Ridicurous
昨日見た Seinfeld というコメディドラマの1シーンでこういうのがあった。
以下 (上のシーンのセリフ) で強調したところは "L" で発音すべき単語を "R" で発音していて、それが話題になる場面。
Transcript: Seinfeld - The Chinese Woman
- [Night. At JERRY's with he and DONNA CHANG. She's on the couch and he's drying the dishes. She's just hung up the phone.]
- JERRY
- So did they, uh, uncross the lines, yet?
- DONNA
- No. They can't find the problem. It's really getting ridicurous.
- JERRY
- [long pause--did he hear "ridicurous"--should he say something--can't decide if he should. finally..] Did you say, "ridicurous"?
- DONNA
- Ridiculous.
- JERRY
- [pause] I thought you said.. "ridicurous." [he and she look at each other, puzzled.]
- [GEORGE comes in.]
- JERRY
- Oh, what are you doing here?
- GEORGE
- Oh, I wanted to, [notices DONNA] talk to you--I'm sorry, I--didn't know you had company. [JERRY indicates he should stay] Hi, uh, I'm George.
- DONNA
- Oh! Hi! [they shake hands] I'm Donna Chang. [GEORGE to himself registers that as weird, is heading to the kitchen.]
- I just spoke to your mother before.
- GEORGE
- [pause] You spoke to my mother?
- DONNA
- She was trying to call you, but--
- JERRY
- The rines were crossed?
- [They both look at him weird.]
- GEORGE
- Did you say, "The rines were crossed?"
- JERRY
- Did I?
- DONNA
- [pause] George, she's so sweet. We talked for an hour!
- Anyway, I'm really sorry.
- GEORGE
- Sorry? Why sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?
- DONNA
- Well, she told me she and your father are getting divorced.
- [JERRY and DONNA watch as GEORGE immediately and ritually goes to the oven, turns on the gas, opens the door and sticks his head in it.]
このエピソードの他のシーンと一切つながりがないので、どういう意図で作ったシーンなのかわからないのだけど、「R と L の発音が混乱されやすいものである」とアメリカ人でも思っている資料としておもしろい。
日本人の R と L の発音を皮肉るジョークはいくらでもあるが、英語話者が「全然違う音なんだからそもそも発音できないのが理解できん」と考えているか「似てるんだから発音できないのも仕方ないよね」と考えているか、あるいはその中間なのかは、なかなかわからない。
