コーデュロイ・マンション

"The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency"シリーズで有名な英国作家Alexander McCall Smith氏が昨年12月からTelegraphにオンライン小説"Corduroy Mansions"を書いている。この小説の冒頭が胡散臭い。イギリス人にその胡散臭さは感じ取れないかも知れないが、われわれ日本人が読めば即座に「臭っ」と叫ぶことができる。

Passing off, thought William. Spanish sparkling wine – filthy stuff, he thought, filthy – passed itself off as champagne. Japanese whisky – Glen Yakomoto! – was served as Scotch. Inferior hard cheese – from Mafia-run factories in Catania – was sold to the unsuspecting as Parmesan. Lots of things were passed off in one way or another, and now, as he stood before the bathroom mirror, he wondered if he could be passed off too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/corduroymansionsbyalexandermcca/3673857/Corduroy-Mansions-Chapter-1-In-the-Bathroom.html

解りやすいように太字にしてみた。「日本のウィスキー - グレン・ヤコモト！」って、なんだそのヤコモトって名前は！日本名っぽくつけたつもりだろうがこれは絶対に存在しない日本名だ。
日本人の友人がいないんだろうな、スミスさんには。

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series)

Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series)

Morality For Beautiful Girls (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

The Kalahari Typing School For Men (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

The Full Cupboard Of Life (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series)

Blue Shoes And Happiness (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

The Miracle At Speedy Motors (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

Tea Time For The Traditionally Built (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)