The Resourceful Wife

In the last year of Yon-san terrible evils were abroad among the people. Such wickedness as the world had never seen before was perpetrated, of which his Majesty was the evil genius. He even gave orders to his eunuchs and underlings to bring to him any women of special beauty that they might see in the homes of the highest nobility, and whoever pleased him he used as his own. "Never mind objections," said he, "take them by force and come." Such were his orders. No one escaped him. He even went so far as to publish abroad that Minister So and So's wife preferred him to her husband and would like to live always in the Palace. It was the common talk of the city, and people were dumbfounded.

燕山(ヨンサン)の治世の最後の年、民のあいだには恐ろしい悪がはびこっていた。世がそれまで見たこともない悪行がなされ、その悪の張本人は王その人だった。王は宦官や手下どもに、身分のいちばん高い貴族の家で見かけた特に美しい女がいれば誰でも連れてこいと命じ、気に入った女は自分のものにした。「異を唱えてもかまうな」と王は言った。「力ずくで連れてこい。」それが王の命令だった。誰一人王の手を逃れられなかった。王はついに、某大臣の妻が夫より自分を好み、いつまでも宮中で暮らしたがっていると言いふらすことまでした。それは都の噂の種になり、人々はあきれて言葉を失った。

For that reason all hearts forsook him, and because of this he was dethroned, and King Choong-jong reigned in his stead.

そのためにあらゆる人の心が王から離れ、そのせいで王は廃され、中宗王が代わって位についた。

In these days of trouble there was a young wife of a certain minister, who was very beautiful in form and face. One day it fell about that she was ordered into the Palace. Other women, when called, would cry and behave as though their lives were forfeited, but this young woman showed not the slightest sign of fear. She dressed and went straight into the Palace. King Yon-san saw her, and ordered her to come close to him. She came, and then in a sudden manner the most terrible odour imaginable was noticeable. The King held his fan before his face, turned aside, spat, and said, "Dear me, I cannot stand this one, take her away," and so she escaped undefiled.

この乱れた時代に、ある大臣の若い妻がいて、姿も顔もたいそう美しかった。ある日、この妻が宮中に召されることになった。ほかの女たちは召されると、命がなくなるかのように泣いたりふるまったりしたが、この若い女は少しも恐れる気配を見せなかった。女は身支度をして、まっすぐ宮中へ上がった。燕山王は女を見ると、近くへ来るよう命じた。女が近づくと、突然、想像しうるかぎりいちばん恐ろしい悪臭がした。王は扇を顔の前にかざし、顔をそむけてつばを吐き、言った。「やれやれ、これには耐えられぬ。連れていけ。」こうして女は汚されずに逃れたのである。

How it came about was thus: She knew that she was likely to be called at any moment, and so had planned a ruse by which to escape. Two slices of meat she had kept constantly on hand, decayed and foul-smelling, but always ready. She placed these under her arms as she dressed and went into the Palace, and so provided this awful and unaccountable odour.

それはこういうわけだった。女は自分がいつ召されるかもしれないと知っていたので、逃れるための計略を練っていた。女は腐って悪臭を放つ肉を二切れ、いつでも使えるよう手もとに置いていた。身支度をするときにそれを両脇の下にはさんで宮中に上がり、そうしてこの恐ろしくわけのわからない悪臭をこしらえたのである。

All that knew of it praised her bravery and sagacity.

このことを知った者はみな、女の勇気と賢さをたたえた。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)