『ドリトル先生航海記』　英文/和訳　6-5-2　貝の謎、ついに解明

SO Doctor Dolittle with a crown on his head sat down upon the shore like King Knut, and waited.

ドリトル先生は、頭に王冠をかぶって、キング・クヌートのように腰を下ろし、岸辺に待っておったんじゃ.

And for a whole hour the porpoises kept going and coming, bringing up different kinds of sea-beasts from the deep to see if they could help him.

そして、丸一時間、イルカたちは 行ったり来たりしながら、様々な海の生き物 深海から引き揚げ、先生の助けにならんかと試しておったんじゃ.

Many and curious were the creatures they produced.

引き揚げられた生き物は、数多く、奇妙なものばかりだったんじゃ.

It would seem however that there were very few things that spoke shellfish except the shellfish themselves.

しかし、どうも貝類自身以外で、貝の言葉を話すものはほとんどなかったようじゃ.

Still, the porpoises grew a little more hopeful when they discovered a very old sea-urchin who said he could not speak pure shellfish, but he used to understand starfish—enough to get along—when he was young.

それでも、イルカたちは 少し希望を持ったんじゃ。全身に長いひげを生やした球状の古いウニを発見したんじゃが、彼は「純粋な貝の言葉は話せんかった」と言い、ヒトデはなんとなく理解できたんじゃ.

This was coming nearer, even if it wasn’t anything to go crazy about.

それも、決して大騒ぎするほどではなかったものの、少しずつ近づいておったんじゃ、大騒ぎするほどではなかった.

Leaving the urchin with us, the porpoises went off once more to hunt up a starfish.

ウニはぼくたちのところに残して、イルカたちは再び出発して、探しに行った、ヒトデを.

They were not long getting one, for they were quite common in those parts.

あっという間に見つかったんじゃ。あの辺りにはかなり多かったんじゃ.

Then, using the sea-urchin as an interpreter, they questioned the starfish.

それから、ウニを通訳にして、イルカたちはヒトデに問いかけたんじゃ.

He was a rather stupid sort of creature; but he tried his best to be helpful.

ヒトデはかなりばかげた生き物じゃったが、一生懸命、助けようと努めたんじゃ.

And after a little patient examination we found to our delight that he could speak shellfish moderately well.

そして、少し根気よく調べた結果、彼が貝の言葉をほどほどに話せることが分かり、ぼくたちは大喜びしたんじゃ.

Feeling quite encouraged, the Doctor and I now got into the canoe; and, with the porpoises, the urchin and the starfish swimming alongside, we paddled very gently out till we were close under the towering shell of the Great Snail.

元気づけられて、わしとぼくは、カヌーに乗ったんじゃ。イルカ、ウニ、ヒトデが横を泳ぎながら、そびえ立つ大カタツムリの殻の下まで、ゆっくりと漕いで出たんじゃ.

And then began the most curious conversation I have ever witnessed.

そして、ぼくが今まで目にした中で最も奇妙な会話が、始まったんじゃ.

First the starfish would ask the snail something; and whatever answer the snail gave, the starfish would tell it to the sea-urchin.

最初にヒトデが、何かを尋ね、カタツムリがどんな答えを出しても、ヒトデはそれをウニに伝えたんじゃ.

In this way we obtained considerable information, mostly about the very ancient history of the Animal Kingdom; but we missed a good many of the finer points on account of translating from one language to another.

そのようにして、ぼくたちは主に動物界のかなりの情報を得た、非常に古い歴史について、しかし、ヒトデの愚かさと翻訳の手間のため、カタツムリの長い話の細かい点は多く聞き逃してしまったんじゃ.

While the snail was speaking, the Doctor and I put our ears against the wall of his shell and found that we could hear the sound of his voice quite plainly.

カタツムリが話す間、わしとぼくはその耳を当てた 殻の壁に、彼の声が聞こえることをはっきりと気づいたんじゃ.

It was, as the fidgit had described, deep and bell-like.

それは、フィジットが言うた通り、深くて、鐘のような響きじゃったんじゃ.

But of course we could not understand a single word he said.

しかし、もちろん、彼の一言も理解できなかったんじゃ.

However the Doctor was by this time terrifically excited about getting near to learning the language he had sought so long.

それでも、わしはものすごく興奮しておったんじゃ、なぜなら、わしはその言葉を学びに近づく努力を、長い間求め続けたからじゃ.

And presently by making the other fishes repeat over and over again short phrases which the snail used, he began to put words together for himself.

そして、カタツムリが使う、何度も繰り返させることで、短いフレーズを、わしは自分で単語を組み合わせ始めたんじゃ.

You see, he was already familiar with one or two fish languages; and that helped him quite a little.

ご覧なさい、わしはすでに 一、二の魚の言葉に精通しておった、それが少しは助けになったんじゃ.

After he had practised for a while like this he leant over the side of the canoe and, putting his face below the water, tried speaking to the snail direct.

しばらくこうして練習した後、わしはカヌーの縁に身を乗り出し、顔を水中に沈めて、カタツムリに直接話しかけようと試みたんじゃ.

It was hard and difficult work; and hours went by before he got any results.

それは大変で骨の折れる作業で、何時間もかかったんじゃ.

But presently I could tell by the happy look on his face that little by little he was succeeding.

しかし、すぐに、先生の嬉しそうな顔を見て、少しずつ成功しているのが分かったんじゃ.

The sun was low in the West and the cool evening breeze was beginning to rustle softly through the bamboo-groves when the Doctor finally turned from his work and said to me, “Stubbins, I have persuaded the snail to come in on to the dry part of the beach and let me examine his tail.

西の空に太陽が低く沈み、涼しい夕暮れの風がそよがせ始めた竹林の中で、わしはついに作業を中断し、ぼくに向かって言った、「スタビンズ、わしはあのカタツムリを砂浜の乾いた場所に呼び寄せ、尾を診させてもらうよう説得したんじゃ.

Will you please go back to the town and tell the workmen to stop working on the theatre for to-day?

「町へ戻って、作業員たちに頼んでくれるように、工事をやめるよう、劇場工事を、本日中にしてもらえるかの?

Then go on to the palace and get my medicine-bag.

それから、宮殿に行って、わしの薬袋を取ってきてくれるかの?

I think I left it under the throne in the Audience Chamber.

たぶん、謁見室の玉座の下に置き忘れたと思うんじゃ.

“And remember,” Polynesia whispered as I turned away, “not a word to a soul.

「そして、覚えとけよ」とポリネシアがぼくが振り返るときにささやいた、「誰にも一言も、口にするな.

If you get asked questions, keep your mouth shut.

質問されたら、口を閉じ、とくんじゃよ.

Pretend you have a toothache or something.

まるで歯が痛い、かのように振る舞うんじゃ.

This time when I got back to the shore—with the medicine-bag—I found the snail high and dry on the beach.

今回、ぼくが薬袋を持って岸に戻ると、カタツムリは干上がっていた、砂浜に.

Seeing him in his full length like this, it was easy to understand how old-time, superstitious sailors had called him the Sea-serpent.

彼を全体で見ると、昔の迷信深い、船乗りたちが彼を『海蛇』と呼んだ理由がすぐに分かったんだ.

He certainly was a most gigantic, and in his way, a graceful, beautiful creature.

彼は確かに非常に巨大で、なおかつどこか、優雅で、美しい生き物だったんだ.

John Dolittle was examining a swelling on his tail.

ドリトル先生は、自分の尾にできた調べておった 腫れを、診ておったんじゃ.