An afternoon in Ueno Park (Part 5)

Tadashi Ishida

This is the fifth in a series of articles in which Professor Tadashi Ishida, an English teacher at a community center in Taito Ward in Tokyo, describes a language learning activity that he conducted with his class. After having done considerable research and preparation, the learners toured Ueno Park with a foreign visitor, Mrs. Fitzwater, explaining to her the highlights of the park and answering her questions. After the tour, the learners wrote their own combination text and guidebook based on this experience.

Some older learners are good researchers and can find out more about certain things than their English teacher. Miss Yamada is an elementary school teacher who discovered an old story about the dragons sculpted on the gate of Toshogu Shrine. Miss Yamada explained the story to Mrs. Fitzwater.

Ms. Yamada: The gate has two dragons sculptured by Hidari Jingoro, one of the most famous sculptors in the seventeenth century. One�@dragon goes up to the sky and the other dragon goes down to the ground. The dragons are full of life. It was said that these dragons moved around Toshogu Shrine and went to the Shinobazu Pond to drink its water.

Mrs. Fitzwater: Do you believe that story?
Y: Yes, I do.
F: You do?
Y: Yes.
F: So you don�ft go near the pond.
Y: No, I go to the Shinobazu Pond, even if I fear the dragons.

Miss Yamada continued explaining the story.

Y: One day, five brave young men hid in the grass to watch the dragons.
F: They were brave.
Y: Yes, they were. At night, the sky was covered with black clouds and wind began to blow very hard. Two dragons began to move and rage wildly. The five young men were very surprised to see them and they were paralyzed with fear.

A foreigner overheard her explanation and asked Mrs. Fitzwater what they were doing. Mrs. Fitzwater told him.

F: She is telling me in English what everything is in here. This is an English conversation class.

Miss Yamada continued explaining the story.

Y: The five young men went home and talked about the incident to the people. But nobody believed them. The next day, people went to the Shinobazu Pond and they found many footprints of dragons. These two dragons became famous as �gthe water-drinking dragons�h.
F: Water-drinking dragons? Very interesting. It�fs quite a story you�fve told us.
Y: Thank you.

山田さんは東照宮の門についてフィッツウォーターさんに説明しました。

山：門には、１７世紀の有名な彫刻家の左甚五郎が彫った二匹の竜があります。一つの竜は昇り竜で、もう一つの竜は下り竜です。竜は生き生きとしています。この竜は東照宮の周りを動き回り、不忍池に行き、そこの水を飲んだと伝えられています。

フィッツウォーターさんが質問しました。

フ：その話を信じますか？
山：はい。
フ：本当に？
山：はい。
フ：それでは池には近づかないのですね。
山：いいえ。竜は怖いけれど、不忍池には行きます。

山田さんは物語を続けました。

山：ある日、５人の勇敢な若者が竜を見張るために草むらに隠れました。
フ：彼らは勇敢ですね。
山：はい。勇敢です。夜になると、空は黒雲で覆われ、風が激しく吹き始めました。二匹の竜が動いて、激しく暴れ始めました。５人の若者はそれを見て非常に驚き、恐怖のあまり腰を抜かしました。

一人の外国人が山田さんの説明をふと聞いて、フィッツウォーターさんに何をしているのかたずねました。フィッツウォーターさんは彼にこう言いました。

フ：彼女はここにあるすべてのものについて、私に英語で説明しているのです。これは英会話の授業です。

山田さんは物語を続けました。

山：５人の若者は家に帰り、人々にその事件について話しました。しかし、誰も彼らの言うことを信じませんでした。次の日に、人々は不忍池に行き、たくさんの竜の足跡を見つけました。この二匹の竜は有名な水飲み竜になりました。
フ：水飲み竜ですか？　非常に面白いですね。あなたが話した物語はたいしたものです。
山：有難う。