Chapter 13: THE DEER IN THE WOOD
第13章: 森の中の鹿

 The grass was dry and withered, and the cows must be taken out of the woods and kept in the barn to be fed.
wither (枯れる) [動] (of a plant) become dry and shriveled
草は乾いて枯れ、牛は森から連れ出されて、餌を与えるために納屋に閉じ込められなければならなかった。
All the bright-colored leaves became dull brown when the cold fall rains began.
bright-colored (鮮やかな色の) [形] having a strong or vivid color
dull (くすんだ) [形] lacking interest or excitement
寒い秋の雨が降り始めると、鮮やかな色の葉はすべてくすんだ茶色になった。

 There was no more playing under the trees.
木の下で遊ぶことはもうなかった。
But Pa was in the house when it rained, and he began again to play the fiddle after supper.
rain (雨が降る) [動] fall from the sky in drops of water
しかし、雨が降るとパパは家の中にいて、夕食後にはまたバイオリンを弾き始めた。

 Then the rains stopped.
stop (止む) [動] come to an end
それから雨が止んだ。
The weather grew colder.
天気は寒くなった。
In the early mornings everything sparkled with frost.
early morning (早朝) [名] the time of day from sunrise to about 8 a.m.
早朝には全てが霜でキラキラ輝いていた。
The days were growing short and a little fire burned all day in the cookstove to keep the house warm.
grow short (短くなる) [動] become shorter
日が短くなり、家を暖かく保つために、料理用ストーブで一日中小さな火が燃えていた。
Winter was not far away.
be not far away (そう遠くない) [動] be close in time or space
冬はそう遠くなかった。

 The attic and the cellar were full of good things once more, and Laura and Mary had started to make patchwork quilts.
once more (再び) [副] one more time
屋根裏部屋と地下室は再び良いものでいっぱいになり、ローラとメアリーはパッチワークキルトを作り始めていた。
Everything was beginning to be snug and cosy again.
全てが再び心地よく居心地の良いものになり始めていた。

 One night when he came in from doing the chores Pa said that after supper he would go to his deer-lick and watch for a deer.
deer-lick (鹿の塩場) [名] a place where deer come to lick salt
ある夜、パパが雑用を終えて家に戻ってきた時、夕食後には鹿の塩場に行って鹿を待つつもりだと言った。
There had been no fresh meat in the little house since spring, but now the fawns were grown up, and Pa would go hunting again.
hunt (狩り) [名] the sport or activity of hunting animals or birds
春以来、小さな家には新鮮な肉がなかったが、今は子鹿が成長し、パパは再び狩りに行くつもりだった。

 Pa had made a deer-lick, in an open place in the woods, with trees near by in which he could sit to watch it.
パパは森の開けた場所に鹿の塩場を作り、近くの木に登ってそれを見張れるようにしていた。
A deer-lick was a place where the deer came to get salt.
鹿の塩場とは、鹿が塩を舐めに来る場所のことである。
When they found a salty place in the ground they came there to lick it, and that was called a deer-lick.
salty (塩気のある) [形] having a taste of salt
鹿は地面に塩気のある場所を見つけると、そこへ来て舐めるので、それを鹿の塩場と呼ぶ。
Pa had made one by sprinkling salt over the ground.
パパは地面に塩をまいて鹿の塩場を作った。

 After supper Pa took his gun and went into the woods, and Laura and Mary went to sleep without any stories or music.
夕食後、パパは銃を持って森に入り、ローラとメアリーは物語も音楽もなしに眠りについた。

 As soon as they woke in the morning they ran to the window, but there was no deer hanging in the trees.
朝起きるとすぐに窓に駆け寄ったが、木に吊るされた鹿はいなかった。
Pa had never before gone out to get a deer and come home without one.
パパはこれまで鹿を捕まえに出かけて鹿なしで帰ってきたことはなかった。
Laura and Mary did not know what to think.
what to think (どうしていいか) [名] what to do
ローラとメアリーはどうしていいかわからなかった。

 All day Pa was busy, banking the little house and the barn with dead leaves and straw, held down by stones, to keep out the cold.
be busy (忙しい) [動] having a great deal to do
bank (覆う) [動] to cover or surround with a mound
dead leaves (枯れ葉) [名] leaves that have fallen from a tree and are no longer alive
stone (石) [名] a hard solid nonmetallic mineral matter of which rock is made, especially as a building material
パパは一日中忙しく、寒さを防ぐために小さな家と納屋を枯れ葉や藁で覆い、石で押さえつけていた。
The weather grew colder all day, and that night there was once more a fire on the hearth and the windows were shut tight and chinked for the winter.
grow colder (寒さが増す) [動] become colder
一日中寒さが増し、その夜は再び暖炉に火が入り、窓は冬に向けてきっちりと閉められた。

 After supper Pa took Laura on his knee, while Mary sat close in her little chair.
夕食後、パパはローラを膝に乗せ、メアリーは小さな椅子に座った。
And Pa said:
そしてパパは言った。

 “Now I'll tell you why you had no fresh meat to eat today.
「今日、新鮮な肉を食べられなかった理由を教えてあげよう。

 “When I went out to the deer-lick, I climbed up into a big oak tree.
「鹿の塩場に行った時、大きなオークの木に登ったんだ。
I found a place on a branch where I was comfortable and could watch the deer-lick.
枝の上に、鹿の塩場を見るのにちょうどいい場所を見つけたんだ。
I was near enough to shoot any animal that came to it, and my gun was loaded and ready on my knee.
near (近く) [形] not far away
そこに来るどんな動物も撃てるくらい近くにいて、銃に弾を込めて膝の上に置いて準備万端だった。

 “There I sat and waited for the moon to rise and light the clearing.
light (照らす) [動] provide light for
「そこに座って、月が昇って空き地を照らすのを待った。

 “I was a little tired from chopping wood all day yesterday, and I must have fallen asleep, for I found myself opening my eyes.
fall asleep (眠ってしまう) [動] go to sleep
「昨日一日中木を切って少し疲れていたので、眠ってしまったに違いない。目を開けたのに気づいた。

 “The big, round moon was just rising.
just (ちょうど) [副] exactly or precisely
「大きくて丸い月がちょうど昇るところだった。
I could see it between the bare branches of the trees, low in the sky.
空の低いところにある木々のむき出しの枝の間から月が見えた。
And right against it I saw a deer standing.
そしてそのすぐ向かいに鹿が立っているのが見えた。
His head was up and he was listening.
be up (上がっている) [動] to be in a raised position
listen (耳を澄ませる) [動] to give one's attention to a sound or action
頭を上げて耳を澄ませていた。
His great, branching horns stood out above his head.
stand out (突き出る) [動] be easily noticeable
大きく枝分かれした角が頭の上に突き出ていた。
He was dark against the moon.
be dark against (暗く見える) [動] to be dark in comparison with something else
月を背景に暗く見えた。

 “It was a perfect shot.
perfect (完璧な) [形] having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be
shot (射撃) [名] the firing of a gun or other weapon
「完璧な射撃だった。
But he was so beautiful, he looked so strong and free and wild, that I couldn't kill him.
free (自由な) [形] not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes
でも、とても美しく、とても強く、自由で、野性的に見えたので、殺すことができなかった。
I sat there and looked at him, until he bounded away into the dark woods.
私はそこに座って彼を眺め、彼が暗い森に飛び込むまで見ていた。

 “Then I remembered that Ma and my little girls were waiting for me to bring home some good fresh venison.
「それから、ママと娘たちが私が新鮮な鹿肉を家に持ち帰るのを待っていることを思い出した。
I made up my mind that next time I would shoot.
next time (次回) [名] the next occasion
次回は撃つと決心した。

 “After awhile a big bear came lumbering out into the open.
lumber (ゆっくりと) [動] move in a slow, heavy, awkward way
open (開けた場所) [形] allowing access or vision through an aperture
「しばらくすると、大きな熊がゆっくりと開けた場所に出てきた。
He was so fat from feasting on berries and roots and grubs all summer that he was nearly as large as two bears.
berries (ベリー) [名] a small round fruit that grows on a bush or a tree
roots (根) [名] the part of a plant that grows down into the ground
grubs (幼虫) [名] the young form of an insect
彼は夏の間ずっとベリーや根や幼虫を食べ続けたため、とても太っていて、熊2頭分くらいの大きさだった。
His head swayed from side to side as he went on all fours across the clear space in the moonlight, until he came to a rotten log.
go on all fours (四つん這いになる) [動] to walk on your hands and knees
clear space (開けた場所) [名] an area that is free of obstacles
rotten (腐った) [形] decayed or decomposed
彼は四つん這いで月明かりの下で開けた場所を横切り、腐った丸太にたどり着くまで頭を左右に揺らしていた。
He smelled it, and listened.
smell (嗅ぐ) [動] to sense the odor of
彼はそれを嗅ぎ、耳を傾けた。
Then he pawed it apart and sniffed among the broken pieces, eating up the fat white grubs.
paw (前足で引き裂く) [動] to touch or handle clumsily, rudely, or disrespectfully
sniff (嗅ぎ回る) [動] to inhale through the nose with short, audible breaths
eat up (食べる) [動] to eat all of something
grub (幼虫) [名] the larva of an insect
それから彼はそれを前足で引き裂き、壊れた破片の間で嗅ぎ回り、太った白い幼虫を食べた。

 “Then he stood up on his hind legs, perfectly still, looking all around him.
stand up (立ち上がる) [動] rise to a standing position
perfectly still (全く動かずに) [副] without moving at all
「それから彼は後ろ足で立ち上がり、全く動かずに、周りを見回した。
He seemed to be suspicious that something was wrong.
be suspicious (疑いを抱く) [動] to have or show a feeling of doubt or distrust
彼は何かがおかしいことに疑いを抱いているようだった。
He was trying to see or smell what it was.
try (しようとする) [動] to make an effort to do something
彼はそれが何であるかを見たり嗅いだりしようとしていた。

 “He was a perfect mark to shoot at, but I was so much interested in watching him, and the woods were so peaceful in the moonlight, that I forgot all about my gun.
shoot at (撃つ) [動] to aim and discharge a weapon at
mark (標的) [名] an object that is aimed at
peaceful (穏やか) [形] free from disturbance or agitation
「彼は撃つのに完璧な標的だったが、私は彼を見ることにとても興味があり、森は月明かりの下でとても穏やかだったので、私は銃のことをすっかり忘れていた。
I did not even think of shooting him, until he was waddling away into the woods.
彼が森の中へよろよろと歩き去るまで、私は彼を撃つことさえ考えなかった。

 “'This will never do,' I thought.
will never do (絶対にいけない) [動] be unacceptable
thought (思った) [動] have a particular opinion about something
「これは絶対にいけない」と私は思った。
I'll never get any meat this way.'
「こんなやり方では肉は絶対に手に入らない」

 “I settled myself in the tree and waited again.
「私は木に落ち着いて、また待った。
This time I was determined to shoot the next game I saw.
be determined to (決意する) [動] to be very determined to do something
game (獲物) [名] wild animals that are hunted for food or sport
今度は、次に見た獲物を撃つことを決意した。

 “The moon had risen higher and the moonlight was bright in the little open place.
higher (より高く) [形] of greater vertical extent
「月は高く昇り、小さな空き地は月明かりで明るかった。
All around it the shadows were dark among the trees.
その周囲は木々の間の影が暗かった。

 “After a long while, a doe and her yearling fawn came stepping daintily out of the shadows.
after a long while (長い時間が経った後) [名] after a long time
yearling (1歳の子鹿) [名] an animal that is one year old
step (歩く) [動] move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once
daintily (優雅に) [副] in a way that is very careful or delicate
「長い時間が経った後、雌鹿とその子鹿が影から優雅に歩いてきた。
They were not afraid at all.
彼らは全く恐れていなかった。
They walked over to the place where I had sprinkled the salt, and they both licked up a little of it.
walk over (歩いてくる) [動] come to a place by walking
lick up (なめる) [動] move the tongue over something
彼らは私が塩を振りかけた場所まで歩いてきて、二人ともそれを少しなめた。

 “Then they raised their heads and looked at each other.
「それから彼らは頭を上げて、お互いを見合った。
The fawn stepped over and stood beside the doe.
step over (歩み寄る) [動] walk over to someone or something
子鹿は歩み寄り、雌鹿の横に立った。
They stood there together, looking at the woods and the moonlight.
look (眺める) [動] direct one's gaze in a specified direction
彼らは一緒にそこに立って、森と月明かりを眺めていた。
Their large eyes were shining and soft.
彼らの大きな目は輝いていて柔らかかった。

 “I just sat there looking at them, until they walked away among the shadows.
walk away (歩き去る) [動] leave a place by walking
「私はただそこに座って彼らを見ていた、彼らが影の中を歩き去るまで。
Then I climbed down out of the tree and came home.”
それから木から降りて帰ってきた」

 Laura whispered in his ear, “I'm glad you didn't shoot them!”
ローラは彼の耳にささやいた、「撃たなくてよかった!」

 Mary said, “We can eat bread and butter.”
メアリーは言った、「パンとバターを食べられるよ」

 Pa lifted Mary up out of her chair and hugged them both together.
パパはメアリーを椅子から抱き上げ、二人を一緒に抱きしめた。

 “You're my good girls,” he said.
「あなたたちは私の良い娘だ」と彼は言った。
“And now it's bedtime.
「そして今は寝る時間だ。
Run along, while I get my fiddle.”
run along (走って行く) [動] to go away quickly
get (取ってくる) [動] to go and bring back
私がバイオリンを取ってくる間に、走って行きなさい。」

 When Laura and Mary had said their prayers and were tucked snugly under the trundle bed's covers, Pa was sitting in the firelight with the fiddle.
tuck (寝かす) [動] to put or place snugly or securely
ローラとメアリーが祈りを捧げて、引き出し式ベッドの掛け布団の下にきちんと寝かされた時、パパはバイオリンを持って暖炉の明かりの下で座っていた。
Ma had blown out the lamp because she did not need its light.
ママはランプの明かりが必要なかったので、ランプを吹き消していた。
On the other side of the hearth she was swaying gently in her rocking chair and her knitting needles flashed in and out above the sock she was knitting.
on the other side of (の反対側で) [前] in a position on the opposite side of something
knitting needle (編み針) [名] a long thin stick with a point at one or both ends, used in knitting
in and out (出たり入ったり) [副] into and out of a place or thing
sock (靴下) [名] a garment for the foot and lower part of the leg
暖炉の反対側で、彼女はロッキングチェアで優しく揺れ、編み針は編んでいる靴下の上をちらちらと出たり入ったりしていた。

 The long winter evenings of firelight and music had come again.
暖炉の明かりと音楽の長い冬の夜が再びやってきた。

 Pa's fiddle wailed while Pa was singing:
wail (悲しげに鳴る) [動] to make a long, high-pitched cry, usually of pain, grief, or anger
パパが歌っている間、パパのバイオリンは悲しげに鳴った。

 “Oh, Susi—an—na, don't you cry for me,
「ああ、スーザン、私のために泣かないで。

 I'm going to Cal—i—for—ni—a,
I'm going to (私は行くんだ) [動] to move or travel from one place to another
California (カリフォルニア) [名] a state in the western United States
私はカリフォルニアに行くんだ。

 The gold dust for to see.”
gold dust (金の粉) [名] very small pieces of gold
for to see (見るために) [動] to look at something
金の粉を見るために。」

 Then Pa began to play again the song about Old Grimes.
song (歌) [名] a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung
Old Grimes (オールド・グライムス) [名] a character in a poem by Albert Gorton Greene
それからパパはまたオールド・グライムスの歌を弾き始めた。
But he did not sing the words he had sung when Ma was making cheese.
word (歌詞) [名] a unit of language that native speakers can identify
しかし、ママがチーズを作っている時に歌った歌詞は歌わなかった。
These words were different.
歌詞は違っていた。
Pa's strong, sweet voice was softly singing:
パパの強く甘い声が優しく歌っていた。

 “Shall auld acquaintance be forgot,
「古い知己を忘れようか
And never brought to mind?
bring to mind (思い出す) [動] cause someone to remember something
そして思い出さないようにしようか?
Shall auld acquaintance be forgot,
auld (古い) [形] of long duration; having existed for a long time
acquaintance (知己) [名] a person one knows slightly
古い知己を忘れようか
And the days of auld lang syne?
auld lang syne (昔の友情) [名] a Scottish song traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's Eve
そして昔の友情の日々を?
And the days of auld lang syne, my friend,
friend (友) [名] a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
そして昔の友情の日々を、友よ
And the days of auld lang syne,
そして昔の友情の日々を
Shall auld acquaintance be forgot,
古い知己を忘れようか
And the days of auld lang syne?”
そして昔の友情の日々を?」

 When the fiddle had stopped singing Laura called out softly, “What are days of auld lang syne, Pa?”
call out (声をかける) [動] shout or cry out
softly (そっと) [副] in a gentle or quiet manner
バイオリンの歌が止まると、ローラはそっと声をかけた。「昔の友情の日々って何、パパ?」

 “They are the days of a long time ago, Laura,” Pa said.
long time ago (ずっと昔) [名] a time in the past that is far away
「それはずっと昔の日々のことだよ、ローラ」とパパは言った。
“Go to sleep, now.”
「さあ、寝なさい」

 But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa's fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the Big Woods.
lie awake (起きていて) [動] be awake but lying in bed
softly (優しい) [副] in a gentle manner
しかしローラはしばらく起きていて、パパのバイオリンの優しい音色と大森林の寂しい風の音を聴いていた。
She looked at Pa sitting on the bench by the hearth, the firelight gleaming on his brown hair and beard and glistening on the honey-brown fiddle.
gleam (輝く) [動] shine brightly
beard (髭) [名] the hair that grows on a man's face
glistening (きらめく) [動] shine brightly
honey-brown (蜂蜜色) [形] of a color produced by mixing red, yellow, and black
彼女はパパが暖炉のそばのベンチに座っているのを見た。火の光が彼の茶色の髪と髭に輝き、蜂蜜色のバイオリンにきらめいていた。
She looked at Ma, gently rocking and knitting.
rock (揺れる) [動] move or cause to move slowly and gently to and fro or from side to side
彼女はママを見た。優しく揺れながら編み物をしていた。

 She thought to herself, “This is now.”
think to oneself (思う) [動] to have a thought or opinion
彼女は「これが今だ」と思った。

 She was glad that the cosy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music, were now.
彼女は居心地の良い家、パパとママ、火の光と音楽が今にあることを嬉しく思った。
They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now.
彼女は、今は今だから、それらは忘れられないと思った。
It can never be a long time ago.
can never be (なり得ない) [助] be not possible or not allowed
それは決して遠い昔にはなり得ない。

 THE END
終わり