罗生门 Rashomon（第1页）
罗生门Rashomon
芥川龙之介Ryuaga>
芥川龙之介（Ryuagawa1892—1927），日本小说家，素有“鬼才”之称。他阅读的书籍涉猎极广，中小学时代就喜读阅读江户时代的文学作品，还喜欢阅读《西游记》和《水浒传》等。芥川早期发表了短篇小说《罗生门》（1915）、《鼻子》（1916）、《芋粥》（1916）、《手帕》（1916）由此确立了他在写作领域的地位。自1917年至1923年，龙之介所写的短篇小说先后6次结集出版，分别以《罗生门》、《烟草与魔鬼》、《傀儡师》、《影灯笼》、《夜来花》和《春服》为书名，这些优秀作品让芥川龙之介成为日本文坛的“鬼才”大师。
ItwasachillyeveofasamuraistooduheRashomon，waitingforabreakintherain。
Nooneelsewasue。Ohin，itslacquerrubbedoffhereandthere，perchedacricetheRashomonstandsonSujakuAveherpeopleatleast，iornoblemahavebeeobewaitingthereforabreakiorm。Butnoothisman。
ForthepastfewyearsthecityofKyotohadbeenvisitedbyaseriesofcalamities，earthquakes，whirlwinds，andfires，andKyotohadbeelydevastated。OldiclessaythatbrokenpiecesofBuddhistimagesandotherBuddhistobjects，withtheirlacquer，gold，orsilverleafwornoff，oobesoldasfrewood。SugthestateofaffairsinKyoto，therepairoftheRashomonwasoutofthequestion。Takingadvahedevastatioherwildaniheirdensintheruie，andthievesandrobbersfouoo。Eventuallyitbearytunclaimedcorpsestothisgateandabaerdarkitwassoghostlythatnoonedaredapproach。
Flocksofcrowsflewinfromsthedaytimethesegbirdscirdtheridgepoleofthegate。Whentheskyoverheadturheafterlightofthedepartedsun，theylookedlikesomanygrainsofsesamefungacrossthegate。Butonthatnotacrowwastobeseen，perhapsbecauseofthelatehehour。Hereaoeps，beginningtocrumble，andwithrankgrassgrowingintheircrevices，weredottedwiththewhitedroppingsofcrows。Theservant，inawornbluekimono，satohaep，vatlywatgtherain。Hisattentionwasdraleirritatinghisrightcheek。
Ashasbeensaid，theservantwaswaitingforabreakintherain。Buthehadnoparticularideaofwhattodoaftertherainstopped。Ordinarily，ofcourse，hewouldhavereturohismastershouse，buthehadbeendischargedjustbefore。TheprosperityofthecityofKyotohadbeenrapidlydeg，andhehadbeendismissedbyhismaster，whomhehadservedmanyyears，becauseoftheeffectsofthisdee。Thus，edbytheraialosstokogo。Aherhadnotalittletodowithhisdepressedmood。Therainseemeduop。Hewaslostinthoughtsofhowtomakehislivingtomorrow，helplessihanie。AimlesslyhehadbeehepatteringoftherainontheSujakuAvenue。
TheraiheRashomthahapeltingsoundthatcouldbeheardfaraway。Lookingup，hesawafatblapaleitselfoipsofthetilesjuttingoutfromtheroofofthegate。
&leeaherfairorfoul，becauseofhishelplessces。Ifheeans，hewoulduarvetodeathbesidethewallorintheSujakugutter。Hewhttothisgateandthrownawaylikeastraydog。Ifhedecidedtosteal……Hismind，aftermakiourtimeandagaiothethathewouldbeathief。Butdoubtsreturimes。Thoughdetermihehadnochoice，hewasstilluerenetojustifythethathemustbeeathief。
Afteraloudftofsupslowly。Theeveningadehimlohofabrazier。Thewindintheeveningduskhhthehecricketerthe-lanwasalreadygone。
Dughisneck，helookedaroue，aheshouldersofthebluekimonowhichheworeoverhisyellowthinunderwear。Hedecidedtospehere，ifhedasecludedershelteredfromwindandrain。Hefoundabroadlacqueredstairwayleadiate。Noonewouldbethere，exceptthedead，iftherewereany。So，takiheswordathissidedidnotslipoutofthescabbard，hesetfootoepofthestairs。
Afewsedslater，halfthestairs，hesawamovementabove。Holdihandhuddlingcat-likeinthemiddleofthebrtothetower，hewatdwaited。Alighttheupstairsshonehtcheekwiththered，festeringpimplevisibleuubbywhiskers。Hehadexpelydeadpeopleiower，buthehadonlygoepsbeforehenoticedafreabove，aboutwhioving。Hesawadull，yellhtwhichmadethecobwebshangingfromthegglowinaghostlyway。WhatsortofpersonwouldbemakingalightintheRashomon……andinastorm?Theunkerrifedhim。
Asquietlyasalizard，theservaothetopofthesteepstairs。gonallfours，aghisneckasfaraspossible，hetimidlypeepediower。
Asrumorhadsaid，hefoundseveralcorpsesstrewncarelesslyaboutthefoor。Siheglowofthelightwasfeeble，heottthenumber。Helyseethatsomewereherseofthemwerewomen，andallwerelollihtheirmouthsopenortheirarmsoutstrethansomanyclaydolls。Onewoulddoubtthattheyhadeverbeeerheywere。Theirshoulders，breasts，andtorsosstoodoutinthedimlight；otherpartsvanishedinshadow。Theoffehesedeposedchthishandtohisnose。
&momenthishanddroppedaared。Hecaughtsightofaghoulishformbentoveracorpse。Itseemedtobeanoldwoman，gaunt，gray-haired，anddeliriousinappearahapiorherrighthand，sheingintothefaceofacorpsewhigblackhair。
Seizedmorewithhorrorthancuriosity，heevenfottobreatheforatime。Hefeltthehairofhisheadandbodystandoneched，terrifed，shewedgedthetortwofoorboardsand，layinghandsohecantopulloutthelonghairsonebyone，asamohelice。Thehairoothlywiththemovementofherhands。
Asthehaircameout，fearfadedfromhisheart，andhishatredtowardtheoldwomagrewbeyondhatred，beingaingantipathyagaihisinstantifanyhtupthethequestioherhewouldstarvetodeathorbeeathief-thequestionwhichhadoalittlewhileago-hewouldedtochoosedeath。Hishatredtowardevilfareduplikethepieewoodwhianhadstuthefoor。
&knowwhyshepulledoutthehairofthedead。Agly，hedidnotkherhercaseutdownasgoodorbad。Butinhiseyes，pullingoutthehairofthedeadintheRashomononthissthtardonablecrime。Ofcourseiteredhismindthatalittlewhileagohehadthoughtofbeingathief。
Then，summthintohislegs，herosefromthestairsandstrode，handhtinfrontoftheoldcreature。Thehagturerrorinhereyes，andsprangupfromthef。Forasmallmomentshepaused，poisedthere，thehestairswithashriek。
&ch！Whereareyougoied，barrihetremblinghagwhotriedtoscurrypasthim。Stillsheattemptedtoclawherwayby。Hepushedherbacktopreveheystruggled，fellamongthecorpses，ahere。Theissuewasneverindoubt。Ihehadherbythearm，twistedit，andforcedherdowntothefoor。Herarmswereallskiherewashemthanontheshanksofaosoonerwassheohanhedrewhisswordandthrustthesilver-whitebladebeforeherverynose。Shewassilerembledasifinaft，andhereyeswereopeheywerealmostoutoftheirsodherbreatheihelifeofthiswretchwashisnow。Thisthoughtcooledhisboilingangerandbroughtacalmprideandsatisfa。Helookeddownather，andsaidicalmervoice：
“Lookhere，I‘mnotaheHighPoliissioner。I’mastrangereopassbythisgate。Iwon‘tbindyouordoanythingagainstyou，butyoumusttellmewhatyuphere。”
&heoldeillwider，ahisfatlywiththesharpredeyesofabirdofprey。Shemovedherlips，rioherhoughshewereethiingsouhegofaefromherthroat：
“Ipullthehair……Ipulloutthehair……tomakeawig”
Heranswerbanishedallunknownfromtheirendbroughtdisappoi。Suddenlyshewasoldwomahisfeet。Aghoulnolonger：onlyahagwhomakeswigsfromthehairofthedead-tosell，forscrapsoffood。Aptseizedhim。Fearlefthisheart，andhisformerhatredehesefeelingsmusthavebeeheother。Theoldcreature，stillgthehairshehadpulledoffthebledoutthesewordsinherharshbrokenvoice：
“Indeed，makingwigsoutofthehairofthedeadmayseemagreateviltoyou，butthesethatareheredeservehiswomaifulblackhairIulliosellddriedsheguardbarragthatitwasdriedfsh。Ifshehadheplague，she’dbesellingitnow。Theguardslikedtobuyfromher，aosayherfshwastasty。Whatshedid‘tbewrong，becauseifshehadn’t，shewouldhavestarvedtodeath。Therewasnootherchoice。Ifshekodothisiolive，sheprobably>
&hedhissword，and，withhislefthandonitshilt，helisteively。Hisrighthahebigpimpleonhischeek。Ashelisteaincewasbornihecewhichhehaduealittlewhileagepowerwasdrivinghimiedireofthecewhichhehadhadwheheoldwoman。Nolongerdidhewoherheshouldstarvetodeathorbeeathief。Starvationwassofarfromhismindthatitwasthelastthingthatwouldhavee。
“Areyousure?”heaskedinamoe，whenshefalkihthandfromhispimple，and，bendingforward，seizedherbythenedsaidsharply：
&‘srightifIrobyou。I’dstarveifIdidnt。”