CNNのオリジナル報道はわからなかったが、英語でどのように理解されているかという点では、CNN「Japanese lawmaker apologizes for Obama 'black slave' remark」(参照)が表題からでもわかりやすい。つまり、日本の議員が「オバマを黒人奴隷」としたということである。丸山議員の発言は英語で表現されている。
"In America, a black man became president. I mean, he's in a bloodline of black people who were slaves," Kazuya Maruyama, a lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Wednesday, during a meeting of the Upper House constitutional panel.
こう英文で表現されると、朝日新聞報道のような曖昧さはなく、つまり、オバマ大統領を黒人の血筋とした、という発言になる。また、「Obama, the first African American U.S. president, is not a descendant of slaves. He's the son of black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas.」とも述べ、事実の誤認を確認している。
"This isn't just one particularly racially outrageous thing that he said about Obama, but it represents a certain kind of nationalism that this generation of politician holds," Cleveland said.
CNNの英訳では、奴隷であったことは過去として”who were slaves”としているが、BBCの英文では、現在なお奴隷だという響きを持っている。実際、丸山議員のオリジナル発言では「アメリカは黒人が大統領になっているんですよ。黒人の血を引くね。これは奴隷ですよ。」となっているので、現在への言及でもよいようだが、「血を引く」という表現には子孫の意味合いがあるのに対して、”With the blood of black people”は現在の人種状況を指しているように受け取れる。これだと黒人の血に焦点を当てたかたちで人種差別になる。BBCとしては、人種差別の話題としての「角度を付けて」報道したのかもしれない。
時事で該当部分を見てみよう。「Japanese lawmaker calls Obama descendant of black slaves」(参照)より。
“In the United States, a black man has become its president. I mean, he is in a bloodline of black people, who were slaves,” Kazuya Maruyama said during a session of Upper House Commission on the Constitution.
CNNと同じ表現がある。おそらく、CNNは時事を引用したのだろう。
共同の英文報道の例
共同で該当部分を見てみよう。DP Diet member apologizes over remarks about U.S. President Obama」(参照)より。
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Diet member belonging to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party apologized Wednesday over remarks he made about U.S. President Barack Obama, calling him black and adding that blacks are descendants of slaves.
"Now the United States has a black president. (He) is of black origin. That means slaves," Kazuya Maruyama, the head of the LDP's judicial affairs division, said during a session of the House of Councillors commission on the Constitution.
APで該当部分を見てみよう。「Lawmaker Maruyama criticized for linking Obama to slaves」(参照)より。
"Today, America has a black person as president. A person who inherits black people's blood. Frankly speaking, they were slaves," he said Wednesday, then went on to explain how civil rights improved in the United States. "Back at the beginning of U.S. history, it would have been unthinkable that a black person, a slave, would become president. That's how dynamic a transformation this country makes."
AFP報道の全体を見渡したわけではないが、訳出の一つの典型例として、「Japan ruling party on defensive over Obama "slave" comment」(参照)が興味深いものだった。
"Now in the United States, a black man serves as president," Maruyama told lawmakers on Wednesday, adding that Obama "carries the blood of black people.
"This means slaves, to put it bluntly."
He then described as "unthinkable" at the time of the founding of the United States more than two centuries ago the idea that a black man could become president.
英文の表現を見れば明白なように、これは実質BBC報道を焼き直している。
ロイターの英文報道の例
ロイターも署名記事を出していた。「JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE CRITICIZES MP’S OBAMA ‘SLAVE’ COMMENT」(参照)より該当部分を見てみよう。
“Now in the United States, a black man serves as president. With the blood of black people. This means slaves, to be clear,” he said, according to the BBC. Maruyama then added: “It was unthinkable at the founding of the country that a black man, a slave could become president. That's how dynamically America has evolved.”