A walking nuclear bomb

P 46

1954年
1954

歩く核爆弾の恐怖初代ゴジラ

The original Godzilla: A walking nuclear bomb

ゴジラは人間の空想から生まれた、得体の知れない怪獣である。しかし、昭和29年のゴジラの恐怖には、まだしも現実感があった。口から吐き出す放射能の炎『ストロンチウム90』は原爆そのものだし、炎上する帝都は、まさしく忘れかけていた空襲という地獄絵の再現だった。

Godzilla is an enigmatic monster born from human imagination. But the terror of Godzilla in 1954 had a sense of reality. The radioactive flames of strontium 90 that it spewed from its mouth were like an atomic bomb, and the burning imperial capital was a reenactment of the hellish scenes of air raids that had almost been forgotten.

「放射能を浴びた魚なんか食えるか!」という時代に、彼はその巨大さとともに、『歩く放射能漏れ』の恐怖で人々を震え上がらせたのである。

In an era when people thought, “Who could eat radioactive fish?”, his sheer size and the fear of being a “walking radiation leak” terrified people.

犬八車に家財を積んで逃げまどう庶民たち、「もうすぐお父ちゃまの処へ行くのよ」と、ヒシと抱き合う悲劇の母子。必死の抵抗を試みる『保安隊』の戦車もたちまち破壊しつくされ、必死の高圧電流攻撃もゴジラには何の効果もない。せっかく戦争を生き延びたのに、なぜ･･････!!!

Commoners flee in panic, loading their belongings onto dog carriages, and a tragic mother and son embrace each other, saying, “We’ll be going to Dad’s house soon.” The Security Force’s tanks, which desperately try to resist, are instantly destroyed, and their desperate high-voltage electric attacks have no effect on Godzilla. They managed to survive the war, so why…?!

が、そんな凶暴なゴジラも、天才科学者、芹沢博士の発明した『オキシジェン・デストロイヤー』で、文字通り海の藻屑と消え果てた･･････、はずだった。

However, even this ferocious monster was literally wiped out by the “Oxygen Destroyer” invented by the genius scientist, Dr. Serizawa…or so it seemed.

注1 ストロンチウム90

Note 1: Strontium 90

核爆弾の恐ろしさは、その直接的な破壊より、鉄をも溶かす熱であり、その後に広がる人体への破壊である。ゴジラが口から吐き出す熱線がストロンチウムであるとの説明に、当時の観客は震え上がったに違いない。

The horror of a nuclear bomb lies not so much in the direct destruction it causes, but in the heat it releases, which melts even iron, and the subsequent destruction it causes to the human body. When it was explained that the heat ray Godzilla spits from his mouth is made of strontium, audiences at the time must have trembled.

注2 帝都

Note 2: Imperial City

当時の東京都の人口は900万人弱。前年の1953年にはテレビ放送も始まったが、一台15万円(当時)以上もする受像機は庶民には文字通り高値の花。力道山の執闘をひと目見ようと街頭テレビの前に黒山の人だかりができていた。家電製品もまだ生活には浸透しておらず、子供たちに人気があったのは駄菓子屋と街頭の紙芝居。人気のヒーローは鉄腕アトムだった。

At the time, Tokyo’s population was just under 9 million. Television broadcasting had begun the previous year in 1953, but with a single receiver costing over 150,000 yen (at the time), it was literally too expensive for the average person. Huge crowds gathered in front of street televisions hoping to catch a glimpse of Rikidozan’s fight. Home appliances had not yet become an integral part of everyday life, and the only things that were popular with children were candy stores and street picture-story shows. The most popular hero was Astro Boy.

注3 被爆体験

Note 3: Atomic bombing experience

広島、長崎への二度にわたる被爆を体験した日本が、戦後、再び核の脅威に震え上がったのが、ゴジラが生まれたこの年。ビキニ海域を操業中の日本漁船『第五福竜丸』はアメリカの核実験の死の灰を浴びて被爆。全国に放射能雨が降り注ぎ、放射能に汚染したマグロを大量に廃棄するといった騒ぎも起きて、日本全国が核の恐怖に騒然となった。

The year Godzilla was born was when Japan, which had experienced two atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, once again trembled at the threat of nuclear weapons after the war. The Japanese fishing boat “Daigo Fukuryu Maru” operating in the waters off Bikini Island was exposed to the fallout from an American nuclear test. Radioactive rain fell across the country, and there was a commotion over the disposal of large amounts of radioactively contaminated tuna, causing a nuclear terror throughout Japan.

P 47

注4 大八車

Note 4: Large cart

すでに都会では交通ラッシュが社会問題になり始め、翌55年には東京に初めてスモッグが発生したが、地方でまだまだ活躍していたのが荷物運搬用の大八車。もっとも当時、乗用車の製造はGHQによって全面的に禁止されていたため、街を颯爽と走っていた車はアメリカ車や、ヒルマンミンクス、ルノーなどの日本で作られた『国産外車』ばかり。

Traffic rush hour had already started to become a social problem in cities, and smog occurred in Tokyo for the first time in the following year, 1955, but the large handcarts used for transporting goods were still in use in the countryside. However, since the manufacture of passenger cars was totally banned by GHQ at the time, the only cars that galloped through the streets were American cars, Hillman Minxes, Renaults, and other “domestic-made imported cars.”

注5 保安隊

Note 5: National Security Forces

保安隊が自衛隊と名を改め、防衛力を整備したのが、何とゴジラが誕生した’54年。当時の兵力は陸海空三軍で約16万人、艦船約5万8000t、航空機約150機。七月には自衛隊として発足していたが、11月に封切られた映画の中の戦車に書かれた名前は、なぜか『保安隊』のまま。準備が間に合わなかったのか、あるいは自衛隊を強力にテコ入れした『核の担い手』たる米軍に対して、ちょっとばかり抵抗したのか･･･････

The National Safety Forces changed their name to the Self-Defense Forces and established their defense capabilities in 1954, the same year Godzilla was born. At the time, the military strength of the Army, Navy and Air Force was about 160,000, with 58,000 tons of ships and 150 aircraft. The Self-Defense Forces were launched in July, but for some reason the name written on the tank in the movie released in November remains “National Safety Forces.” Perhaps the preparations were not completed in time, or perhaps there was a slight resistance to the US military, the “carriers of nuclear weapons,” which had strongly supported the Self-Defense Forces…

注6 オキシジェン・デストロイヤー

Note 6: Oxygen Destroyer

芹沢博士が発明した水中酸素破壊剤。アイパッチをした博士の顔面の半分には戦争時の傷痕が生々しいケロイドとなって残っているという設定。芸が細かい。

An underwater oxygen destroyer invented by Dr. Serizawa. The doctor, who is wearing an eyepatch, has vivid keloid scars from the war on half of his face. It’s a very detailed production.

上 / 逃げまどう群衆。こういうシーンが臨場感を盛り上げる。左下/大砲攻撃はいたずらにゴジラを刺激するだけだった。

Above: The fleeing crowd. Scenes like this really add to the sense of realism. Below left: The cannon attack only served to provoke Godzilla.

Source: ゴジラの咆哮, p 46-7