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Symposium Part IV

第四部
嫌われ者の現状と行く末

Part IV
The Present and Future of the Hated

Marisa

地底は酷いところだった。ろくな妖怪も居ないし、暑いわ寒いわ湿気てるわで環境も最悪。容赦なく人間を殺しにかかってくるし……そう言えば、みんなは地底に行ったりした事があるのか?

The underground was terrible. There were no decent youkai, and the weather was also terrible, hot and cold and humid at the same time. Not to mention everyone trying to kill humans. Come to think of it, have any of you ever been down there?

Miko

地底にはまだ行った事がないけど、地底の住人らしい妖怪は見かけましたよ。

I've never been to the underground, but I have seen youkai who appeared to be inhabitants of it.

Byakuren

何度か飛倉とびくら(*1)が封印されていた所に忘れ物が無いか見に行きました。

I've been there many times, double checking to see if we'd left anything behind in the place where the Floating Vault(*1) was sealed.

Kanako

私は定期的に行ってますが。

I go there regularly.

Marisa

ああ、そう言えばそうだったな。私が地下に行く事になったのも、本を正せばお前の所為だったな。

Oh, now that you mention it, it was all your fault that I had to go down there, wasn't it?

Kanako

てへ。

*giggle*

Marisa

恨むぜ。

I hate you.


[神奈子から見た幻想郷の課題]

Gensokyo's Next Challenge as Seen by Kanako

Akyuu

口を挟んで済みません。何故魔理沙さんが地底に行った理由に神奈子さんが関わってくるのでしょう。その辺教えて頂けませんか?

Excuse me for interrupting, but apparently the reason Ms. Marisa went underground had something to do with Ms. Kanako? Could you please explain that?

Marisa

おおビックリした、書記が急に喋るなよ。ええと、なんだったかな。地底で暴れていたのが神奈子だったからだっけ?

Whoa, that surprised me. To have the secretary suddenly start talking. Um... why was it again? Because Kanako was rampaging underground?

Kanako

暴れてません。

I don't rampage.

Miko

確かに暴れてそう……。

You certainly look like you do.

Kanako

何か? いや、幻想郷の未来の為に厄介者の地底を利用しようと考えていたのです。

What? Whatever, I thought I'd use the disagreeable people's underground to help create Gensokyo's future.

Miko

利用?

Use?

Kanako

その前に、今の幻想郷で直近で危惧しなければいけない事ってなんだと思います?

Before that, what do you consider the greatest problems that we need to deal with in Gensokyo?

Byakuren

うーん。食糧問題? 狭い閉鎖空間ですし……。

Hmm... food supply problems? It's a rather small and confined space after all....

Miko

政治問題かな? 人心が乱れては直ぐに滅んでしまう。

Political problems? If there's any unrest it would quickly collapse.

Marisa

ミレニアム問題か? なんか拙そうだし。

Millenium problems? They seem kind of hard.

Kanako[1]

違う違う、エネルギー問題よ。今の幻想郷を動かすエネルギーって何処から来てると思うの?

Wrong, wrong. It's energy problems. Where do you think Gensokyo's energy comes from?

Byakuren

食料と消化?

The digestion of food?

Miko

宗教と威厳?

Religious dignity?

Marisa

えーっと……。(*2)

Um... uh...(*2)

Kanako

わざわざネタを考えなくても宜しい。エネルギーは陸続きの外の世界から来ているのです。判りますか? 雨も風も太陽も、全て陸続きの外の世界のものです。電気エネルギーも化石燃料も、外の世界のおこぼれを与っているのが現状なのです。

You don't need to come up with a joke you know. Our energy comes from the outside world. Do you understand? The wind and the rain and the sun, they're all part of the outside world. Electricity and fossil fuels too, they're all leftovers from the outside world.

Marisa

そうだったのか。じゃあ魔法の力も霊の力も……。

Is that how it is? What about the power of magic, or spirits?

Kanako

それは違うわ。隔離されたのは人間の意識が及ぶものだけなので、魔法の力の様な精神的なものは幻想郷だけで完結しています。

Those are different. Because they can only be achieved through the consciousness of an isolated human, spiritual stuff like magic can only be completed in Gensokyo.

Marisa

じゃあ問題ないな。エネルギー問題ってなんなんだ?

Then there's no problem. So what's with this energy problem stuff?

Kanako

考えたこと無い? 外から来た謎の機械を扱ってみたい、とか。

You've never thought about it? About trying out one of those mysterious machines from outside?

Marisa

え? アレって幻想郷でも使えるのか?

Eh? Those can be used even in Gensokyo?

Kanako

ええ使えます。既に天狗や河童達は使っています。ですが、その為には外の世界でも使われているようなエネルギーが必要なんです。今はおこぼれを与っているだけですが、自分達で生み出せるようになればもっと素晴らしい世界が待っているでしょう。

Yup, they can be used. The tengu and the kappa already use them. But that's exactly why we need a source of energy that doesn't come from the outside world. While currently we just use their leftovers, I'm looking forward the even more splendid world we'll create.

Byakuren

それって外の世界と同じになるって意味ですか? 幻想郷の崩壊に繋がりませんか?

Doesn't that mean we'll just become exactly like the outside world? Wouldn't that lead to the ruin of Gensokyo?

Kanako

同じ道を歩む為にこういう事を言っているのではありません。逆に外の世界の人間の意識が変化を始めている為、このまま放っておくと幻想郷が自滅してしまう恐れがあるのです。

I'm not saying this so that we'll take the same path as them. Rather, I'm afraid that if the attitudes in the outside world start to change Gensokyo may be destroyed.

Miko

え?

Eh?

Kanako

意識の変化とは「技術革新至上主義」から「環境至上主義」です。外の世界ではエネルギーの使用そのものが、悪と見なされる様になってきているのです。

The attitudes I'm talking about are from "technological innovation supremacy" to "environment supremacy". In the outside world, they may start to look at the overuse of energy as almost evil.

Miko

倹約を始めたという事ね。それが幻想郷にどういう影響が……。

You mean they'll start to conserve, right? How would that impact Gensokyo though?

Kanako

今まで無限のように思われていたエネルギーに限りが見えた事で、多くの人間がエネルギーについて関心を持つようになった。それは幻想郷が与れるエネルギーが少なくなる、もしかしたら無くなってしまう、という危険性があるという意味です。

Although until now they've been treating energy as infinite, more and more people are becoming concerned. Which means that we're in danger of losing our source of leftover energy.

Byakuren

外の世界を知らない私にはよく判らない話ですね。その危険って、どの位未来の話なのでしょうか?

I don't know much about the outside so I don't really understand this conversation. This danger, how far in the future is it?

Kanako

この変化は三十~四十年前から徐々に見え始め、十年前には顕著になっていました。今日明日の話では無いですが、あと数十年の間に何か劇的な変化があると考えています。その変化に対応する手段は一つ、幻想郷だけで完結したエネルギーを増やす事です。それが私が地底に行った目的でした。

You could see the change gradually occurring over the past 30-40 years, and it became obvious 10 years ago. It's not gonna happen overnight, but I think there will be dramatic changes over the next few decades. Before that happens, Gensokyo needs to increase its independent energy production, which is why I went underground.


[焦熱地獄]

The Hell of Blazing Fires

Kanako

私が幻想郷に来てから、天狗達の話を聞いて幻想郷の地底に地獄(*3)があるという事を知りました。そこに火の海がある筈だと思いましてーー。

After I came to Gensokyo, I learned from the tengu that Hell(*3) existed in Gensokyo's underground. So I figured there would be an ocean of fire down there—

Byakuren

焦熱地獄ですね? 八大地獄の一つです。

You mean the Hell of Blazing Fires? One of the Eight Greater Hells.

Kanako

妖怪の山が複成火山だという事を加味すると、その焦熱地獄というものが地核内のマグマだまりだという事は容易に想像が付きます。地獄が相当深いそうなので、場合によってはマントルまで達するのかも知れません。いずれにしても非常に高温高圧な地獄であり、その環境下なら地上では未だ為し得ていない核融合の実現が可能になると……。

Well, taking into account that the Youkai Mountain is a volcano, it was pretty easy to imagine there being a lot of magma inside the earth. And since we're talking about Hell, it seemed possible that it might even reach the mantle. In any event, in that high temperature, high pressure Hell I thought it might be possible to realize nuclear fusion, which is impractical in the environment of the surface, so...

Akyuu

難しい話ですね、よく判らないのですが。

This is a difficult conversation, so I don't really understand.

Kanako

簡単に言うと、焦熱地獄のエネルギーを使って、幻想郷のエネルギー問題を解決しようという話です。

Simply put, Gensokyo's energy problems could be solved by using the energy from Blazing Hell.

Marisa

その結果、大量に温泉が湧いたんだよな。確か。

And in the end, a bunch of hot springs popped up. Pretty sure.

Kanako

温泉が湧いたのは成功への第一歩ですね。

The hot springs were the first step towards success.

Marisa

温泉は有難いんだが、多くの妖怪達が怒っていたなぁ。「温泉が湧いたが怨霊も湧いた」って。

I'm grateful for the hot springs, but didn't a bunch of youkai get mad? "Vengeful spirits are coming up with the hot springs!"

Kanako

その辺がちょっと調査不足でした。使われていない地獄にまだ怨霊が沢山居るなんて……。

That was a miscalculation. To think that there were still so many vengeful spirits in an unused Hell...

Byakuren

怨霊だけではなく、地底の荒くれ者も出てくる様になりましたね……。私の寺にも。

Not only the vengeful spirits, but ruffians started to come out from the underground too. Even to my temple.

Miko

むしろエネルギー問題の前に、内部から幻想郷を破壊する事に繋がるんじゃ……。

I get the feeling Gensokyo is going to destroy itself before the energy problem does...

Kanako

いやいや、大丈夫ですよ(汗)。むしろ変化を失った幻想郷の方が怖いと思った方が。

No no, it's all under control (sweat). Rather, I'm more afraid of a Gensokyo that never changes.

Marisa

まあな。荒くれ者って言ったって、暴れたら倒せば良いだけだし。実際に地底に行った感じだと、暴力的な妖怪というよりはコミュニケーションが苦手か、そもそも嫌いで引き籠もっていたり、一匹狼が好きな奴らばっかって感じだったから恐るるに足らないと思うぜ。

That sounds about right. If some ruffian shows up and goes berserk, everything's fine if you just defeat 'em. Honestly, when I visited the underground, rather than the residents feeling like violent youkai it felt more like they were bad at communication. They're just secluding themselves, or enjoying being lone wolves, so I don't think they really felt that scary.

Miko

どんな妖怪でも受け入れるのが幻想郷だと聞いていたけど、そうじゃないのかしら?

I've heard that Gensokyo accepts any kind of youkai, is that not the case?

Marisa

全てを受け入れると、中には受け入れられるのを嫌い始める妖怪も居る、それだけだ。

We accept everyone, but among the youkai that have been accepted there are those who start to be hated. That's all.

Miko

逆説的ね。その辺は人間と大差無いのか……。

How paradoxical. In that sense they're not too different from humans...

Byakuren

地上の妖怪は人間を脅かす存在である事が多い代わりに、ある程度人間と妖怪の信頼関係が成り立っています。逆に地下の妖怪は、一方的に人間に忌み嫌われたり追放されたりして、人間不信、妖怪不信に陥っているのだと考えられます。

The surface youkai are moving away from being creatures that threaten humans and towards a relationship of mutual trust. On the other hand, the underground youkai have been unilaterally loathed or exiled by humans, so I think they're falling into a trap where neither side can trust the other.

Miko

あれ? それを救うのが仏教の役目じゃないの?

Hmm? Isn't it the duty of Buddhism to rescue people from that?

Byakuren

いやまあその。

Well, yeah.


[地底の嫌われ者]

The Hated of the Underground

Marisa

人間不信って口かなぁ。私が出会ったのは、ヤマメ(*4)にパルスィ(*5)だろ? 近づいた奴を病気にするヤマメなんて嫌われて当然だし、パルスィは毎晩藁人形を打ち付けて居て気持ち悪いだろ?

Distrust of humans, huh? I met these two, Yamame(*4) and Parsee(*5), right? Yamame infects people who get close to her with a disease, so it's easy to hate her. And Parsee spends every night pounding nails into straw dolls, so creepy, right?

Byakuren

貴方が嫌う妖怪は、妖怪も貴方を嫌いになるものです。それは人間も同じですよ。

Because you hate the youkai, the youkai will come to hate you as well. This is the same for humans.

Marisa

つったって、そんな妖怪、どうやって好きになれと……。

Well, how could you come to like a youkai like that...

Byakuren

例えばヤマメさんでしたら十分に健康に気を付けて近づき、過去の武勇伝を聞いたりすればそうそう攻撃される事は無いと思います。もちろん家に帰ったら手洗い、うがいをお忘れなく。

If, for example, you carefully approached Ms. Yamame while avoiding her disease, and then asked to listen to her heroic tales or whatever, I don't think she'd attack you. Of course, once you got home you'd have to wash your hands and rinse your mouth.

Marisa

よく言うよ、お前だって入門を断った癖に。

Well said, for someone who denied her admittance.

Byakuren

ゲフンゲフン。

Gefun Gefun.

Kanako

実際の話、魔理沙の言う通り、地上の妖怪や人間と上手くやっていくには、少し難しい奴らばかりかもねぇ。焦熱地獄を管理している地霊殿の主は、サトリ(*6)がやっているんですけど、本当に扱いにくい奴でねぇ。

Realistically speaking, it's just as Marisa says. When it comes to getting along with the youkai or humans of the surface, every one of them may be a bit difficult. In the Palace of the Earth Spirits which manages the Hell of Blazing Fires, there lives a satori(*6), but she's truly hard to deal with.

Miko

サトリって、心を読むというあの妖怪ですよね?

By satori, you mean that mind-reading youkai?

Kanako

心を読む妖怪なんかに近づきたくなる奴が居る訳もない。

There isn't anyone who would want to get close to a mind-reading youkai.

Byakuren

でも、焦熱地獄を使わせて貰っているんでしょ? どうやって交渉したの?

But aren't you trying to get something done in the Hell of Blazing Fires? How do you negotiate?

Kanako

何言ってるのよ。サトリと交渉が出来る訳がないじゃない。私は出来るだけ接触しないようにして焦熱地獄を利用したの。

What are you talking about? It's impossible to negotiate with a satori. I just used the Hell of Blazing Fires while trying to avoid her.

Byakuren

え?

Eh?

Miko

もしかして、泥棒?

Are you perhaps... a burglar?

Kanako

サトリのペット(*7)が管理していたから、そのペットに智恵を与えたのよ。

The satori has a pet(*7) who manages the place, so I bestowed wisdom to the pet.

Byakuren

ペットに智恵……ですか。

Wisdom... to the pet?

Kanako

お前は八咫烏(*8)という名の核融合の神様であると、ちんけな地獄の鴉に吹き込んだの。単純な頭の持ち主の方が、もてあます程の強い力を増幅して使ってくれるものよ。これ豆知識。

I took the god of nuclear fusion that you call the Yatagarasu(*8), and indoctrinated it into a particularly dull Hell Crow. The simpler the holder's brain is, the better able they are to control the great power. Well, that's just trivia.

Miko

豚もおだてりゃ木に登る、って話ね。聡明な者ほど色々な事柄を疑い、慎重になるもの……。

Flatter a pig and he'll climb a tree, right? Wiser people are full of doubts, and become too cautious.

Kanako

そうそう。サトリがペットを飼っていて助かったわ。とてもじゃないけど、サトリ相手に話が出来ると思わないし。

That's right. I was saved by the fact that the satori had a pet. I really don't think I'd be able to talk to a satori.

Miko

そりゃ心を読まれるんじゃあねぇ。

Because your mind could be read.


[サトリの悩み]

A Satori's Worries

Marisa

さとりのフォローって訳じゃ無いが、お前らの攻撃が容赦無いんで一応言っておく。さとりが沢山ペットを飼っているのは動物にしか好かれないかららしいぞ?

I'm not on Satori's side or anything, but I'll say that you all really don't go easy on her. Satori takes cares of a lot of pets, so doesn't that mean she can only be loved by animals?

Byakuren

確かにフォローって訳じゃないわね。

You're certainly not on her side.

Kanako

彼女も本当は人の心なんて読みたくは無いのでしょう。だから殆ど地霊殿から出る事が無い。私がペットに近づいてもそれに気付かない位、引き籠もっているみたい。

She probably doesn't really want to read anyone's mind. That's why she never leaves the Palace of the Earth Spirits. Even though I got close to her pet, she never even noticed, a real shut-in.

Miko

その気持ち、判る気がします。私は耳が聡く、同時に十人の言葉を聞き分けることが出来ます。しかし大勢の言葉を同時に聞くという事は、要らない言葉も聞こえてきてしまいます。場合によっては辛辣な内容の言葉も聞こえてしまいます。これは非常に辛いものです。

I can understand those feelings. I've got sharp ears, so I can listen to and understand ten people at the same time. However, if I'm in a crowd when everyone's talking at once, I end up hearing words I don't need to. Sometimes I even hear harsh words that I'd rather not. This is a particularly tough problem to deal with.

Akyuu

その気持ち判ります。私の場合は聞いた言葉を忘れられないのですが。

I can also understand. In my case, I am unable to forget anything I hear.

Miko

ちなみに私が耳当てをしているのは、言葉が聞こえすぎてしまうからなんです(*9)。これである程度耳と精神を守っているのですよ。

Incidentally, I wear earmuffs so I don't have to hear too much(*9). To a certain extent, they protect both my ears and my mind.

Byakuren

なる程、サトリに対する地霊殿の存在が、貴方の耳当てなんですね。

I get it. So to the satori the Palace of the Earth Spirits serves the same purpose as your earmuffs.

Miko

心を読めなくする「心当て」みたいな物がなければ、人間や妖怪を寄せ付けなくするのが一番簡単な方法でしょう。

Without anything like "mindmuffs" to stop her mindreading, that's probably the easiest way to avoid encountering humans or youkai.

Marisa

あ、ちなみにさとりには妹が居て、こいし(*10)っていうんだが、彼奴は心が読めないらしいぜ。

Ah, by the way Satori has a younger sister named Koishi(*10), but it seems like she can't read minds.

Byakuren

サトリなのに? どうやって?

Even though she's a satori? How?

Marisa

どうやら、自分の心を閉ざす事で心を読むのを止めたそうだ。だからフラフラとあちこちに出て、地上でも見かける事があるぜ。

Somehow it seems that by closing her own mind she managed to stop reading minds. So she just wonders around everywhere, I even saw her on the surface.

Byakuren

それって……。

Does that mean...

Kanako

何も考えていないって事ね。そりゃ何も考えていなければ相手の心も読める訳がない。何も考えていない妖怪はその辺の動物と同じで、ただの化学反応で動いているのと同義だと思うんだけど。

It means she doesn't think. There's no way she could read another's mind when she isn't thinking anything. A unthinking youkai is just like an animal you can find anywhere, moving as if by a chemical reaction.

Miko

考えるのを止めた、かぁ。逃げ方としては低レベルな部類に入るわねぇ。

So she stopped thinking, did she? By choosing to run away, she entered a lower category of being.

Byakuren

いや、ちょっと待って。心を閉ざしたのは姉のさとりさんの方じゃ無いの?

No, wait a moment. Isn't the one who closed her mind the older sister, Ms. Satori?

Marisa

え? どういう事?

Eh? What are you talking about?

Byakuren

心を読みたくないから人を遠ざけたんでしょ? それこそ心を閉ざしたという事でしょう。でも、こいしさんはそれを克服し、表に出てきています。

Isn't she distancing herself because she doesn't want to read people's minds? That itself is closing your mind. But for Ms. Koishi, she overcame it and is expressing herself.

Marisa

表に出てきたって言っても、何も考えていないんだぜ?

You say she's expressing herself, but isn't she just not thinking anything?

Byakuren

通常、何も考えてなければ動く事すら出来ません。しかし、あちこちに出歩いたり、話をしたり出来るというのはありのままの姿で行動出来ているという事。それは決して心を閉ざしたとは言えません。

Normally, if you're not thinking anything you wouldn't be able to do anything either. But she's strolling about everywhere, can have conversations, and is behaving completely true to herself. This proves that she didn't close her mind.

Miko

あー、つまりそれは……。

Ah, then so basically...

Byakuren

是故空中無色ぜこくうちゅうむしき、無受想行識むじゅそうぎょうしき。「空」の真理の中に「色」は無く、「受」「想」「行」「識」も無い。つまり五蘊ごうん(*11)は存在しない。

"Zekokuuchuumushiki, Mushusougyoushiki".[2] Within the truth of "Emptiness", there is no "Form". Nor are there "Sensation", "Perception", "Formation" or "Consciousness". In other words, the five skandhas(*11) do not exist.

Miko

なる程、心の読めないサトリは心を閉ざしたのでは無く、心を捨てて「空」に迫ったと。

I see, so rather than being a satori who cannot read minds because she closed her mind, she abandoned her mind and approached "Emptiness".

Byakuren

偶々でしょうけど、そう見えます。これは修行を積んだ僧侶にも難しい事です。そうなるとそのこいしさんは是非うちのお寺に欲しいわね(*12)。もしかしたら、修行の必要なく、悟りの境地に近づけるかもしれない。

This isn't rigorous, but that's what it looks like. This is hard for me, even as a priest who constantly trains. I'd definitely want Ms. Koishi who became like that to come to our temple(*12). It's possible that without training she's approached a state close to enlightenment.

Miko

サトリだけに。

Well, she is a satori[3]

Marisa

仏教トークはよく判らんが、心を捨てて「空」に迫るというのは面白いな。

I don't really get all this Buddhist talk, but the bit about abandoning your mind to approach "Emptiness" is pretty interesting.

Kanako

確かに、ペットにそんな名前を付けたのは、もしかしたら姉にも何か想う所があったのかもね。

Certainly, and since she gave her pet a name like that maybe the older sister is close to that point as well[4].


[地獄の鬼と怨霊]

The Oni and Spirits of Hell

Miko

話を聞いていると地底は嫌われ者ばっかりだけど、旧地獄って言うからもっと鬼とか居るかと思ってたわ。

Listening to this conversation, it sounds like the underground has only hated people, but I had thought that Former Hell would have more things like oni.

Marisa

いやいや居たぜ、一角の鬼(*13)が。

No no, there's an oni, a one-horned one(*13).

Kanako

多くの鬼は、地獄の移転と共に再就職したみたいですけど、それが嫌なアウトロー達は残っているみたいね。

While most of the oni went looking for re-employment together after the relocation of Hell, it seems the hated outlaws among them stayed behind.

Marisa

正確に言うと、元々旧地獄で働いていた鬼達は殆ど、引っ越しの際に一斉に移住したらしい。それで旧地獄は空き家だらけになったんだが、地上で我が物顔で暮していた鬼達が移って勝手に棲み着いて街を築いたらしいぜ。

To be accurate, the oni who originally worked in Former Hell have moved out. But because of all the space that opened up in Former Hell, the surface oni started moving in like they owned the place.

Kanako

あら詳しいわね。誰に聞いたの?

How detailed. Who did you hear this from?

Marisa

勇儀に聞いたから間違いは無い。

I heard it from Yuugi, so there's no doubt it's true.

Miko

え? 地底の鬼と交流があるの?

Eh? You mingle with the underground oni?

Marisa

ああ、地底は閉鎖的でも鬼自体は開放的だぜ。よく呑みに誘ってくれるしな。旧地獄の彼岸花は綺麗だぜ、ほんと。まあ、私が地底に行っても他の妖怪は近づいて来ないがな。

Ah, the underground may be unsociable, but the oni themselves are open. She often invites me over to drink. The red lilies of Former Hell sure are pretty, really. Well, whenever I head down there I stay away from the other youkai.

Byakuren

ふーん、確かに鬼って豪快そうですしね。小さな事は気にしなさそうだし、引き籠もる意味が判らないわね。

Hmm... the oni sure sound lively. They don't bother with the small details, and don't even know the meaning of seclusion.

Kanako

地底に行ってるんだとしたら気を付けた方が良いわよ。

If you're going underground, there's something you should be wary of.

Marisa

何にだ?

What's that?

Kanako

怨霊によ。

Vengeful spirits.

Marisa

怨霊ねぇ。私には怨霊と幽霊の区別が付かないし、むしろ幽霊より怨霊の方が弱いくらいだぜ? でも、妖怪は異様に怨霊を怖がって居るみたいだけど何故だ?

Vengeful spirits, huh. I've never been quite sure what the difference between yuurei and vengeful spirits was, and actually, aren't they even weaker they yuurei? But why are there so many youkai that seem strangely scared of them?

Kanako

怨霊は幽霊の一部で基本的には同じものですが、悪意に満ちた人間や強い怨みを持った人間から出てくる幽霊のうち、輪廻天生の輪から外れ、未来永劫幽霊のままの存在を怨霊と呼ぶのです。死後、地獄へ落とされる人間が怨霊になる事が多くて、その為地獄には沢山居ます。まさか旧地獄にもまだ残っていたとは誤算でしたが……。

Vengeful spirits are a kind of yuurei and therefore fundamentally the same, but when a yuurei comes from a human that gave in to malice or carries a strong grudge, and strays from the cycle of reincarnation by remaining a yuurei eternally, we call that a vengeful spirit. Humans that are doomed to Hell after death often become vengeful spirits, so there are quite a few of them there. I never would have expected so many to remain in Former Hell though.

Marisa

怨霊は人間を恨んでいる事が多くて危ないって話か? でも弱いんだけどなぁ。

So you're saying it's dangerous to have so many vengeful spirits resenting humans? But aren't they weak?

Kanako

本当に怖いのは、人間に取憑く、って所よ。取憑いて人間同士で怨み合う様に仕向けるのよ。

The scary part is when they possess humans. They can induce the possessed human into having the same kind of resentment that they do.

Marisa

む、それは嫌だな。

Ugh, I'd hate that.

Kanako

幻想郷は妖怪の存続の為に造られたと言っても、人間が居なければ成り立ちません。人間の存在無しでは妖怪も成り立たないのです。人間は妖怪を畏れ、妖怪は人間を襲う。これが大前提です。

Although Gensokyo is said to have been created to preserve youkai, it couldn't exist without humans. Without humans, youkai couldn't exist either. Humans fear youkai, youkai attack humans. This is the main principle.

Byakuren

そこには反論が……。

I have an objection to that...

Kanako

異論は認めません。ですが、ここに怨霊が入ってくるとどうなるでしょうか? 怨霊は妖怪ではなく人間の悪意が生んだ霊です。この怨霊が人間に取憑き、人間同士が闘い始めたらどうなりますか?

I won't recognize other opinions. However, what do you think would happen if the vengeful spirits got out? Vengeful spirits are non-youkai spirits born from human malice. If these spirits start possessing humans and the humans start fighting each other, what would you do?

Marisa

どっちが勝つか賭の対象になるな。

I'd start betting on who would win.

Kanako

そんな決闘じゃなくて、誰が敵か味方か判らない様な疑心暗鬼に陥るって事よ。人間だけで敵対関係も完結し、とどのつまり外の世界と同じように成ってしまう。そうなると妖怪の存在意義が危うくなるでしょう? だから妖怪が怨霊を怖れているのです。

It wouldn't just be duels: they wouldn't be able to tell friend from enemy, and fall into paranoia. With humans antagonizing only each other, it'll become just like the outside world. Doesn't that put the purpose of youkai in jeopardy? That's why youkai are so afraid of vengeful spirits.

Marisa

なる程。

I see.

Kanako

怖れている理由がもう一つあるわ。妖怪は一般的に肉体は強く出来ているけど、精神は非常に脆いの。

There's also another reason they fear them. While youkai tend to be physically strong, their hearts are especially fragile.

Marisa

ほう、そうだっけ?

Oh, really?

Byakuren

妖怪の主体は肉体ではなく、精神ですからね。

It's because the core of a youkai isn't its body, but its heart.

Kanako

今までそういう例は聞いた事が無いけど、万が一怨霊が妖怪に取憑き、妖怪の性格を変えてしまったとするとどうなるか。

I've never heard of this happening, but if by any chance a vengeful spirit managed to possess a youkai, what do you think would happen?

Byakuren

その妖怪は死んだと同じになってしまうのですね。

It would be as if the youkai had died.

Marisa

死んだと同じとはどういう意味だ?死んではいないのか?

What do you mean as if they died? Even though they haven't really died?

Byakuren

その妖怪としては死んだ、という意味です。別の妖怪になるのです。

It means that particular youkai has died. What's left is a completely different youkai.

Marisa

なんだ、生まれ変わるだけじゃん。

What, isn't that just being reborn?

Byakuren

別の妖怪の主体は、取憑いた怨霊の精神……つまり生まれ変わると言うよりは、存在その物が怨霊に乗っ取られてしまうって訳ですね。

The new youkai's core would be the heart of the spirit that possessed them.... In other words, rather than being reborn, the spirit has taken over their entire existence.

Kanako

そういう事。だから妖怪は怨霊を怖れているのよ。

That's right. Which is why youkai are so scared of vengeful spirits.

Marisa

怖れているのよ、って、地底から怨霊が湧いたのはお前が旧地獄を利用としようとしたからだぞ?

That's why they're so scared... wait, isn't it your fault that the spirits are popping up? Because you tried to take advantage of Former Hell?

Kanako

それはみんなには内緒。

That'll be our little secret.

Marisa

みんな知っているがな(笑)。まあ、取り敢えずメモしておくか。妖怪を殺すには怨霊が手っ取り早い、と。

Everyone already knows though(laugh). For now, I'll just make a note of it. That the quickest way to kill a youkai is with a vengeful spirit.

Kanako

そういう心の持ち主が、死後地獄に行って怨霊となるのよ。

With a heart like that, you'll go to Hell and become a vengeful spirit yourself.

Marisa

ぎゃあ、地獄に行くのは勘弁な。出来れば天界で。

Gyah, spare me from Hell. I'd prefer Heaven, if possible.

Miko

あれ? さっき、鬼に誘われて地獄に呑みに行くって言ってなかった?(笑)

Huh? Didn't you just tell us that you like to go drinking with oni in Hell? (laugh)

Marisa

ああ、そうだな。じゃあ地獄も大して怖くないかも知れんな。

Ah, I guess I did. Then Hell doesn't seem too scary.

*1 白蓮の弟、命蓮の残した神妙な倉。なんと空を飛んで穀物や財産を奪う。

1: The fantastic vault that Myouren, brother of Byakuren, left behind. It flies in the sky and steals grains and property.

*2 ミレニアム問題が何だかわからなくて思いつかんかったのですね……。

2: She didn't know what the Millenium problems are and couldn't come up with something clever....

*3 正確には旧地獄。監獄としての機能は閻魔様たちが管理する新地獄に移行し、旧地獄はただの荒くれ者、嫌われ者の巣窟となっている。

3: To be accurate, the Former Hell. Its function as a prison was relocated to the New Hell that the Enmas are managing, and Former Hell became merely a nest for the brazen and the despised.

*4 黒谷ヤマメ。前述。

4: Yamame Kurodani. Aforementioned.

*5 水橋パルスィ。妬みたっぷりの妖怪。

5: Parsee Mizuhashi. A youkai full of envy.

*6 古明地さとり。神奈子さんの言っている「サトリ」は名前では無く妖怪の種族を指していると思われる。ややこしや。

6: Satori Komeiji. I believe Kanako saying "satori" refers not to the name but to the youkai species. Confusing.

*7 霊烏路 空。通称お空。鳥頭。

7: Utsuho Reiuji. Nicknamed Okuu. Birdbrain.

*8 日本神話に出てくる神の烏。猿田彦と同じ導きの神の性質も持つが、太陽神の性質の方が強い。黒い烏なのに太陽って不思議だと思うでしょ? 実は太陽をよく見る(危険!)と黒い点が見える筈です。それが八咫烏なのです。

8: A divine bird that appears in Japanese mythology. Although it has the same guiding nature as Sarudahiko, its nature as a sun god is stronger. Don't you think it's strange that that a black bird is the sun? Actually, if you look at the sun for a while (danger!) you can see black spots. That's the Yatagarasu.

*9 その手があったか。私の場合、見た物も忘れないので目隠しも必須ですね。

9: So that's a way to deal with it, huh. In my case I should get eye masks because I also can't forget anything I see.

*10 古明地こいし。心の読めないサトリ。切れない包丁。無味無臭の調味料である。

10: Koishi Komeiji. A satori who can't read minds. A kitchen knife that can't cut. A tasteless and scentless spice.

*11 実体、感受、発想、意思、思考、の五つの事だそうです。仏教的には物質と精神の全てで、この世界その物を指す。

11: The five are form, feeling, conception, impulses and discernment. In Buddhism, they are everything of what both matter and the soul are, hence they represent the world itself.

*12 後日、勧誘により入門したそうです。出家はせず、在家ですが。

12: Afterwards, she was solicited to the temple. Not entering the priesthood, but as a laywoman.

*13 星熊勇儀。お酒大好き。

13: Yuugi Hoshiguma. Loves sake.

Reference[]

1. ^  This commentator is originally written as Miko's, but due to the discourse mentions about the energy, she should not be Miko, but Kanako.
2. ^  The Heart Sutra.
3. ^  "Satori" and "enlightenment" are pronounced the same way in Japanese.
4. ^  Utsuho's name is the kanji for "emptiness".

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