藤沢周平『海鳴り』ダイジェスト、英語対訳　２　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fujisawa Shuhei "Uminari　（The Roaring of the Sea.）"： A Digest、Japanese-English Translation　２

藤沢周平『海鳴り』ダイジェスト、英語対訳

2

2　 (あらすじ）　１
　紙商いの世界は厳しいが新兵衛の商売は順調であり商売のことなら負けないという自信もある。新兵衛は一介の仲買いから叩き上げ、江戸四十七軒で占める紙問屋の株を買い取って伸し上がってきた男だ。新興の小野屋に、大店の老舗が不当な介入や嫌がらせをしてくるが、くじけない。しかし、女房おたきとの関係は冷え切り、息子の幸助は遊びごとを覚え、仕事に身が入らないことに悩みは尽きない。
 
「いずれは来る老いと死を迎えるために、遊ぶひまもなく、身を粉にして働いたのかという自嘲は、振りかえってみればあまり当を得たものではなかったが、そのころの新兵衛を、一時しっかりとつかまえた考えだったのである。ひとは、まさにおだやかな老後と死を購（あがな）うためにも働くのだ、という考えは思いうかばなかった。
 見えて来た老いと死に、いくらかうろたえていた。まだ、し残したことがある、とも思った。その漠然とした焦りと、ひとの一生を見てしまった空しさに取り憑（つ）かれ、酒と女をもとめてしきりに夜の町に駕籠を走らせた。
 ――だが、救いなどどこにもなかったし……」

Fujisawa Shuhei "Uminari　（The Roaring of the Sea.）"： A Digest、Japanese-English Translation 2
 
2 　(Synopsis) 1
　　　The world of the paper business is tough, but Shinbei's business is going well, and he is confident that he will not lose when it comes to business. Shinbei is a man who has risen from being a mere middleman to buying the shares of a paper wholesaler that occupies Edo 47 houses. The emerging Onoya is unfairly intervened and harassed by a long-established large store, but he is not discouraged. However, his relationship with his wife, Otaki, has cooled down, and his son, Kousuke, has learned to play and is troubled by his inability to devote himself to work.
 
“In retrospect, the self-deprecating thought that I had worked hard and had no time to play in order to meet old age and death, which would come sooner or later, was not very reasonable. It was an idea I had a firm grip on, and I could not think of the idea that people work just to buy a peaceful old age and death.
 I was somewhat dismayed at the sight of old age and death. Still, I thought I had something left to do. Possessed by that vague impatience and the emptiness of seeing a person's life, I ran a palanquin through the night town in search of sake and women.
 ――But there was no salvation anywhere……」（To be continued）