6 吸血鬼
あばら家に雨宿りでもと入るオーブリーを襲う怪異。すんでのところで救出されるも、人の話を聞かなかった罰なのか、それとも？
近づいたその時、雷が鎮まったのもあって聞こえた… 女の断末魔の叫びが、嘲り勝ち誇った忍び笑いと混ざり合って。ほぼ途切れることのない何かの音が鳴り続けた。…これにはたじろいた。しかし、再び頭上を転がる雷に奮い立ち、必死になって小屋の扉をもう力づくに開けた。
完全な闇の中に居るのが解った、進むべき道は音を辿った。明らかに此方は気づかれていない。というのは、呼んでみても音は続き、誰も何も返事がない。
As he approached, the thunders, for a moment silent, allowed him to hear the dreadful shrieks of a woman mingling with the stifled, exultant mockery of a laugh, continued in one almost unbroken sound;—he was startled: but, roused by the thunder which again rolled over his head, he, with a sudden effort, forced open the door of the hut. He found himself in utter darkness: the sound, however, guided him. He was apparently unperceived; for, though he called, still the sounds continued, and no notice was taken of him.
自分が誰かと接触していることに気づき、すぐにそいつを捕まえた。声が叫んだ、「またやられたか！」続いて哄笑。自分が人外の力を持つ者に組みつかれたように感じられ、ここを先途と死に物狂いに闘ったものの、あえなく足浮き持ち上げられ、驚異の力で地面に投げつけられた。…覆い被さってきて、胸に膝を落とし、それから両手を喉に。…その時、松明多数が日の光ほどにも明々と、穴から射し込んできて、目を眩ませた。
…敵は跳ね起き、獲物を残して扉へ殺到、一瞬の間に枝を砕き、森を突き抜け、そして何も聞こえなくなった。
He found himself in contact with some one, whom he immediately seized; when a voice cried, "Again baffled!" to which a loud laugh succeeded; and he felt himself grappled by one whose strength seemed superhuman: determined to sell his life as dearly as he could, he struggled; but it was in vain: he was lifted from his feet and hurled with enormous force against the ground:—his enemy threw himself upon him, and kneeling upon his breast, had placed his hands upon his throat—when the glare of many torches penetrating through the hole that gave light in the day, disturbed him;—he instantly rose, and, leaving his prey, rushed through the door, and in a moment the crashing of the branches, as he broke through the wood, was no longer heard.
依然として嵐は止まず。身動きならないオーブリーは、外の人々から誰何され。皆入ってきた。松明の光が土壁に当たり、煤だらけのバラバラになった藁には藁束が敷かれた。
オーブリーの要望で、叫びを聞きつけた女性を探してもらった。またしばらくは闇の中… ところが、何たる恐怖！松明の光がまた戻ってくると、解ってしまった。美しい道案内の飛び廻る姿が、動かぬ骸と化したのを。目を閉じて願わくは、惑乱妄想が見せた幻影に過ぎまいと。でも目を開けてみると前に同じく、変わり果てた姿が長々と。頬も唇も真っ白。顔に貼り着く静けさは、そこに宿っていた生命と入れ替わったよう。
…首と胸は血まみれ、喉には静脈を食い破った歯形がみえた。…これを人々は指さし絶叫、同時に恐怖に襲われた、「吸血鬼！吸血鬼だ！」
The storm was now still; and Aubrey, incapable of moving, was soon heard by those without. They entered; the light of their torches fell upon the mud walls, and the thatch loaded on every individual straw with heavy flakes of soot. At the desire of Aubrey they searched for her who had attracted him by her cries; he was again left in darkness; but what was his horror, when the light of the torches once more burst upon him, to perceive the airy form of his fair conductress brought in a lifeless corse. He shut his eyes, hoping that it was but a vision arising from his disturbed imagination; but he again saw the same form, when he unclosed them, stretched by his side. There was no colour upon her cheek, not even upon her lip; yet there was a stillness about her face that seemed almost as attaching as the life that once dwelt there:—upon her neck and breast was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth having opened the vein:—to this the men pointed, crying, simultaneously struck with horror, "A Vampyre! a Vampyre!"
速やかに駕籠が設えられた。そしてオーブリーは、彼女のそばに横たえられた。近頃は彼に着いて回った、あんなにたくさんの明るく妖精のような姿を見せてくれたのが、今やその中に枯れた生命の花共々、消えてしまった。もう自分が何を思っていたか解らなくなった… 頭は惑乱、物も考えられぬようになり、放心してばかり… 気がつくか気がつかないうちに、小屋で見つかった、特殊な造りをした短剣の抜き身を手にしていた。
A litter was quickly formed; and Aubrey was laid by the side of her who had lately been to him the object of so many bright and fairy visions, now fallen with the flower of life that had died within her. He knew not what his thoughts were—his mind was benumbed and seemed to shun reflection, and take refuge in vacancy—he held almost unconsciously in his hand a naked dagger of a particular construction, which had been found in the hut.
間もなくして皆は、母親が見失っていた娘の捜索に駆り出されていた、他の班員と合流した。街へ近づくにつれ悲嘆叫ばずに居れず、両親に恐ろしい大惨事を予感させてしまった。……夫妻の悲しみは計り知れない。ただ、子の死因を確信するに至り、オーブリーを見て、亡骸を指さした。悲嘆のあまり、2人とも心臓が止まり亡くなってしまった。
They were soon met by different parties who had been engaged in the search of her whom a mother had missed.Their lamentable cries, as they approached the city, forewarned the parents of some dreadful catastrophe.—To describe their grief would be impossible; but when they ascertained the cause of their child's death, they looked at Aubrey, and pointed to the corse. They were inconsolable; both died broken-hearted.
hut :「山荘」とか上等なものではなく、cabin よりボロい建物
hurled ... against the ground:室内ゆえグランドといっても床。となると、バック・ドロップでも喰らったように読める。が、この時代にそんな技は無い。白土三平が「〇〇落とし」とか劇画にしたのは、あれはフィクションだ。
with enormous force:実は相手が合わせてくれないと、バック・ドロップを決めるのは無理とか… でも、こっちは人間じゃない怪力だからということで。
kneeling upon his breast, :続いて、ニー・ドロップ！いや、マウント・ポジションか？
hands upon his throat :チョーク、チョーク！
incapable of moving:ダウン！しかし未だ存在しない筈の必殺技を次々に繰り出す吸血鬼も大概だが、よく生きていたなオーブリー！バリツでもやってたのか？
litter :貴人が乗る担い篭を指す言葉。実際には担架 stretcher に近いものと思うが、挿絵などはなく具体的には不明。
ハンガリー出身とはいえ、ルー・テーズは当時存在しなかったので念の為。
