黒人詩人作品めぐり騒動、白人作家が翻訳辞退　オランダ

【ハーグＡＦＰ＝時事】米国のジョー・バイデン大統領の就任式で詩を朗読したアマンダ・ゴーマンさん（22）の作品の翻訳をめぐり、白人ではなく黒人が翻訳すべきとの声が上がり、オランダ人作家が辞退した。（写真は米国のジョー・バイデン大統領の就任式で詩を朗読するアマンダ・ゴーマンさん）
　この作家は昨年、英国の権威ある文学賞「マン・ブッカー賞」の国際部門「国際ブッカー賞」を史上最年少で受賞した、マリエケ・ルーカス・ライネベルトさん。ゴーマンさんの詩集「Ｔｈｅ　Ｈｉｌｌ　Ｗｅ　Ｃｌｉｍｂ（私たちがのぼる丘）」の翻訳者として、オランダの出版社メウレンホフに選ばれた。
　だが、白人が黒人の作品の翻訳者に選ばれたことに対し、オランダのソーシャルメディアで批判が巻き起こった。これを受けてライネベルトさんは今回の翻訳を辞退すると発表した。
　黒人の人権活動家ジャニス・デウルさんは、ゴーマンさんの作品の翻訳者に黒人が採用される「機会が失われた」とし、白人のライネベルトさんには「この分野の経験がない」と批判した。
　これに対しライネベルトさんは２月２５日、ツイッターで「私がアマンダ・ゴーマンさんのメッセージを広めることが騒動になり、ショックを受けている。メウレンホフが私に翻訳を依頼したことで、気分を害した人がいることも理解している」と述べた。
　またライネベルトさんは、ゴーマンさん側から自分が翻訳することを依然支持しているとの連絡を受けており、今回の詩の翻訳は「素晴らしく名誉な仕事」になっていたはずだと述べた。
　ゴーマンさんはバイデン氏の大統領就任式で自作の詩「Ｔｈｅ　Ｈｉｌｌ　Ｗｅ　Ｃｌｉｍｂ」を朗読し、国際的な注目を浴びた。この詩は米連邦議会議事堂襲撃事件に触発されたもので、民主主義は「不滅」と宣言している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/03/04-11:32）

A Dutch writer has resigned as the translator of poet Amanda Gorman, the young black star of US President Joe Biden's inauguration, after an uproar over the fact that a black translator was not chosen.
Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, who became the youngest winner of the International Booker Prize last year for their novel The Discomfort of Evening, was picked for the job by Dutch publisher Meulenhoff.
But after criticism in the Netherlands of the fact that a white translator was chosen, Rijneveld, who uses the non-binary pronoun they, said they were pulling out of the job of translating Gorman's work The Hill We Climb.
My heart and mind are still filled with the events of the last few days, 29-year-old Rijneveld said on Twitter late Monday, adding that they would publish their own poem on the row at the weekend.
Poetry unites, reconciles and heals.
The appointment of Rijneveld -- whose novel described the effects of a tragedy on a family of religious Dutch cow farmers, from the perspective of a young girl -- had sparked a backlash on social media in the Netherlands.
Activist Janice Deul, who is black, said it was an incomprehensible choice, in my view and that of many others who expressed their pain, frustration, anger and disappointment via social media.
Deul said there had been a missed opportunity not to employ a black translator for Gorman, the US National Youth Poet Laureate, saying that Rijneveld was white, non-binary, has no experience in this field.
I am shocked by the uproar surrounding my involvement in the spread of Amanda Gorman's message and I understand the people who feel hurt by Meulenhoff's choice to ask me, Rijneveld had said on Twitter on Friday.
Rijneveld said Gorman's team has made it known that they still stand behind them as the choice of translator, adding that it would have been a great and honourable assignment to translate her poetry.
I had poured all my love into translating Amanda's work, seeing it as the greatest task to keep her strength, tone and style. However, I am well aware that I am in a position to think and feel that way, where many are not.
Publisher Meulenhoff said the reactions had touched us and brought us to new insights and that they understood Rijneveld's decision.
Gorman, 22, became an international sensation after reciting her original work The Hill We Climb at Biden's inauguration, a poem inspired by the attack on the US Capitol that declared that democracy can never be permanently defeated.
The French translation of Gorman's work is being done by Belgian-Congolese singer Marie-Pierra Kakoma, who goes by the stage name Lous and the Yakuza.