論文・翻訳コンテスト

第4回論文・翻訳コンテストの課題

英語課題文

At the time of the Meiji Restoration, . . . the quality of Japanese literature as a whole had dropped to such a low level that a need for reform was felt by all writers who had become acquainted with the literatures of Europe. The creation of a new kind of poetry and fiction in the 1880s was stimulated by the belief that the traditional literature was exhausted and incapable of expressing the thoughts and hopes of a new generation of Japanese. It is easy, however, to exaggerate the impact on the general public of such works as The Essence of the Novel or Selection of Poetry in the New Style. Although these books were seminal in their influence, their immediate effects were restricted to a small number of aspiring writers, and the mass of readers continued to enjoy the romances of the Tokugawa era or the kind of poetry that was repudiated by the self-aware Meiji men. The translations and imitations of European novels and poetry were published in small editions, and the booksellers were able to wait for the public to catch up with the new literary tastes. Even though Tsubouchi Shoyo’s The Essence of the Novel at first sold only a few hundred copies, it could be reprinted easily when the demand arose.

(Donald Keene, Dawn to the West. Columbia University Press, 1984, pp.391-392.）