chapter 12 (pp192-210)
As THE DAYS ROLLED ON I commenced getting hep to the jive. I learned a good deal about life and people as I shot dice with the waiters, the deck hands, the mu sicians and anybody else who gambled. Sometimes after we left the bandstand we would gamble all night and even up to the following night. Lots of times I would win, but most of the time I lost. Those waiters were old hustlers from 'way back, and so were the deck hands and musicians. Like everybody else I hated to lose, but since I was not used to having a whole lot of money ― or even any money much of the time ― I did not take my losses so hard as some of the more experienced fellows.
月日が経ち、本業であるジャズについてだんだん理解を深めていった。そして人生のこと、人間のことを多く学んだのが、サイコロ遊びだ。ウェイター、甲板員、ミュージシャン、他にもギャンブル好き達との交流を持った。時々本番が終わるとギャンブルに興じるあまり、一晩中、あるいは次の本番までなんてこともあった。僕は沢山勝てたが、大抵は負けてしまった。ああいうウェイター達は筋金入りの賭博師であり、それは甲板員やミュージシャンについても同じだ。人並みに僕は負けるのが嫌で、しかしそんなに大金をかけるわけではなく、もっともお金自体そんなに持っていなかったので、経験豊富な連中と比べると大して負けが込むわけではなかった。
When we collected our pay I did not know what to buy so I bought a lot of cheap jive at the five and ten cents store to give to the kids in my neighborhood when I got back to New Orleans. I did not have to worry about Daisy and my mother because they both had good jobs. My sister Beatrice was down in Florida with her husband working on some kind of saw mill job, and I did not have to send her anything either. So I ran from one salary to another spending money like water. I was the happiest kid musician in the world.
お金が入っても使い道がわからず、安売り雑貨店に行ってはあれこれ沢山買い漁り、ニューオーリンズに帰った時に近所の子供達へのお土産にしていた。デイジーと母の心配はしなくてよかった。二人共ちゃんと稼ぎがあったからだ。妹のベアトリスがフロリダで一緒に暮らす旦那さんは、製材所かなんかで仕事をしており、彼女へ何か送る必要もなかった。だから稼ぎは全部遣い放題でだった。世界一幸せなお子様ミュージシャンというわけである。
When I joined Fate's orchestra I weighed only one hundred and forty pounds. One day after I had been dissipating a lot I caught a cold. I asked David Jones to recommend something to cure it.
"Just get a bottle of Scott's Emulsion, and take it regularly until it is gone."
フェイトの楽団に入団した時、僕はたったの64キロしかなかった。ある日、放蕩がたたって風邪をひいてしまった。デヴィッド・ジョーンズにオススメを訊いた。
「スコット社製のエマルジョン（ビタミン補給ドリンク）を治るまで定期的に飲んでればいい。」
That is what I did, and within a week's time I had gained a great deal. As a matter of fact, when I got back to New Orleans I had to buy a pair of fat man's trousers. From that time on I never got back to my old fighting weight again. Of course, I got rid of that cold.
言葉通りやってみると1週間でしっかり回復した。しかも何と、ニューオーリンズに帰ったときには太めの人用のズボンを買う羽目になったくらいだ。以来、凛々しく引き締まった体型に戻ることはなかった。当然、例の風邪は回復している。
A funny thing happened on the steamer Saint Paul during an all day excursion. The boat was packed and jammed to the rafters and the band was swinging like mad. Between Alton and Quincy a young white boy made a bet with one of his buddies that he would jump off. The boy jumped and the deck hands shouted: "Man overboard. Man overboard!" Everybody ran to the side of the boat which suddenly began to list dangerously. People did not quite realize what had happened and they rushed hollering and screaming all over the ship. It was a real panic. We musicians were on the stand blowing our heads off when the captain rushed up and shouted: "Keep playing. Keep playing." We played Tiger Rag until we were blue in the face and eventually most of the people quieted down.
セントポール号の日中の航行では、変なことが起きる。乗客が満員で甲板上にまで溢れかえってくると、バンドはそれこそ狂ったようにノリまくって演奏した。アルトンからクインシーまでの航行中、白人の男の子がひとり仲間と度胸試しに川に飛び込めるか賭けていた。男の子が飛び込むと、甲板員達が叫んだ「男性が落水！男性が落水！」皆が船の片側に押し寄せると、突然船体が傾き危険な状態になった。皆何が起きているかよくわからず、船内中叫び声と悲鳴があがった。パニック状態になってしまった。船長が駆け上がって叫んだ「演奏を続けろ！演奏を続けろ！」僕達は精根尽きるまで「タイガー・ラグ」を吹きまくり、やがて乗員たちも落ち着きを取り戻した。
The kid was a good swimmer, and he had almost reached the other side of the river when the captain sent a boat crew after him. He did not want to come back, and he put up a good fight before the boat crew could pull him in. Again the passengers rushed to the side to watch the excitement and again the boat started to list. "Keep on playing. Keep on playing.” the captain continued to shout. Finally the kid was brought back and locked up. The captain and some of the crew wanted to take a poke at him, but they realized he was only a child and had him arrested when the boat reached Saint Louis.
その男の子は泳ぎが達者で、もうちょっとで対岸に辿り着きそうになったところで船長が救助ボートを出した。その子は戻りたくなくて、善戦したものの結局ボートのクルーに引き揚げられてしまった。今度も乗客達は興奮して船の片側に殺到し、傾き始めた。「演奏を続けろ、演奏を続けろ」船長は叫び続けた。その子は船に戻され、拘束された。船長も対応にあたった一部のクルーもその子をぶっ飛ばしてやりたいと思ったが、まだ子供だということで、セントルイスまで監禁するにとどめた。
There were often fights on board during those trips, and almost everyone working on the ship would try to stop them. But the members of the band never did. We were colored, and we knew what that meant. We were not allowed to mingle with the white guests under any circumstances. We were there to play good music for them, and that was all. However, everybody loved us and our music and treated us royally. I and some of the other musicians in the band were from the South and we understood, so we never had any hard feelings. I have always loved my white folks, and they have always proved that they loved me and my music. I have never had anything to be depressed about in that respect, only respect and appreciation. Many a time white folks have invited me and my boys to the finest meals at their homes, with the best liquor you would want to smack your chops on liquor I could not afford to buy.
航行中は喧嘩が絶えず、バンドのメンバー以外の乗員はほぼ全員対応にあたった。僕達は有色人種で、それが何を意味するか理解していた。どんな状況でも白人と関わってはいけないのだ。僕達の仕事はいい音楽を演奏すること、それだけだ。それでも皆が僕達とその演奏を愛でてくれて、良くしてくれた。僕と一部のメンバーは南部の出身であり、心得ていたのだ。悪意を持ったことは一度もない。僕は白人達が好きで、彼らも僕と僕の演奏を愛でてくれた。その点で心が傷ついたことはない。ひたすら敬意と感謝である。彼らは頻繁に僕や仲間を家に招いて、最高のごちそうと最高のお酒を振る舞ってくれた。誰もが舌鼓を打ち、お酒は僕などとても手の届く代物ではなかった。
I have been fortunate in working with musicians who did not drink too much when they were working. That can certainly cause a lot of trouble. I had my first experience when I started working in big time early in life. I had no idea how bad a guy can feel after a night of lushing. I was seventeen years old when my comrades carried me home to Mayann dead drunk. She was not bored with me at all, even though I was sick. After she had wrapped cold towels with ice in them around my head she put me to bed. Then she gave me a good physic and told the kids to go home.
僕は幸運にも、酒に溺れないミュージシャン達と仕事ができた。確かに大酒はトラブルのもとだ。本格的に仕事を始めた頃、最初の不始末をやらかした。一晩痛飲すると如何に辛い目に遭うか全くわかっていなかった。17歳の頃、僕はベロベロになり、仲間にメイアンの所へと担ぎ込まれた。ボロボロの僕を彼女は呆れることもなく、タオルで氷を包み僕の頭に巻いて床に寝かせた。そして薬を飲ませると、仲間に家へ戻ってもらった。
"The physic will clean him out real good. After he has put one of my meals under his belt in the morn ing he'll be brand new."
Sure enough, that was just what happened.
「薬を飲んだからもう大丈夫でしょう。あとは何か口にすれば完全に回復するわ。」
その後確かにそうなった。
My mother was always a quick thinker when she had to help people who were seriously sick. She came from a little town in Louisiana called Butte. Her parents had all been slaves, and she had been poor all her life. She had had to learn everything the hard way. My father was a common laborer who never had anything all his life. Mayann's parents could not afford doctors, and when any of the kids was sick they would gather herbs down by the railroad tracks. After these had been boiled down, the children drank them or rubbed their bodies with them. Believe me, the cure worked like magic. The sick kid was well in a jiffy and ready to start life over again.
母は重症者の世話となると機転が利いた。彼女はルイジアナ州のビュートという小さな町の出身で、両親共、終生奴隷の身だった。生活はずっと貧しく、何もかもを苦労して学んできた。父は平凡な肉体労働者で財を成すことはなかった。メイアンの両親は医者を呼べず、子供達が病気になると線路際に生えている野草を摘んできて、煮込み、煎じ汁を飲ませたり体をマッサージしたりした。これで効くのがまるで魔法のようだった。子供達の回復は速くて、普段どおりの生活に戻れた。
I was so embarrassed to have Mayann see me drunk that I apologized again and again.
何度も酔いつぶれてメイアンに介抱してもらう度に、済まない気持ちになった。
"Son," she told me, "you have to live your own life. Also you have to go out into this world all by your lone self. You need all the experiences you can get. Such as what's good and what's bad. I cannot tell you these things, you've got to see them for yourself. There's nobody in this world a better judge for what's good for your life than you. I would not dare scold you for taking a few nips. Your mother drinks all the liquor she wants. And I get pretty tight sometimes. Only I know how to carry my liquor to keep from getting sick."
彼女は僕に言った「自分の人生、自分でやっていかなきゃいけないんだ。できる経験は何でも積まないといけない。良いことも悪いこともだ。それが何かいちいち言えやしない。自分の目で確かめなさい。自分の人生にとって何が良いか、それが一番わかるのは自分自身だ。お前が呑んだくれたぐらいじゃ怒りゃしないよ。お母さんだって飲みたいだけ飲むんだ。時には酔っ払うことだってある。でもそれで具合が悪くなるようには持ってゆかないだけのことだ。」
Then she went on to explain to me what I should do if I got the urge again. She would not make me promise never to drink; I was too young to make such a resolution.
そして、また飲みたくなったらどうするか、言葉を続けた。禁酒を約束させられたことはない。そんな約束をするには、僕はまだガキだった。
"Son," she added, "you don't know yourself yet. You don't know what you are going to want. I'll tell you what. Suppose you and I make all the honky-tonks one night? Then I can show you how to really enjoy good liquor."
彼女は付け加えて「お前は自分のことがまだわかっていないし、どんな欲望にかられるかも、わかっていない。そうだ、一晩一緒に飲み歩くか。それで酒の飲み方を教えてあげようか。」
That would be fine, mama.” I said. "That would be just grand, going out with my dear mother and having lots of fun together/'
I felt like a real man, escorting a lady out to the swellest places in our neighborhood, the honky-tonks. All that week at work I looked forward to my night off. Then I could take Mayann out and she would show me how to hold my liquor.
僕は言った「お母さん、それはいい。おかあさんといっしょに大いに楽しめるなんて、最高だよ。」
女性を一人エスコートして、近所のイカした場所を連れ歩くなんて、一人前の男になった気分だ。その週は休みの日のことを思うと、仕事中も楽しみでしょうがなかった。僕はメイアンを連れ出し、メイアンは僕に酒の飲み方を教えてくれるのだ。
Finally the night came, and I was loaded with cash. Those prosperous prostitutes who came to our joint would give us lots of tips to play different tunes for them and their "Johns." Sometimes the girls used to make their tricks give us money on general principles. The chicks liked to see their boys spend money since they could not get it for themselves all at once. Besides the chicks liked us personally.
やっとその夜がきた。僕はタップリお金を懐に忍ばせた。僕達の行きつけの店にやってくる金持ちの売春婦達は、自分と「旦那衆」に色々と曲を聞かせるのにチップを弾んでくれるのだ。時にはごく当たり前な感じで、成り行き上彼女達の客にチップを払ってもらうことにもなった。彼女達は、自分達じゃまとまって稼げないバンドのボウヤ達が、お金を遣うのを見るのが楽しみなのだ。それに彼女達は個人的にも僕達を可愛がってくれた。
On the night my mother and I went out cabareting we went first to Savocas' honky-tonk at Saratoga and Poydras Streets. This was the headquarters and also the pay office for the men working on the banana boats down at the levee. Lots of times I had stood in line there after working on those boats. And many times I went right in to the gambling table and lost my whole pay. But I didn't care ― I wanted to be around the older fellows, the good old hustlers, pimps and musicians. I liked their language somehow.
母とはしごに出かけた夜、まずサラトガ通りとポイドラ素通りにあるサボカスの店に行った。ここはバナナの輸送船から荷揚げをする河岸労働者達が勤める会社の本社だ。僕は荷揚げの仕事が済むと、何度もここに並んだ。そして大抵給料をもらうとギャンブルの卓に着き、有り金全部吐き出してしまうのだ。でも別にそのことは気にならなかった。昔の仲間や賭博師達、ポン引き連中やミュージシャン達を訪ねてみたかった。僕は彼らと言葉をかわすのが何だか好きだった。
Savocas' was known as one of the toughest joints in the world, but I had been raised in the neighborhood and its reputation did not bother me at all. Everybody knew my mother and me. Mayann used to do washing and ironing for the hustling gals and the hustlers, and they paid well. On Saturday nights hustlers loved to wear their jumpers and overalls to hustle in. The jumper is like a blue coat; overalls were like what we call dungarees. The hustlers thought this outfit brought good luck to them and their whores.
サボカスは世界一アブナイ店として知られていたが、そこで育った僕はそんな評判は何も気にならなかった。皆が母と僕のことを知ってくれていた。賭事に集まる男たちや女達はメイアンの洗濯やアイロンがけの仕事のお客さん達で、金払いも良かった。土曜の夜はギャンルラ―達はジャンパーやオーバーオールでビシッと決めて勝負に臨むのが好きだった。ジャンパーとはブルーコートのようなもので、オーバーオールはいわゆるダンガリー（ブルーデニム）のようなものだ。彼らはこのイデタチが自分と女達に運を呼び込むと考えていたのである。
When the girls were hustling they would wear real short dresses and the very best of silk stockings to show off their fine, big legs. They all liked me because I was little and cute and I could play the kind of blues they liked. Whenever the gals had done good business they would come into the honky-tonk in the wee hours of the morning and walk right up to the bandstand. As soon as I saw them out of the corner of my eye I would tell Boogus, my piano man, and Garbee, my drummer man, to get set for a good tip. Then Boogus would go into some good old blues and the gals would scream with delight.
女の子達は賭事の時は、ウンと丈の短い服を着て、最高のシルクのストッキングを履いてご自慢のきれいな脚を見せつけた。皆僕のことを好きになってくれた。小さくて可愛くて好きな曲を何でも吹いてくれるから、とのことだった。稼ぎが良かった日は早朝店に入ってくると、まっすぐバンドの席へやってくる。僕は彼女達の姿が目に入ったらすぐに、ピアノのブーガスとドラムのガービーに声をかけ、今日もチップを稼ぐぞとばかり準備に取り掛かる。ブーガスがイカしたブルースを弾き始めると、女の子達は嬉しくて悲鳴を上げるのだ。
As soon as we got off the bandstand for a short in termission the first gal I passed would say to me: "Come here, you cute little son of a bitch, and sit on my knee."
ちょっと休憩を取ろうと舞台を外すと、すぐに最初に通りかかる女の子が僕に声をかける「ほらガキンチョ、おいで、あたしの膝に座っていいわよ」。
Hmmmm! You can imagine the effect that had on a youngster like me. I got awfully excited and hot under the collar. "I am too young," I said to myself, "to even come near satisfying a hard woman like her. She always has the best of everything. Why does she pick on me? She has the best pimps”' (I always felt inferior to the pimps.)
読者の皆さんは、僕みたいな若造にとってこれは刺激的だと、ご想像いただけることだろう。僕は心臓ドキドキだった。僕は思った「こんなすごいお姉さんの相手になるには、僕はガキすぎる。何もかも一番いいもので身の周りを固めているじゃないか。なんで僕なんかに声をかけてくれるんだ？ポン引きだって一番の連中がついているし（ぼくはポン引きにはかなわないと、いつもを感じていた）。」
I was always afraid of the hustling gals because of my experience with the chick who pulled her bylow knife on me and stabbed me in the shoulder. Still the whores continued to chase me. Of course I must admit I just couldn't resist letting some of the finer ones catch up with me once in a while.
賭事をやる女の子達にはいつも警戒していた。ナイフを突きつけられて、肩を切りつけられた経験があるからだ。それなのに彼女達は僕を追いかけてくる。そりゃあ僕だって、カワイイ子達にそうされたら、無下にすることはできっこないのだ。
However, let's get back to the night Mayann and I went out sporting 'em up. After we left Savocas' we went to Spanol's tonk around the corner. As soon as we entered everybody gave us a big hello.
ともかく話を戻そう。メイアンと僕が彼女達と楽しんだ夜のことだ。サボカスの店のあと、僕達は角を曲がったところにあるスパノールの店に行った。店に入った途端、皆が僕達を歓迎してくれた。
"Where you been keeping yourself?" they all asked Mayann. "You are a sight for sore eyes.”
Then they all shouted: "Mother and son are making the rounds tonight. We all ought to have good luck.”
彼らは皆メイアンに声をかけてきた「久しぶりじゃないか、みんな逢いたかったんだぜ。」
そして皆が叫んだ「今夜はオッカサンとセガレではしご酒だ。俺たちゃツイてるぞ。」
"Give me a twenty dollar card," one of the big-shot gamblers hollored to the game keeper. "I feel very, very lucky tonight.”
Mother and I did not have a chance to spend much money that night. Everybody kept pouring whiskey down into our stomachs. It was the first time they had ever seen us together.
腕利きのギャンブラーの一人がゲームキーバーに向かって叫んだ「20ドルのカードをくれ。今夜は最高にラッキーな気分だからよ。」
母と僕はその夜はあまりお金をつぎ込むことはできなかった。皆がウィスキーを注ぎに来てくれた。僕達二人が揃っているのを見るのは、これが初めてのことなのだ。
All the time Mayann kept explaining to me how to hold my liquor. I took it all in and said "Yes, mom's" to everything she told me. I was anxious to learn everything I could. At my boss' joint Henry Matranga asked us to have a drink on the house.
"You have a fine boy," he told Mayann. "He is well liked by everybody who comes to my place. We all predict he will be a very fine musician someday. His heart is in it."
Mayann poked out her chest with pride.
メイアンはずっと飲み方について説明を続けてくれた。話の度に僕は「わかったよ、お母さん」と答えた。僕は全てを学んでおこうと躍起になった。
僕の親方の店では、ヘンリー・マトランガが家に飲みにおいでと誘ってくれた。
彼はメイアンに言った「お前さんは良い息子を持ったよ。俺の店に来る連中は皆こいつのことが好きだ。俺たち全員、こいつはいずれ最高のミュージシャンになると予言するぞ。こいつはハートがこもっているからな。」
メイアンは得意そうだった。
"Thank God for that”' she said. "I was never able to give my son a decent education like he deserved. I could see he had talent within him from a wee youngster. But I could not do very much about it, except just pray to the Lord to guide him and help him. And the Lord has answered my prayers greatly. Am I proud of my boy? God in heaven knows I am. And many thanks to you, Mr. Matranga, for letting him work at your place, knowing he did not have the experience he needed. But you tolerated him just the same and the Lord will bless you for it. I shall remember you every night when I say my prayers. With all you people pulling for Louis, the way you all are doing, he just can't miss."
彼女は言った「有り難い限りだよ。この子はホントはちゃんと学校に通わせたかったけれど全然そうしてやれなかったからね。才能はあるんだろうなとは、小さい頃から見ていて思ってはいたけれど、大して何もしてやれなくて神様に助けてくれと祈るばかりだったわよ。そしたらこんなにして下さってさ。良い息子を持ったって？そんな事はわかっているよ。それからマトランガさん、あんたには息子を雇ってくれて本当に感謝してるよ。何も経験がないのに他の人達と同じように辛抱強く使ってくれてさ、本当に有り難い限りよ。毎晩お祈りの度にあんたの幸運を祈ってるわよ。ルイに関わってくれたみんな、そしてみんながルイにしてくれたこと、この子には決して忘れさせないよ。」
Just then Slippers, the bouncer, came into the bar and yelled: "Hello, Mayann. What in the world are you doing out on the stroll tonight?"
丁度そこへ、用心棒のスリッパーズがバーに入ってきて、叫んだ「メイアンじゃないか、今夜は一体こんなところでどうした？」
When she told him we were making the rounds he thought it was the cutest thing he had seen in a long time. Then he insisted that we have a drink with him.
僕達がはしご酒をしていると、彼はそんな最高にいい話は聞いたことがないと言った。そして自分も一緒に飲む、と言い出した。
By this time my mother and I were getting pretty tight, and we had not visited even half of the joints. But we were determined to make them all; that was our agreement and we intended to stick to it. Besides we were both having a fine time meeting the people who loved us and spoke our language. We knew we were among our people. That was all that mattered. We did not care about the outside world.
この時点で母も僕も相当デキアガッてしまっていた。行きたい店の半分もまだ回っていない。でも僕達は全部制覇すると決めていた。二人共そこは譲らない覚悟だった。それにしても、会う人皆が歓迎してくれて心許し合う会話を楽しみ、最高の気分だった。仲間に抱かれている。それが全て大事だった。よその世界のことなど、どうでも良かった。
Slippers, who should have been in the back room keeping an eye on the bad men, stayed on at the bar with us. He just had to tell Mayann how good I was on that quail.
"Mayann, that boy of yours should really go up North and play with the good horn blowers.”
本当はスリッパーズは裏部屋にいて悪い奴らに目を光らせていなければいけないのだが、僕らに付き合ってくれて一緒にバーで飲んでくれた。彼はメイアンに、僕のコルネットの腕前を話したくて仕方なかったのだ。「メイアン、お前さんのセガレは北部に行って、名人連中と一緒に吹いてくるべきだ。」
"Thanks, Slippers,” Mayann said, downing another drink and stuttering slightly. "Thanks, Slippers. You know . . . I'm proud of that boy. He's all I got. He and his sister, Mama Lucy. Of course his no good father has never done anything decent for those children. Only their stepfathers. Good thing they had good stepfathers, or else I don't know what those two children would have done."
「ありがとうよ、スリッパーズ」メイアンは言った。グラスをもう一つ空けると、ちょっと口ごもった。
「ありがとうよ、スリッパーズ。そうだね、有り難い息子だよ。この子は持つべきものは何でも持っている。妹のママルーシーもそうだ。確かに息子のバカ親父は、子供達に何もちゃんとしてやってないからね。義理の父親連中だけさ、ちゃんとしてくれたのは。そうでなければ、この子達がどうなっていたか、想像もできやしないよ。」
Mayann downed another drink, and just as she did somebody in the back room shouted:
メイアンがもう一つグラスを空けると、誰かが裏部屋から叫んだ。
"Slippers! Slippers. Come real quick. There's a bad man from out of town who won't pay off his debts."
「スリッパーズ！スリッパーズ！すぐに来てくれ。ひでえ奴が来ていて、よそ者なんだが、勘定踏み倒そうとしてやがる。」
Slippers made one leap to the rear. In less than no time he was running the guy to the door by the seat of his pants. He gave him a punch on the chops, saying: "Get the hell out of here, you black son of a bitch, and don't come back again, ever."
スリッパーズは裏部屋へひとっ飛びすると、すぐさまその男のズボンを引っ掴んで連れてきた。顔にパンチを食らわすとこう言い放った「出ていけ、このクソクロンボ、二度とくるんじゃねえぞ。」
That was that. Nobody dared to mess around with Slippers. He was a good man with a pistol and he knew how to handle his dukes. He could fight fair and he could fight dirty, whichever his victim preferred. But he was as nice a fellow as God ever made. I loved him just as though he had been my father. Whenever I was around fellows like Slippers or Black Benny I felt secure. Just to be in their company was like heaven to me.
以上！である。誰もスリッパーズをあえて咎めることはしない。彼はいいヤツで、銃を持っているし、客の扱いも慣れている。ケンカは、正々堂々ともやれるし、汚いやり方もできるし、でもそれは餌食となる相手の態度次第なのだ。それにしても彼ほどいい人間は見たことがなかった。僕にとっては父親のような存在だった。スリッパーズやブラック・ベニーのような連中とつるむ度に、僕は安心感を覚えた。彼らと一緒にいるだけで、天国にいる気分だった。
