世界一長い文章というのも、世界一長い回文と同様に調べられているようなので、調査してみました。また、本文も見つかったものは載せています。じつはギネス世界記録に載った文章というものも存在します。
句読点が一切ない世界一長い一文をお探しの方はこちら↓
さらに文章の要素を小さくして、世界一長い単語についてはこちら↓
世界一長い文章（一文）の定義
世界一長い文章といっても、句読点で句切っていけばいくらでも物語のように長い文章を作ることは原理的には可能になってしまいます。（それはそれで記録に挑戦するのは面白そうですが。）
調べている人の意図としては、文法的に意味のある一つながりの文で、世界一長いものという意味だと思われます。
言い方を変えれば、読点（、）はあっても句点（。）は最後にしかない、という文の中で世界一長いものが気になっているということでしょう。
これも読点で句切れるならいくらでも伸ばせるといえば伸ばせますが、意味を持たせたうえで長くするというのは案外難しいようです。
また、あくまで誰でも読める形で公開になったものが対象であり、私的に書かれたものは対象外というのも定義の一つといえそうです。
世界一長い文はこれ！英文和訳も！
実際に公開された文章の中で最も長い、といわれているのが、2005年、ハルトン自治区議会が出した都市計画の通知です。
この内容は、ある場所から別の場所に道を移動する計画について一般に知らせる通知であり、なんと630語が一つながりの文で構成されています。
途中にはカンマはありますが、ピリオドは最後にしかありません。以下、引用してみましょう。
引用元：https://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/examples/long-sentences.html#:~:text=The%20Guinness%20Book%20of%20Records,all%20their%20sentences%20were%20long!
‘A path from a point approximately 330 metres east of the most south westerly corner of 17 Batherton Close, Widnes and approximately 208 metres east-south-east of the most southerly corner of Unit 3 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, Widnes, proceeding in a generally east-north-easterly direction for approximately 28 metres to a point approximately 202 metres east-south-east of the most south-easterly corner of Unit 4 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, and approximately 347 metres east of the most south-easterly corner of 17 Batherton Close, then proceeding in a generally northerly direction for approximately 21 metres to a point approximately 210 metres east of the most south-easterly corner of Unit 5 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, and approximately 202 metres east-south-east of the most north-easterly corner of Unit 4 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, then proceeding in a generally east-north-east direction for approximately 64 metres to a point approximately 282 metres east-south-east of the most easterly corner of Unit 2 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, Widnes and approximately 259 metres east of the most southerly corner of Unit 4 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, then proceeding in a generally east-north-east direction for approximately 350 metres to a point approximately 3 metres west-north-west of the most north westerly corner of the boundary fence of the scrap metal yard on the south side of Cornubia Road, Widnes, and approximately 47 metres west-south-west of the stub end of Cornubia Road be diverted to a 3 metre wide path from a point approximately 183 metres east-south-east of the most easterly corner of Unit 5 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 272 metres east of the most north-easterly corner of 26 Ann Street West, Widnes, then proceeding in a generally north easterly direction for approximately 58 metres to a point approximately 216 metres east-south-east of the most easterly corner of Unit 4 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 221 metres east of the most southerly corner of Unit 5 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, then proceeding in a generally easterly direction for approximately 45 metres to a point approximately 265 metres east-south-east of the most north-easterly corner of Unit 3 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 265 metres east of the most southerly corner of Unit 5 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, then proceeding in a generally east-south-east direction for approximately 102 metres to a point approximately 366 metres east-south-east of the most easterly corner of Unit 3 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 463 metres east of the most north easterly corner of 22 Ann Street West, Widnes, then proceeding in a generally north-north-easterly direction for approximately 19 metres to a point approximately 368 metres east-south-east of the most easterly corner of Unit 3 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 512 metres east of the most south easterly corner of 17 Batherton Close, Widnes then proceeding in a generally east-south, easterly direction for approximately 16 metres to a point approximately 420 metres east-south-east of the most southerly corner of Unit 2 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 533 metres east of the most south-easterly corner of 17 Batherton Close, then proceeding in a generally east-north-easterly direction for approximately 240 metres to a point approximately 606 metres east of the most northerly corner of Unit 4 Foundry Industrial Estate, Victoria Street and approximately 23 metres south of the most south westerly corner of the boundary fencing of the scrap metal yard on the south side of Cornubia Road, Widnes, then proceeding in a generally northern direction for approximately 44 metres to a point approximately 3 metres west-north-west of the most north westerly corner of the boundary fence of the scrap metal yard on the south side of Cornubia Road and approximately 47 metres west-south-west of the stub end of Cornubia Road.’
一部を和訳すると以下のようになります。
17バサートンクローズから始まる小道は以下のようなものであり、・・・
・・・（中略。どこでどのくらいの長さが作られるのか読点で羅列されている）・・・
コルヌビアロードのスタブエンドの西南西約47メートルまでの長さです。
途中は長さと一に関する情報をつないでいるので、長くなってしまうのも納得、という感じです。
しかし、もう少し文章を区切って一文が短くなるようにしてもよかったのではないでしょうか。
世界一長い文のギネス世界記録
世界一長い文章には、ギネス世界記録に認定されたものもあります。
それは、ウィリアムフォークナーの小説「アブサロム、アブサロム!」から取り出すことのできる最長の一文です。
この文章は1287語からなる一文ですので、上にあげた文章よりももっと長いものですね。
こちらの文章も読点としてのカンマはありますが、ピリオドは最後までありません。
まとめ
- 世界一長い文章は読点はあっても句点が使われないもののうち、文法的に意味のあるもので長さが競われる。
- 公的に誰でも読めるもので世界一長いものは、道路の移転計画に使われたもの。
- ギネス記録では、「アブロサム、アブロサム！」の中にあるもので、1287文字を数える。
基本的に一文は長くなりそうなときは区切りましょうと言われますが、暇な人は長い文章を考えてみるのもいいかもしれませんね。
