The Spider’s Thread
but thenところが a certainある time時 ofの matter事 isで (polite)ございます。 casually何気なく Kandata犍陀多 (subject)が head頭 (object)を raising挙げて、 Pool of Blood血の池 ofの sky空 (object)を gazing at眺めます whenと、 thatその stillひっそり (adv.)と beingした darkness暗 ofの middle中 throughを、 far遠い far遠い heavens天上 fromから、 silver銀色 (adj.)の spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 (subject)が、 as ifまるで people’s eyes人目 byに being caughtかかる (nominalizer)の (object)を fearing恐れる as ifよう (adv.)に、 a single strand一すじ thinly細く gleaming光り whileながら、 smoothlyするする (adv.)と himself自分 ofの above上 toへ hanging down垂れて coming参る (nominalizer)の (copula)で (topic)は is it not (polite)ございません ?か。 Kandata犍陀多 (topic)は thisこれ (object)を seeing見る whenと、 involuntarily思わず hands手 (object)を clapping拍って rejoiced喜びました。 thisこの thread糸 toに clinging縋りついて、 ever onwardどこまでも climbingのぼって if one goes行けば、 surelyきっと Hell地獄 fromから can escapeぬけ出せる thatのに doubt相違 there is no (polite)ございません。 nayいや、 wellうまく it goes行く ifと、 Paradise極楽 intoへ enteringはいる thing事 evenさえ alsoも may be possible出来ましょう。 thenそうすれば、 anymoreもう Mountain of Needles針の山 ontoへ being driven up追い上げられる thing事 alsoも if it ceasesなくなれば、 Pool of Blood血の池 inに being sunk沈められる thing事 alsoも existある should筈 (topic)は not (polite)ございません。
But then, one moment, Kandata happened to raise his head and gaze at the sky above the Pool of Blood — and there, through that still darkness, from the far, far heavens, a silver spider’s thread, as if afraid of being seen, came slipping smoothly down toward him, gleaming in a single thin strand. Seeing it, Kandata clapped his hands for joy in spite of himself. If he clung to this thread and climbed on and on, he could surely escape from Hell. No — if it went well, he might even enter Paradise. Then he would never again be driven up the Mountain of Needles, nor sunk in the Pool of Blood.
thusこう he thought思いました becauseから Kandata犍陀多 (topic)は、 at once早速 thatその spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 (object)を both hands両手 withで firmlyしっかり (adv.)と grippingつかみ whileながら、 with all his might一生懸命に up上 toへ up上 toへ (adv.)と climbing hand over handたぐりのぼり began始めました。 after all元より a great robber大泥坊 ofの case事 (copula)で it is (polite)ございます sinceから、 thisこう kind of云う thing事 atに (topic)は long ago昔 sinceから、 thoroughly used to慣れ切って beingいる (nominalizer)の (copula)で is (polite)ございます。
And so, thinking this, Kandata at once gripped the spider’s thread firmly with both hands and began with all his might to climb up and up, hand over hand. Being a great robber, after all, he had been thoroughly used to this sort of thing since long ago.
howeverしかし Hell地獄 andと Paradise極楽 andと ofの distance between間 (topic)は、 tens of thousands of leagues何万里 (adv.)と countlessなく is (polite)ございます sinceから、 however muchいくら hurrying焦って tried見た even所 ifで、 easily容易に top上 toへ (topic)は cannot reach出られません。 for a goodやや whileしばらく climbingのぼる midst中 inに、 at lastとうとう Kandata犍陀多 evenも growing tiredくたびれて、 any moreもう one pull一たぐり evenも up上 ofの direction方 toへ (topic)は unable to climbのぼれなく becomingなって ended upしまいました。 soそこで any choice仕方 (subject)が there was not (polite)ございません sinceから、 firstまず a rest一休み to take休む intendingつもり withで、 thread糸 ofの midway中途 atに danglingぶら下り whileながら、 far遥かに eyes目 ofの below下 (object)を looked down見下しました。
But between Hell and Paradise lie countless tens of thousands of leagues; however he hurried, the top was not easily reached. After climbing a good while, even Kandata grew tired at last, unable to pull himself up by so much as one more length. So, having no choice, he decided first to take a rest, and dangling midway on the thread, he gazed far down below.
thenすると、 with all his might一生懸命に having climbedのぼった effect甲斐 (subject)が there beingあって、 a while agoさっき untilまで he自分 (subject)が wasいた Pool of Blood血の池 (topic)は、 now今 atで (topic)は alreadyもう darkness暗 ofの depths底 inに before he knew itいつの間にか hiddenかくれて is (polite)居ります。 and alsoそれから thatあの dimlyぼんやり glinting光って beingいる dreadful恐しい Mountain of Needles針の山 tooも、 feet足 ofの below下 toに having comeなって entirelyしまいました。 thisこの rate分 atで climbingのぼって if one goes行けば、 Hell地獄 fromから escapingぬけ出す (nominalizer)の tooも、 unexpectedly存外 troubleわけ (subject)が withoutない perhapsかも may be知れません。 Kandata犍陀多 (topic)は both hands両手 (object)を spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 aroundに twiningからみ whileながら、 hereここ toへ coming来て sinceから how many years何年 inに evenも uttered出した occasion事 ofの neverない voice声 inで、 I’ve made it「しめた。 I’ve made itしめた。」 (quote)と laughed笑いました。 butところが suddenlyふと notice気 (subject)が takingつきます whenと、 spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 ofの lower下 ofの part方 atに (topic)は、 countless数限も withoutない sinners罪人たち (subject)が、 his自分 ofの climbedのぼった after後 (object)を followingつけて、 just likeまるで ants蟻 ofの procession行列 ofの mannerよう likeに、 likewiseやはり up上 toへ up上 toへ intently一心に clamberingよじのぼって coming来る (copula)で (topic)は is it not (polite)ございません ?か。 Kandata犍陀多 (topic)は thisこれ (object)を seeing見る whenと、 astonishment驚いた (nominalizer)の andと fear恐しい (nominalizer)の andと fromで、 for a whileしばらく (topic)は onlyただ、 fool莫迦 ofの mannerよう likeに big大きな mouth口 (object)を opened開いた stillまま、 eyes眼 onlyばかり moving動かして was (polite)居りました。 himself自分 alone一人 withで evenさえ likely to snap断れそうな、 thisこの thin細い spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 (subject)が、 howどうして that manyあれだけ ofの people人数 ofの weight重み toに endure堪える thing事 (subject)が could it possibly出来ましょう。 ifもし by any chance万一 midway途中 atで snapped断れた (quote)と should it happen致しましたら、 at such pains折角 hereここ toへ as far asまで having climbedのぼって come来た thisこの all-important肝腎な self自分 evenまで alsoも、 former元 ofの Hell地獄 intoへ headlong逆落し (adv.)に falling落ちて must end upしまわなければ inevitablyなりません。 suchそんな thing事 (subject)が if happenedあったら、 terrible大変 (copula)で it is (polite)ございます。 butが、 soそう saying云う meanwhile中 inに evenも、 sinners罪人たち (topic)は hundreds何百 (adv.)と countlessなく thousands何千 (adv.)と countlessなく、 pitch-darkまっ暗な Pool of Blood血の池 ofの depths底 fromから、 swarmingうようよ (adv.)と crawling up這い上って、 thinly細く gleaming光って beingいる spider’s thread蜘蛛の糸 (object)を、 single file一列 inに formingなり whileながら、 busilyせっせと climbingのぼって come (polite)参ります。 right now今の中に somehowどうか unless doneしなければ、 thread糸 (topic)は middleまん中 fromから in two二つ (adv.)に snapping断れて、 falling落ちて end upしまう thatのに no doubt違いありません。
Then — thanks to his hard climbing — the Pool of Blood where he had just been was now already hidden, before he knew it, in the depths of the darkness. And the dreadful, dimly glinting Mountain of Needles was beneath his feet. At this rate, escaping from Hell might prove unexpectedly easy. Twining both hands around the spider’s thread, Kandata laughed, in a voice he had not used in all his years here: “I’ve made it! I’ve made it!” But then, suddenly noticing, he saw that below him on the thread countless sinners, following after him, were clambering intently up and up like a procession of ants. Seeing this, Kandata, in astonishment and fear, could for a while only move his eyes, his mouth hanging open like a fool’s. How could this thin spider’s thread, likely to snap under him alone, ever bear the weight of so many? If it should snap midway, then even he himself — the one who mattered, who had climbed all this way at such pains — would plunge headlong back into Hell. That would be terrible. But even as he spoke, sinners by the hundreds, by the thousands, came swarming up out of the pitch-dark Pool of Blood and climbed busily up the thin, gleaming thread in single file. Unless he did something right now, the thread would surely snap in two at the middle and down he would fall.
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