Little Lord Fauntleroy

A children's story written in 1885 by American author Burnett, based on his second son Vivian. Published the following year. The protagonist, Cedric, lives with his mother in the backstreets of New York after his father dies early, disowned for marrying an American. He is taken in by his grandfather, the Marquess of Drincourt, a stubborn British aristocrat, as his heir. However, with his natural innocence and kindness, Cedric is able to clear up his grandfather's misunderstanding about his mother and bring her over to live with him. Cedric is portrayed as a caring, adorable, ideal child. It became a huge hit in America as soon as it was published. In Japan, four years after the original was first published (1890), Shizuko Wakamatsu began publishing a translation in the "Jogaku Zasshi" (Girls' School Journal), and the accurate and skillful translation gained a large readership, and its popularity has not changed to this day.

[Kyoko Kakegawa]

"The Little Prince" translated by Yoshida Koshitaro (Iwanami Children's Library)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

アメリカの作家バーネットが、次男ビビアンをモデルにして1885年に書いた子供のための物語。翌年刊行。主人公のセドリックは、アメリカ人と結婚したために勘当された父と早く死別し、ニューヨークの裏街で母と2人で暮らしていたが、頑固なイギリス貴族の祖父ドリンコート侯爵に跡継ぎとして引き取られる。しかし生来の天真爛漫(らんまん)さと優しさで母に対する祖父の誤解を解き、母を呼び寄せることができる。セドリックは思いやりある、かわいらしい理想的な子供として描かれている。アメリカでは出版されると同時にたいへんな評判となった。日本でも原作初版の4年後（1890）に、若松賤子(しずこ)が『女学雑誌』に翻訳の掲載を始め、その正確で巧みな翻訳により多数の読者を得、今日に至るまで、その人気のほどは変わっていない。

［掛川恭子］

『吉田甲子太郎訳『小公子』（岩波少年文庫）』

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