avid fans

誕生から６年, 今なお人気を集めている「くまモン」は今年, ヨーロッパに進出する方針です。

Kumamon still going strong after 6 years

KUMAMOTO — Kumamon, known for his red cheeks and chubby body, celebrated his sixth birthday on March 12. The character representing Kumamoto Prefecture became an instant star nationwide in 2011 when he won the Yurukyara Grand Prix, a popularity contest of yurukyara — adorable, cuddly or cool characters created to draw publicity.

The popularity of Kumamon is unlikely to slow down. Sales of Kumamon merchandise surpassed \100 billion in 2015 for the first time. And various plans for the character are in the pipeline, including a foray into Europe this year.

“We want to publicize Kumamon and the prefecture to the world,” said an official of the Kumamoto prefectural government.

中略

He captures fans’ hearts with his cute looks and movements. Large numbers of avid fans travel to Kumamon events.

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002846822

本日取り上げる表現は “avid”/avid/ です。

『新英和大辞典』(第５版, 研究社)には, 「1.貪欲な, (…を)渇望する[for, of] 2.熱心な(eager)」とありました。また “with avid interest” で「むさぼるように興味を持って, 食い入るように」という熟語が記されていました。

Merriam-Webster.comには, “characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit” と定義されていました。

今回は「多くの熱烈なくまモンファンが, イベントを訪れる」と訳すと自然である, と思いました。（Cayu）