羅生門 Rashomon (第1/9頁)

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芥川龍之介

RyunosukeAkutagawa

芥川龍之介（RyunosukeAkutagawa1892—1927），日本小說家，素有“鬼才”之稱。他閱讀的書籍涉獵極廣，中小學時代就喜讀閱讀江戶時代的文學作品，還喜歡閱讀《西遊記》和《水滸傳》等。芥川早期發表了短篇小說《羅生門》（1915）、《鼻子》（1916）、《芋粥》（1916）、《手帕》（1916）由此確立了他在寫作領域的地位。自1917年至1923年，龍之介所寫的短篇小說先後6次結集出版，分別以《羅生門》、《菸草與魔鬼》、《傀儡師》、《影燈籠》、《夜來花》和《春服》爲書名，這些優秀作品讓芥川龍之介成爲日本文壇的“鬼才”大師。

Itwasachillyevening.AservantofasamuraistoodundertheRashomon,waitingforabreakintherain.

Nooneelsewasunderthewidegate.Onthethickcolumn,itscrimsonlacquerrubbedoffhereandthere,erchedacricket.SincetheRashomonstandsonSujakuAvenue,afewothereoleatleast,insedgehatornoblemansheadgear,mighthavebeenexectedtobewaitingthereforabreakintherainstorm.Butnoonewasnearexcetthisman.

FortheastfewyearsthecityofKyotohadbeenvisitedbyaseriesofcalamities,earthquakes,whirlwinds,andfires,andKyotohadbeengreatlydevastated.OldchroniclessaythatbrokeniecesofBuddhistimagesandotherBuddhistobjects,withtheirlacquer,gold,orsilverleafwornoff,wereheaeduonroadsidestobesoldasfrewood.SuchbeingthestateofaffairsinKyoto,thereairoftheRashomonwasoutofthequestion.Takingadvantageofthedevastation,foxesandotherwildaninalsmadetheirdensintheruinsofthegate,andthievesandrobbersfoundahometheretoo.Eventuallyitbecamecustomarytobringunclaimedcorsestothisgateandabandonthem.Afterdarkitwassoghostlythatnoonedaredaroach.

Flocksofcrowsflewinfromsomewhere.Duringthedaytimethesecawingbirdscircledroundtheridgeoleofthegate.Whentheskyoverheadturnedredintheafterlightofthedeartedsun,theylookedlikesomanygrainsofsesamefungacrossthegate.Butonthatnotacrowwastobeseen,erhasbecauseofthelatenessofthehour.Hereandtherethestonestes,beginningtocrumble,andwithrankgrassgrowingintheircrevices,weredottedwiththewhitedroingsofcrows.Theservant,inawornbluekimono,satontheseventhandhighestste,vacantlywatchingtherain.Hisattentionwasdrawntoalargeimleirritatinghisrightcheek.

Ashasbeensaid,theservantwaswaitingforabreakintherain.Buthehadnoarticularideaofwhattodoaftertherainstoed.Ordinarily,ofcourse,hewouldhavereturnedtohismastershouse,buthehadbeendischargedjustbefore.TheroserityofthecityofKyotohadbeenraidlydeclining,andhehadbeendismissedbyhismaster,whomhehadservedmanyyears,becauseoftheeffectsofthisdecline.Thus,confnedbytherain,hewasatalosstoknowwheretogo.Andtheweatherhadnotalittletodowithhisderessedmood.Therainseemedunlikelytosto.Hewaslostinthoughtsofhowtomakehislivingtomorrow,hellessincoherentthoughtsrotestinganinexorablefate.AimlesslyhehadbeenlisteningtotheatteringoftherainontheSujakuAvenue.

Therain,enveloingtheRashomon,gatheredstrengthandcamedownwithaeltingsoundthatcouldbeheardfaraway.Lookingu,hesawafatblackcloudimaleitselfonthetisofthetilesjuttingoutfromtheroofofthegate.

Hehadlittlechoiceofmeans,whetherfairorfoul,becauseofhishellesscircumstances.Ifhechosehonestmeans,hewouldundoubtedlystarvetodeathbesidethewallorintheSujakugutter.Hewouldbebroughttothisgateandthrownawaylikeastraydog.Ifhedecidedtosteal……Hismind,aftermakingthesamedetourtimeandagain,camefnallytotheconclusionthathewouldbeathief.Butdoubtsreturnedmanytimes.Thoughdeterminedthathehadnochoice,hewasstillunabletomusterenoughcouragetojustifytheconclusionthathemustbecomeathief.