論文・翻訳コンテスト

第3回論文・翻訳コンテストの課題

英語課題文

次の文章は、ある女性の書いた文章です。日本語に翻訳してください。

I call myself “name challenged.” I have the hardest time remembering names. My affliction seems to strike hardest after New Year's about the middle of January. It feels like I've got to get my brain oiled after getting rusty during the hectic Christmas and New Year's holiday season. When I forget someone's name, I've learned that the key to avoiding an embarrassing social mishap is simply this: know how to fake it.

Thank goodness my three children understand my condition. They are experts at whispering in my ear the names of their school teachers, classmates, friends, friends' mothers, soccer coaches, tutors, juku, dance and chorus instructors and all the members of each.

My husband can remember names at the drop of a hat. He gets rather annoyed when I can't remember the names of his work colleagues, business associates, high school, college and graduate school classmates, his relatives and even his friends. He'll say to me, “I had dinner last night with so and so.” Quite naturally I'll reply, “Oh, yes, and how are they?”

I thought I'd figured it all out until we got a dog. Now during our twice daily walks, I'm so worried I'll run into Pee-chan, Shakespeare, Einstein or Freddie-kun and not remember who is who. I hope that by March my memory will have returned. But then it will be time for spring fever.

（Lucy Birmingham Fujii. “On the Keyboard” 4. Asahi Weekly, January 29, 2006, p.19)