今日の英和対訳天声人語（おじさん的英語習得法、若い君ならもっと簡単かも。）

Setting sail for an education in nature's ways

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；また、VOAでヴォイスレコーダーにDLしたMP3音声とテキストも楽しんでます。
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Setting sail for an education in nature's ways

07/19/2005

In recalling his youth, Arthur Ransome (1884-1967), the British author of the "Swallows and Amazons" series of books for children, once noted he had a special ritual to mark the start of school summer holiday. Every year, he would go down to a lake and gently dip his hand in the water.

2005年07月18日（月曜日）付
【天声人語】

　夏休みの始まりを告げる特別の儀式がある。湖のほとりに降りて行き、片手をそっと湖水につけるのだ。児童文学の名作「ツバメ号とアマゾン号」シリーズを書いたアーサー・ランサムの若き日の回想である。

Ransome's stories, which are about holiday yachting adventures in England's Lake District, have turned many youngsters around the world into fans of tall ships.

Among them is Isaku Amemiya, 47, a staff member at the National Institute for Sea Training.

　英国の湖水地方などを舞台に、休暇中のヨットの冒険を描いた彼の作品は、世界各地で帆船好きの子供たちを生んだ。船乗りを養成する独立行政法人航海訓練所の雨宮伊作さん（４７）もその一人だ。

Influenced by Ransome's writings, Amemiya studied at the Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine, where he discovered his passion and calling-to train student sailors aboard training ships. He has since groomed many young seafarers.

He participated in the 2000 Millennium training ship race in North America as the first mate of the tall ship Kaiwo Maru, which triumphed over its powerful competitors from around the globe.

　ランサムの世界にひかれて東京商船大に学び、練習帆船勤務を生きがいに、多くの実習生を育ててきた。２０００年ミレニアム記念の北米練習船レースでは、１等航海士として乗り込んだ海王丸が、世界の強豪を抑えて１位に輝いている。

Why use sailing ships for seafaring training in this day and age?

Amemiya answered, "Without wind, a sailing ship is immobile. By maneuvering the sails, we learn how to work in concert with nature's force, which is pleasant and benign when it is our friend, but fatally dangerous when it turns against us."

He added that after nearly two months at sea, his students' eyes become "more alive," and their personalities become "gentler and a bit more grown-up."

　なぜ、この時代に帆船で実習をするのだろうか。雨宮さんは言う。「風がなければ帆船は動きません。味方にすれば快適だが、敵に回すと命さえ失う大自然の脅威を前に、いかに力を合わせるのかを学ぶのです」。２カ月に及ぶ遠洋航海が終わるとき「実習生の目は輝き、やさしくなり、すこし大人びます」

In Britain, where yachting is a home-grown sport, sailing ships are used widely for youth education.

In "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea," arguably the most exciting story by Ransome, four brothers make a North Sea crossing from Britain to the Netherlands, maneuvering their vessel as it starts drifting in the fog and stormy seas.

The boys mature markedly from overcoming their crisis.

　ヨットの本場英国では、青少年教育として練習船が活用されている。ランサム作品で最も緊迫感あふれる「海へ出るつもりじゃなかった」は、主人公の４人兄弟が、霧と嵐の中、漂流し始めた帆船を操って英国からオランダまで北海を横断する話だった。危機を乗り切ることで彼らは大きく成長する。

Seafarers talk about "being taught by the sails."

I imagine there are many things we could be taught in this age, when nature has been largely forgotten and efficiency put ahead of everything.

　帆船乗りの世界には「帆が教える」という言葉があるという。自然を忘れ、効率ばかりが優先される時代に「帆が教える」ものは多いはずだ。

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 18(IHT/Asahi: July 19,2005)

Who is the co-victim of man switched at birth?

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；また、VOAでヴォイスレコーダーにDLしたMP3音声とテキストも楽しんでます。
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Who is the co-victim of man switched at birth?

06/20/2005

A 47-year-old man who was switched at birth at a maternity hospital in Tokyo is looking desperately for the ``other victim'' of this tragedy. The other baby was born at the Tokyo Metropolitan Sumida Maternity Hospital in April 1958 and his blood group is either O or B.

2005年06月05日（日曜日）付
【天声人語】

　「昭和３３年４月、東京の都立墨田産院で生まれ、Ｏ型かＢ型の男性はいませんか」。福岡市に住む４７歳の男性が懸命に人捜しをしている。生後すぐ産院のミスで自分と入れ替わった相手だ。

The man was living with his parents and younger brother eight years ago, when his mother was hospitalized and her blood group was determined as B. But as he himself was A and his father was O, this made no sense. Deeply upset by this discovery, he accused his poor mother of having had him out of wedlock.

　両親と弟の４人暮らしだった。８年前、母が入院して初めて血液型が判明した。Ｂ型という。父はＯ型だから自分がＡ型なのはおかしい。「若いときに浮気したのか」。問いつめて母を泣かせた。

The next few years were miserable for him. Finally, the entire family resorted to DNA testing last spring, which proved he was not biologically related to his parents.

The man, who now lives in Fukuoka, sued the Tokyo metropolitan government, which operated the hospital at the time of his birth. In a recent ruling, the Tokyo District Court faulted the government for the switched babies, but rejected the man's demand for damages.

　親子で数年間悩んだ末、一緒にＤＮＡ鑑定を受けたのは昨春のこと。血のつながりはないと言われた。男性は産院を運営した都を提訴した。先日の判決で、東京地裁は取り違えがあったと認めたが、賠償請求は退けた。

Shuji Okuno, whose Bunshun Bunko book ``Nejireta Kizuna'' (Twisted bond) is a novel about the agony of a young victim of mistaken identity, noted that accidents of this nature were not uncommon for about a few decades from the mid-1950s.

``The neonatal ward in any hospital was filled to capacity back then, and babies often wore the wrong name tags and clothes,'' he wrote. However, most mistakes were caught and corrected while the babies were still too young to know anything about it, he wrote.

　『ねじれた絆（きずな）』（文春文庫）で取り違え児の苦悩を描いた作家、奥野修司さんによると、同種の事故は昭和３０年から５０年代に見られたという。「どこも新生児室が満員で、名札や名入りの産着がよく入れ替わった」。幼児期に発覚して、ものごころがつく前に親元へ戻されて決着をみた例が多い。

The Sumida hospital closed 17 years ago. A memorial publication, issued at the time it closed, contains delivery and birth records spanning 36 years. About three babies a day were being born, but strangely, there are no entries for a few months around the time of the plaintiff's birth. The publication carries a footnote that says ``medical charts missing.'' But this explanation is unnatural indeed.

　墨田産院は１７年前に閉鎖されている。閉院時に刊行された『記念誌』には、３６年に及ぶ分娩（ぶんべん）記録がある。当時は毎日３人ほどの出産があったが、原告が生まれた年の４月前後だけなぜか記載がない。「カルテ紛失のため」という注記があるが、いかにも不自然に見える。

The cruelty of this man's fate pains me. Who is this man's co-victim? Is he unaware of the mistake? Are the plaintiff's biological parents still living?

The man has lost his litigation, but is more determined than ever to track his parents. His ``foster'' parents, however, feel quite differently. They doubt that digging up the past will bring true happiness to their ``son.''

　運命のむごさを思う。入れ替わった相手はだれか。気づかずに暮らしているのか。実の親は健在か。敗訴してなお原告は親捜しに必死だが、育ててくれた両親は違う。「今さら調べ尽くして幸せになれるのか」と消極的だという。

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 5(IHT/Asahi: June 20,2005)

May gives us something to sneeze about

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

May gives us something to sneeze about

05/09/2005

An attraction known as ``Satsuki to Mei no Ie'' (Satsuki and Mei's house) is said to be pulling in quite a crowd at Expo 2005 Aichi. It is a faithful reproduciton of the 1950s home in which two sisters supposedly lived in ``Tonari no Totoro'' (My Neighbor Totoro), an internationally acclaimed animation film by Hayao Miyazaki.

2005年05月01日（日曜日）付
【天声人語】

　開催中の愛知万博で「サツキとメイの家」が人気だという。映画『となりのトトロ』で主人公の姉妹が暮らした昭和３０年代の民家が、映画そのままに再現されている。

According to ``Shosetsu Tonari no Totoro'' (My neighbor Totoro-the novel), a pocketbook based on the movie, the girls move into the home one May morning. The sisters ride in a pickup truck with a pile of furniture and other belongings their father has loaded. The father sings in a chirpy voice: ``It's May and I'm moving May and May (the names of both girls can be translated into English as May).'' This is a delightfully light-hearted scene, but it ended up on the cutting-room floor.

　映画を文庫化した『小説となりのトトロ』（徳間書店）を開くと、姉妹があの家に引っ越すのは、５月のある朝のこと。家財とともに姉妹を車の荷台に積んで、父が陽気に歌う。「５月に５月（サツキ）と５月（メイ）を乗せて行くぞ」。サツキがもちろん皐月（さつき）なら、メイは英語で５月を指す。５月が三重奏する軽やかな引っ越し場面だが、映画では割愛された。

In another scene from the book, Mei gazes at a huge camphor tree in the garden and suddenly sneezes when the sunlight hits her eyes.

It is around this time of the year, when hints of summer begin to be felt, that it is not uncommon for people to sneeze when they raises their heads skyward. It is not cold anymore, so why does this happen?

　庭先でメイが、クスノキの巨木を見上げて不意にくしゃみをする場面がある。光に目を射られたからだ。たしかに、日差しが夏めくこの季節、空を仰ぐとくしゃみが飛び出すことがある。寒くもないのになぜなのだろう。

Satosi Nonaka, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Asahikawa Medical College, says it is caused by a ``malfunction of the nerves.''

Nonaka explains that when the eye reacts to an intense light, it sends a message to the brain, but the message somehow gets redirected as if it came from the nose.

　くしゃみやせきに詳しい旭川医大助教授の野中聡さんに尋ねた。原因は「神経の誤作動」という。目で知覚した「まぶしい」という刺激が、脳に伝わる途中、なぜか鼻からの刺激と受け取られる。

Some people also sneeze when emerging from a dark movie theater into broad daylight. According to Nonaka, about 20 to 30 percent of people have what is known in the United States as the ``Achoo Syndrome,'' which is not a serious problem.

The sneezing sound in Japanese is hakushon, but it is achoo to English speakers.

　昼間に映画館から外へ出たときなどにも起こる。２～３割の人に自覚症状があるが、深刻な症例はまずない。野中さんによると、米医学界ではこれを俗にアチュー症候群と呼ぶ。日本ではハクションだが、あちらではアチューと響くそうだ。

I asked The Asahi Shimbun's overseas bureaus' staffs what the equivalents are in other cultures. I was told it is echui in South Korea, atchoum in France, apchkhi in Russia and hatchi in Egypt. A sneeze is a universal human reflex, but it produces many different sounds indeed.

　ほかの国々ではハクションをどう言うのか、本紙の海外支局に聞いた。韓国ではエッチュイ、フランスだとアチュウム。ロシアがアプチヒーで、エジプトはアータスだという。人類共通の生理現象なのに、ずいぶん違うものだ。

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 1(IHT/Asahi: May 9,2005)

Even just learning to eat can take years

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Even just learning to eat can take years

05/03/2005

One child shook his head, rejecting the spoon that was brought to his mouth. Another stuck out his tongue. Yet another child spat out the food.

2005年05月02日（月曜日）付
【天声人語】

　スプーンを口に近づけられると、いやいやをする。舌が飛び出してくる。いったん口に入れた食べものをプーと吐き出す子もいる。

This was another typical day at a ward for children with severe disabilities at the Chiba-East Hospital of the National Hospital Organization. All the youngsters there need assistance when they eat or drink. I had an opportunity to watch a mealtime-training session.

　国立病院機構・千葉東病院の重症心身障害児の病棟である。ここの子どもたちは、一人では食べることも飲むこともできない。その訓練を見せてもらう機会があった。

A nurse spoke gently to a child to help him relax. Holding his chin, she slowly made him close his mouth to encourage chewing.

"Eating is not an ability humans are born with," explained Yoshiaki Otsuka, a dentist supervising the training. "It's an ability one acquires by learning, step by step. Disabled kids take a long time to learn."

　看護師さんらがやさしく声をかけて緊張をほぐす。子どものあごに手を当てて、口をゆっくり閉じる。そうすれば、もぐもぐできるようになる。指導する歯科医師の大塚義顕さんは「食べることは生まれついての能力ではなく、段階を踏んで学んでいくものです。その学習に障害児は時間がかかる」という。

About 30 years ago, dentists who were trying to maintain the oral hygiene of such children realized how important it was to get them to eat, rather than be fed through a tube.

Chiba-East Hospital became a pioneer in this field, and was awarded the President's Prize from the National Personnel Authority late last year.

　もとはといえば、約３０年前に当時の歯科医師らが子どもたちの口の中を清潔にしようと考えたのがきっかけだ。管からではなく、口から食べることの大切さに気づき、千葉東病院は障害児の訓練の先駆けとなった。昨年末には人事院総裁賞を受けた。

"Every parent wants his or her children to have tasty food," said Masako Kitaura, who heads a national group to protect severely disabled children.

Her second son loves eel.

When he gets minced eel, he grins happily and gestures for more because he cannot speak. On the other hand, Kitaura noted, her son dislikes anything sour and raises his functioning left hand to push the food away.

　「おいしいものを子どもに味わわせたい。それは親のだれしもの願いです」。そう語るのは全国重症心身障害児（者）を守る会の北浦雅子会長だ。施設で暮らす次男の尚さんはウナギが大好き。細かくつぶすと、しゃべることはできないが、もっとほしいと笑顔で催促する。逆に酸っぱいものだと、動かせる左手で払いのける。

When I phoned Chiba-East Hospital last week, I asked what was for dinner that evening, and was told: "Chicken and green peppers in miso sauce, and eggplants stewed with bacon."

I could picture the kids beaming happily at their favorite dishes.

Some of the patients, however, have been around for more than 30 years.

　きょうの夕食の献立は何ですか、と先週、千葉東病院に電話した。鶏肉とピーマンのみそいため、ナスとベーコンの煮物……。ごちそうを前にした笑顔が思い浮かんだ。そこには、入院して３０年を超える人もいる。

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 2(IHT/Asahi: May 3,2005)

Why high-rises pose a risk to life and limb

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Why high-rises pose a risk to life and limb

04/23/2005

What was a typical scene in any neighborhood a half-century ago now seems lost to history. But poet Tatsuji Miyoshi's depiction of children's voices in his neighborhood in 1950s and 60s makes me wonder if such scenes could still be around somewhere.

In ``Tsuki no Toka'' (Ten days of the month), a Kodansha Bungei Bunko paperback, Miyoshi writes:

2005年04月22日（金曜日）付
【天声人語】

　半世紀ほど前の街の情景だから、失われて久しいのかもしれない。しかし、まだどこかに残っていそうな気もするのが、三好達治が書いた子供の声の話である。

``Every morning, I hear children's lively voices from the house opposite mine. I hear them shout after breakfast, `We're off. See you later.'''

Come noon, and Miyoshi heard their, ``We're home'' just as clearly. With only a narrow alley separating his home from his neighbor's, Miyoshi could pretty much tell what was going on next door, even though he did not have a particularly close relationship with his neighbors.

This is the sort of thing one does not experience living in magnificent residence. ``I would never want to live in a big, towering house,'' Miyoshi adds.

　「毎朝向いの家で元気な子供の声がきこえる。食事がすむと『いって参りまあす』というのが聞える」。昼になれば「ただいまあ」が、手にとるように聞こえる。露地一つを隔てて隣接しているからで、親しいつきあいはなくとも様子が分かる。宏壮な邸宅に居ては、この風味は味わえない。「私には大厦（たいか）高楼に住まいたい希望はない」（『月の十日』講談社文芸文庫）。

Today's high-rise housing complexes fit that bill. In Osaka, two rattan shelves for potted plants came hurtling down from the balcony of a 27th-floor apartment 77 meters above ground. They were tossed by the apartment's 78-year-old resident, who was arrested by Osaka prefectural police and charged with attempted murder.

　現代風の大厦高楼とも言える高層マンションの２７階から、植木鉢を載せる籐（とう）製の台二つが降ってきたという。大阪府警は、高さ７７メートルの自宅のベランダから投げ落としたとの殺人未遂の疑いで、大阪市内の７８歳の住人を逮捕、送検した。

The resident reportedly told police that she threw the shelves in anger because she had tripped on them while cleaning the balcony.

One of the shelves barely missed a woman who was passing below on a bicycle.

The shelf was cracked and bent out of shape. Nobody needs a close brush with death of this kind.

　「ベランダの掃除をしていたら台につまずき、腹が立ったので投げた」と供述したというが、一つは自転車に乗っていた女性の前髪をかすめた。落ちた台はひびが入って変形していた。こんな「命拾い」はたまらない。

When you look down from a towering high-rise, all you get is a distant view of street life. You can't see nearby scenes. You see trees, but you can't see their branches. You see people, but not their faces, nor can you hear their voices.

　塔のような高層の建物に上って感じるのは「近景の欠如」だ。地上のものは、遠景になってしまう。樹木は見えても枝は見えない。人は見えても顔は見えないし、声も届かない。

I can imagine many people actually relish this ``isolation'' from the world below and enjoy the open view they would not get from the ground level.

High-rise housing complexes have brought a new lifestyle to Japan today, but they can also instantaneously turn a perfectly harmless object into an instrument of destruction.

　こうした地上からの隔絶感をむしろ楽しみ、地面の近くでは得難い見晴らしを味わう人も多いのだろう。高さは、日本の暮らしに新しい形をもたらしたが、ありふれた物を、いつでも一瞬のうちに凶器に変える力をも備えている。

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 22(IHT/Asahi: April 23,2005)

Danger always comes with adventure

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Danger always comes with adventure

04/13/2005

Mourning the death of four junior high school boys in a cave in Kagoshima city, the principal of their school told a student gathering: "Because of a tragic incident, adults have learned of the existence of the cave for the first time. My regret is that if we had noticed it earlier, the incident could have been averted."

2005年04月12日（火曜日）付
【天声人語】

　「悲しい出来事で洞窟（どうくつ）の存在を大人たちは初めて知った。もっと早く知っていれば防げたと悔やまれる」。鹿児島市の洞窟で死亡した生徒４人が通っていた中学校の校長先生が、朝会で述べたという。

If the cave in which the four boys were found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning Saturday was in fact a World War II air raid shelter, then roughly 60 years have passed since then. I really wish the existence of the cave had come to the attention of adults at some point over the course of those years. Steps could have been taken to keep it from becoming the site of a tragic incident.

　この洞窟が、第二次大戦での壕（ごう）だったとすれば、約６０年もの年月が流れている。そのどこかで、大人の目が届き、惨事の現場にならないような手だてがとれなかったものか。

The four boys were all 13-year-olds, going through a period of rapid physical and spiritual growth. At this age, it is the common wish of youngsters to venture into a world different from their everyday life. Many adults know this from their own childhood experience.

To the boys, the lure of a cave, dangers apparently lurking in the recesses, is irresistible. This is in part because it arouses the primitive memory of ancestral dwellings from time immemorial.

　４人とも１３歳だった。心身ともに急成長する時期だ。日常から、一歩別の世界へ踏み出したくなる思いは、多くの人に覚えがあるだろう。洞窟は、奥には危険が潜んでいることを感じさせつつ、誘いかけてくる。太古の時代の祖先が、そんな場所ですごしていたというような、尾てい骨の記憶を呼び覚ます。

In his address, the junior high school principal also said: "Let me say I am proud of the challenging youthful spirit of the four students. But you have to have the perception that dangers always accompany any adventurous undertaking."

　校長は、こうも述べた。「チャレンジする気持ちは若者らしく、頼もしく感じる。冒険には危険がつきまとうことを認識した上で臨むことが必要です」

The word "challenge" reminded me of "Stand By Me," an American movie released more than a dozen years ago. It is a story of four 12-year-old boys setting out on an adventurous trip.

The way they grow up while battling the darkness of night and their own sense of fear strongly appealed to viewers together with Ben E. King's title song " Stand by Me."

The lyrics go: "When the night has come/ And the land is dark/ And the moon is the only light we'll see/ No I won't be afraid/ Oh I won't be afraid/ Just as long as you stand, stand by me ... ."

　チャレンジという言葉からは、十数年前のアメリカ映画「スタンド・バイ・ミー」を思い起こした。１２歳の少年たち４人が、小さな冒険の旅へ出る。夜の闇や恐怖と戦いながら成長してゆく姿が、映画の題名になったベン・Ｅ・キングの歌とともに、見る者に強く訴えかけてきた。「夜の闇が　あたりを包み／月明りしか　見えなくても／ぼくは　怖くない……君がそばに　いてくれるなら……」（『スタンド・バイ・ミー　メモリアル』）。

Imagine how you would react if four boys who were close to you as classmates in high spirits were no longer to be seen. A silent prayer was offered for them at the morning gathering. Some students reportedly were so shocked by the loss they could not stand up.

　つい先日まで、そばに元気で居た４人が、今は居ない。朝会での黙祷（もくとう）では、立ち上がれない生徒もいたという。

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 12(IHT/Asahi: April 13,2005)

Step up to the plate and do your best, newbies

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Step up to the plate and do your best, newbies

04/02/2005

There was a faint spot of white on the tip of a twig. A closer look revealed it was a cherry blossom that had just opened its dark pink bud.

2005年04月01日（金曜日）付
【天声人語】

　小枝の先に、ほんのり白いものが見えた。濃い紅のつぼみがほどけて生まれたばかりの、ひとひらの桜だった。

The new fiscal year starts when the ``cherry blossom front'' begins to trace a wider curve on the meteorological chart of Japan. On the first day of the fiscal year, many people start out afresh in new cities or towns, places of work or schools. All sorts of expectations, hopes and fears are felt around the nation.

　開花した範囲を示す曲線が日ごとに広がるこの時節に、新しい年度は始まる。今日からは、これまでとは違った土地や職場、学校で生活を始める人たちも多い。列島の各地で、様々な期待や希望、そして不安が行き交っている。

There is a mention of newcomers in ``Makura no Soshi,'' or ``The Pillow Book'' authored by Sei Shonagon in the 10th century. April 1, the first day of the fiscal year, will be a day to remember for many newcomers as well as those who receive them.

　「枕草子」に「あたらしうまゐりたる人々」というくだりがある。今日は、多くの「新しう参りたる人々」にとっても、それを受け入れる側の人にとっても、記憶に残る一日になるだろう。

For a certain period in the past, an advertorial written by novelist Hitomi Yamaguchi ran in newspapers around April 1 each year.

There were words of encouragement and wisdom directed at rookie workers. I was already well past my rookie year by then, but I was sometimes soothed by Yamaguchi's words as if I were listening to an older colleague in an intimate bar after work.

　毎年４月１日ごろ、作家・山口瞳さんの文章が広告の形で新聞に載った時期がある。新社会人への、はなむけの言葉がつづられていた。当方は、すでに旧人の部類だったが、夜の止まり木で先輩に語りかけられているような懐かしさを覚えることがあった。

Let me reproduce some of Yamaguchi's exhortations: ``Step in, step in! Don't be afraid to make a mistake!'' ``Life is nothing more than repetition.'' ``Listen, folks! Life isn't easy.'' ``Whenever I am asked what matters most to a company worker, I now answer `sincerity' without a moment's hesitation.''

　「踏み込め、踏み込め！　失敗を怖れるな！」「此の世は積み重ねであるに過ぎない」「諸君！　この人生、大変なんだ」「会社勤めで何がものを言うのかと問われるとき、僕は、いま、少しも逡巡することなく『それは誠意です』と答えている」

The advertorial was directed at newcomers to the work force, but Yamaguchi's exhortations could have been meant for all workers. I imagine the novelist reflected on his younger days and examined his conscience at the start of each fiscal year to give encouragement to salaried workers of this world. It was this attitude that inspired even seasoned workers. He wrote novels that had businessmen as the hero.

In spring 1995, Yamaguchi wrote, ``Persevere, persevere, persevere.'' He died that summer. How time passes: It's now 10 years since we last heard his encouraging words.

　これは、新人に向けた形をとってはいるが、勤め人全体への励ましとも読める。新しい年度の初めごとに、山口さんは自らの時間を巻き戻し、自省しながら世の「江分利満氏」を励ましていたように思われる。それが旧人の胸にも響いた。９５年春は「一に忍耐、二に我慢、三四がなくて五に辛抱」。その夏に、山口さんは亡くなった。今年で１０年になる。

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 1(IHT/Asahi: April 2,2005)

You are what you eat; for Koizumi it's Italian

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

You are what you eat; for Koizumi it's Italian

03/28/2005

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi often displays his keen interest in teaching children the importance of good dietary habits. For two years in a row, he has taken up the issue of dietary education in his policy speeches delivered before the Diet.

What kind of dietary life is he leading himself? Is the prime minister eating properly?

2005年03月22日（火曜日）付
【天声人語】

　折々に小泉首相が「食生活の大切さを子供たちに教えたい」と訴えている。施政方針演説でも２年続けて、「食育」の問題を取り上げた。そう言う首相は、どんなものを食べているのだろうか。

A short column in the morning edition of The Asahi Shimbun offers a kind of diary on what Koizumi does every day. When one looks for entries on his outings for dinner, a clear pattern emerges. Evidently, Italian food is his primary choice. Sometimes, he returns to the same Italian restaurant about once every three days.

With Chinese food his next-favorite choice, he seems to keep a basic cycle of Italian, Chinese and Japanese food by turns for dinner.

　朝刊の「動静」欄から首相の晩餐（ばんさん）先を拾うと、際だった傾向が浮かび上がる。とにかくイタリア料理が多い。同じ店に中２日の間隔で通うこともある。これに中華が続く。伊・中・和の輪番が基本のようだ。韓国や中東、ロシアの料理は皆無に近い。地域の偏りが目についた。

As far as the entries I checked were concerned, his dinner outings for Korean, Middle East or Russian food were close to zero. In other words, his pattern was biased in favor of regional favorites.

According to Asahi reporters whose beat is the prime minister's official residence, Koizumi's breakfast and lunch consist of purely Japanese food. For breakfast, he usually dines on rice, miso soup, grated daikon radish and chirimen jako (boiled and dried baby sardines). For lunch, he almost always eats soba (buckwheat noodles).

Other eyewitnesses say the prime minister seems to be particular about what he eats. According to these people, he very much enjoys gyoza (fried meat-vegetable dumplings in flour wrappings), loathes raw vegetables, totally ignores condiments such as daikon pickles and kimchi on the table, and leaves uneaten all the fried pork cutlets when a dish of katsudon (pork cutlets over rice) is placed before him.

　首相官邸の担当記者によると、朝と昼は純和風という。朝食はご飯にみそ汁、大根おろし、ちりめんじゃこというのが定番で、お昼はだいたいソバらしい。「ギョーザに目がない」「生野菜は大の苦手」「たくあんやキムチには目もくれない」「カツ丼のカツは全部残す」。そんな目撃証言もある。かなり好き嫌いがあるようだ。

Fujiwara-no Michinaga lived in splendor during the Heian Period, which lasted from the eighth to the 12th centuries, but diligently watched what he ate as a sort of dietary therapy for his longtime diabetes. Either overeating or an unbalanced diet made him feel ill.

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the health-minded founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, liked to eat barley and advised his retainers to live on a plain diet.

　平安の昔、栄華を誇った藤原道長は、過食か偏食か、長く糖尿病に苦しみ、食事療法に励んだ。ヘルシー志向の家康は麦飯を好み、臣下にも粗食をすすめたそうだ。

Among postwar leaders, former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, a self-acknowledged gourmet, hired his favorite chefs to work at his official residence and enjoyed sumptuous meals.

In contrast, former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, known for his impatience, had the reputation of going out for casual meals, such as katsudon and ramen noodles.

Indeed, as the old saying goes, a man is what he eats.

　戦後で言えば、食通を誇った吉田茂首相は、お気に入りの料理人を官邸に雇い入れ、美食を楽しんだ。せっかちな田中角栄氏は、カツ丼やラーメンといった手軽な品を好んだという。まさに食は人を表す。

Early last month, a cold forced Koizumi to take a rest from his official duties, the first time in his four years in office that he had given in to an ailment. Given that his nose is still running and his sneezes are unstoppable, it seems he is showing symptoms of cedar pollen allergies, or hay fever.

To quote another familiar saying, the food one eats provides the medicine one needs--in other words, eat well to stay well. If only to spread his message of proper dietary education, Koizumi should take a better look at his own diet.

　先月初め、首相は風邪で公務を休んだ。在任４年で病欠は初めてだ。その後も鼻水やくしゃみが止まらない。どうやら花粉症らしい。医食同源ともいう。「食育」普及のためにも、好き嫌いを見直して、どうかご自愛を。

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 22(IHT/Asahi: March 28,2005)

March 20 a constant reminder of sarin attacks

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

March 20 a constant reminder of sarin attacks

03/23/2005

The dates of certain events stay with us. Even many years later, people will still talk about where they were and what they were doing when something especially memorable happened.

March 20, 1995, is one such date. It is the day that the Aum Shinrikyo cult carried out sarin nerve-gas attacks on the Tokyo subway system, killing 12 people and sickening thousands.

2005年03月19日（土曜日）付
【天声人語】

　日付で記憶される出来事がある。何年か後でも、その日どこにいて何をしていたかという話になる。多くの人が３・２０で記憶する地下鉄サリン事件は、明日で発生から１０年になる。

That morning, I left my home in suburban Tokyo later than usual. I had returned from a business trip the day before, and had to sort and put away the stuff I was unpacking.

When I came out of a train station in central Tokyo, I saw helicopters flying around. I learned of the attacks when I got to the office.

　あの朝は、東京郊外の家をいつもより遅れて出た。前日に出張から帰り、荷解きしたものを整理していたからだ。都心の駅で外に出たところでヘリコプターが舞うのを見、新聞社に着いて事件を知った。

Had I left home at the usual time or a little earlier, I could have been one of those people I saw on the television, lying sick and waiting for help.

I am sure many Tokyo commuters who worked in central Tokyo at the time share this thought.

　いつも通りか、やや早めに出ていれば、どこかで事件に巻き込まれた可能性はある。テレビ画面に映った横たわる人は、自分だったかもしれない。都心に通う人は、そんな思いを共にしただろう。

In the spring of the following year, the cult founder held responsible for the attacks made his first court appearance. When I noted during a meeting that a verdict before the end of the century was unlikely, some of my colleagues voiced surprise at the length of the Aum trials.

I later went to the cult's headquarters in the village of Kamikuishiki in Yamanashi Prefecture. When I saw the cluster of giant buildings that were called ``satyan'' by the cultists, I regretted the fact that nobody had the foresight to stop the crimes even though such bizarre facilities were in plain sight at the foot of Mount Fuji.

　翌春、元教祖の初公判があった。判決の時期について「今世紀中は無理ではないか」と社内の会議で述べた。その遠さに周りが少しどよめいたようだった。その後、教団の本拠地だった山梨県の上九一色村へ行き、サティアンと呼ばれた巨大な建屋の群れを見た。富士山のふもとに、これだけ異様なものが立ち並んでいたのに、なぜ犯行を許してしまったのかと悔やまれた。

Last year and the year before, I sat in the courtroom to watch the former cult leader's trials, albeit briefly.

He did not utter a word, but sometimes looked as if he was mumbling silently to himself or stifling a yawn. He seemed completely tuned out of the prosecutors' arguments, the presiding judge's statements and the intense feelings of anyone else who sat in the courtroom.

　一昨年と昨年、元教祖の裁判を短時間だが傍聴した。黙して、時に口をもぐもぐしたり、あくびをかみころしたりしている。検察の論告も裁判官の言い渡しも傍聴席の痛切な思いも、はぐらかされているようだった。

Aum schemed to create their own ``nation'' within a nation. Their target of attack was this nation, and innocent citizens were sacrificed instead.

March 20 continues to remind us that not only must we avert any recurrence of indiscriminate acts of terrorism, but we must also stand firmly by the survivors and bereaved families who need help.

　オウムは国の中に国を造ろうとたくらんだ。標的は日本という国家だった。市民は、いわばその身代わりにされた。無差別テロの再発防止だけではなく、被害者や遺族への手厚い支えもまた、３・２０が問い続ける課題だ。

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 19(IHT/Asahi: March 23,2005)

New grads give top honors to principal's song

作詞者は当時校長だった小嶋登さん（７４）。一晩で書き上げ、翌朝、音楽の先生に作曲を頼んだ。

　知らなかった。そんなお年をめした方だったのか。小生ももっと張り切らなければ、、。（＾＾； 　それにしても歌も素晴らしいが、このエピソードも心に沁みる実にいい話しだ。英和対訳でゆっくり読み込むことでより深く味わえたような気がする。これからも出来るだけ続けていきます。

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

New grads give top honors to principal's song

03/21/2005

In a recent survey, Ongaku no Tomo Sha Corp. asked 230 music teachers around the nation what song their students were singing for the graduation ceremony.

The result was a bit of a surprise. ``Hotaru-no Hikari'' (Glow of fireflies), the traditional standard number for the occasion, ranked only third. ``Aogeba Totoshi'' (Song of gratitude), another perennial favorite, did not even make the top 10 list.

03月06日付
■《天声人語》

　あなたの学校では卒業式に何を歌いますか。音楽之友社が、全国の音楽教諭２３０人に尋ねたら、意外な結果が出た。定番のはずの「蛍の光」が３位で、「仰げば尊し」は１０位にも入らなかった。

The song that won the most number of votes was ``Tabidachi-no Hi-ni'' (The day of departure). I wonder if readers have heard it.

The song was born 14 years ago in the music classroom of a municipal junior high school in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. The then-principal, Noboru Kojima, 74, wrote the lyrics overnight and asked the music teacher to put them to music the following morning.

　１位は「旅立ちの日に」という曲である。耳にしたことがあるだろうか。今から１４年前、埼玉県秩父市にある市立中学校の音楽室で生まれた。作詞者は当時校長だった小嶋登さん（７４）。一晩で書き上げ、翌朝、音楽の先生に作曲を頼んだ。

``The song was meant as a present for the graduating students,'' explained Kojima when I saw him to hear his story. ``All the teachers got up on the platform and sang the song. This was supposed to be a one-time performance.''

Kojima reached his mandatory retirement age in March that year, but the song stayed. The following year, a music magazine printed the score just before the graduation season, and many primary, junior high and senior high schools around the nation picked it up. The simple lyrics caught the hearts of youngsters: ``The voice of my dear old friend/ Suddenly comes back/ With the memory of that time/I wept when we fought over something silly.''

　小嶋さんを訪ねた。「３年生を送る出し物として、教師全員が壇上で歌った曲です。その年限りの歌のつもりでした」。その年の３月で小嶋さんは定年退職したが、歌は残った。翌年、卒業シーズンを前に音楽雑誌が譜面を載せる。曲は全国の小中高校で演奏され、わかりやすい歌詞が生徒たちの心をつかんだ。「懐かしい友の声／ふとよみがえる／意味もないいさかいに／泣いたあのとき」

The song reminds me of the late singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki, who gave expression to the frustrations of young people. It is also similar in feeling to ``Okuru Kotoba'' (A present of words) by singer-actor Tetsuya Takeda.

Kojima, however, said of his work, ``I was trying to emulate the world of Bokusui Wakayama, a poet who wrote about dreams and longing.''

　どこか、若者の抑圧感を歌った故尾崎豊さんを思わせる。武田鉄矢さんの「贈る言葉」にも近い。でも小嶋さんは「夢や憧（あこが）れを詠んだ若山牧水の世界です」と話す。

``Hotaru-no Hikari'' and ``Aogeba Totoshi'' were created in the early years of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Strongly reflective of the educational philosophy of that era, the lyrics urge students to work diligently to serve the nation and get ahead in life to repay their teachers.

　「蛍の光」や「仰げば尊し」は明治の初めに発表された唱歌である。刻苦勉励して国に尽くせ、師恩に報いて身を立てよ。歌詞には当時の教育観が色濃くにじむ。

``The old literary style of those lyrics is a bit too sophisticated for today's kids to really appreciate,'' noted Kojima.

In a departure from the past, many schools now let their students choose the song for the graduation ceremony. Instead of the traditional, government-approved numbers, Kojima's song, which is something of a summation of his 40-year teaching career, is being sung and heard around the nation this month.

　「文語調のあの歌詞がいまの子どもたちにはどうも難解なようです」と小嶋さん。昔と違って卒業式の歌は生徒たちの好みで決まるところが多い。官製の名歌を脇に押しやって、教職４０年の思いを込めた歌が今月、列島の各地に響きわたる。

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 6(IHT/Asahi: March 21,2005)