The Pilgrim's Progress

An allegorical tale by the English religious author John Bunyan. The first part was published in 1678, and the second part was published in 1684. The official title is The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream. The title "Pilgrim's Progress" was used when the English missionary William Chalmers Burns (1815-1868) published the Chinese translation in Xiamen (Amoy) in 1853 while evangelizing China. It is a kind of dream story in which the protagonist sleeps in a cave while crossing the wilderness and writes about the dreams he has there, allegorizing the life of a devout Christian. In the first part, Christian leaves the ruined city and travels through the Swamp of Dejection, the Valley of Shame, the City of Vanity, and the Castle of Doubt to reach the Celestial City, encountering various characters of virtue and vice along the way. In the second part, Christiana, Christian's wife, who refused to accompany him in the first part, awakens to her faith and sets off on a journey with her children, overcoming the opposition of those around her, and accompanied by her neighbor, Great Heart, overcomes many hardships to reach the Celestial City. The pious and sincere feelings and actions of the Puritans are expressed in a straightforward and concise style, and the realistic characters and sharp observations and insights into the present world break away from the typical allegorical stories of the Middle Ages. It also had a great influence on the genre of novels that emerged later, and was widely read as a fireside book that complemented the Bible with its deep religious nature and moving content.

[Hideo Funato]

"The Pilgrim's Progress, translated by Taketomo Mofu (Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの宗教作家ジョン・バニヤンの寓意(ぐうい)物語。前編1678年刊。前・後編は1684年刊。正式には『この世から来るべき世への巡礼の歩み』The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream。「天路歴程」という書名はイギリス人宣教師バーンズWilliam Chalmers Burns（1815―1868）が中国布教の際、厦門(アモイ)で中国語訳を出版（1853）したときのものが使われている。荒野をよぎる途中洞穴で眠り、そこでみた夢をつづる一種の夢物語で、敬虔(けいけん)なキリスト教徒の一生をアレゴリー化した内容。第一部では、主人公クリスチャンが破滅の都を後にして落胆の沼、慚愧(ざんき)の谷、虚栄の市(いち)、疑惑の城などを経て天の都へ至る道程を描き、その間さまざまな美徳・悪徳の人物と遭遇する。第二部は、第一部でクリスチャンとの同行を拒んだ妻クリスチアーナが、信仰に目覚めて子供たちを連れ、周囲の反対を押し切って旅立ち、隣人のグレート・ハートに伴われ苦難の数々を乗り切り、天の都へたどり着く道程が描かれる。ピューリタンの敬虔、真摯(しんし)な心境と行動が率直・簡明な文体で表現され、登場人物の迫真性、現世への鋭い観察と洞察は、中世の類型的寓意物語を脱却している。その後出現する小説のジャンルにも大きな影響を与え、深い宗教性と感動的内容によって聖書を補う炉辺の書として広く読まれた。

［船戸英夫］

『竹友藻風訳『天路歴程』全2巻（岩波文庫）』

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