Hopeless Masquerade/Story/Prologue

Translation

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度重なる天変地異、あらがえない天災の恐怖、 それらは人間の里に厭世観をもたらした。		Recurring disasters and the fear of a catastrophe that could not be withstood: these have brought pessimism to the Human Village.
里には重苦しい空気が渦巻いている。 しかしながらそれは絶望感では無い。 何をしても人間の未来は変わらないという閉塞感に近い物であった。		A gloomy atmosphere swirls about the village. But it's not a feeling of despair. It was more like a feeling of being trapped—that humanity's future would not change regardless of its actions.
『ええじゃないか！』		"Isn't it all right?"
誰が発したのだろうか、そんな声が聞こえて来る気がする。 そうだ、何も変わらないのなら、何をしても良いんじゃないか？ そうだ、もっと刹那的に生きれば良いんだ。 次第に里の人間の心は解放され、それと同時に秩序が乱れていった。		No one remembered speaking it, but this voice still made itself heard. That's right, if nothing is going to change, shouldn't we just do whatever we want? That's right, we should just live in the moment. Gradually the hearts of the humans in the village have become liberated, and with that they fell into disorder.
その様子を別の視点から見る者達が居た。 宗教家達である。 宗教家は乱れた人心を掌握しようと考えた。 秩序を取り戻すと同時に、自らの信仰を集める良い機会だからだ。		There are those who view the scene from a different perspective: the religious. They thought that they should seize control of the human hearts that fell into disorder. It was a great opportunity because, when restoring order, they would naturally be able to gather faith.
幻想郷にお寺を建立した僧侶、俗世を捨て不老不死を目指す道士、 そして復権を目指す巫女。 彼女達は決意する。こういう時こそ「私の出番」だと。		The monk who has built a temple in Gensokyo, the Taoist who abandoned the material world and aims for immortality, and the shrine maiden who seeks reinstatement. All of them have decided. That for sure, in a time like this, it would be "my turn".
さあ、それぞれの信念を武器に、魅力的に闘い、人気を奪い合え！		Now, with your beliefs as your weapons, battle with appeal and fight for your popularity!

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度重なる天変地異、無慈悲な運命、 それらが人間の里に厭世観をもたらした。		Recurring disasters and merciless fate: these have brought pessimism to the human village.
死んでしまえば皆同じじゃ無いか、 そんなニヒルが人心を埋め尽くす。		"We'll all be the same when we're dead, right?" Such nihilism fills the hearts of the humans.
『ええじゃないか！ええじゃないか！』 ついには自暴自棄な声も聞こえる始末。		"Isn't it all right? Isn't it all right?" In the end, even these desperate voices could be heard.
しかし、幻想郷には失われた心を 満たす事を生業とした宗教家達が居た。		But in Gensokyo, there were the religious whose occupations were to satisfy the hearts that had been lost.
幻想郷にお寺を建立した僧侶		The monk who has built a temple in Gensokyo
俗世を捨て不老不死を目指す道士		The Taoist who abandoned the material world and aims for immortality
そして復権を目指す巫女		And the shrine maiden who seeks reinstatement.
彼女達は決意した。 こういう時こそ「私の出番」だと。		All of them have decided. That for sure, in a time like this, it would be "my turn".