「英語落語」傑作集

出版社/著者からの内容紹介
　「時うどん」（「時そば」の上方版）「壺算」「いらち車」「ちりとてちん」「代脈」「もぐら泥」「禁酒番屋」といった古典落語を英訳した「英語落語」の傑作１３話を収録しました。英訳と日本語は簡単に切り替えられます。平易な英語で書かれていますので、英語速読テキストとしてもお薦めです。英語で直に笑える「快感」を是非味わってください！

抄録（「電子書店パピレス」より）
　　　【１】Pot Mathematics
　　　（壺算）
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Kiroku: Hi. How are you?
Gen: Hey. What's up?
Kiroku: I put some water in my pot at night and the next morning the water was gone.
Gen: I'm not surprised. Your pot is broken. It leaks.
Kiroku: Yeah. My wife says that too.
Gen: So what?
Kiroku: But she said, don't say it's broken, that is bad luck. Say it's not good for holding water.
Gen: Why are you here?
Kiroku: My wife told me to go buy another big pot. But I'm not good at shopping. I buy cheap things for expensive prices. Gen is stingy and cunning, so tell him he's good at shopping, or something, and get him to go shopping with me.... That's what my wife said.
Gen: What did you just say?
Kiroku: Well, I'm not good at shopping. And Gen is...not stingy, but cunning..., isn't true, so I'm...not going to tell you you're good at shopping. ...My wife also said not to say that in front of you....
Gen: I heard you crystal clear now.
Kiroku: Sorry. Well, I'm so used to saying that behind your back, so....
Gen: Don't get used to saying that. Well, but, Rakugo stories need a stupid man and a wise man. You're certainly the stupid one, so I'd be the wise man. Then I have to go with you. OK, I'll go with you.
Kiroku: Yeah!
Gen: But! You keep quiet. You can ruin everything....
Excuse me. We're looking for a pot.
Clerk: Welcome, Gen. What kind of pot are you looking for?
Gen: Well, he is buying. Hey, how about this one? Do you like it?
Kiroku: No, I don't.
Gen: That was quick. What don't you like about it?
Kiroku: This pot is different from the one my wife was talking about.
Gen: This is the same one.
Kiroku: No, the top of this pot is closed and the bottom is open. I can't put water in it, and even if I did, the water would come out of the bottom.
Gen: I see. You'd better shut up.
How much for this one?
Kiroku: And, my wife also said a big pot.
Gen: Shut up. Can you give us a discount?
Clerk: Both of my neighbors have the same kind of shops, and Gen, since this is not the first time you are here, I'm giving you the best price now, three yen and fifty sen.
Gen: Oh. Because both neighbors have the same kind of shops, and this isn't my first time here, you're giving me the best price, and that's three yen and fifty sen?
Clerk: That's right.
Gen: What if your neighbors didn't have the same kind of shops, and I'm here for the first time, and you're not giving me the best price? How much would that be?
Clerk: Ah, ...three yen and fifty sen.
Gen: The same. That's not good. Let's forget about the fifty sen. See, let's casually discount.
Clerk: when you say that, I feel like I have to give you a discount.
Gen: Good, three yen then.
Clerk: No, it's three yen and fifty sen.
Gen: You're stubborn. If you give me a discount, I thought I'd bring other customers like (baa--) ...the next time.
Clerk: Humm. Really? Fine, three yen.
Gen: Good. Hey, three yen. Pay him quickly.
Kiroku: you didn't let me speak, but I'm the one who has to pay....
Gen: It's your pot. Come on. Three yen.
Kiroku: ....
Gen: Just give it to me!
Kiroku: Oh...!

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著者について
　大島　希巳江（おおしま　きみえ）
　1970年、東京生まれ。渋谷教育学園幕張高等学校で１年間の交換留学を経て卒業。コロラド州立大学ボルダー校卒業後に帰国。青山学院大学大学院にて国際コミュニケーション修士。国際基督教大学大学院教育学（社会言語学）博士。
　専門分野は社会言語学、異文化コミュニケーション、ユーモア学。
　現在、文京学院大学外国語学部英語コミュニケーション学科講師。
　NHK国際放送局「Hellofrom Tokyo ― Funny side up Japan!」にレギュラー出演中。
　1997年より英語落語のプロデュースを手掛け、毎年アメリカ、オーストラリア、シンガポール、タイなど、これまでに多くの国々で海外公演を行なっている。
　著書に『間違いだらけのカタカナ英語』（日新報道社）、『知ってる単語で英会話！』（ジャパンタイムズ）、共著に『辛口・英語ユーモア』（丸善ライブラリー）、『世界を笑わそ！ Rakugo in English』（研究社）、『自分を印象づける英語術』（研究社）などがある。