The “shinansha,” or the South Pointing Carriage

The compass, with its needle always pointing to the North, is quite a common thing, and no one thinks that it is remarkable now, though when it was first invented it must have been a wonder.

針がいつも北を指す磁石は、いまではごくありふれたもので、誰も不思議とは思わない。けれども初めて考え出されたときには、さぞ驚くべきものであったにちがいない。

Now long ago in China, there was a still more wonderful invention called the shinansha. This was a kind of chariot with the figure of a man on it always pointing to the South. No matter how the chariot was placed the figure always wheeled about and pointed to the South.

さて、遠いむかしの中国には、もっと驚くべき発明があった。指南車(しなんしゃ)という。これは車の上に人の形が載っていて、その人形がいつも南を指しているという類の車である。車をどの向きに置いても、人形はくるりと回って南を指すのだった。

This curious instrument was invented by Kotei, one of the three Chinese Emperors of the Mythological age. Kotei was the son of the Emperor Yuhi. Before he was born his mother had a vision which foretold that her son would be a great man.

この不思議な仕掛けを考え出したのは、神話の時代の中国三皇の一人、黄帝(こうてい)である。黄帝は有熊(ゆうひ)氏の子であった。生まれる前、その母は、子が偉大な人物になると告げる幻を見た。

One summer evening she went out to walk in the meadows to seek the cool breezes which blow at the end of the day and to gaze with pleasure at the star-lit heavens above her. As she looked at the North Star, strange to relate, it shot forth vivid flashes of lightning in every direction. Soon after this her son Kotei came into the world.

ある夏の夕方、母は野へ散歩に出た。一日の終わりに吹く涼しい風を求め、また頭上の星をちりばめた空を楽しく眺めるためであった。北極星を見つめていると、不思議なことに、その星が四方へ鮮やかな稲妻を放った。それからまもなく、その子である黄帝がこの世に生まれた。

Kotei in time grew to manhood and succeeded his father the Emperor Yuhi. His early reign was greatly troubled by the rebel Shiyu. This rebel wanted to make himself King, and many were the battles which he fought to this end. Shiyu was a wicked magician, his head was made of iron, and there was no man that could conquer him.

黄帝はやがて成人し、父の跡を継いだ。その治世の初めは、蚩尤(しゆう)という反逆者にたいそう悩まされた。この反逆者は自ら王になろうとして、そのために数多くの戦いを起こした。蚩尤は邪悪な妖術使いで、その頭は鉄でできており、これを打ち負かせる者は一人もいなかった。

At last Kotei declared war against the rebel and led his army to battle, and the two armies met on a plain called Takuroku. The Emperor boldly attacked the enemy, but the magician brought down a dense fog upon the battlefield, and while the royal army were wandering about in confusion, trying to find their way, Shiyu retreated with his troops, laughing at having fooled the royal army.

とうとう黄帝はこの反逆者に宣戦し、軍を率いて戦いに出た。両軍は涿鹿(たくろく)という平原で相まみえた。帝は果敢に敵を攻めたが、妖術使いは戦場に深い霧を降ろした。そして帝の軍が混乱して道を探しさまよっているあいだに、蚩尤は兵を退き、帝の軍を出し抜いたと笑ったのである。

No matter however strong and brave the Emperor’s soldiers were, the rebel with his magic could always escape in the end.

帝の兵がどれほど強く勇敢であっても、妖術を使う反逆者は、いつも最後には逃げおおせるのだった。

Kotei returned to his Palace, and thought and pondered deeply as to how he should conquer the magician, for he was determined not to give up yet. After a long time he invented the shinansha with the figure of a man always pointing South, for there were no compasses in those days. With this instrument to show him the way he need not fear the dense fogs raised up by the magician to confound his men.

黄帝は宮殿に戻り、どうすればこの妖術使いを打ち負かせるかと深く考え込んだ。まだあきらめるつもりはなかったのである。長いあいだ考えたのち、いつも南を指す人形を載せた指南車を考案した。当時は磁石がなかったからである。行くべき方角を示すこの仕掛けさえあれば、妖術使いが兵を惑わすために起こす深い霧も恐れることはない。

Kotei again declared war against Shiyu. He placed the shinansha in front of his army and led the way to the battlefield.

黄帝はふたたび蚩尤に宣戦した。指南車を軍の先頭に据え、自ら戦場へと導いた。

The battle began in earnest. The rebel was being driven backward by the royal troops when he again resorted to magic, and upon his saying some strange words in a loud voice, immediately a dense fog came down upon the battlefield.

戦いが本格的に始まった。反逆者が帝の軍に押し戻されていくと、また妖術に頼った。大声で何やら奇妙な言葉を唱えると、たちまち戦場に深い霧が降りた。

But this time no soldier minded the fog, not one was confused. Kotei by pointing to the shinansha could find his way and directed the army without a single mistake. He closely pursued the rebel army and drove them backward till they came to a big river. This river Kotei and his men found was swollen by the floods and impossible to cross.

しかし今度は、霧を気にする兵は一人もおらず、惑う者も一人もいなかった。黄帝は指南車を指し示すことで道を見出し、一度の誤りもなく軍を導いた。反逆者の軍を間近に追い立て、押し戻していくと、やがて大きな川に行き当たった。黄帝と兵たちは、この川が増水していて渡れないことを知った。

Shiyu by using his magic art quickly passed over with his army and shut himself up in a fortress on the opposite bank.

蚩尤は妖術を使って軍とともにたちまち渡り、向こう岸の砦に立てこもった。

When Kotei found his march checked he was wild with disappointment, for he had very nearly overtaken the rebel when the river stopped him.

進軍を阻まれた黄帝は、悔しさに荒れ狂った。もう少しで反逆者に追いつくというところで、川に止められたのである。

He could do nothing, for there were no boats in those days, so the Emperor ordered his tent to be pitched in the pleasantest spot that the place afforded.

どうすることもできなかった。当時は舟というものがなかったからである。そこで帝は、その場所でいちばん心地よいところに天幕を張るよう命じた。

One day he stepped forth from his tent and after walking about for a short time he came to a pond. Here he sat down on the bank and was lost in thought.

ある日、帝は天幕から出て、しばらく歩き回るうちに池のほとりに来た。そこで岸に腰を下ろし、物思いに沈んだ。

It was autumn. The trees growing along the edge of the water were shedding their leaves, which floated hither and thither on the surface of the pond. By and by, Kotei’s attention was attracted to a spider on the brink of the water. The little insect was trying to get on to one of the floating leaves near by. It did so at last, and was soon floating over the water to the other side of the pond.

秋であった。水際に生えた木々が葉を落とし、その葉が池の面をあちらこちらへ漂っていた。やがて黄帝の目は、水際にいる一匹の蜘蛛にとまった。この小さな虫は、近くに漂う葉の一枚に乗ろうとしていた。とうとう乗ることができ、まもなく水の上を池の向こう岸へと運ばれていった。

This little incident made the clever Emperor think that he might try to make something that could carry himself and his men over the river in the same way that the leaf had carried over the spider. He set to work and persevered till he invented the first boat. When he found that it was a success he set all his men to make more, and in time there were enough boats for the whole army.

この小さな出来事から、賢い帝は、葉が蜘蛛を渡したのと同じように、自分と兵たちを川の向こうへ運べるものを作れるのではないかと考えた。仕事にかかり、粘り強く続けて、ついに最初の舟を作り上げた。それがうまくいくと分かると、兵全員にもっと作らせ、やがて全軍ぶんの舟が揃った。

Kotei now took his army across the river, and attacked Shiyu’s headquarters. He gained a complete victory, and so put an end to the war which had troubled his country for so long.

こうして黄帝は軍を川の向こうへ渡し、蚩尤の本営を攻めた。完全な勝利を収め、長らく国を悩ませてきたこの戦いに終止符を打ったのである。

This wise and good Emperor did not rest till he had secured peace and prosperity throughout his whole land. He was beloved by his subjects, who now enjoyed their happiness of peace for many long years under him. He spent a great deal of time in making inventions which would benefit his people, and he succeeded in many besides the boat and the South Pointing shinansha.

この賢く善良な帝は、国じゅうに平和と繁栄をもたらすまで休まなかった。臣民に愛され、人々はその治世のもとで長い年月、平和の幸せを享受した。帝は民のためになる発明に多くの時を費やし、舟と南を指す指南車のほかにも数多くを成し遂げた。

He had reigned about a hundred years when one day, as Kotei was looking upwards, the sky became suddenly red, and something came glittering like gold towards the earth. As it came nearer Kotei saw that it was a great Dragon. The Dragon approached and bowed down its head before the Emperor. The Empress and the courtiers were so frightened that they ran away screaming.

帝が位に就いておよそ百年たったある日、黄帝が空を見上げていると、空が突然赤くなり、何かが黄金のように輝きながら地上へ降りてきた。近づくにつれ、黄帝はそれが大きな龍であることを見て取った。龍は近づき、帝の前に頭を垂れた。后と廷臣たちはあまりに怯えて、悲鳴をあげて逃げ出した。

But the Emperor only smiled and called to them to stop, and said:

しかし帝はただ微笑んで、待つようにと呼びかけ、こう言った。

“Do not be afraid. This is a messenger from Heaven. My time here is finished!” He then mounted the Dragon, which began to ascend towards the sky.

「恐れることはない。これは天からの使いだ。わたしのここでの務めは終わった。」そして龍にまたがると、龍は天へ昇りはじめた。

When the Empress and the courtiers saw this they all cried out together:

これを見た后と廷臣たちは、口々に叫んだ。

“Wait a moment! We wish to come too.” And they all ran and caught hold of the Dragon’s beard and tried to mount him.

「お待ちください! わたくしたちも参ります。」そしてみな駆け寄って龍の髭を掴み、乗ろうとした。

But it was impossible for so many people to ride on the Dragon. Several of them hung on to the creature’s beard so that when it tried to mount the hair was pulled out and they fell to the ground.

しかしそれほど大勢が龍に乗れるはずもなかった。何人かは髭にぶら下がったので、龍が昇ろうとしたときに毛が抜け、地面に落ちてしまった。

Meanwhile the Empress and a few of the courtiers were safely seated on the Dragon’s back. The Dragon flew up so high in the heavens that in a short time the inmates of the Palace, who had been left behind disappointed, could see them no more.

そのあいだに、后と数人の廷臣は無事に龍の背に座っていた。龍は天高く飛び上がり、まもなく、取り残されて落胆した宮殿の者たちには、その姿が見えなくなった。

After some time a bow and an arrow dropped to the earth in the courtyard of the Palace. They were recognized as having belonged to the Emperor Kotei. The courtiers took them up carefully and preserved them as sacred relics in the Palace.

しばらくして、弓と矢が一本ずつ宮殿の中庭に落ちてきた。それは黄帝のものであると分かった。廷臣たちはそれを丁重に拾い上げ、聖なる遺品として宮殿に納めたのである。