瓶入り魔物。The Bottle-Imp.その11
夜が深まり、やがて昇る月が、目印の岩の上に姿を現した。青ざめた旅人はその時、震えながら身を起こし、暗い谷間に入った。青白い月光が高い断崖に差し込むことはめったになく、墓から吐き出されるような暗く垂れ込めた霧が狭い峠に下りているようだが、他の点では特に恐ろしいものは何もないようでもあった。リヒャルトとしては、決して陰鬱な谷に長居する気はなかったけれど。ここは謎の騎手に命じられた指示にきっちり従わねばと、あえて歩調を早める冒険などは控え、辛うじて光と希望に繋がる唯一の蜘蛛の糸を切ったりすまいと決意を新たにした。
Night closed in, and the rising moon shortly after appeared above the craggy tops of the rocks which had been marked out to him. The pale wanderer then raised himself tremblingly, and entered the dark defile. All seemed there cheerless and gloomy ; seldom was a pale moonbeam able to penetrate above the lofty precipices ; a dark oppressive vapour too, as if exhaled from graves, seemed to fill the narrow pass ; in other respects there was nothing particularly terrible in its appearance. Richard felt himself by no means disposed to linger in the gloomy valley, yet adhering to the strict injunction laid upon him by the mysterious horseman, he did not venture to quicken his pace, resolutely determined not to snap short at once the only slender thread that still attached him to light and hope.
数時間後、夜明けの赤い光が行く手を照らし、蘇った風が額に吹きつけた。しかし、深い谷を抜け出し、森の風景や紺碧の海を楽しもうとしたその時、悲痛な叫び声が響いた。
After the lapse of several hours, some red streaks of dawn cast a glimmering light across his path ; a reviving breeze played upon his forehead. But, just as he was about to emerge from the deep valley, and to enjoy the forest scenery, and the azure waters of the sea, that lay expanded at no great distance before him, he was disturbed by a piercing cry of distress.
見回すと、豪勢な狩猟服を着た青年が恐ろしい獣に襲われ、地面に倒れているのが見て取れた。リヒャルトも最初は、即座に見知らぬ人の救助へ駆けつけようとしたのだが。額に鹿の角が生えている、巨大で陰険なヒヒのようなその怪物を目の当たりにした途端に勇気が挫け、助けを求める哀れな男の叫びに耳を塞いで引き返そうとした。
しかし突然、騎手が言ったことを思い出すと、永遠なる運命の恐怖に駆られて走り寄り、節くれ立った棍棒で猿の怪物を攻撃した。ちょうどそいつは、不幸なハンターを前足で掴んで空中に放り上げたところで、次に地面に落ちてきたところを枝分かれした角に捕らえた。しかし、リヒャルトの近接攻撃に獲物を落とし、恐ろしい叫び声を上げながら逃げ始めた。絶壁まで追いかけると、その恐ろしい顔がこっちを向くや、海へ飛び込み、波間に消えた。
On looking around, he perceived a horrible ani mal attacking a youth in a magnificent hunting dress, who had fallen on the ground. Richard's first impulse was to rush instantly to the stranger's rescue ; yet his courage failed him as soon as he clearly discerned the monster, and saw that it resembled a huge grisly baboon, with a stag's antlers on its forehead ; and, notwith standing the cries of the wretched man for succour, he was about to turn back. But suddenly calling to mind all that the horseman had said, and inspired by the dread of his eternal doom, he ran and attacked the monster of an ape with a knotty club, just as it had seized the unfortunate hunter in its paws to fling him up into the air, and then catch him upon his branching horns as he descended to the ground. At the approach of Richard, however, it let fall its prey, and began to flee with a hideous, terrifying cry ; he pursuing it all the while, till, leaping from a precipice into the sea, it turned its frightful visage upon him, and then disappeared beneath the waves.
やったぞ！と言わんばかりに上気した顔の青年が、今しがた助けた狩人のもとに凱旋すると、その狩人は予想通り、その領地の殿様であると名乗る。青年の勇敢を褒め称えた後、褒賞に、どんな願いでも求めるがいいといってきた。
Flushed with success, the youth now returned triumphantly to the hunter whom he had just rescued, and who, as he expected it would be, announced himself as the prince of that territory. After extolling the bravery of his deliverer, he requested that he would boldly demand whatever boon he should think fit.
「何ですと！」と、リヒャルトは喜びに満ちた表情で叫んだ。「本気なのですか？求める願いを叶えると、殿様として誓って頂けますか？」
" What ! " exclaimed Richard, in a transport of joyous hope, " and are you serious ? and will you pledge me your princely word that you will grant what I shall demand of you ? "
殿様は再び約束を確認し、厳粛な態度で、どんな要求にも喜んで応じると確約した。
Again the prince confirmed his promise, assuring him, in the most solemn manner, that he would gladly comply with whatever he should request.
「それでは神の愛に於て、直ちに半ヘラー貨を2枚ばかり打つよう、命じてください。」求める事の変人ぶりには、殿様も呆気に取られて目を丸くしていたところに、お供が数人到着し。殿様の冒険と求められた奇妙な願いの話を耳にし、そのうちの一人が、請願者は哀れな半ヘラー狂であると認めた。
" Then, I supplicate you, for the love of God, to order that some half-hellers be immediately struck for me, even though it be only two. " Whilst the prince was regarding his strange petitioner with fixed astonishment, some of his train came up, and, on hearing the adventure, and the singular boon that had been craved, one of them recognized, in the person of the suitor, the poor crazed Half-heller.
すると殿様は笑い出し、対してリヒャルトは膝を抱えて悄気込み「半ヘラー貨を手に入れない限り、魂が永遠に滅びる運命にある」と切々と、聞き手の情に訴えた。
The prince began thereupon to laugh, whilst Richard, clasping his knees, conjured him in the most moving manner, protesting that, unless he obtained the half-hellers, his soul was doomed to everlasting perdition.
これに対して殿様は、まだ笑い続けながら、「起きなさい、友よ。しかし、もっと安い銭がお望みなら、造幣局長の手を借りずに対応できます。近隣の地方では皆が、私のヘラーは鐚銭で、一般の銭1枚に引き換え3枚必要だと言っています。」
To this the prince replied, while he still continued to laugh, " Rise up, my friend, I have pledged my princely word, and, if you persist in demanding them, I will engage to supply thee with half-hellers to thy very heart's content. But, if a still lesser coin will suit your purpose, I can accommodate thee without the aid of my mint-master, for the neighbouring provinces all maintain that my hellers are so light that three of them are requisite to pass for a single ordinary one. "
「それって、本当にそうなのですか」とリヒャルト。「それを疑ったのはあなたが初めてです」と殿様は返した。「しかし、試しに使ってみて、あなたの目的にそぐわないことがわかったら、あなたの特別な用途のために、もっと価値の低い貨幣を作るよう命令することを約束します。」
" Were that, indeed, the case" said Richard. " Thou art indeed the first, " returned the prince, " that has ever doubted it. Should they, however, upon trial, prove not suitable for your purpose, I here promise to order some less valuable to be coined for your especial use-provided, however, that it be possible so to do. "
このように言って、殿様はリヒャルトに、すぐに袋一杯のヘラー貨を渡すように命じた。後者は即座に猛烈な勢いで、隣接する州に向かって発ち、最初の宿でかの3ヘラーを実験的に差し出し、普通の1ヘラーに両替することを人々が非常に嫌がることを確かめ、ここしばらくの間に起きたどんな出来事よりも喜んだのである。
Having said this, he gave orders that Richard should forthwith receive a whole bagfull of hellers. The latter instantly set off at a furious rate towards the adjoining province, where he became more delighted than he had been with any occurrence for a long time past, at finding, at the very first inn, that the people were exceedingly unwilling to exchange one heller in return for three which he offered them, by way of experiment.
「人の嫌がることをしなさい」と教えられて、本当に人の嫌がることをする人間って
