Recitation of Short Stories by RODOKU Class

at Japan Society Auditorium
333 East 47th Street at First Avenue

プログラム
第一部：　「走れメロス」　by　ジャパン∙ソサエティー朗読クラス
第二部：　「蜘蛛の糸」　　by　阿部知代　

PROGRAM:
Part 1: 　“Run, Melos!”  by members of Japan Society RODOKU Class
Part 2:     “The Spider’s Thread” by Ms. Chiyo Abe

*Free and open to the public. The program will be conducted in Japanese language only.

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『走れメロス』　（1940）　作：太宰治
羊飼いの青年メロスは冷血な王ディオニスの話を聞き、人々を救おうと王城に乗り込んでゆくが捕らえられてしまう。メロスは「妹の結婚式のため3日の猶予が欲しい、自分の代わりに親友セリヌンティウスを人質に置いてゆく」と申し出る。どうせ帰ってこないに決まっている、と笑いながら願いを聞き入れる王。人を信じることが出来ない王に正義と真実を見せるため、メロスは走り出す。しかしそこには3つの試練が待ち受けていた。荒れ狂う川、山賊、そして最大の試練となる彼自身との闘いが・・・。ギリシャ神話とドイツのシラーの詩を元に書かれた太宰治の代表作である。

“Run, Melos!” (1940)  by Osamu Dazai　　
A young shepherd named Melos hears that the cold-blooded tyrant, Dionys, has grown distrustful of people and is killing innocents. Enraged, he enters the castle to assassinate the King but instantly gets arrested. Melos promises that he will return in three days for his execution after attending his sister’s wedding – if he fails, his best friend, Selinuntius, will be executed instead of him. Melos runs, not to save his own life, but his friend’s life. He runs to prove justice and truth to the King. Along the way, he encounters three obstacles: a raging river, attacks by bandits, and lastly the test of his inner strength…    A classic short story by Osamu Dazai inspired by Greek mythology and Friedrich Schiller’s ballad.

『蜘蛛の糸』（1918）　　作：芥川龍之介
お釈迦さまは、極楽の蓮池の下にある地獄にカンダダという男を見つける。生前のカンダダは大悪人であったが、一度だけ善いことをした。道端の小さな蜘蛛を助けたのだ。そのことを思い出したお釈迦さまは、彼を助け上げようと一本の蜘蛛の糸を地獄へ下ろす。喜んだカンダタは糸につかまり登り始めるが、他の罪人たちも続々と登ってくるのに気づいて思わず大声で叫ぶ。その直後に起こったことは・・・。芥川龍之介が手がけた初の児童文学であり、映画化・アニメ化もされている人気作である。

“The Spider’s Thread” (1918)  by Ryunosuke Akutagawa　　
The Buddha Shakyamuni finds, under the lotus-filled pond of Paradise, a man named Kandata in the depths of Hell. Although Kandata was a sinner, he did one good deed by not crushing a spider with his foot. The Buddha remembers this and lowers a silvery spider thread into Hell to save him. Overjoyed, Kandata grabs the thread and starts to climb. When he realizes many other sinners are climbing behind him, he shouts that the spider’s thread is his and his alone, oblivious to what follows next…    This was Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s first piece of children’s literature. It has been remade many times in films, anime, and video games.