助みのすけは自分じぶんの村むらや附近ふきんの村々むらむらへ売うりにいった。He fitted out a cart with a frame like a clothes-drying rack, hung it full of lamps, lamp chimneys and the like, and, with the cool sound of glass clinking against glass, went round selling in his own village and the villages nearby.

巳之助みのすけはお金かねも儲もうかったが、それとは別べつに、このしょうばいがたのしかった。Minosuke made money, but quite apart from that, he enjoyed this business.

今いままで暗くらかった家いえに、だんだん巳之助みのすけの売うったランプがともってゆくのである。One by one, in houses that had always been dark, the lamps Minosuke had sold were being lit.

暗くらい家いえに、巳之助みのすけは文明ぶんめい開化かいかの明あかるい火ひを一ひとつ一ひとつともしてゆくような気きがした。Minosuke felt as if he were lighting the bright fire of civilisation and enlightenment in those dark houses, one after another.