Hiroshi MINO
Winning Work
Albert CAMUS
”The Plague”
Iwanami-shoten, 2021
Albert Camus' The Plague has received fresh appreciation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a topic of conversation in Japan and attracting many readers. Although Camus is said not to have intended the plague to be the subject of the novel, there's no doubt that many people felt that his description was very similar to what they were experiencing recently. However, Mr. Hiroshi Mino has been working on a new translation since 2013, unrelated to the current situation. The novel was first published in 1950, and the translation by Mineo Miyazaki, which was published by Shinchō Bunko, had become beloved over the years. Therefore, it can be surmised that undertaking a new translation required considerable determination, and its publication was undoubtedly timed with great anticipation.
Mr. Mino, an internationally active expert on Camus, was in an ideal position to present a new translation incorporating the latest research, as evidenced by the extensive and detailed translator's notes in this book. The 135 notes, which go beyond mere information, together with illustrations and maps, help the readers to understand the work and invite them to interpret often overlooked details.
Regarding the translation, its accuracy and solidity are undeniable, but a thorough examination of the original text reveals that each word was carefully chosen and crafted. The seemingly direct translation style masterfully reflects the complexity and philosophical depth of The Plague, hiding various foreshadowings in its details and accurately capturing its essence.
All members of the selection committee were deeply impressed by these qualities.
For these reasons, the 28th Konishi Foundation Japanese-French Translated Literature Award will be awarded to Albert Camus' The Plague by Mr. Hiroshi Mino (Iwanami Shoten, 2021). We sincerely hope that this new translation by a distinguished scholar will bring Camus' masterpiece to an even wider audience.
Morvan PERRONCEL
Winning Work
MARUYAMA Masao
”Le Fascisme japonais (1931-1945).
Analyse et interprétation”
Les Belles Lettres, 2021
The French selection committee of the 28th Konishi Foundation Japanese-French Translated Literature Award has decided to award Mr. Morvan Perroncel for his translation of Maruyama Masao's Le Fascisme japonais (Maruyama Masao, The Logic and Psychology of Ultranationalism, 1946; The Ideology and Actions of Japanese Fascism, 1948; The Mentality of the Militarist Rulers, 1949), Les Belles Lettres, 2021.
Perroncel's translation, in a fluent style, faithful, delicate, and clear, allows readers in the French-speaking world to follow Maruyama's cogent arguments. In essays written in 1946, 1948, and 1949, Maruyama developed a unique view of Japanese fascism and wartime responsibility in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Mr. Perroncel's splendid translation has enabled Masao Maruyama's critical thought to be disseminated in France more than 70 years after its publication. This high-quality work transcends time and borders.
In addition, the book opens with a comparative historical introduction by the specialist on Nazism and the Second World War, Joan Chapoutot, and includes a detailed glossary and an extensive scholarly commentary by the translator, an expert on Japanese political thought, demonstrating exceptional editorial excellence. Thus, the selection committee emphasizes that Perroncel's translation could only be achieved with a deep understanding of contemporary Japanese political thought.