A day in the life of a teenage samurai - Constantine N. Vaporis

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yuwei Duan

It’s just after sunrise, and 16-year-old Mori Banshirô

才剛日出，

十六歲的森伴四郎

is already hard at work practicing drills with his long sword.

已經帶著他的長刀在努力做訓練。

Banshirô is an ambitious samurai in training,

伴四郎是個很有野心的受訓武士，

and today he must impress his teachers more than ever.

今天他特別得要 讓他的老師對他留下好印象。

Today he’ll make his request to travel to the capital city of Edo

今天他會提出請求，前往首府江戶

for a year of martial and scholarly studies,

花一年的時間學習武術和學術，

and he needs their support, along with his father’s.

而他需要老師以及父親的支持。

The year is 1800 in the castle town of Kôchi,

這一年是 1800 年， 地點是高知的城下町，

capital of the Tosa domain in Japan.

日本土佐藩的首府。

The daimyo rules the domain, and about 1,500 samurai retainers serve him.

土佐藩由大名（領主）統治，

約有 1500 名武士侍從服侍他。

For 200 years, Japan has been at peace,

兩百年來，日本一直很和平，

and the samurai, once primarily warriors, now play a much wider range of roles—

武士曾經主要是扮演戰士，

現在的角色則更多變——

they are also government officials,

他們也擔任政府官員、

scholars,

學者、

teachers,

老師，

and even masters of the tea ceremony

甚至茶道的大師，

or artists.

或藝術家。

To prepare for these diverse responsibilities,

為了準備承擔這麼多樣化的責任，

young samurai like Banshirô study the “twin paths”

像伴四郎這種年輕武士 得要學習「文武兩道」，

of literary learning and the martial arts.

包含文學和武術。

At 15, he went through the rites of adulthood and received the daishô—

十五歲時，他接受了成人禮， 得到「大小」——

a pair of swords.

一對刀。

The long sword is for training and combat,

長刀是訓練和戰鬥用，

while the short sword has a sole, solemn purpose—

短刀則只有一個很莊重的目的——

to commit ritual suicide, or seppuku,

如果他讓自己、家人或大名蒙羞，

if he dishonors himself, his family, or the daimyo.

就必須切腹自盡。

Banshirô idolizes the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi,

伴四郎的偶像是 傳奇武士宮本武藏，

a renowned swordsman who lived 150 years earlier.

他是 150 年前的知名劍術家。

But Banshirô doesn’t admire his swordsmanship alone.

但伴四郎欣賞的 並不只是他的劍術。

Miyamoto Musashi was also a master calligrapher and painter.

宮本武藏也是書法家和繪畫大師。

That’s the real reason Banshirô wants to go to Edo—

那是伴四郎想去 江戶的真正原因——

he secretly wants to be a painter, too.

他內心深處也想要成為畫家。

After finishing his practice at home, he bids his father goodbye

結束了在家中的練習之後，

他和父親道別，步行去學校。

and walks to school.

His father is preparing to accompany the daimyo to the capital.

他的父親在準備 跟隨大名前往首府。

The Tokugawa shogun, head of the Japanese military government,

德川幕府將軍， 日本軍事政府的領導人，

requires all the regional rulers to alternate years

要求每位地區統治者要

在其藩中的城下町和首府間 交替各待一年。

between their castle town in the home domain and the capital city.

The costly treks back and forth keep the daimyo subordinate

來來回回的高成本跋涉 讓大名會繼續服從，

and prevent them from building up their own military forces

並預防他們建立自己的軍隊勢力

to challenge the shogunate.

來挑戰幕府。

The daimyo’s wife and children live in the capital full time,

大名的妻兒一直都住在首府，

where they serve as hostages to ensure his loyalty.

被當作人質，以確保大名的忠誠。

But the practice doesn’t just affect the daimyo—

但這種做法不只會影響到大名——

it determines much of the rhythm of life in Japan.

也會決定日本多數人的生活節奏。

Samurai must accompany the daimyo to Edo.

武士必須要跟隨大名到江戶。

This year it’s Banshirô’s father’s turn to go,

這一年，輪到伴四郎的父親前往，

and Banshirô is desperate to go with him;

而伴四郎極度渴望要跟他去；

but given that he’s still in training, he’ll need permission

但他仍然在受訓，必須要有

from both his father and the domain.

父親和藩的許可才可以去。

At school, Banshirô’s first lesson is in swordfighting.

伴四郎在學校裡的第一課是鬥劍。

Under his teacher’s stern eye, he pairs up with his classmates

在他老師嚴厲的目光下， 他和同學搭配成對，

and goes through the routines he’s been practicing.

把他一直在做的練習都展現出來。

At the end of the lesson, he reminds the instructor of his request to go to Edo.

在課程尾聲，他提醒教師 前往江戶的意願。

The instructor cracks his first smile of the day,

教師露出了當天的第一個笑容，

and Banshirô feels confident he will gain his support.

伴四郎相信自己能得到教師的支持。

Next, Banshirô practices archery, horsemanship, and swimming

接下來，伴四郎去練習 射箭、馬術和游泳，

before his academic courses in the afternoon.

下午還有學術課程。

Courses cover Confucian philosophy, morality, and history.

課程內容包括儒家哲學、 道德倫理和歷史。

When the instructor calls on him, he has the response on the tip of his tongue,

當教師點到他時， 答案已經在他嘴邊了，

ensuring another supporter for his campaign.

讓他又獲得了 另一位教師的支持。

By the end of the day, Banshirô feels confident that his formal request

那天結束時，伴四郎深信 他正式提出的請求會被批准，

will be approved, but the greatest challenge is still ahead of him:

但他面前仍然有個最大的困難：

convincing his father.

說服他的父親。

His father believes the martial arts are more important than the literary arts,

他的父親認定武術 比文學藝術更重要，

so Banshirô doesn’t mention his artistic ambitions.

所以伴四郎沒有提及 他在藝術方面的野心。

Instead, he talks about renowned sword instructors he can train with,

反之，他談的是 可以和他訓練的知名劍術教師，

and teaching certifications he can earn to improve his professional prospects

還可以取得教師資格證書，

讓他回到高知時有更好的職業前景。

back in Kôchi.

Then, he makes his final, strongest argument:

接著，他提出了最後 也是最強而有力的論點：

if he goes this time and succeeds, his father can retire and send him instead

如果他這次能一起去且順利成功，

他的父親就可以退休， 將來改讓他去陪同大名。

in the future.

It’s this last point that finally sells him—

最後這個論點終於 讓他自薦成功——

Banshirô’s father agrees to take him on his tour of duty.

伴四郎的父親同意帶他 一同踏上這職務之旅。

In the bustle of the capital city, Banshirô will finally have the opportunity

在首府的喧囂中， 伴四郎終於有機會

to pursue his secret ambition to become a painter.

追求他心底想要成為畫家的野心。