88歳おじいちゃんの渡米記🇺🇸第七日目「米寿サプライズ、ケーキの灯に舞う長き苦労」

米寿渡米記 - 第七日目（１９９５年２月２５日）

２５日、８時起床。洗顔を済ませたが皆がまだ眠っているので再びベ ッドに体を横たえる。９時全員起床して食事をとり、今日は最後のパロアルトの街の探訪である。最後の見納めにとカメラをぶら下げて、そぞろ歩き。街は人影もなく、誠に静かである。

Woke up at 8:00. Washed my face, but everyone was still sleeping, so I went back to bed. At 9 o'clock, the others got up and we ate breakfast. Today was the last day, and we decided to spend it exploring the streets of Palo Alto. With a camera slung around my neck, I wandered about, taking a last, long look. There was hardly a soul out on the street. It was rather peaceful.

建物は平屋が多く、どの家も道路から２、３０m位？離れて建ててある。玄関前は一様に芝生であり見るからに、落ち着いている。街路樹に日本の鯉のぼりの下がっているのも珍しかった。どのストリートもアベニューも整然として先が見えない。流石広大な土地だなァ、と感心する。

Most of the buildings were single-story, and all the houses were built perhaps 20-30 meters back from the street. It was a quiet town, judging from the lawns in front of every house. I was surprised to see a Japanese carp streamer (koinobori) hanging from a tree along the street. The streets and avenues were laid out nicely and went on for as far as the eye could see. It was, as might be expected, a big country, and I was impressed.

午後は阿瀬君の車で最後のショッピングへ。ユニバーシティ･アベニューに時間を費やし夕刻帰途へ。その車の中で史子に「おじいちゃん、今日は最後の夜だから夕食は外食にしましょう。レストラン予約してありますから。」といわれ、連れて行かれたところは流石に大きなレストランでありしかも満席である。どこに席を取ってあるのか、とにかく史子について行くと、満席の客が一斉に振り向いて拍手である。

In the afternoon, Mr. Ase drove us on our last shopping trip. We whiled away a few hours on University Avenue, then headed for home in the evening. While we were in the car, Ayako said, "Grandpa, since this is our last night, let's go out to eat for dinner. I've already made reservations." She took us to a big restaurant, which was completely full. As Ayako led the way, I was wondering just where we were going to sit when all of the customers turned around at once and greeted us with a round of applause.

私は一瞬みすぼらしい小さな日本の爺さんが来た、と冷やかされたのだと思った。ところが史子に「おじいちゃん、この人達は今日おじいちゃんの八十八のお祝いに集まってくれたのよ」といわれてビックリ。 見れば三ケ所に Happy Birthdayと書かれた見事なバルーンが上がり、 ２０名近いアメリカ青年が、私が着席するまでパンパンとクラッカーの総攻撃である。全くあっけにとられる。着席するや再度の拍手の中に花束贈呈。続いて各自の自己紹介。片言の日本語を交える人もあれば、丸きり英語でペラペラの人もあるが、みんな誠意は認められる。 それが終わって歓談しつつ食事となる。

For a moment, I thought they were making fun of the shabby, little old Japanese man who had just walked in the door. Then Ayako told me, "Grandpa, these people are here to celebrate your 88th birthday." It was a complete shock. There were pretty balloons with Happy Birthday written on them, and some twenty young Americans kept up an all-out attack with noisemakers until I took my seat. I was dumbfounded. As I sat down, they applauded again, and I was presented with a bouquet of flowers. After that, we all introduced ourselves. There were some who spoke in broken Japanese and others in fully fluent English, but their sincerity was clear. Then we had a pleasant chat over dinner.

暫くして Happy Birthday to You の歌声に合わせて祝のケーキが運ばれて来る。そのケーキの大きい事！卓子の半分は有りそう。しかもそのケーキには、立体的な８８の文字のローソクが立てられ、平面には Ojichan Omedeto と Happy Birthday と書かれ、全く豪華なものである。 感激にて涙をこらえるのがやっとで、ローソクの灯も吹き消す事は出来なかった。

A little while later, someone began singing "Happy Birthday to You," the rest joined in, and a cake was brought out. It was huge! Must have been half the size of the table. The cake was just gorgeous, with two candles spelling out 88, and Ojichan Omedeto (Congratulations, Grandpa) and Happy Birthday written in icing. I was so moved that it took a while to restrain myself from crying, and even then, I was unable to blow out the candles.

それから間もなく、再び Happy Birthday to You の歌声と共に今度は丸いケーキが運ばれて来る。これは次孫娘、純子の成人式祝である。純子も意外だったので、私同様感激の涙、涙でなかなかローソクの灯を消せない。隣の父親も眼鏡をはずして涙をふいている。

Not long after, they started singing "Happy Birthday" again, and a round cake was brought out. This one was for my second granddaughter, Junko's coming-of-age ceremony (20th birthday). Like me, Junko was completely taken by surprise and, moved to tears, could not blow out the candles. Her father, sitting next to her, had taken off his eyeglasses and was wiping the tears from his eyes.

この世に生を享けて八十八年。私は、はるばるアメリカに渡り、３回目の米寿の祝をこんな形で催して貰うなんて、想像もつかなかった。イバラの道を歩んで８０有余年の苦労はいっぺんに吹き飛んだのである。

It has been eighty-eight years since I was first given life in this world. Not in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that I would come all the way to America to celebrate my 88th birthday for the third time like this. The hardships of more than eighty years of walking the thorny road had been blown completely away.

他人事のように思った米寿の祝。昨年は一族で南伊豆の殿羽根にて催してもらい、二回目は町主催のお祝い（この時は入院中で不参加で残念だったが）。今回の三回目は憧れのアメリカにて、しかも初体面のアメリカ青年に斯くも盛大な催をして貰う等、先ず世界一の幸福爺だと自負している。

 It seemed like someone else's birthday party. Last year, my whole family threw a party for me at Donpane in Minami-Izu, and a second was sponsored by our town (Unfortunately, I was in the hospital at the time and could not attend.) The third was taking place in my longed-for America, a fine party given by these young Americans whom I had just met for the first time. I was the luckiest old man in the world.

全く夢の世界であり、昔の浦島太郎の龍宮でのもてなしをしのばせる。 浦島太郎は貰った玉手箱を開けたばかりに、中から白い煙が出て、太郎はたちまち白髪のおじいさんになったが、私はこの尊い「こころ」の玉手箱は天国へ召されても決して開けないでしょう。

It was a dream world, and it reminded me of the reception given to Urashima Taro, once upon a time, at the Dragon Palace. As soon as Urashima Taro opened the jeweled box that he had been presented with, a white puff of smoke emerged from it, and Taro was transformed instantly into a white-haired old man. But even if I am called to Heaven, I will never open the precious jeweled box in my heart.

お開きとなり、パロアルトの史子の部屋に帰ってからも、感激の興奮で暫く寝付かれなかった。

The party ended. Even after returning to Ayako's, I was still filled with emotion and could not fall asleep for some time.

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
#米寿 #サプライズ #サプライズパーティ