The Raccoon

The Raccoon
(アライグマ)


It happened in the dead of night while I was slicing bread far a guilty snack.
(それは深夜に夜食のパンを切っているときにおこった)
My attention was caught by the scuttering of a raccoon outside my window.
(窓の外のアライグマがわたしの注意を引いた)
That was, I believe, the first time I noticed my strange tendencies as an unordinany human.
(それで初めて自分の普通ではない性癖に気付いてしまった)


I gave the raccoon a piece of bread, my subconscious well aware of the consequences.
(結果がどうなるかを薄々感づいていながらもアライグマにパンをあげる)
Well aware that a raccoon that is fed will always come back far more.
(餌を与えられたアライグマがまた戻ってくることを知りながらも)
The enticing beauty of my cutting knife was the symptom.
(魅惑的なナイフの美しさが症候だった)
The bread, my hungry curiosity.
(パンはわたしの餓えた好奇心)
The raccoon, an urge.
(アライグマが駆り立てる)


The moon increments its phase and reflects that much more light off of my cutting knife.
(月は相を高め、ナイフはさらに輝きを反射させる)
The very same light that glistens in the eyes of my raccoon friend.
(アライグマの目を輝かせる光)
I slice the bread, fresh and soft. The raccoon becames excited.
(新鮮で柔らかいパンを切る。アライグマは昂ぶる)
On perhaps I’m merely projecting my emotions onto the newly-satisfied animal.
(あるいは、単に感情を動物に写しているだけかもしれない)


The raccoon has taken to following me.
(アライグマは懐いてしまった)
You could say that we’ve gotten quite used to each other.
(お互いかなり慣れ親しんだと言われるだろう)
The raccoon becomes hungry more and more frequently, so my bread is always handy.
(アライグマはよく腹をすかせ、パンはいつも重宝されていた)
Every time I brandish my cutting knife, the raccoon shows me its excitement.
(わたしがナイフをちらつかせると、いつもアライグマは昂ぶりを見せる)
A rush of blood. Classic pavlovian conditioning. I slice the bread.
(血が滾る。条件反射で。パンを切る)
And I feed myself again.
(そしてわたしに餌をやる)