明治期におけるディケンズ翻案の一研究

Oliver Twistの翻案『小桜新八』を題材に

抄録

  This paper explores the discrepancies between Oliver Twist and the adaptation, published in late Meiji-period. From around 1885, translations of Charles Dickensʼ s works began to be published in Japan, gradually shifting from adaptations, which were almost creative workings, to translations, which were truer to the original texts. However, Kozakura Shimpachi, serialized in Miyako Shimbun, in 1911, is an adaptation based on Oliver Twist. This paper primarily focuses on Kozakura Shimpachi and examines the portrayal of villains in the context of the characters' perceptions, comparing it to the original work.

  In Oliver Twist, the advantage of gaze is a crucial element in the villains' narratives. In scenes such as the trial of Artful Dodger, the murder of Nancy by Bill Sikes, and Fagin's acts of peeping and surveillance, they dominate others by seeing from a one-sided perspective. However, when they themselves are subjected to scrutiny, they reveal a more cowardly side of their personalities. In contrast, in Kozakura Shimpachi, there are very few scenes involving the movement of gaze, which leads to the clearer plot compared to the original work. At the same time, however, the choice to prioritize the plot over important theme seems to highlight the limitation of adaptation in the late Meiji period.