📖 The Sound of Waves

Uta-jima, or Song Island, is an island off of the Gulf of Ise on Honshu. It is mainly a fishing village, where men go out to sea to catch fish and octopi during the fishing season, while women are trained to become pearl divers from a young age. Looking out from the island, the ports of Uji-yamada and Yokkaichi. Around Mt. Higashi in the center of the island and climbing up steps, one can reach Yashiro Shrine, where fishermen prayed to Watatsumi-no-Mikoto, the god of the sea, for bountiful catches and good weather. On the top of Mt. Higashi, where the mountain drops into a cliff into the sea, there is a lighthouse. From the lighthouse, the entire island, coast, and distant shoreline are visible. On sunny days, Mt. Fuji, Cape Irako, and Atsumi Bay could be seen in the distance, along with freight and steam ships passing through the waters going towards Nagoya and Yokkaichi. Some of these freighters are owned by someone on Uta-jima, as well. On the other side of the mountain, there is a World War II observation deck. It's old and hasn't been renovated in years. Throughout the seasons, Uta-jima changes much. In winter and early spring, monsoons blow as the octopus season closes. As spring comes around, birds such as cormorants flock to the island as women start to get ready for summer, the pearl diving season. Schools also frequent the main island during this time, as storms are the least tormentous. When the spring equinox has passed, the fishing season has started too, even through August, when storms are the most frequent. After late summer and later in the year, there is less fishing and pearl diving. After the Lantern Festival, there is much more time for leisure until the next year starts again. Shinji is an 18-year old boy living on Uta-jima. He has become old enough to fish, and must support his mother, an elderly pearl diver, and little brother, who is still in school. During World War II, his father was killed on a fishing boat after it was bombed. Life is stable and peaceful on the island for Shinji, but that's until one day when he comes home from fishing, he spots a beautiful girl on the docks and falls in love. Terukuchi Miyata, one of the wealthiest men on the island (and the owner of many freighters), decided to bring his daughter Hatsue back from another island after the death of his son. Hatsue was raised by pearl divers, and is a very skilled one herself, earning the admiration of many women on the island. She's also very attractive, and Miyata decides that whoever marries Hatsue will be chosen as his heir and adopted as his son. First meeting on the observation deck, Shinji and Hatsue quickly fall in love. The Lighthouse-keeper and his wife have a daughter, Chiyoko, who has returned from studying abroad in Tokyo. She's very excited since she has developed feelings for Shinji, only to be crushed when she sees that he's in love with Hatsue. Using Yasuo, the arrogant leader of the boys' club on the island, she tells him some falsehoods that he will eventually spread across the island as rumors. Yasuo is extremely jealous of Shinji, and will go to some lengths to ensure that he will marry Hatsue instead. Shinji and Hatsue must continue this love of theirs all while keeping out of the rumors that have reached just about everyone on the island. Plus, the island's natural thunderstorms and floods as well as increasing storms during the fishing season adds another level of difficulty to their love. Can they beat the odds and have their happy ending in this small island fishing village where rumors fly like sparks? The imagery in this book is absolutely stunning. Every part of the island is developed so much that you can see Uta-jima form in your mind from just visuals. Mishima also carries a feeling of nostalgia and placidity perfectly that makes this coming-of-age romance feel, for a lack of better words, happy. All of the characters are very unique and developed extremely well, making the book feel alive. Uta-jima is actually a real island! It's called Kami-shima (神島 / God Island), and all of the descriptions of locations and coasts are fully accurate. This book has also been made into 5 movies and adapted into animation.

歌岛(Uta-jima)是本州岛伊势湾外的一座岛屿。这里主要是一个渔村,在捕鱼季节,男人们出海捕捞鱼类和章鱼,而女人们则从小接受训练成为海女(珍珠潜水员)。从岛上望去,可以看到宇治山田和四日市的港口。绕过岛中心的东山并拾级而上,就能到达八代神社,渔民们在这里向海神"绵津见神"祈求丰收和好天气。 在东山山顶,山峦化作悬崖峭壁坠入大海,那里耸立着一座灯塔。从灯塔上可以俯瞰整个岛屿、海岸和远处的海岸线。晴天时,可以远眺富士山、伊良湖岬和渥美湾,还能看到前往名古屋和四日市的货船与轮船在海面上驶过。其中一些货船的主人也是歌岛的居民。在山的另一侧,有一个第二次世界大战时期的观察哨。它已经很破旧了,多年未曾修缮。 随着四季更迭,歌岛的景色变化很大。冬末初春,随着章鱼捕捞季的结束,季风呼啸而过。春意渐浓时,鸬鹚等鸟类成群结队地飞往岛上,女人们也开始为夏天的珍珠采集季做准备。由于此时风暴最少,学校也经常组织前往主岛。春分过后,捕鱼季也拉开了帷幕,并一直持续到八月——那是风暴最频繁的月份。夏末之后,一年的晚些时候,捕鱼和采珠活动逐渐减少。盂兰盆节过后,人们有了更多的闲暇时光,直到新的一年再次开始。 新治是一个生活在歌岛上的18岁男孩。他已经到了可以捕鱼的年龄,必须抚养他那已年迈的海女母亲和还在上学的弟弟。二战期间,他的父亲在渔船遭到轰炸后丧生。对新治来说,岛上的生活原本稳定而平静,直到有一天,他捕鱼归来,在码头看见了一个美丽的女孩,并坠入了爱河。 宫田照吉是岛上最富有的人之一(也是许多货船的主人),在儿子去世后,他决定把在另一个岛上抚养长大的女儿初江接回来。初江是由海女抚养长大的,她自己也是一名非常出色的海女,赢得了岛上许多女性的赞赏。她也非常迷人,宫田决定,谁能娶到初江,谁就会被选为他的继承人并收为养子。新治和初江在观察哨初次相遇,并迅速坠入爱河。 灯塔守(灯塔看守人)和他的妻子有一个女儿叫千代子,她刚从东京留学归来。她原本非常兴奋,因为她对新治产生了感情,但在看到新治爱着初江后,她的心碎了。她利用岛上青年会傲慢的领头人安夫,向他透露了一些谎言,安夫随后将这些谎言作为谣言在岛上散布开来。安夫对新治极度嫉妒,要不择手段地确保自己才能娶到初江。 新治和初江必须继续他们的恋情,同时还要避开那些几乎传遍全岛的谣言。此外,岛上自然的雷雨和洪水,以及捕鱼季节日益加剧的风暴,也给他们的爱情增添了另一层阻碍。在这个谣言漫天飞的反差巨大的小渔村里,他们能否战胜重重困难,迎来属于他们的幸福结局呢? 这本书中的意象绝对令人赞叹。岛屿的每一个部分都刻画得如此细腻,以至于你仅凭视觉描述就能在脑海中浮现出歌岛的轮廓。三岛由纪夫完美地传达了一种怀旧与宁静的感觉,让这段青春时期的浪漫故事显得无比幸福。所有角色都非常独特且刻画得极为丰满,让整本书显得生机勃勃。歌岛实际上是一座真实的岛屿!它被称为"神岛"(Kami-shima / God Island),书中对所有地点和海岸的描述都完全准确。这本书还被翻拍成了5部电影,并被改编成了动画。