A Basic Study on the Translation of Tosa Nikki

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13150
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02050:Literature in general-related
• Research Institution: Hosei University (2021-2022); Japan College of Social Work (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Ono Robert 法政大学, 国際文化学部, 准教授 (80728915)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 紀貫之 / 土佐日記 / 翻訳 / フローラ・ハリス / ジャパノロジー / アール・マイナー / ヘレン・C・マッカラ / W・G・アストン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study has documented, for the first time, that Flora Best Harris translated Tosa Nikki in 1882, which is almost a decade earlier than it has been understood in the past. As a whole, this project approached English translations of Tosa Nikki by five different Japanologists, of which one by Helen C. McCullough being the most recent. Other focal points include the biography of Harris, which has been obscure to date, and how Tosa Nikki was treated by Earl Miner, who studied various ranges of Japanese literature. Hopefully, this project will shed light on Tosa Nikki from a wider perspective of Japanology, rather than a simple evaluation of each translator's accuracy.

Free Research Field

日本文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により『土佐日記』の英訳をめぐる歴史が初めて明確になった。翻訳という作業の背景には外国人である翻訳者の日本での生活や日本人との関わり、あるいは翻訳者が『土佐日記』のほかに関心をもった対象など、様々な要素があるため、本研究は『土佐日記』や紀貫之、あるいは古典文学や英語、翻訳学の専門家はもとより、日本と欧米の交流史などに関心をもつ研究者にも有益な示唆を提供できるものと思われる。