88歳おじいちゃんの渡米記🇺🇸第一日目①「夢へ、秒読み」
米寿渡米記 - 第一日目（１９９５年２月１９日）
８８才グランパのアメリカ見聞記のはじまり
孫の史子は、高校でアメリカ留学の奨学金が決まった時も、悩める時も、常に伊豆に足を運んでくれた。高校は遠い遠いアメリカ東海岸のフロリダで終え、大学もやはり東海岸ペンシルバニア州フィラデルフィアのテンプル大学に学び、絶えず情報を知らせてくれた。大学を卒業すると、最も日本に近いカリフォルニア州パロアルトのNTT支社に臨時就職する事になった。
When something was bothering her, or even the time she was awarded a scholarship in high school to study abroad in America, my granddaughter Ayako often came to visit me in Izu. She finished high school in faraway Florida on the east coast of the U.S. and then went to college, also in America, at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ayako kept me posted the whole time. After graduating, she found a temporary job closer to Japan at a branch office of NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone) in Palo Alto, California.
そんなある日、実家から「おじいちゃんが入院した」との知らせを受けた史子は、あまりのショックで涙が止まらなかったと手紙をよこした。「私はおじいちゃんをアメリカに招く事が夢なのです。一生懸命働いて、おじいちゃんには負担をかけないから、私の夢を叶えてほしい。」この孫の言葉に泣かされたのである。そこで自分もこれしきの事でやられてたまるか、アメリカの地を踏むまで死ねないぞ、と鞭打って頑張った甲斐があって日に日に快復して健康体を取り戻した。
One day Ayako got word from home that I was in the hospital and wrote me a letter, still crying from the shock. "My dream is to bring you to America," it read. "I'm going to work hard and it won't cost you a thing, so please make my dream come true." My granddaughter's words made me cry. "I'll be damned if I'm going to be done in this time," I said to myself. "I can't die until I set foot in America." And I rallied back, steadily recovering and regaining my health.
それから史子が私を招く話が本決まりになると、今度は妹の純子が「おじいちゃんの外国一人旅はさせられない。私はアルバイトをしておじいちゃんを連れて行く。」と。先ず私の家族の承諾を得て「おじいちゃん、何も心配しないで自分の健康だけ大事にして待っていて下さい。私は渡米の経験もあるのだから心配しないで下さい。」という純子の言葉に又感激の涙に目が潤む。
When it was finally decided that Ayako was having me come visit her in America, her little sister Junko made an announcement. "I'm not going to let Grandpa travel to a foreign country all by himself. I'm going to work after school so I can go, too." I got permission to go from my family and Junko told me, "Grandpa, don't worry about anything. Just take care of your health and wait a while. I've been to America before, so there's nothing to worry about." Her words moved me to tears once more.
やがて１０月１７日になると菅生一家（次男家）が来て、パスポート申請書類持参で詳細に書き込んでくれたが、まだ倅が同行する事は知らなかった。斯くして１月１０日、静岡県沼津東部事務所にパスポート申請。同月２３日に受領した時は、これでアメリカへ行ける、と心踊った。先ず４０％達成。
On October 17th, the entire Sugao family (my second son's family) came to visit, with a passport application and all the necessary documents. The form was filled out for me, but I still had no idea that my son would be accompanying us. On January 10th, I applied for a passport at the Eastern District Office of Shizuoka Prefecture in Numazu. When my passport was approved on January 23rd, my heart leaped, as I realized that I really could go to America. We were 40% of the way there.
それからは毎日早く日が暮れないか、と一日毎に期日の迫るのを楽しみに待ち続けた。期は２月頃とのみ、詳細は判らない。数日後、史子から待望の航空便が届く。期日確定である。２月１９日午後６時４０分成田発、同日午前１０時４５分アメリカ、サンノゼ空港着の確定通信である。５０％達成に酔う。同時に菅生からも連絡があり、この時初めて倅も同行する事を知り一層心強く思った。こうなると一層日暮れが楽しい。
After that, I waited for the sun to set each evening, looking forward to the day we would depart. I knew only that it would be sometime in February, but didn't have the exact date. A few days later, the long-awaited air mail arrived from Ayako. The date had been decided--we would depart Narita at 6:40 p.m. on February 19th and arrive at San Jose Airport in the U.S. at 10:45 a.m. the same day. With the arrangements confirmed, I was dizzy with excitement at the thought that we were halfway there. At the same time, I heard from the Sugaos, and it was then I first found out that my son would be joining us, which boosted my spirits even higher. And more than ever I enjoyed watching the daylight turn to dusk.
English translation by Paul Atkins
英語のリスニングの練習をしたい方は、是非動画もご覧ください。
#祖父 #おじいちゃん #アメリカ #渡米
#夢 #夢継ぎ #夢代人 #アメリカンドリーム
#英語 #アメリカ英語 #バイリンガル
