小説の日英翻訳① 陽だまりの彼女

As we climbed up the narrow steps to ground level a soft breeze caressed our cheeks. Spring had arrived. 

"'Congratulations' she said. We were congratulated by the woman behind the desk! We were so lucky to have gotten such a great person", the excitement in Mao's voice was very apparent. 

We had literally only just come out from handing in our marriage documents at Nerima Ward Office. Personally, I was surprised by how easy it all was. I'd been bracing myself for some kind of backlash since last night, so you could say it was somewhat of an anticlimax. 

"So, we really did just getting married!" I muttered to myself as I looked up at the pale blue spring-like sky. 

"Yup! We sure did! And you can call me Mrs. Mao Okuda from now on!" Mao cheekily answered back. 

Yes, of course... This woman standing beside me is no longer 'the daughter of the Watarai family', she is 'my wife'. My wife. I felt a wave of responsibility. 

It seems our drunken plans of eloping didn't end at the bar table. The day afterwards we spoke about it too. And the day after that. The next thing we knew we were looking at apartments, filling in marriage forms, getting given the sour face from Mao's parents and getting stern advice from mine. But that didn't stop us, no. We simultaneously revealed our bank balances at the count of three, only to have me dumbfounded by the large number Mao was showing me. We phoned old friends, reminisced about the past and asked them to vouch for our marriage. We told our respective bosses and saw their respective faces go wide-eyed in shock. We packed up our things and prepared to move. And then today. Mao Watarai became Mao Okuda. My wife. 

....

***

日本語の原稿:

狭い階段を上って地上に出た僕たちの頬を、やわらかい風が撫でていった。春だ。

「『おめでとうございます』だって。窓口のお姉さんに祝福されちゃった。いい感じの人に当たって良かったね」

真緒の声がいつも以上に弾んでいる。

僕たちはつい今しがた、練馬区役所石神井庁舎の休日窓口に婚姻届を提出してきたところだ。手続きは思っていたよりも簡単で、昨晩からずっと見構えていた僕は拍子抜けしてしまった。

「本当に結婚しちゃったんだなあ」

この季節に特有の淡い青空を見上げて呟く僕に、真緒はひときわはしゃいだ声で答えた。

「うん、本当に結婚しちゃったんだよ。私、今日から奥田真緒だよ」

そうなのだ。となりに佇むこの人はもう渡来さんちの姉さんではなく、我妻なのだ。これは、責任重大だ。

ワインを飲みながら練った駆け落ち計画は、単なる酒の席の話では終わらなかった。翌日以降も話し合いは続き、やがて不動産屋をめぐるようになり、婚姻届を入手し、もう一度真緒の実家に押しかけて渋い顔をされ、我が家でもいくらか苦言を呈された。それでも勢いが止まらなかった僕たちは、お互いの貯金通帳を「いっせーの」で見せあい、真緒の残高の多さに黙りこくり、それぞれの学生時代の友人に証人としての署名と捺印をお願いし、その際に真緒の大学時代のエピソードを聞かせて仰天し、婚約を上司に報告したところ目を丸くされ、引越しの手配と荷造りを進めた。そして今日、真緒の苗字が渡来から奥田に変わった。…