「家長制度」, by 宮沢賢治

感想：日本式儒教が江戸時代に確立させた「家長制度」は、貧しく卑しく根拠も不明。

　火皿は油煙をふりみだし、炉の向ふにはここの主人が、大黒柱を二きれみじかく切って投げたといふふうにどっしりがたりと膝ひざをそろへて座ってゐる。
 The firepan, emitted a cloud of smoke, and across from the furnace sat a man, with his knees together, as if he had thrown a large pillar cut into two pieces.

　その息子らがさっき音なく外の闇やみから帰ってきた。肩はばひろくけらを着て、汗ですっかり寒天みたいに黒びかりする四匹か五匹の巨(おほ)きな馬をがらんとくらい厩うまやのなかへ引いて入れ、なにかいろいろまじなひみたいなことをしたのち土間でこっそり飯をたべ、そのまゝころころ藁わらのなかだか草のなかだかうまやのちかくに寝てしまったのだ。
His sons had just returned from outside in the darkness without a sound. They put on jackets on their broad shoulders and pulled four or five huge horses into the stables; the hoses' skin was black like seaweed from perspiration. The boys did some kind of religious ritual, ate dinner secretly on the dirt floor, and then fell asleep in the straw near the horses.

　もし私が何かちがったことでも云いったら、そのむすこらのどの一人でも、すぐに私をかた手でおもてのくらやみに、連れ出すことはわけなささうだ。それがだまってねむってゐる。たぶんねむってゐるらしい。
If I said anything wrong, one of the youngsters could easily take me out into the open darkness just with one hand. But they were quiet and asleep.

　火皿が黒い油煙を揚げるその下で、一人の女が何かしきりにこしらへてゐる。酒呑童子(しゅてんどうじ)に連れて来られて洗濯などをさせられてゐるそんなかたちではたらいてゐる。どうも私の食事の支度をしてゐるらしい。それならさっきもことわったのだ。
Underneath the black smoke from the fire-pan, a woman was cooking something. She was working, as if she had been brought into this place by a drunken monster, to do the laundry and all other house chores. Apparently, the lady was preparing my meal. If that was the case, I had told the host earlier that I did not need to eat.

いきなりガタリと音がする。重い陶器の皿などがすべって床にあたったらしい。
主人がだまって、立ってそっちへあるいて行った。
Suddenly, a thud was heard. A heavy china plate must have slipped and hit the floor.  The host, without a word, stood up and walked toward the noise.

三秒ばかりしんとする。
主人はもとの席へ帰ってどしりと座る。
どうも女はぶたれたらしい。
There was silence for about three seconds.　
The man returned to his seat and sat down again.
It seemed that the woman had been hit.

音もさせずに撲なぐったのだな。その証拠には土間がまるきり死人のやうに寂しづかだし、主人のめだまは古びた黄金きんの銭のやうだし、わたしはまったく身も世もない。
The wife must have been beaten without making a sound. The evidence was that the kitchen dirt floor was completely deserted as if there were no soul, and the host's eyes were glaring like old gold coins. I am completely helpless.

出典：https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000081/card43036.html

家長制度 (宮沢 賢治)

宮沢賢治(1896-1933).
岩手県花巻に生まれる。盛岡高等農林農学科に在学中に日蓮宗を信仰するようになる。稗貫（ひえぬき）農学校の教諭をしながら、詩や童話を書いた。「春と修羅」は生前刊行された唯一の詩集。農民の暮らしを知るようになって、農学校を退職し、自らも開墾生活をしつつ羅須地人協会を設立し、稲作指導をしたり、農民芸術の必要を説いた。

Author: Kenji Miyazawa(1896-1933).
Born in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. While attending Morioka High School of Agriculture and Forestry, he became a devotee of Nichiren Buddhism. Alongside his teaching at Hienuki Agricultural School, Kenji wrote poems and children's stories. "Haru to Shura" is the only collection of his poems published during his lifetime. As he came to know the life of farmers, Kenji retired from the agricultural school and established the Rasu Jijin Association while living under cultivation himself; he taught rice cultivation and preached the necessity of farmer's art.

＜出典＞
底本：「宮沢賢治全集8」ちくま文庫、筑摩書房
　　　1986（昭和61）年1月28日第1刷発行, 1998年（平成10）年4月1日第16刷
底本の親本：「新修宮沢賢治全集　第十四巻」筑摩書房, 1980（昭和55）年5月
* Translated into English using "Deep L" , edited by the ”note" account owner.