The Four Deaf Persons

In a certain city there were a woman and a man, it is said. Both of them were deaf. A female child was born to that man, and this child was also deaf. The man to whom she was given in marriage when she grew up was also deaf.

ある都に女と男がいたという。二人とも耳が聞こえなかった。その男に女の子が生まれ、この子もまた耳が聞こえなかった。娘が育って嫁いだ相手の男も、耳が聞こえなかった。

The girl's husband went to plough a rice field at the side of the high road. While he was ploughing, a man who was going along the road asked the way. Continuing to plough with the yoke of bulls, the deaf man said, "I brought this bull from the village. This other bull is from father-in-law's herd."

娘の夫は、街道のわきの田を鋤きに行った。鋤いていると、道を行く男が道を尋ねた。牛のくびきで鋤きつづけながら、耳の聞こえない男は言った。「この牛は村から連れてきた。こっちの牛は舅の群れのものだ」

"What are the facts about the bulls to me? Tell me the way," the man said.

「牛のことなど、わたしに何の関わりがある。道を教えてくれ」と男は言った。

The deaf man replied, "The bull is from my herd."

耳の聞こえない男は答えた。「この牛はわたしの群れのものだ」

The man said again, "What are the facts about the bulls to me? Tell me the way."

男はまた言った。「牛のことなど、わたしに何の関わりがある。道を教えてくれ」

Then the deaf man, replying, "Don't say that another time," beat the man with the goad, and the man having received the blows went away.

すると耳の聞こえない男は「二度とそんなことを言うな」と答えて、突き棒で男を打ち、男は打たれて去っていった。

Afterwards, the deaf man's wife having brought cooked rice to the field, he unfastened the cattle which had been ploughing, and while he was eating said to the woman, "A man came just now, and saying, 'Whose is the yoke of bulls?' quarrelled with me about them."

そのあと、耳の聞こえない男の妻が炊いた飯を田へ持ってきたので、男は鋤いていた牛をほどき、食べながら女に言った。「さっき男が来て、『この牛は誰のものだ』と言って、わたしと言い争ったのだ」

The woman replied, "Through seeking firewood and water and vegetables, and cooking, I was a little late in the day in coming."

女は答えた。「薪と水と野菜を探して、煮炊きをしていたので、今日は来るのが少し遅くなったのです」

Having quarrelled with him over it, she bounded off, and having gone home, went to the place where her mother was plaiting a mat, and said to her, "Mother, our house man quarrelled with me, saying that I was late in taking the rice."

そしてそのことで言い争って、女は跳ねるように去り、家へ帰って、母が莚を編んでいるところへ行って言った。「母さん、うちの人が、飯を持っていくのが遅いと言ってわたしと言い争ったのよ」

The woman said, "Marry thy father! What is it to thee whether my works are good or not good now?" and she quarrelled with her.

母は言った。「おまえの父さんと夫婦になれ! いまさらわたしの仕事がよかろうと悪かろうと、おまえに何の関わりがある?」 そして娘と言い争った。

The woman having gone to the place where her husband was watching a sweet-potato chena during the day time, on account of thieves uprooting the plants, said, "To-day my daughter having taken cooked rice to the field, and having given it and returned, quarrelled with me, saying that the plaiting of my mat was bad. I also indeed scolded her a great deal, saying, 'What is it to thee whether my works are good or not good now?' I have come to tell you about it."

母は、盗人が苗を引き抜くので昼のあいだ甘藷の焼畑を見張っている夫のところへ行って言った。「今日、娘が田へ炊いた飯を持っていって、渡して帰ってきてから、わたしの莚の編み方が悪いと言ってわたしと言い争ったのですよ。わたしも『いまさらわたしの仕事がよかろうと悪かろうと、おまえに何の関わりがある』と言ってさんざん叱ってやりました。それをお話しに来たのです」

Then the man said, "Bola, you infamous woman! Because I stopped in the chena you cooked and ate three sweet-potatoes, did you?" and he beat and drove away the woman.

すると男は言った。「ボラ、この不届きな女め! わしが焼畑に留まっているあいだに、甘藷を三つ煮て食ったな?」 そして女を打って追い払った。

Then saying that it was useless to go on with the chena when his wife was eating the crop, he cut the fence, and abandoned it to the cattle. And the man left the village and the district, and went away.

そして、女房が作物を食べてしまうのでは焼畑を続けても甲斐がないと言って、男は垣を切って畑を牛にまかせてしまった。そして男は村も土地も捨てて去っていった。