英文速読　初級-36

　How many coffee shops are there in Japan? I doubt if anyone has taken the trouble to count all the kissaten throughout the country, but the total number must be very large. Japanese people take coffee shops for granted. Tourists, however, are very impressed with the large number of coffee shops.
　I live in a large city and the nearest coffee shop is within reach. Believe it or not, there are dozens of coffee shops within a two-kilometer area of my house.
　Why are there so many kissaten? Is coffee, most of all, to their taste? Are they famous for being the world’s greatest coffee drinkers and do they take more pleasure in drinking coffee than any other people in the world? No, I don’t think so. The answer is connected with the living condition rather than with drinking habits. I remember reading a British newspaper which said the average Japanese lives in a ‘’rabbit-hutch.’’ Of course, the newspaper was not saying that Japanese homes were dirty. It was referring to their size. In other words, Japanese homes are quite small on the average in comparison with British houses. Therefore, I think the Japanese substitute kissaten for the living room. Some people make use of kissaten on business.
  Why don’t you try your luck and drop in at one of these coffee shops in Japan?

　　How many coffee shops are there in Japan? I doubt /if anyone has taken the trouble to count all the kissaten /throughout the country, but the total number must be very large. Japanese people take coffee shops for granted. Tourists, however, are very impressed /with the large number of coffee shops.

　いくつの喫茶店があるのか、日本には。私は疑問に思う、誰かがわざわざ全ての喫茶店を数えたかどうかは、日本中の、しかし全体数は非常に大きいに違いない。日本人は喫茶店を当然のものとしている。しかし、旅行者は強烈な印象を与えられている、膨大な数の喫茶店に。

　　I live in a large city and the nearest coffee shop is within reach. Believe it or not, there are dozens of coffee shops /within a two-kilometer area of my house.

　私は大都市に住んでいて、最も近い喫茶店は目の前にある。信じられないかもしれないが、何十件もの喫茶店がある、私の家の周囲2キロ以内に。

　Why are there so many kissaten? Is coffee, most of all, to their taste? Are they famous for being the world’s greatest coffee drinkers and do they take more pleasure/ in drinking coffee /than any other people in the world? No, I don’t think so. The answer is connected with the living condition /rather than with drinking habits. I remember reading a British newspaper /which said the average Japanese lives in a ‘’rabbit-hutch.’’ Of course, the newspaper was not saying /that Japanese homes were dirty. It was referring to their size. In other words, Japanese homes are quite small /on the average /in comparison with British houses. Therefore, I think /the Japanese substitute kissaten for the living room. Some people make use of kissaten on business.
  Why don’t you try your luck /and drop in at one of these coffee shops in Japan?

　なぜそれほど多くの喫茶店があるのか。コーヒーが、とりわけ、彼らの好みに合っているのか。彼らは有名なのか、世界で最もコーヒー好きとして、そして彼らは楽しみとするのか、コーヒーを飲むことを、世界のどこの国の人々よりも。いや、私はそうは思わない。その答えは住環境に関係がある、コーヒーを飲む習慣というよりもむしろ。私はイギリスの新聞を読んだことを覚えている、そこには平均的な日本人が「ウサギ小屋」に住んでいると書かれていた。もちろん、その新聞は言っていたのではなかった、日本人の家が汚いと。それは家の大きさについて述べていたのだ。つまり、日本の家はかなり小さい、平均して、イギリスの家と比べると。それゆえ、私は思う、日本人は喫茶店を居間の代わりに使うのだと。喫茶店を仕事で使う人々もいる。
  運を試してはどうか、立ち寄って、これらの日本の喫茶店の一つに。