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第百十九季 神無月の二 |
Season 119, 2nd of the Godless Month (October) | |
猫の棲む里 |
The Field Where the Cats Live | |
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命令を聞かない猫が集まる猫の楽園 |
The Paradise of Cats Where Uncontrolled Ones Gather | |
人里離れた山奥に猫だけが棲む小さな里があると言う。 |
It's said that deep in the mountains, far from the human village, is a small field where only cats live. | |
そこでの猫は誰の世話になるのでもなく、猫だけが統制のとれた社会を作り、自立した生活をしていると言う。 |
The cats live there independently, in a self-sustained society controlled only by cats. | |
実在するのか判らないうわさ話であったが、この度はそれではないかと思われる里を発見した。 |
Until now, it's been an unverified rumor, so I decided to go find the field and see for myself. | |
その里は少し噂とは異なる部分も有ったが、人間が捨てた廃村に猫が住み着き、確かに猫だらけの里となっていた。 |
The field wasn't quite as the rumors described, but indeed, a group of cats were living in a ghost town abandoned by humans, which had essentially become a cat village. | |
ただ、とても統制の取れた社会とはかけ離れ、猫たちがそれぞれ自分勝手な行動を取っていた。 |
However, it was hardly a well-regulated society - each cat did whatever it wanted. | |
猫同士の喧嘩も絶えず、私のような余所者が現れても何をするでもなく、餌が有れば我先にと集まる、そんな混沌とした里だった。 |
It was a chaotic place where the cats constantly fought among themselves and hardly seemed to notice when a stranger such as myself appeared, and they would all crowd around at the sight of a scrap of food. | |
そんな猫を纏めて統制を取っている振りをしていたのは、橙さん(式神)。 |
The individual in charge of trying to create some order in this chaos was Chen (familiar). | |
彼女は何故猫を集めたのか、またどうやって集めたのかを本人に聞いてみた。 |
I asked her why she had brought all the cats here, and how. | |
「うーん。駄目だって、そっちに行っちゃあ。 |
"No, no, don't go over there. | |
ん? |
Hm? | |
猫たちを集めた理由? |
Why did I bring the cats here? | |
えへへー、それは私の命令を聞くしもべが欲しいからよ。 |
Ehehe, I wanted servants who would listen to my commands. | |
この中から一番聞き分けが良くて、一番強い猫を私のしもべにしようと思ってね。 |
I figured I'd pick out the ones who were strongest and listened to my orders best and make them my servants. | |
集めるのは簡単よ。 |
Getting them here was easy. | |
餌とほんの少しのマタタビがあれば、自ずと猫の方から寄って来るわ。 |
When I put out food and just a little bit of catnip, they all came willingly. | |
この辺は、人間が捨てた家が有るから雨風はしのげるし、餌はとりあえず私が捕まえてくるから猫たちには楽園の様なところね」 |
They can find shelter from the weather in the old, abandoned houses, and I'll catch food for them, so it's like a cat paradise." | |
と言っている間も、猫達は縦横無尽に暴れ回っていた。 |
As she was speaking, the cats were roaming freely to and fro. | |
これはマタタビが効き過ぎている様に見えたが、彼女が言うにはこうでもしないと命令しても全く動こうとしないのでこの位で良いらしい。 |
It seemed to be because their catnip was too strong, but according to Chen, if they couldn't run around like this they wouldn't obey her orders. | |
確かに多くの妖怪はしもべとして動物を使う。かく言う私も鴉を連れて居る位である。 |
Certainly, a great number of youkai use animals as their servants. Frankly speaking, even I keep a crow. | |
ただ、化け猫が猫を使う話は聞いたことがない。 |
However, I've never heard of a ghost cat keeping other cats. | |
それは、猫が自分勝手で気高い性格を持っているからであろう。 |
That is probably because cats are very independent and willful creatures. | |
猫の方も使われるなら化け猫よりもっと高級な妖怪の方が良いと思っているのかもしれない。 |
Perhaps this is because it would take a stronger youkai than a ghost cat to successfully keep other cats as servants. | |
(射命丸文) |
Interview[]
Aya |
あれから随分と引っ掻き傷が増えましたね。大丈夫ですか? |
It looks like you've gotten scratched up quite a bit since then. Are you okay? |
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Chen |
なかなか言うこと聞いてくれないんだもん。無理に命令しようとすればすぐにこれだし。どうして懐かないのかなぁ |
It's because they just won't listen to me. As soon as I tell them something they don't want to do, this happens. Why won't they listen to me? |
Aya |
その辺は、貴方の方が良く判ってるのではないのでしょうか? 化猫なんですから |
You should understand that fairly well, shouldn't you? After all, you're a ghost cat. |
Chen |
うーん? マタタビが足りないのかなぁ |
What do you mean? Maybe I don't have enough catnip ... |
Aya |
マタタビよりも威厳が足りなそうです。圧倒的に |
What you're really missing is authority. In great quantities. |
Chen |
餌が足りないのかなぁ |
Maybe I don't have enough bait ... |
Aya |
餌より智慧が足りないのでは? 貴方は猫なんですから、しもべに出来そうなのは鼠くらいだと思うのですが |
Maybe you need to think more than you need bait? You're a cat yourself, so the best you can hope for in a servant is probably a mouse. |
Chen |
鼠がしもべだなんて恰好が付かないよう |
Having a mouse servant wouldn't be cool at all. |
Aya |
猫を自在に操るのなら、まずマタタビに頼るのは間違っていると思いますよ。貴方がマタタビを使われたとして、その妖怪の命令を聞きますか? |
If you want to freely control cats, I think relying on catnip is a mistake. If some youkai gave you catnip, would you listen to their orders? |
Chen |
聞く訳がないじゃん、ねー |
No way! |
Aya |
貴方も式神なのでしょう。なら、何故使い主の命令を聞いているのか、自分で考えるのです |
You're a familiar too, right? Perhaps you should think about why you listen to your master. |
Chen |
うーん。藍様は強いから……って私も強くなきゃしもべは駄目? |
Hmmm. It's because Ran-sama is so strong, and ... wait, you mean I have to get stronger, or they won't listen? |
Aya |
もしくは、もっと扱いやすいしもべを考えるのです。鼠とか |
Perhaps you should consider finding easier to control servants. Like, say, a mouse. |
Chen |
鼠の他に、鳥なんかも餌なんだけど |
Or maybe something else, like a bird. |
Aya |
鳥は駄目 |
No, don't use birds. |
Chen |
雀でも使おうかなぁ |
Maybe I could try a sparrow ... |
Aya |
あ、猫を諦めても、此処の猫をこのまま放ってはいけませんよ? きっと大変なことになりますから |
Oh, but even if you do that, you can't just abandon all the cats here. Something terrible would happen to them. |
Chen |
猫を使うのは諦めないよ。此処まで手なずけたんだしー |
I'm not giving up on cats. I've already tamed this this well- |
Aya |
とてもじゃないけど……懐いてるようには見えないわねぇ |
That's not saying that much ... It doesn't look like they're that fond of you. |
Chen |
懐いてるわよ~。餌を持ってくれば我先に飛びかかってくるし、今や餌がなくても飛びかかってくるの。引っ掻き傷の大半はそれね |
Of course they are! They come running to see me when I put out food, and even if I'm not putting out food. That's where most of my scratches come from. |
Aya |
そのうち、貴方も餌として見られそうですね。食べられますよ |
Maybe they just see you as food now, too. They'll eat you. |
Chen |
あ、指なら食べられそうになった |
Well, my fingers are pretty chewed up. |
Aya |
そんな飼い方じゃあ懐くはずがありません |
You can't really win over animals by raising them like that. |
Chen |
そういえば、あんたのその鴉はどうやって手なずけたの? 良く懐いてるみたいだけど |
Hm, say, how did you tame that crow? It looks like it really likes you. |
Aya |
私くらいになると、初めて会った鴉でも手を挙げるだけで付いてきます。その位の圧倒的な力の差が無いと、とてもじゃないけどしもべなんて作れません。それにこの鴉は私のしもべじゃなくて道具です |
When you're as strong as I am, all you have to do is hold out your hand to it when you first meet it. You can't really expect to have servants without that sort of absolute difference in power. Besides, this crow is more like my tool than my servant. |
Chen |
私だって、ここらの普通の猫よりは圧倒的に強いはず |
But even I'm way stronger than these normal cats. |
Aya |
圧倒的に強い物は、引っ掻かれたりする筈がありませんよ |
I don't think you'd be so scratched up if that were the case. |
Chen |
マタタビが足りないからかなぁ |
I think that's because I don't have enough catnip ... |
Aya |
貴方の使い主は、貴方より圧倒的に強いのでしょう? |
Look, your master is much, much stronger than you, right? |
Chen |
うん |
Yeah. |
Aya |
貴方の使い主は、マタタビで貴方を操ったりしないでしょう? |
Your master doesn't have to use catnip on you to control you, right? |
Chen |
たまにする |
She does it sometimes. |
Aya |
……何にしても、その位の力の差が必要なのです。命令するには |
... in any case, you have to have that sort of difference in power to order someone around. |
橙 (チェン) |
|
山に棲む化け猫に憑いた式神で、妖術を扱う。 |
She is a shikigami who possesses a ghost cat living in the mountain, and she uses a black magical arts. |
橙を使う八雲藍もまた式神である。 |
Ran Yakumo is a shikigami, too, who controls Chen. |
Appearances: Perfect Cherry Blossom, Imperishable Night |
紙面から
4 猫除けペットボトルは迷信か?
16 結界近くで銅鐸が大量に発掘
24 赤提灯に新機軸 下戸のためにおはぎを出す屋台が登場
From page:
4 - Bottles to protect you from cats - superstition?
16 - Great number of bronze bells excavated near the barrier
24 - Breakthrough in fast food - a rice ball shop especially for the temperate
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