Japanese News: 人間無情 - Todaii: Easy Japanese

人間無情にんげんむじょう

human heartlessness

昔むかし、ひとりの旅人たびびとが洪水こうずいに巻まき込こまれ溺おぼれかけていた

Once upon a time, a traveler was caught in a flood and almost drowned.

旅人たびびとは流木りゅうぼくに何なにとか掴つかまり流ながされていったが、蛇へびが溺おぼれているのを見みて助たすけ、次つぎに狐きつねが溺おぼれていたので助たすけた

The traveler managed to grab hold of a piece of driftwood and was swept away, but when he saw a drowning snake, he rescued him, and then a fox, who was drowning, so he rescued him.

すると今度こんどは人間にんげんの男おとこが溺おぼれていたが蛇へびと狐きつねは「人間にんげんなんか助たすけたってろくなことがない」と言いったが旅人たびびとはその言葉ことばに耳みみを貸かさず男おとこを助すけけた

Then, this time, a human man was drowning, but the snake and fox said, ``It’s no good to save a human,’’ but the traveler ignored their words and saved the man.

こうして助すけかった旅人たびびとと蛇へびと狐きつねと男おとこは連つれ立たって旅たびをすることになり、流離りゅうりっていくうちに長者ちょうじゃの家いえに泊とめてもらうことになった

In this way, the saved traveler, snake, fox, and man decided to travel together, and as they drifted away, they ended up staying at the house of a wealthy man.

旅人たびびとが元もともと々医者いしゃと知しった長者ちょうじゃは旅人たびびとを医者いしゃとして隣となりに住すんでもらうことにした

The wealthy man, who knew that the traveler was originally a doctor, decided to have the traveler live next door as a doctor.

蛇へびと狐きつねは助たすけてもらった恩返おんがえしに診療しんりょうの手伝ててつだいをしたが男おとこは何なにもせずに過すごすばかりだった

The snake and the fox returned the favor by helping with the medical treatment, but the man just spent his time doing nothing.

村人むらびとたちと長者ちょうじゃはお金かねを一切取いっさいとらずに診療しんりょうをする医者いしゃに感謝かんしゃし、野菜やさいやお米こめ、小判こばんを医者いしゃに贈おくった

The villagers and their elders thanked the doctor for providing medical care without taking any money, and gave him vegetables, rice, and small coins.

そんな医者いしゃを疎うとましく思おもった男おとこは長者ちょうじゃに医者いしゃが妖術使ようじゅつづかいでお金かねを騙だまし取とる奴やつと嘘うそを話はなした

The man who disliked the doctor lied to the wealthy man and said that the doctor was a sorcerer and someone who would cheat people out of money.

怒いかった長者ちょうじゃは医者いしゃを捕とらえさせ牢屋ろうやに入いれた

The angry rich man had the doctor arrested and put him in prison.

あの男おとこの仕業しわざとすぐに分わかった蛇へびと狐きつねは医者いしゃを助たすけるべく行動こうどうを起おこした

The snake and fox immediately realized that it was the man’s work and took action to help the doctor.

翌日よくじつ、縁側えんがわに座すわっていた長者ちょうじゃの脚あしを蛇へびが咬かみつき脚あしが酷こくく腫はれ上あがってしまった

The next day, a snake bit the leg of an elderly man who was sitting on the porch, and his leg became severely swollen.

苦くるしんでいる長者ちょうじゃの元もとに易者えきしゃに化かけた狐きつねが現あらわれこの病気びょうきを治ちせることができるのは牢屋ろうやに入いれられたあの医者いしゃしかいないと言いった

A fox disguised as a fool appeared before the suffering wealthy man and said that the only person who could cure his illness was that same doctor who was put in prison.

牢屋ろうやから出だされた医者いしゃは長者ちょうじゃの元もとにやって来きたが腫はれ上あがった脚あしを見みて原因げんいんがすぐに分わかった

The doctor who was released from the prison came to see the wealthy man, and upon seeing his swollen leg, he immediately understood the cause.

自分じぶんを牢屋ろうやから出だすために蛇へびと狐きつねがしたことを察知さっちし、蛇へびと狐きつねに手てを合あわせ感謝かんしゃした

He realized what the snake and fox had done to get him out of prison, and he clasped his hands together and thanked them.

適切てきせつな治療ちりょうのおかげで長者ちょうじゃの脚あしは良よくなり、嘘うそを話はなしした男おとこは捕つかまり医者いしゃと入いれ違ちがいに牢屋送ろうやおくりになった

Thanks to proper treatment, the old man’s leg improved, and the man who told the lie was caught and sent to prison after being mistaken for the doctor.

その後ごも医者いしゃと蛇へびと狐きつねは村むらで診療しんりょうにあたった

After that, the doctor, snake, and fox continued to provide medical treatment in the village.

結局けっきょく、蛇へびと狐きつねが恩おんというものをよく知しっていて人間にんげんの方ほうが一番いちばんの恩知おんしらずということだった

In the end, it turned out that snakes and foxes know what kindness is, and humans are the most ungrateful.