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Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red/Wriggle

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Article

Illustration by TOBI.
第百十九季 長月の二
Season 119, Nagatsuki issue #2 (est. 2004/10/14 ~ 2004/11/12)
蟲の知らせサービス開始
Insect Notification Service Starts
蟲の地位向上を目指し
To improve the status of insects
蛍の妖怪リグル・ナイトバグさん(妖怪)が、大量の蟲を遣った『蟲の知らせ』サービスを開始すると発表した。これはぞんざいに扱われがちな蟲の地位向上が狙いだ。 The firefly youkai Ms. Wriggle Nightbug (youkai) has begun sending out huge amounts of insects for her "Insect Notification Service."[1] She is doing so in an effort to improve the low social status of insects.
蟲というと何を想像するだろうか。恐らく多くの方は食糧かゴミとしか思わないだろう。今ではその程度の認識しか持ち合わせていない。その現状に憂えた蟲のリーダーが、現状打破のために発案したのが今回のサービスである。 What comes to mind when the subject turns to bugs? It seems most do not consider them to be anything beyond sustenance or garbage. Very few recognize them as much else, currently. The leader of the bugs, bothered by the present condition, proposed the idea for this service in order to break the status quo.
このサービスは、予め予定を伝えておくと決められた時間に大量の蟲がお知らせにやって来る、という物だ。例えばモーニングコールをお願いすると、朝に大量の蟲が布団の上にびっしりと集まり、優しく起こしてくれる。蟲は羽のあるタイプだけではなく、足が無数にあるタイプも用意されており、そのバリエーションは豊富だ。 The idea behind this service is that, if given the plan and time in advance, a huge number of insects would come and make announcements. For example, if someone asked for a morning call, a huge amount of bugs would gather together on their futon and gently wake them. Winged types of insects and those with many legs may be used, allowing for endless variations.
リグルさんは、今回のサービスに対してこう語る。 I asked Ms. Wriggle to speak about this service.

「蟲だって役に立つって事を思い知らせたいのよ。最近、蟲がなめられてばっかで腹立たしいの。蛍だって松虫だってただの見せ物扱いよ。いつから人間はそんなに偉くなったのかねぇ。だからといって、人間に危害を与えると駆除されてしまうのかも知れないし……。だから生きていく上で蟲が不要と思われている現状を打破すれば、もっと蟲の地位が向上するって思ったの」

"I want people to realize that bugs are helpful, too. These days, everyone just makes fun of us, and it's getting annoying. They think even fireflies and pine crickets are just for looking at. When did humans start thinking they are so high and mighty? But if we harm humans, they might exterminate us... That's why if we can prove that we are useful in their lives, I think our social status would improve."

リグルさんは、蟲を操る事が出来る能力を使い今回のサービスを運営している。利用者も「冷や汗が出る位良く目が覚める」「耳元でカサカサ音が鳴ると居ても立ってもいられない」と好評のようだ。 Ms. Wriggle is managing this new service with her ability to manipulate insects. Users are saying things like "I broke out in a cold sweat and woke up right away" and "With that rustling sound next to your ears, you can hardly contain yourself", so it seems to have a favorable reputation so far.
ただ、リグルさんは最後に「飽きたからもうそろそろ止めよかな」と付け加えた。蟲の命は儚い。蟲の知らせもまた儚いものである。 However, Ms. Wriggle added afterwards, "We're getting tired of it, so we'll probably stop soon." The life of insects is short, so it makes sense that the life of the Insect Notification Service would also be short.
(射命丸 文) (Aya Shameimaru)

蟲の地位向上燃えるリグル氏 (妖怪)

Ms. Wriggle (youkai), angered by the status of insects.

古道具・美術・民具等々、広く売買いたします 古道具「香霖堂」 魔法の森出てスグ We buy and sell all kinds of used furniture, art, and household goods. Antique shop Kourindou, located right outside the Forest of Magic.

Other articles

紙面から From page:
2  幻想郷に響く怪音
9  古いお茶に注意: 茶毒による食中毒が散発的に発生中
29 深夜の助け鬼大会でハプニング発生
2 — Gensokyo's Mysterious Vibrations
9 — Old Tea Warning: Tainted Tea Causing Sporadic Food Poisoning
29 — Outbreak in Late-Night Demon-Helping Rallies

Interview

Illustration by Chiha Ayami.

Wriggle

あれ? こんな事やってたっけ?

What? Were we doing something like this?

Aya

貴方の記事ですよ? ついこないだ取材したじゃないですか

Are you talking about your article? Didn't I interview you just the other day for it?

Wriggle

覚えてないなぁ

I don't remember.

Aya

蟲の頭の中って、どれだけ小さいのでしょうか

I wonder how small the brains of insects are?

Wriggle

違う違う、不要になった情報はすぐに切り捨てるようにしてるだけ。ほらそうじゃないと蟲の知らせサービスだって出来ないしー。お客のスケジュールが覚えられないから

It's not like that, we just get rid of any old information once it has served its job. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to provide the Insect Notification Service, since we would forget our customers' schedules.

Aya

なんだ、覚えてるじゃないですか

Oh, so you remember after all.

Wriggle

覚えてないなぁ

I don't remember.

Aya

昔は蟲の力ももっと強かった様な気がするのです。人間に寄生したりしたし、毒性だってもっと高かったし……。一刺しで妖怪をも倒せる蟲も少なくありませんでした

I feel that insects had more power in the past than they do now. They would act as parasites, and they had stronger poisons... There were quite a few that could even defeat youkai with a single sting.

Wriggle

今の蟲が弱いとでも?

So the ones now are weak?

Aya

弱いですね。昔は大量の毒蟲同士闘わせて、それで最後に残った蟲が最強としてその後妖力を身につけていった物です。それそれは恐ろしい物でした。その時代に比べれば、今の貴方レベルの妖怪では今の蟲もたかが知れています。貴方なんてただの見せ物でしょう?

They are. In the past many poisonous bugs would battle, and the last one standing would gain magical powers. That was a dreadful thing. If you compare it to now, you're not much more powerful than a non-youkai insect. So, you're all show, aren't you?

Wriggle

そこまで言われるとへこみます……うう

You don't have to go that far. Now I'm all sad... Ooh...

Aya

うちの鴉は蟲が大好物です

But my crow loves insects.

Wriggle

げげ、こんな所にも天敵が~

Ack, my natural enemy, even here...

Aya

人はそれを益鳥と呼ぶのです

That's why humans call them beneficial birds.

Wriggle

勝手な事ばっか言わないでよ~!ただでさえ最近年々と蟲の数も減ってきた様な気がするのに

Let me get a word in! Although I don't have much positive to say, especially with the number of bugs decreasing over the last few years...

Aya

良い事じゃないですか。あ、でも蟲が減ったら鳥たちも困るわねぇ

Isn't that good? Oh, but if the number of bugs decreases, the birds would be in a bit of trouble, too.

Wriggle

減っても喰われても困るけど……それより問題なのが殺虫剤よ!

Getting eaten's a problem, but... The bigger problem is insecticide!

Aya

殺虫剤? ああ人間が作った便利な道具の事ですか?

Insecticide? Oh, that useful chemical created by humans?

Wriggle

アレのお陰で私の可愛い蟲達がカサカサと減っていくの

Thanks to that stuff, lots of my cute bugs have shriveled up and died.

Aya

弱いわね

They're pretty weak.

Wriggle

昔の蟲だったら死ななかったとでも言いたいの? そんなレベルじゃないのよあの攻撃は

Are you trying to say that bugs in the past wouldn't have died? These attacks are on a whole different level.

Aya

何を言っているのですか。それはチャンスなのですよ?

What are you talking about? Isn't this your chance?

Wriggle

チャンスって何よ

What chance?

Aya

殺虫剤程度では倒れなかった蟲だけ集めて行けば、殺虫剤の聞かない蟲だけが残る。それで暫く世代を重ねて数を増やす

If you gather together the bugs that survive the insecticide, you make new generations that will resist it. That way you can build up their numbers for a while.

Wriggle

ふむふむ

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm...

Aya

そうしている間に、人間はもっと強くて洒落にならない殺虫剤を作る

But in the meantime, the humans can make stronger, more potent insecticide.

Wriggle

……

......

Aya

それでも効かなかった蟲だけを集め、また数を増やす、それを繰り返していくと……

And then you gather up all the unaffected bugs, and increase their number again, and if you keep doing that...

Wriggle

無敵の殺虫剤が作られるだけじゃないのー?

Why don't they just make a completely lethal insecticide?

Aya

殺虫剤だって、人間に影響ない訳が無いのです。だから殺虫剤の効果には限界があります。殺虫剤の強さが限界まで言った[sic]ときに、蟲は人間の手に負えない力を手に入れる事になるのです

The humans have to make sure the insecticide won't hurt themselves, too, so there's a limit to how strong they can make it. Once that limit is reached, bugs will no longer be defeated by humans.

Wriggle

そうかー。気の長い話だけどもっと頑張らないとー

I see. It sounds like it would take a long time, so I should get to work...

Aya

でも、鳥には食べられてあげてくださいね

But please feed the birds, too.

Profile

リグル・ナイトバグ Wriggle Nightbug
蟲を操る能力を持った妖怪。自身も蟲だけに、寒さと殺虫剤に弱い。 A youkai who has an ability to control insects. Since she is also an insect herself, she is vulnerable to the cold and insecticide.
出演作:『東方永夜抄』 Appearances: Imperishable Night

Notes

  1. Mushi no shirase (虫の知らせ, "bug's notice") originally means "presentiment, foreboding, gut feeling".


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