園芸科学科３年生の松田竜児君（備前中学校出身）がレターコンテストで旭東支部審査で２位となり、この度県大会で見事入選をしました。応募原稿の一部を紹介します。

１　刺激的な君へDear you who inspire me,

２　いつもお世話になります。Hello. How are you today?

３　日頃の僕の思いは伝わっていますか。Do you know how much I admire you?

４　いつも話しかけても返事が無いのでここであなたに気持ちを伝えます。I talk to you every day but you have never answered me, so I decided to write to you today.

 ５　僕は中学生の頃まであなたのことをあまり知らず、元々自然が大好きで農業高校に入学しあなたと知り合いました。When I was in junior high school, I didn’t know you very well. I was always interested in nature, so it was natural for me to choose an agricultural high school. Then I got to know you and became more and more interested in you.

６　僕はあなたのことを学んでもう３年目です。Did you know it has been three years since I started studying about you?

＜省略します＞

代わりに・・「あなたとの忘れられない思い出がいくつかあります。」I have some unforgettably wonderful memories of you.

１５　早速収穫し冷水器で冷やし、みんなでかぶりついたトマト。Do you remember when I took a big bite of the tomatoes that I picked at the school farm and cooled down in a water cooler?

１６　収穫が遅れヘチマのように大きくなったキュウリ。Do you remember the cucumbers that were harvested too late and became like big sponge gourds?

１７　また割れして売れなくなった大根を持ち帰り、ばあちゃんとおろした大根おろし。Do you remember the damaged Japanese radishes that were brought back to my grandmother’s house and grated?

１８　どれも最高でした。１９　これが僕の思うあなたの魅力です。You are always amazing and never stop fascinating me.

 ２０　あなたには人の考え方や人の生き方までも変えるほどの可能性を秘めていると実感します。Now I realize that you also have a certain power to change the way of our thinking and living.

２１　雨にも負けず風にも負けずときにはアスファルト生え、ひたむきに生きる、根性がある姿を見て勇気をもらいました。I was moved deeply when I found you growing on an asphalt road during a heavy rain. You seemed to live with all your might. You don’t know how much you have encouraged me to live.

２２　しかし、国民の腹を満たす食糧を生産するという必要不可欠な職業ながらいつの時代でも農民は時代をリードすることが出来ませんでした。On the other hand, you seem to have a hard time gaining recognition, even though you have been in charge of producing food for us.

２３　若い人たちはそんなあなたに夢と魅力を持てず、手っ取り早く金儲けになる仕事を探して都会に流れていきます。Many young people do not see your charm and just move to big cities to look for an easier way of living.

２４　その結果、農村の荒廃が今日の現状です。I think that is one of the reasons why many farm villages are devastated today.

２５　僕は今を生きる人々にこんな事を思って欲しくはありません。I do not want the young generation to have a negative image of you.

２６　あなたは素晴らしい、もっと知りたい、そう思って欲しいです。I want them to think that you are special.

２７（近い将来、アメリカで農業について学びたいです。）あなたを学ぶ者として魅力を伝えることが僕の使命だと思うようになりました。In the near future, I’m planning to study more about you in America. I start to think that it is my mission to tell people about your charm!

２８　非農家の人でも「私の趣味は家庭菜園です」なんて言える人が増えたらあなたは喜びますか？Wouldn’t that be nice if many young people said, “my hobby is gardening”?

２９　恩返しがしたい…勇気を与え、僕をかえてくれたあなたに。 I want to return a favor to you – you who has encouraged me and changed me so much.

Sincerely,
                                                                                                                 Ryuji Matsuda