The First Man

In the time before there were any people on earth, a large pea-vine was growing on the beach, and in the pod of this pea the first man lay coiled up for four days. On the fifth day he stretched out his feet and that bursted the pod. He fell to the ground, where he stood up, a full-grown man.

地上にまだ人間が一人もいなかったころ、浜辺に大きなエンドウのつるが生えていて、そのエンドウの莢のなかで、最初の人間が四日のあいだ丸まって寝ていた。五日目に人間が足を伸ばすと、莢がはじけた。人間は地面に落ち、そこで立ち上がると、一人前の大人の男になっていた。

He had never seen anything that looked like him, and he did not know what to make of himself. He looked around, and then at himself; then he moved his arms and hands and was surprised that he could do it. He moved his neck and his legs, and examined himself curiously.

人間は自分に似たものを何も見たことがなく、自分をどう考えてよいかわからなかった。あたりを見まわし、それから自分を見た。それから腕と手を動かしてみて、動かせることに驚いた。首と脚を動かし、不思議そうに自分を調べた。

Looking back, he saw the pod from which he had fallen still hanging to the vine, with a hole at the lower end out of which he had dropped. He went up and looked in through the hole to see if there were any more like him in the pod. Then he looked about him again, and saw that he was getting farther away from the place where he started, and that the ground seemed very soft and moved up and down under his feet.

振り返ると、自分が落ちてきた莢がまだつるにぶら下がっていて、下の端に自分の落ちてきた穴があいていた。人間はそこへ行って、莢のなかに自分のような者がまだいるか穴からのぞき込んだ。それからまたあたりを見まわすと、出発した場所からだんだん遠ざかっていること、足の下の地面がたいそう柔らかく、上下に揺れるように思えることに気づいた。

After a while he had an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, and stooped down to take water in his mouth from a small pool at his feet. The water ran down into his stomach and he felt better. When he looked up again, he saw a big dark object coming through the air with a waving motion. It came on until it was just in front of him when it stopped and, standing on the ground, looked at him.

しばらくすると腹のなかが気持ち悪くなってきたので、かがみ込んで足もとの小さな水たまりから口に水を含んだ。水が腹へ流れ込んで、気分がよくなった。また顔を上げると、大きな黒いものが波打つように宙を飛んでくるのが見えた。それはやって来て、ちょうど人間の目の前まで来ると止まり、地面に立って彼を見つめた。

This was a Raven, and as soon as it stopped it raised one of its wings, pushed up its beak like a mask, to the top of its head, and changed at once into a man. Before he raised his mask, the Raven had stared at the Man and now he stared more than ever, moving about from side to side to obtain a better view. At last he said:

それはワタリガラスで、止まるとすぐに片方の翼を上げ、くちばしを仮面のように頭の上へ押し上げて、たちまち人の姿に変わった。仮面を上げる前からワタリガラスは人間をじっと見つめていたが、今はいっそうじっと見つめ、よく見ようと右へ左へ動きまわった。とうとう彼は言った。

"What are you? Where did you come from? I have never seen anything like you."

「お前は何者だ。どこから来た。お前のようなものは見たことがない」

He looked again and said, "You are so much like me in shape that you surprise me."

彼はもう一度見て言った。「お前は形がわしにあまりに似ているので驚いた」

Presently he said, "Walk away a few steps so that I may see you more clearly. I am astonished at you! I have never before seen anything like you. Where did you come from?"

やがて彼は言った。「もっとはっきり見えるように、少し歩いて離れてみよ。お前には驚いた。お前のようなものはこれまで見たことがない。どこから来たのだ」

"I came from the pea-pod," said Man pointing to the plant from which he came.

「エンドウの莢から来ました」と人間は、自分の出てきた植物を指さして言った。

"Ah!" exclaimed Raven, "I made that vine, but did not know that anything like you would ever come out of it. Come with me to the high ground over there. This ground I made later and it is still soft and thin, but it is harder and thicker over there." They came to the higher ground which was firm under their feet.

「ほう」とワタリガラスは叫んだ。「あのつるはわしが造ったが、お前のようなものが出てこようとは知らなんだ。あそこの高いところまでわしについて来い。この地面はあとから造ったので、まだ柔らかく薄いが、あちらはもっと固く厚い」二人は高いところに来た。そこは足の下でしっかりしていた。

"Have you eaten anything?" Raven asked Man.

「何か食べたか」とワタリガラスは人間に尋ねた。

"I took some soft stuff into me at one of the pools," replied Man.

「水たまりの一つで、柔らかいものを体に入れました」と人間は答えた。

"Ah! you drank water," said Raven. "Now wait for me here."

「ほう、水を飲んだのだな」とワタリガラスは言った。「では、ここでわしを待っておれ」

He drew down the mask over his face, changing again into a bird, and flew far up into the sky where he disappeared. Man waited where he had been left until the fourth day, when Raven returned, bringing four berries. Pushing up his mask, Raven became a man again and held out two salmonberries and two heathberries.

ワタリガラスは仮面を顔の上に下ろしてまた鳥に変わり、空高く飛んでいって見えなくなった。人間は残された場所で四日目まで待った。するとワタリガラスが木の実を四つ持って戻ってきた。仮面を押し上げてまた人の姿になり、サーモンベリーを二つとヒースベリーを二つ差し出した。

"Here is what I made for you to eat. I wish them to be plentiful over the earth. Now eat them."

「これはわしがお前の食べ物にと造ったものだ。地上にたくさんあってほしいと思う。さあ、食べよ」

Man took the berries and placed them in his mouth one after the other, and they satisfied his hunger which had made him feel uncomfortable. Raven then led Man to a small creek near by and left him till he went to the edge of the water and molded two pieces of clay into the form of a pair of mountain sheep. He held them in his hand till they were dry and then called Man to show him what he had done.

人間は木の実を受け取って一つずつ口に入れた。すると気分を悪くさせていた空腹が満たされた。それからワタリガラスは人間を近くの小さな小川へ連れていき、そこに残して水辺へ行き、粘土を二つ取って一対の山の羊の形にこねた。乾くまで手に持っていて、それから人間を呼んで、自分のしたことを見せた。

"Those are very pretty," said Man.

「とてもきれいですね」と人間は言った。

"Close your eyes for a little while," said Raven.

「しばらく目を閉じておれ」とワタリガラスは言った。

As soon as Man's eyes were closed Raven drew down his mask and waved his wings four times over the images, when they came to life and bounded away as full-grown mountain sheep.

人間が目を閉じるとすぐ、ワタリガラスは仮面を下ろして像の上で翼を四度振った。すると像は命を得て、一人前の山の羊となって跳ねていった。

Raven then raised his mask and said, "Look! Look quick!" When Man saw the sheep moving away full of life he cried out with pleasure. Seeing how pleased he was, Raven said, "If these animals are numerous, perhaps people will wish very much to get them."

それからワタリガラスは仮面を上げて言った。「見よ、早く見よ」人間は羊が生き生きと去っていくのを見ると、喜んで叫んだ。人間がどれほど喜んでいるかを見て、ワタリガラスは言った。「この獣がたくさんいたら、人々はそれをとても手に入れたがるだろうな」

"I think they will," said Man.

「そう思います」と人間は言った。

"Well, it will be better for them to have their home in the high cliffs," said Raven, "and there only shall they be found, so that everyone cannot kill them."

「では、高い崖に住まわせたほうがよかろう」とワタリガラスは言った。「そこでだけ見つかるようにしよう。だれにでも殺されてしまわないようにな」

Then Raven made two animals of clay and gave them life when they were dry only in spots; and they remained brown and white, and were the tame reindeer with mottled coats.

それからワタリガラスは粘土で二頭の獣をこしらえ、ところどころしか乾いていないうちに命を与えた。それで獣は茶色と白のまだらのままで、まだらの毛皮を持つ飼いならされたトナカイになった。

"Those are very handsome," exclaimed Man, admiring them.

「とても見事ですね」と人間は感心して叫んだ。

"Yes, but there will not be many of these," said Raven.

「そうだ、だがこれはあまりたくさんはいないだろう」とワタリガラスは言った。

Then he made a pair of wild reindeer and let them get dry only on their bellies before giving them life; and to this day the belly of the wild reindeer is the only white part about it.

それから彼は一対の野生のトナカイをこしらえ、腹だけが乾いたところで命を与えた。それで今日まで、野生のトナカイの体で白いのは腹だけなのである。

"These animals will be very common and people will kill many of them," said Raven.

「この獣はたいそうありふれたものになり、人々はたくさん殺すだろう」とワタリガラスは言った。