The Queen of the Unmanned Park

    I went to a broad park in the northwestern part of Saitama the other day.

    It was an uncivilized area with no tourists walking around, but only a couple of local joggers were all I saw in about two hours of exploration. The park was in the middle of a depopulated area, yet it was popular among wilderness lovers such as birds, bees, and mosquitoes. There was a small lake around the center of the park. And around the lake were lush areas covered in vegetation, and I wouldn't have been surprised if a wild beast such as a bore or a black bear appeared in front of me!

    It was then I saw a beast ten meters ahead. The beast that appeared in front of me was far beyond my expectation. What I found there was a small rest stop built at the lakeside, and I saw it sleeping on the railing of the log cabin. It was a fatty cat. She was wearing no collar, so I knew that she wasn't human-owned. Yes, she was a wild beast. However, as I walked closer, she didn't move her whisker even an inch. So I did a photo session with her, and here is one of the photos I shot.

    You're probably saying, "We need a closer look!" Don't worry, here it is!

    She didn't move at all, even when I was one meter away from her. As if it was her throne, she kept the same posture with dignity. Then I noticed that she was a lion inside. I could hear her mind voice roaring, "Are you here with an offering to me, peasant?" Oh, how ignorant of me to walk up to my queen nothing in my hand. I shook my head with deep remorse and took one deep breath. I was a little afraid because she saw me as if she was staring at a tiny timid mouse to feed on, but fortunately, she didn't punish me, knowing her physical size doesn't match her mental size.

    I wonder if the queen is still there in that park, waiting for peasants to come with offerings. 

Questions

1. Where is the park located?

2. Who and what kind of creatures did the writer see at the park?

3. Where was the cat sitting?

4. Why do you think the cat didn't move?

5. Is the cat somebody's pet?

6. How close did the writer get to the cat?

7. What did the cat expect the writer to do?

8. Was the writer afraid of the cat? Why is it?

Translation

Make sure to;

1. Try to read the writer's mind.

2. Find out the thesis of the essay.

3. Imagine the setting and translate it into adequate expressions.

4. Try not to focus only on words but implied nuance so you would keep the spirit in the original alive.

5. Reflect cultural differences, if necessary, to make it easy for readers to comprehend the message correctly.

抑えるべきポイント；

1．書き手の頭の中を読み取りましょう。

2．エッセイの核（一番伝えたい中心メッセージ）を見つけましょう。

3． 場面を想定し、ふさわしい表現を使って訳するようにしましょう。

4．言葉だけではなく、言葉にならないニュアンスの部分に注意を払い、原文が持つ響きを活かしましょう。

5．読み手がメッセージを正しく理解できるように、必要に応じて、文化的な背景の違いもまた反映しましょう。

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