描述
Act I: The Arrival of the Cargo Ship
Scene: The Beach on the Desert Island, Early Afternoon
The sun beats down relentlessly on the island as Dr. Julius Von Scheetroll stands, shirtless and rugged, in front of his shit brick hut. His body, lean and weathered, is covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his face adorned with an unkempt beard that has grown wild over the past months. Beside him, his faithful companion, the crab, scuttles back and forth, its pincers clicking rhythmically.
Scheetroll: (muttering to himself) "It’s too damn quiet today, crab. I don’t like it."
The ocean stretches out before him, vast and endless, the waves lapping lazily against the shore. For weeks now, Scheetroll had been alone with nothing but the sound of the waves, the whisper of the wind, and the clacking of the crab’s pincers to keep him company. His hut, built with determination and excrement, stands proudly behind him, a symbol of his descent into madness and survival.
Then, something catches his eye. A shadow on the horizon. Something large, moving slowly across the water. Scheetroll squints, his hand shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. His heart skips a beat as he realizes what it is: a **cargo ship**, its massive hull cutting through the ocean like a steel behemoth.
Scheetroll: (whispering in disbelief) "A ship… It’s a ship."
His pulse quickens, and he takes a step toward the water, his eyes locked on the ship. It’s coming closer, its path leading it directly past the island. As it nears, he can make out more details—the red hull, the rusted cranes, the Chinese characters painted along the side.
Scheetroll: (excited, shouting) "Hey! HEY!"
He waves his arms wildly, jumping up and down on the sand, hoping against hope that someone aboard will see him. His voice carries out over the water, but the ship doesn’t slow. It continues on its course, seemingly oblivious to the madman on the beach. Frustration wells up inside him, but he doesn’t give up. He grabs a nearby piece of driftwood and lights it in the fire, waving it like a torch.
Scheetroll: (desperate, shouting louder) "Over here! I’m stranded! Help me!"
Then, something unexpected happens. The ship begins to slow, its massive hull creaking as it changes direction. A small motorboat is lowered into the water, and Scheetroll watches in awe as a group of crewmen—dressed in work clothes and hats—climb into the boat, their faces stoic and unreadable.
Scheetroll: (whispering, stunned) "They… they’re coming ashore."
The boat speeds toward the island, cutting through the waves with precision. Scheetroll feels a wave of emotion wash over him—relief, fear, anticipation. He hasn’t seen another human being in what feels like an eternity, and now, suddenly, here they are. He quickly brushes sand from his tattered pants, trying to make himself presentable, though his appearance is that of a castaway from another world.
The motorboat reaches the shore, and the crewmen disembark, their boots sinking into the wet sand. There are six of them, each carrying a stick, and one of them—an older man with a hat and a stern expression—approaches Scheetroll. The crab scuttles to Scheetroll’s side, clacking its pincers defensively.
Crewman: (in broken English) "You… you here long time?"
Scheetroll: (nodding, his voice cracking with emotion) "Yes… yes, I’ve been stranded for months. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for someone… anyone."
The crewman nods, his face unreadable. Behind him, the other men begin to move toward the trees at the edge of the beach, their movements purposeful.
Scheetroll: (frowning, confused) "What are they doing?"
Crewman: (matter-of-factly) "We come to flush anoose."
Scheetroll blinks, unsure if he’s heard correctly.
Scheetroll: (confused) "To… what?"
Crewman: (nodding) "Flush anoose. Ship… no good toilet. We come here, island better."
Scheetroll stares at him, dumbfounded. The crewman’s explanation is bizarre, but the sight of the other crewmen heading into the bushes, carrying sticks and ropes, confirms it. They’ve come to relieve themselves—away from the unsanitary conditions aboard the ship.
Scheetroll: (half-laughing, half-incredulous) "You… you’ve got to be kidding me."
But no. They’re dead serious. One by one, the men disappear into the foliage, leaving Scheetroll standing on the beach with the crab at his side. The situation is so absurd, so surreal, that Scheetroll can’t help but laugh—a deep, manic laugh that echoes across the beach.
Scheetroll: (laughing, shaking his head) "I’m rescued… by a crew of anoose flushers."
The crewman standing before him doesn’t seem to share his amusement, his expression still stoic as he watches Scheetroll’s outburst.
Crewman: (deadpan) "No flush here. Water… not good."
Scheetroll wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes, catching his breath. He turns to the crab, who looks up at him with its eyestalks, pincers still clicking away. Scheetroll pats the crab on its shell, nodding to himself.
Scheetroll: (smirking) "Looks like we’ve got company, my friend. A bunch of seamen… come to flush their anooses."
He watches as the crewmen finish their business in the bushes, emerging one by one with relieved expressions. They begin making their way back to the boat, clearly in no rush to spend more time on the island than necessary.
Crewman: (nodding) "You come?"
Scheetroll: (blinking, surprised) "Wait… you’re offering me a ride?"
The crewman shrugs, as if the offer were the most natural thing in the world.
Crewman: "We leave now. You come… or stay."
Scheetroll glances back at his shit brick hut, standing proudly in the background. The fortress he’d built with his own hands, his own waste. The symbol of his survival. And yet… a chance to leave. To go back to the world, to civilization.
Scheetroll: (hesitant, whispering to himself) "I… I don’t know."
The crab scuttles closer to him, as if sensing his indecision. Scheetroll looks down at it, then back at the ship in the distance, the crewmen already preparing the motorboat to leave.
Scheetroll: (muttering) "What do I do, crab? Do I stay… or do I go?"
The crab, of course, says nothing, but Scheetroll imagines its silence as profound wisdom. He takes a deep breath, staring out at the horizon.
Scheetroll: (nodding, resolute) "I’ll come. But first… I have to say goodbye."
The act ends with Scheetroll turning back toward his shit brick hut, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. The motorboat idles in the water, waiting, as the Chinese crewmen exchange glances. Scheetroll knows that this may be his only chance to leave the island, but the bond he’s formed with the place—and with the crab—is not so easily severed.
Japanese Trans:
**第一幕: 貨物船の到着**
**場面: 砂漠の島のビーチ、午後早く**
太陽が容赦なく島に照りつける中、ジュリアス・フォン・シュートロール博士は、上半身裸で、頑丈な体をさらしながら、自分の汚れたレンガの小屋の前に立っている。彼の体は、引き締まっていて日焼けしており、汗が薄く光っている。無精髭は月日の経過とともに伸び放題だ。彼の隣では、忠実な相棒のカニがせわしなく行ったり来たりし、そのハサミが規則正しくカチカチと音を立てている。
**シュートロール**:(独り言)「今日はやけに静かだな、カニ。気に入らない。」
彼の前には果てしない大海原が広がり、波が穏やかに岸に打ち寄せている。数週間、シュートロールは波の音、風のささやき、そしてカニのハサミの音以外は何もない孤独な日々を送っていた。彼の小屋は決意と排泄物で建てられ、その背後に堂々と立ち、彼の狂気と生存を象徴している。
その時、彼の目に何かが映る。地平線に影が。何か大きなものがゆっくりと水面を移動している。シュートロールは目を細め、日差しを遮るように手をかざす。それが何かに気づくと、彼の心臓は高鳴った。**貨物船**だ。鋼鉄の巨獣のように海を切り裂きながら進む巨大な船体。
**シュートロール**:(信じられないようにささやく)「船だ…船が来た。」
彼の鼓動が速くなり、彼は水辺に一歩踏み出す。船に視線を固定したまま。それは近づいてくる。島のすぐそばを通過しようとしている。赤い船体、錆びたクレーン、そして側面に描かれた中国語の文字がはっきり見えてくる。
**シュートロール**:(興奮して叫ぶ)「おい!おい!」
彼は砂の上で激しく腕を振り回し、飛び跳ねている。誰かが彼を見つけてくれることを願って。しかし、船は止まることなく、彼の存在に気づいていないかのように進み続ける。彼の中にフラストレーションがこみ上げてくるが、諦めない。近くの流木を拾い、火にくべてたいまつのように振り回す。
**シュートロール**:(絶望的にさらに大声で叫ぶ)「こっちだ!助けてくれ!」
すると予想外のことが起こる。船が減速し始め、その巨大な船体が軋みながら方向を変える。小型のモーターボートが海に降ろされ、シュートロールは驚愕しながら作業服を着た船員たちがボートに乗り込むのを見守る。彼らの表情は無感情で読み取れない。
**シュートロール**:(驚いてささやく)「彼らが…岸に来るんだ。」
ボートは正確に波を切って島に向かってくる。シュートロールの胸に安堵、恐れ、期待が押し寄せてくる。彼は長い間、他の人間に会っていなかった。だが今、突然、彼らが目の前に現れた。彼は急いで破れたズボンから砂を払い、まるで漂流者から別の世界の人間になろうとしているかのように、自分を整えようとする。
モーターボートが岸に到着し、船員たちは濡れた砂に足を踏み入れる。彼らは6人おり、それぞれが棒を持っている。その中の1人、帽子をかぶり厳しい表情をした年配の男がシュートロールに近づく。カニは防御的にハサミを鳴らしながら、シュートロールの隣にすばしっこく移動する。
**船員**:(片言の英語で)「あなた…長い間ここにいたか?」
**シュートロール**:(感情がこもった声でうなずく)「ああ…何ヶ月もここに取り残されている。誰かが、誰でもいいから来てくれるのをどれだけ待ったことか。」
船員は無表情でうなずく。その背後では、他の船員たちがビーチの端にある木々へ向かって移動し始めている。彼らの動きには目的がある。
**シュートロール**:(困惑して眉をひそめる)「彼らは何をしているんだ?」
**船員**:(淡々と)「アヌースを流しに来た。」
シュートロールは、聞き間違いかと思い、瞬きをする。
**シュートロール**:(困惑して)「何を…?」
**船員**:(うなずきながら)「アヌースを流しに来た。船…トイレ良くない。ここ、島が良い。」
シュートロールは呆然と彼を見つめる。船員の説明は奇妙だが、他の船員たちが棒とロープを持って茂みに入っていくのを見ると、彼の言葉が事実であることを理解する。彼らは船の不衛生な状態から離れて、ここで用を足しに来たのだ。
**シュートロール**:(半ば笑い、半ば呆然と)「冗談だろう…?」
だが、冗談ではない。彼らは真剣そのものだ。1人ずつ、茂みの中に姿を消し、シュートロールとカニが浜辺に取り残される。あまりに滑稽で非現実的な状況に、シュートロールは深く、狂気じみた笑い声を上げる。その笑い声は浜辺に響き渡る。
**シュートロール**:(笑いながら、頭を振って)「俺を救ったのは…アヌースを流しに来た船員たちだ。」