ハルキとカズオ Haruki and Kazuo

ハルキとカズオ

１月２７日、名古屋外国語大学で開催されたシンポジュウムで、ある講演者が面白いことを言っていた。
村上春樹は結末を考えずに書き始め、どのように展開していくかは自分もわからないで書いていく。これに対して、カズオ・イシグロは全体の構想を練り、結末もきちんと考えてから書き始める、と。
春樹の「海辺のカフカ」が中途半端な小説になっているのはそのためだ。UFOを見て気を失った子供たちや引率の女教師のその後のことが書かれていないので読後感がすっきりしない。春樹は、「海辺のカフカ」でチェホフの言葉を引用して「拳銃を出したら撃たなければならない」と書いているのに、春樹は拳銃を出したままにして、何もしない。これでは読者は消化不良になる。
同講師は春樹はまだ子供で、カズオは大人だと言っていたが納得した。

 Haruki and Kazuo

 



One of the lectures in a literature symposium held in Nagoya University of Foreign Studies on January 27 compared Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro.
　　According to him, Murakami writes his story without planning the plot beforehand. That is, he begins to write his story without knowing how the story ends; whereas, Ishiguro writes his story after planning a minute plot and ending.
　　That is why I felt dissatisfied when I finished reading “Kafka on the Shore.” There are several mysteries in the story which were left unsolved. For example, Murakami does not write what happens to the children who faint after they see a UFO; nor what happens to the woman teacher who takes them to the forest. Murakami says in “Kafka on the Shore,” quoting Chekhov’s words, that once you show a gun, you must shoot it. Murakami shows a lot of guns but he does not shoot them in the story. That is why I felt irritated and had indigestion when I read the novel.
 　　The lecturer said, “Haruki is a child, but Kazuo is an adult.”
I think so, too.

二人の母親 TWO MOTHERS

　　二人の母親　

 

大岡裁きにこんな話がある。ある子供に関して自分が本当の母親であると主張する二人の女性に対して大岡越前守は「子供の手を両方から引っ張り合い、子供を取った方に子供を与える」と言った。二人の女性が子供の手を引っ張ったところ、子供が「痛い」と言うから、一方の母親は手を離した。大岡は裁きを下した。
「今、手を離した方が本当の母親だ。本当の母親ならば子供が痛いのに無理して引くようなことはしない」
以上の話は桂万栄編「棠陰比事（とういんひじ）」第八話に原典がある。前漢の時代（紀元前206年～紀元8年）の太守黄霸（こうは）の裁きだ。　
似たような話がある。二人の女性がある赤ん坊を自分の赤ん坊だと言い争っているのを見てソロモン王（在位960年頃ー前922年頃）は「赤ん坊を剣で二つに裂き、女に半分ずつ与えよ」と言う。それを聞いて母親の一人が「王様、この子をこの人にあげてください」と言った。王はこの女性を母親だと裁いた。
ソロモンの話が中国に伝わって大岡裁きになったのだろうか。

Two Mothers

　　Judge Tadasuke Ohoka, who was well-known for his clever ruling during the Edo era (18th century), delivered a judgement in a case where two mothers (Mother A and B) fought against each other concerning a boy.
　　Each mother insisted that he was her child. Ohoka said, “All right, then. Mother A, grab the boy’s right hand, and Mother B, grab his left arm.” When they grabbed them, he said, “Pull his hand as hard as you can. The one who has pulled his hand stronger will get the boy. OK? Ready. Go!” They pulled his hands as hard as they could. The boy cried, “It hurts!” Hearing his cry, Mother B let go of his hand. “Stop!” Ohoka said. “The boy belongs to Mother B, because a real mother will let go of his hand so that he may not cry with pain. Case closed.”
　　The above episode originated in one of Judge Koha’s decisions written in “Toin-hiji” during the Era of Qianhan in China (BC206-AD8).
　　A similar decision was made by King Solomon (BC960-BC922). Two women fought against each other concerning a baby. Each of them insisted that the baby belonged to her. The king ordered his men to cut the baby into halves and give each half to each woman. Hearing his decision, one of the women said, “Please give the baby to this woman.” The king concluded that the woman who gave up was its real mother, because the real mother cannot bear the cruelty.”
　　Has Solomon’s decision been introduced to China and ultimately to Japan?

便りのないのは良い便り No news is good news

便りのないのは良い便り

　ノーベル文学賞受賞者、カズオ・イシグロの『日の名残り』を読んでいて、「便りのないのは良い便り」を地で行く文章を見つけた。ここに引用する。
「ケントン夫人から、お会いするのを楽しみにしていますという返事がないことは分かっていたけれど、彼女の性格からいって、返事がないのは再会することに、たとえ不都合があっても、同意しているのだと思う気になった」（松岡訳）
　

No news is good news

　　　While I was reading a passage in “The Remains of the Day” written by Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel laureate for literature, I happened to read an expression that supports the proverb: no news is good news. Let me quote it:
　　　I am only too aware that I never received a reply from Miss Kenton confirming she would be happy about a meeting. However, knowing Miss Kenton as I do, I am inclined to think that a lack of any letter can be taken as agreement; were a meeting for any reason inconvenient.