英語検定ライティング準１級（第268回）

味噌の遅配「塩ラーメンを嘘で誤魔化した話」

週に６度は味噌ラーメンを食べる。日曜日は空いてない。昼間は完全にこれを食べないと１日が過ぎない。あの味を出す味噌はどこから仕入れらているのか。ずっと謎ではあったのだが。
His everyday habit is to enjoy “Miso Ramen” at the usual noodle shop at noon six days a week except Sunday.
He cannot spend a day without this kind of noodle.
He wonders where this shopkeeper gain the ingredients, which provides him with such a miracle taste, he says.
He also wants to obtain this ingredient, but he cannot have a superior command of such special materials.

ある日のこと。いつものように昼過ぎにそこを訪れると店主から謝罪の言葉があった。味噌がない。帰ってもよかったが塩ラーメンを頼んだ。いつも美味しいものを出してくれるからだ。
One day, he unfortunately wasn’t able to enjoy this with no persuasive reason, although he visited the ramen store at the usual noon, to his extreme disappointment.
The shopkeeper apologized to him for not serving the usual ramen with butter topping, which captures him.
Something indispensable hasn’t arrived at this shop, the shopkeeper informed him of the fact with sorrowful expressions on the face, which tried to make him return to his house, but he reconsidered, and he ordered another type of ramen, a salty one, to his a little joy.
He had a thankful emotion toward this shopkeeper because he serves him what is favorite on the globe.

予想した通りに塩ラーメンは胃を満足させなかった。33円ほど安い。逆に言えば33円であの味噌の味なのだ。だが帰り際に放った言葉は塩ラーメンも満足できましたよだったのだ。
The salty noodles he ordered instead of “Miso one” didn’t satisfy his stomach, but it was less expensive by 33 yen, which is a tremendously precious difference.
When he was about to get out of the shop, he told the shop-owner that the salty ramen seemed as delicious as the usual one, which might make him a little relieved.

味噌ラーメンには敵いません。これこそが真意だ。どちらも褒め言葉だ。だが味噌ラーメンが美味しすぎるのだ。生きててよかった。あれを食べられない日曜日は誰が設定したのか。だ。
His miso ramen never fails to outweigh the other kinds of dishes, which was his true emotion, but both feelings might be something admirable toward this shopkeeper.
But his “Miso Ramen” tastes too delicious, which enables him to assume that his life hasn’t been negative so far.
However, he cannot enjoy this on Sunday, when he must suffer from the absence of such a miracle cuisine.