音読しないでください
先日、東図書館で本を読んでいたら、近くから男の人が大きな声でおとぎ話を読んでいる声が聞こえてきた。振り返えると３５歳ぐらいの人が可愛い女の子を膝に乗せて甘い声で、気持ちを込めて読み聞かせている。「むかしむかし、あるところに王女がいました。これが王女だよ、いいね。王女は美しい白いお城に住んでいました」。
音読が数分間続き、私はいら立ってきた。周りの人達も顔をしかめて、父娘をちらちら見ていた。私は、今の話が終われば音読が止むだろうと思って我慢していた。やがて話が終わり、やれやれと思ったら、なんと、父親は声も新たにまた別の話を読みだした。もう我慢ができない。「静粛は図書館利用者の基本的マナーだ。あの男は分かっていない」。
私は立ちあがり、男のところへ行って、「本を読むのを止めてもらえませんか」と言った。
男は驚いて私の顔を見て、
「ここは図書館だろう。何で本読んじゃいけないんや。ここは本読むとこだろうが」
「ですが、声を出して読まないで下さい」
男は周りを見渡して「『声を出して読んではいけない』という貼り紙がどこにもしてないじゃないか。いい年こいて馬鹿なこと言うんじゃねーよ」
周りの人達が読書を止めて私と男を見ている。二人のやり合いが読んでいる本よりよほど面白いらしい。私は話しても無駄だと思い、司書を呼びに行った。司書は私の後についてきて、男のところに来て、か細い声で「静かに読んでくださいませんか。ここは図書館ですので」と言った。男は荒々しい声で「そうや。ここは図書館や。だから娘に本を読んだっとるんや。それがどこが悪いんや。声を出して読んでやらなきゃ、娘は意味がわからんだろうが」
「でも、みんなが本を読んでいますので、音読するのは止めて下さい」
男は司書を無視して娘に何やら甘い言葉をかけて、また音読しだした。司書は、ただそこに立っているだけだった。私は司書に図書館長を呼んできて下さいと言った。
暫らくして館長が来て、騒音男と館長の間で言い合いになった。男の言い分は「音読をしないように」という貼り紙がしてないと言うことだった。ついに館長は諦めて戻って行ったが、やがてＡ３サイズの紙を持って現れ、男に一番近い柱にこれ見よがしに貼り付けた。そこには「図書館で声を出して本を読まないで下さい」と書いてあった。
男は貼り紙を見て「おめー、市民から読書の楽しみを奪うんかぁ」と、捨て台詞を言って出て行った。
一週間後、東図書館に行ったら、まだ貼り紙がしてあった。
DO NOT READ ALOUD
The other day I was reading a book at the Higashi-ku Library, when suddenly I heard a man reading a fairy tale aloud. I turned to find a father around 35 years old reading it to his cute little daughter who was sitting on his lap. His voice was sweet and emotion-filled, “Once upon a time, there was a princess. This is the princess, my child. She lived in a beautiful white castle….” It lasted for several minutes.
I was irritated. The people around me were glancing at the father and the child with frowned faces. I thought the nuisance would stop after he finished reading the tale. I was patient. Soon he finished it, but alas, he began to read another one with his fresh voice. I became impatient. I said to myself angrily, “Being quiet in a library is basic manner. Doesn’t he know that?”
I stood up, went to him, and said, “Could you stop reading the book?”
Surprised, he looked up at me and said,
“But this is a library. Why should I stop reading? Isn’t this a place for reading?”
“Yes, but you should not read aloud.”
He looked around and said, “Why, there is no sign saying DO NOT READ ALOUD posted in here? Don’t say such a foolish thing, you silly grey-haired man!”
Everybody in the library looked away from thier books and was watching us. Our combat seemed much more interesting than what they were reading. Soon I realized that it was useless to continue talking to him. I gave up and went to call the librarian. Following me, she came to him and said politely in a feeble voice, “Please read silently. This is a library.” The man refuted in a roaring voice, “Yes, this is a library. That’s why I am reading a book to my daughter. What’s wrong with it? I don’t follow you. My daughter cannot understand the meaning of the story unless I read to her aloud.”
“But everybody is reading a book. So, please do not read aloud,” she said.
He ignored her, said some sweet words to his child, and began to read the tale aloud. The librarian kept standing beside him not knowing what to do. I suggested to her that she call the library director.
Soon the director came and there were some more commotion between the man and the director. The basic argument of the man was that there was no sign saying DO NOT READ ALOUD. Finally the director gave up and went back to his office. Soon he came back with an A-3 size paper. He pasted it on one of the pillars nearest to the unmannerly man. It read, DO NOT READ ALOUD IN THE LIBRARY.
The man looked at the sign and left the library with a Parthian shot, “You are depriving a citizen of his joy of reading.”
One week later I went to the library only to find the ridiculous sign still pasted on the pillar.
先日、東図書館で本を読んでいたら、近くから男の人が大きな声でおとぎ話を読んでいる声が聞こえてきた。振り返えると３５歳ぐらいの人が可愛い女の子を膝に乗せて甘い声で、気持ちを込めて読み聞かせている。「むかしむかし、あるところに王女がいました。これが王女だよ、いいね。王女は美しい白いお城に住んでいました」。
音読が数分間続き、私はいら立ってきた。周りの人達も顔をしかめて、父娘をちらちら見ていた。私は、今の話が終われば音読が止むだろうと思って我慢していた。やがて話が終わり、やれやれと思ったら、なんと、父親は声も新たにまた別の話を読みだした。もう我慢ができない。「静粛は図書館利用者の基本的マナーだ。あの男は分かっていない」。
私は立ちあがり、男のところへ行って、「本を読むのを止めてもらえませんか」と言った。
男は驚いて私の顔を見て、
「ここは図書館だろう。何で本読んじゃいけないんや。ここは本読むとこだろうが」
「ですが、声を出して読まないで下さい」
男は周りを見渡して「『声を出して読んではいけない』という貼り紙がどこにもしてないじゃないか。いい年こいて馬鹿なこと言うんじゃねーよ」
周りの人達が読書を止めて私と男を見ている。二人のやり合いが読んでいる本よりよほど面白いらしい。私は話しても無駄だと思い、司書を呼びに行った。司書は私の後についてきて、男のところに来て、か細い声で「静かに読んでくださいませんか。ここは図書館ですので」と言った。男は荒々しい声で「そうや。ここは図書館や。だから娘に本を読んだっとるんや。それがどこが悪いんや。声を出して読んでやらなきゃ、娘は意味がわからんだろうが」
「でも、みんなが本を読んでいますので、音読するのは止めて下さい」
男は司書を無視して娘に何やら甘い言葉をかけて、また音読しだした。司書は、ただそこに立っているだけだった。私は司書に図書館長を呼んできて下さいと言った。
暫らくして館長が来て、騒音男と館長の間で言い合いになった。男の言い分は「音読をしないように」という貼り紙がしてないと言うことだった。ついに館長は諦めて戻って行ったが、やがてＡ３サイズの紙を持って現れ、男に一番近い柱にこれ見よがしに貼り付けた。そこには「図書館で声を出して本を読まないで下さい」と書いてあった。
男は貼り紙を見て「おめー、市民から読書の楽しみを奪うんかぁ」と、捨て台詞を言って出て行った。
一週間後、東図書館に行ったら、まだ貼り紙がしてあった。
DO NOT READ ALOUD
The other day I was reading a book at the Higashi-ku Library, when suddenly I heard a man reading a fairy tale aloud. I turned to find a father around 35 years old reading it to his cute little daughter who was sitting on his lap. His voice was sweet and emotion-filled, “Once upon a time, there was a princess. This is the princess, my child. She lived in a beautiful white castle….” It lasted for several minutes.
I was irritated. The people around me were glancing at the father and the child with frowned faces. I thought the nuisance would stop after he finished reading the tale. I was patient. Soon he finished it, but alas, he began to read another one with his fresh voice. I became impatient. I said to myself angrily, “Being quiet in a library is basic manner. Doesn’t he know that?”
I stood up, went to him, and said, “Could you stop reading the book?”
Surprised, he looked up at me and said,
“But this is a library. Why should I stop reading? Isn’t this a place for reading?”
“Yes, but you should not read aloud.”
He looked around and said, “Why, there is no sign saying DO NOT READ ALOUD posted in here? Don’t say such a foolish thing, you silly grey-haired man!”
Everybody in the library looked away from thier books and was watching us. Our combat seemed much more interesting than what they were reading. Soon I realized that it was useless to continue talking to him. I gave up and went to call the librarian. Following me, she came to him and said politely in a feeble voice, “Please read silently. This is a library.” The man refuted in a roaring voice, “Yes, this is a library. That’s why I am reading a book to my daughter. What’s wrong with it? I don’t follow you. My daughter cannot understand the meaning of the story unless I read to her aloud.”
“But everybody is reading a book. So, please do not read aloud,” she said.
He ignored her, said some sweet words to his child, and began to read the tale aloud. The librarian kept standing beside him not knowing what to do. I suggested to her that she call the library director.
Soon the director came and there were some more commotion between the man and the director. The basic argument of the man was that there was no sign saying DO NOT READ ALOUD. Finally the director gave up and went back to his office. Soon he came back with an A-3 size paper. He pasted it on one of the pillars nearest to the unmannerly man. It read, DO NOT READ ALOUD IN THE LIBRARY.
The man looked at the sign and left the library with a Parthian shot, “You are depriving a citizen of his joy of reading.”
One week later I went to the library only to find the ridiculous sign still pasted on the pillar.
Some people just don't know how to behave. I hate when people smoke in no smoking areas, but since no one enforces the law there is nothing you can do.
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