イメージの変奏

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog"がインターネットの匿名性を示すイメージとしてよく使われることを最近も紹介させていただきました。
(Wikipedia)
"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" is an adage which began as the caption of a cartoon by Peter Steiner published by The New Yorker on July 5, 1993.[1][2] The cartoon features two dogs: one sitting on a chair in front of a computer, speaking the caption to a second dog sitting on the floor.[2][3] As of 2011, the panel was the most reproduced cartoon from The New Yorker, and Steiner has earned over US $50,000 from its reprinting.

ニューヨーカーのサイトでそのイメージを利用したユーモア短編小説が載っていました。人間が犬になってしまって、本当にインターネットをしているというお話です。

FEBRUARY 4, 2014
ON THE INTERNET, NOBODY KNOWS YOU’RE A HUMAN WHO’S TURNED INTO A DOG
POSTED BY TEDDY WAYNE

Hi, everyone on Facebook,

I need your help: I have been transformed into a dog. I don’t know how it happened, but soon after I entered my remote Vermont cabin, something felt weird, and my nose suddenly seemed a lot longer and wetter, and then I caught my reflection in the oven door, and, well, I’ve turned into a dog, though I’ve retained my human brain. This is not a joke. I managed to take what I guess would still be defined as a selfie—this photo of a dog is, in fact, me—and I’m using my paws to type, though it’s cumbersome and slow (so far, this message has taken me the better part of five hours). Fortunately, I am able to flush the toilet to replenish my water supply and have access to the groceries I hadn’t put away before I turned into a dog. Address and directions are below.

下記の投稿した文書をよく読まずに写真だけを見てコメントを残すエピソードはFacebookをやっている人にとっての「あるある」なのかもしれません。

Hello again,

Thank you to everyone for “liking” my last post, but given that all of the comments were along the lines of “Cute puppy!” and “Where’d you get your new little pal?,” I assume none of you read it, but merely looked at the photo and assumed I purchased a dog. So, to be clear: I have turned into a dog and need someone to rescue me from my remote Vermont cabin.

先日friendがFacebookのおかげで動詞として使われるようになったことを取り上げましたが、defriendも使われています。

It looks like about fourteen people have defriended me. I’m so sorry to inconvenience you all with a few tactful requests for assistance relating to my instantaneous corporeal conversion to another species. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE USED ALL CAPITAL LETTERS TO POINT OUT THAT I EXPECT TO DIE IN MY REMOTE VERMONT CABIN AFTER INEXPLICABLY TURNING INTO A FUCKING ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL.

まあ特にこれといった展開があるお話ではないですが、外国語学習者にとってユーモアが難しいのは元になっている事柄を共有していないことがあるからですね。