「火花」英訳 ENGLISH TRANSLATION "HANABI"

「火花」試訳
 

姉は、家にピアノやエレクトーンがある友達に遅れを取らないように必死だった。しかし、ある日、「頑張ってるお姉ちゃん、見に行こう」と、僕を保育所まで迎えにきた母に連れられ、姉の通うヤマハの教室を覗きに行くと、他の生徒達は演奏しているのに、姉だけエレクトーンの前の椅子に座った状態で、落ち着かなく周りをうかがい、エレクトーンの裏を手で触ったりしていた。なぜ弾かないのだろう？　母も不安そうに姉を見ていた。ようやく異変に気づいた先生が姉の側に寄って行くと、姉は「音が出ない」と言った。すると先生が当たり前のように、エレクトーンの電源を入れて、姉も途中から演奏に加わった。姉は緊張で身体が強張り、異常に両肩が上がっていて無様だった。いつもは優しくて頼りがいのある姉のこんな姿を見ていると、なぜか僕は胸が苦しくなり、眼から涙が溢れた。「なんで、あんたが泣いてるの？　お姉ちゃん頑張ってるで」と言った母の眼も赤かった。その夜、家に帰ってからも姉は無言で紙のピアノを懸命に弾き続けていた。僕は姉の隣に座り、全力で姉が演奏する曲を唄った。酒に酔った父が「やかましいんじゃ」と怒声を上げても僕達はやめなかった。
又吉直樹（２０１５）『火花』文藝春秋、pp. 21-22
  

 

 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION "HIBANA"

 

　　The following is a translation of a passage in “Hibana” written by Naoki Matakichi, an Akutagawa Award winner:

　　My sister was trying desperately to catch up to her friends who had a piano or an electronic organ at home.
　　“Let’s go and see your sister. She’s so desperate,” my mother said one day when she came to the nursery center to get me. She took me to the Yamaha Electone school to see how she was practicing the electone. When I saw her, she looked nervous sitting in front of the instrument. She was stealthily peeping at the neighboring girls and feeling for something on the back of the organ. Why wasn’t she playing the electone? My mother was also looking at her uneasily. Finally, noticing her unusual behavior, her teacher came to her.
　　“It’s not working,” my sister said to her.
　　The instructor switched on the electone as if nothing had happened, and she began to join the other girls. She was tense and stiff. Her shoulders were raised high. She looked awkward. Looking at her, my kind and dependable sister, I felt depressed and my eyes were, for some reason, filled with tears.
“Why are you crying? She is doing her best,” my mother said with tears in her eyes, too.
　　That night at home, my sister was practicing hard on a paper keyboard. I sat beside her and sang the song she was playing at the top my voice.
　　“Quiet!” my father shouted angrily in a drunken voice, but we did not stop.