藤沢周平『風の果て』ダイジェスト、英語対訳 １ Fujisawa Shuhei "The End of the Wind" A Digest, Japanese-English translation 1
藤沢周平『風の果て』ダイジェスト、英語対訳 １
１ （はじめに）
藩家老の桑山又左衛門が、杉山忠兵衛に勝利して藩政の実権を握った後、野瀬市之丞から果たし状が届いた。野瀬も杉山も、かつては片貝道場で研鑽した仲間であった。又左衛門は、野瀬が果し合いを望んだ意味を慮りながら、若い頃から今に至るまでの長い道のりを思い起こすのであった。
江戸時代の末期、ある雪深い地方の小藩を舞台にした五人の武士の物語です。その舞台は明確にされていませんが藤沢作品ではおなじみの東北地方の架空の藩（鶴岡を居城とした庄内藩がモデル）海坂藩であると考えられます。同じ道場に通う仲の良い友人関係にある五人組は実は家柄や立場に大きな差があり、いずれは同席さえも許されなくなるであろう間柄。その絆は歳を重ねるたびに少しずつ引き裂かれてゆき五人五様の道を歩んでいきます。そして、その道は平坦ではありません。身分の差などに無頓着な若い剣士達の清々しい青春物語で幕を開けたかと思えば、三十年の時を経て五人の間を引き裂く運命の過酷さと、彼らが否応なく巻き込まれていく政争のドロドロした物語に発展していきます。
NHKテレビドラマ（木曜時代劇、2007年、全８回）化された作品。主演・佐藤浩市、福士誠治や斎藤工など若手注目俳優も出演。
1 (Introduction)
After Kuwayama Matazaemon, the chief retainer of the domain defeated Chubei Sugiyama and took control of the domain administration, he received a letter of challenge from Nose Ichinojo. Both Nose and Sugiyama used to study together at the Katagai Dojo. Matazaemon ponders the meaning of Nose's desire for a duel and recalls the long journey from his youth to the present.
A story about five warriors set in a small domain in a snowy region at the end of the Edo period. Although the setting is not clear, it is thought to be the Unasak Domain, a fictitious domain in the Tohoku region (modeled after the Shonai domain of Tsuruoka as its residence), which is familiar in Fujisawa's works. The quintet, who are close friends who go to the same dojo, actually have a big difference in family background and position, and eventually, they won't even be allowed to sit together. That bond is torn apart little by little as they age, and walk the path of five different people. And the road is not smooth. Just as the curtain opened with a refreshing coming-of-age story of young swordsmen who were indifferent to differences in social status, after thirty years, the harshness of fate tore the five of them apart, and they were inevitably caught up in it. It develops into a muddy story of political conflict.
A work that was made into an NHK TV drama (Thursday historical drama, 2007, 8 episodes in total). Young notable actors such as Koichi Sato, Seiji Fukushi, and Takumi Saito also appear. （To be continued）