国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
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The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 | |
マルコ=ポーロ卿の記録 : vol.1 |
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MARCO POLO BOOK I.
Great Desert of Lop, and on the other side is a small
desert of three days' journey in extent.' The people are
all Idolaters, and have a peculiar language. They live
by the fruits of the earth, which they have in plenty, and
dispose of to travellers. They are a people who take
things very easily, for they mind nothing but playing
and singing, and dancing and enjoying themselves.2
And it is the truth that if a foreigner comes to the
house of one of these people to lodge, the host is
delighted, and desires his wife to put herself entirely at
the guest's disposal, whilst he himself gets out of the way,
and comes back no more until the stranger shall have
taken his departure. The guest may stay and enjoy
the wife's society as long as he lists, whilst the husband
hàs no shame in the matter, but indeed considers it an
honour. And all the men of this province are made
wittols of by their wives in this way.3 The women
themselves are fair and wanton.
Now it carne to pass during the reign of -VIANGU KAAN,
that as lord of this province he came to hear of this
custom, and he sent forth an order commanding them
under grievous penalties to do so no more [but to provide
public hostelries for travellers]. And when they heard
this order they were much vexed thereat. [For about
three years' space they carried it out. But then they
found that their lands were no longer fruitful, and that
many mishaps befell them.] So they collected together
and prepared a grand present which they sent to their
Lord, praying him graciously to let them retain the
custom which they had inherited from their ancestors ;
for it was by reason of this usage that their gods bestowed
upon them all the good things that they possessed, and
without it they saw not how they could continue to exist.4
When the Prince had heard their petition his reply was
" Since ye must needs keep your shame, keep it then,"
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