論文・翻訳コンテスト

第5回論文・翻訳コンテストの課題

日本語訳/英語課題文

杏林大学外国語学部では児童英語教育従事者を養成するためのプログラムを提供しています。児童英語の教育現場では絵本の読み聞かせの活動も行っています。今回の翻訳課題は、英米で広く読まれているフランクリンという亀を主人公にした絵本から出題します。一見すると平易な英語で書かれていますが、随所に内容を的確に捉えられなければ翻訳できない箇所があります。子どもたちに分かり易い日本語にしてみましょう。

Franklin could count by twos and tie his shoes. He had gone with his class to the bakery, the fire station and the pet store. Today Franklin’s class was going to the museum. Franklin was so excited that he could hardly eat his breakfast.

The museum had lots of steps and huge doors.
“Wow, it’s big,” said Franklin.
“It has to be,” said Beaver. “There are real dinosaurs inside.”

Beaver had been to the museum before. She knew everything about it.
“Big dinosaurs,” she emphasized. “So big that they ate trees for breakfast.”
Franklin was afraid to ask what dinosaurs ate for lunch.

Franklin sat down on the steps.
“What’s wrong?” asked Snail.
“Beaver says there are real dinosaurs in the museum.”
Snail looked alarmed. “That sounds scary.”
Franklin nodded.

<中略>

“Aahh!” screamed Franklin when he turned the corner.
He was looking right into the bony mouth of a Tyrannosaurus.

Franklin blinked. “They’re bones! Real dinosaur bones! But the dinosaurs aren’t alive.”
“Alive?” giggled Beaver. “Of course not. There hasn’t been a live dinosaur for millions of years. You make good jokes, Franklin.”
“You sure do,” whispered Snail.

As they were leaving, Franklin and his friends walked past the Egyptian exhibit.
“Next time,” said Beaver, “you should visit the tomb. There’s a mummy inside.”
“Is it real?” asked Franklin.
“Yes, and scary,” said Beaver.
But Franklin wasn’t scared. He had a mummy at home.

And he could hardly wait to tell her all about his adventures at the museum.

出典　Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark. “Franklin’s Class Trip” in Franklin’s School Treasury. Kids Can Press

Material from Franklin's School Treasury is used by permission of Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto, Canada.
Text (c) 2001 Paulette Bourgeois.