Do the right thing!

In Indiana, some girls were forced to be out of the sorority because of their cultural backrounds or apperances. In Japan, a book that may increase discrimination against foreigners has been published. It's easy to say "Do the right thing!" It's difficult to see people do the right thing.

Paula Zahn

インディアナ州のソロリティー（女子学生社交グループ）からマイノリティーやスタイルのよくない女性たちが会員取り消しを求められたというニューズは昨日の『ヘラルド朝日』を読んで知っていたが，そんな大きなニューズになるとは考えていなかったが，今朝のＣＮＮで美人アンカーウマンによる番組『ポーラ・ザーン・ナウ』のトップで取り上げられていた．

Sorority evictions anger many at Indiana college
The overweight and
minorities are out

GREENCASTLE, Indiana: When a psychology professor at DePauw University surveyed students, they described one sorority as a group of "daddy's little princesses" and another as "offbeat hippies." The sisters of that sorority, Delta Zeta, were seen as "socially awkward."

Worried that a negative stereotype of the sorority was contributing to a decline in membership that had left its Greek-columned house here half empty, Delta Zeta's national officers interviewed 35 DePauw members in November, quizzing them about their dedication to increasing recruitment. They judged 23 of the women insufficiently committed and later told them to vacate the sorority house.

The 23 members included every woman who was overweight. They also included the only black, Korean and Vietnamese members.

The dozen students allowed to stay were slender and popular with fraternity men — conventionally pretty women who the sorority hoped could attract new recruits. Six of the 12 were so infuriated they quit.

"Virtually everyone who didn't fit a certain sorority member archetype was told to leave," said Kate Holloway, a senior who withdrew from the chapter during its reorganization.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/25/news/sorority.php

日本人の場合，まずこのニューズの意味することがなかなかわからないかもしれない．アメリカの大学では，学生社交クラブというのがある．男性，女性に分かれていて，それぞれ「フラタニティ(Fraternity)」「ソロリティ(Sorority)」という．たいてい，彼らは寮生活を共にして，お互いに「兄弟」「姉妹」の契（ちぎ）りを交わすらしい．

Elle uses her social network to be successful in this movie.

この社交クラブの縦横のつながりの緊密さは就職活動などでものすごい威力を発揮する．ちなみに，ブッシュ大統領と前回の民主党大統領候補だったジョン・ケリー氏はイエイル大学にある『スカル・アンド・ボーンズ』の出身である．Legally Blonde（邦題『プリティ・ブロンド』）という映画を観てもわかるが，女性版社交クラブにいるような女性は，男にとって「クオリティーが高い女」で，誤解を恐れずにはっきり云ってしまえば，アメリカ版「大和撫子（やまとなでしこ）」のような女性であることが多い．ちなみに，こういう女性をAll-American girlと英語ではいう．今回の事件は，有色人種や太っていたソロリティーのメンバーが追い出されたわけである．

追い出された女の子には同情するし，日本にはそんなのはなくてよかったと思うが，日本では男と女も合コン中に「あいつはちょっとクオリティーが低いからダメ」というような品定めをしていることには変わりない．ただ，大学内に建物があるれっきとした組織でそれをしてしまうとまずいということだ．また，特定の人種などを除外するのは，別の問題も出てくる．

Odd Girl Out describes bullies and victims of bullying well.

仲間から除外されるというのは，アメリカでもつらいんだろう．2005年に出たテレビ映画Odd girl outは，一見，ティーン用のコメディーみたいなつくりをしているが，実際はかなり深刻ないじめ問題を扱っている．日本にあるかどうかはわからないが，ＤＶＤ版があればぜひ観てほしい．
Ken "Duke" Kitashiba speaks English.
最後に，昨日，『ジャパンタイムズ』紙で見つけた気になるブックレヴュー（書評）を貼り付ける．これにはちょっとがっかりした．日本人も外国人差別をあからさまに行なっているのかと思った．しかも，よく『平成教育学院』に出ている北森健（きたしば・けん）が原稿を寄せているようだ．彼はこの番組ではなぜかよく英語をしゃべっていた．

ただ，昨日も書いたように，情報はできるだけ表に出すという原則に従うことにする．ぼく自身は，こんな本が出ていることはあまりうれしくはない．

FAMILY MART CANS SALES
Mag on foreigner crimes not racist: editor
By
MASAMI ITO
Staff writer

"Now!! Bad foreigners are devouring Japan," screams the warning, surrounded by gruesome caricatures of foreigners who look like savages, with blood red eyes and evil faces.

This is the cover of Kyogaku no Gaijin Hanzai Ura Fairu (Shocking Foreigner Crime: the Underground File), a special-edition magazine published by Tokyo-based Eichi that has triggered public outrage and caused Family Mart to call it discriminatory and pull it off the shelves.

The 125-page single edition is about crimes committed by non-Japanese.

The pages are filled with crime stories and photographs of alleged crimes
being committed, drug deals, stabbings, gang fights and arrests -- all of them involving people from a wide range of countries. Some of the nationalities named are Iranian, Chinese, South Korean, Brazilian and Nigerian.

A spokesman for Family Mart, the main distributor, said that two days after the magazine was released at the end of January, it began receiving e-mail complaints.

...Shigeki Saka, editor of the magazine, claimed Eichi did not intend to
discriminate against foreigners but wanted to provide an opportunity for
"discussion" about the issue.

"This book was not originally published for foreign readers," Saka said. "It was to raise the issue (of crimes committed by foreigners) in Japanese society. . . . But I believe the foreigners have the fear that they will be viewed in the same way" as criminals.

Carlo La Porta, whole holds British and Italian citizenship and has lived in Tokyo for 16 years, said he thought the magazine painted foreigners as
criminals.

The magazine "brings a problem into focus without adding perspective to it, and as such implies that foreigners at large commit a lot of crimes," La Porta said.

Although the headline of a feature interview with a former Metropolitan
Police Department investigator, on the magazine cover, says, "In 2007, anyone could be the target of foreigner crime!!" the number of crimes committed by non-Japanese has actually fallen recently.

...Eichi's Saka said he published the book despite the recent decline in crimes, a point the magazine briefly mentions.

"The content (of the magazine) really is not intended to get rid of foreigners nor is it extreme in tone. It is based only on facts," Saka claimed.

"I wanted to talk about the economic situation and environment in Japan that has caused foreigners to commit crimes. But it does contain a little bit of extreme expressions, for commercial purposes."

The magazine contains several articles about the bad conditions many foreigners work under, linking that to criminal activity.

One feature article says poor working conditions in Japan "have caused (foreigners) to build resentment toward Japanese society and, one after another, more people are getting involved in crimes because of the hardships in their lives."

On what are called "entertainment" pages, there are photographs of foreigners and Japanese women embracing on Tokyo streets. One photo of a black man and a Japanese woman has the caption, "Hey nigger!! Don't touch that Japanese woman's ass!!"

Saka said that while he knew the term "nigger" is racist, he reckoned it would have a different nuance written in Japanese. "We used it as street slang, writing it in katakana. But if we had known that we would get such a huge reaction from foreigners, we might have refrained from using it," he figured.

The Japan Times: Friday, Feb. 23, 2007

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20070223f1.html

Say something in English! Yes, you can!

Mom is very angry.

↓の記事のように，これから英文と翻訳をどんどんこのブログに載せていくことにします．明日，赤坂のアメリカンセンターである講演が行われるが，その際，使われる資料になる文学作品の一部を翻訳しました．これも近いうちに公開します．

話題を大きく変えて，英語の勉強法についての話をします．日本人英語学者同士の英語や英文法についての考え方の相違点やそのことの無自覚さが，英語教育の低迷を招いている，という話は今度します．今日はもっと簡単な誰でもできる英会話の上達法を教えます．

Ikki Sawamura likes girls.

至って簡単です．教材も要りません．何か思ったことや，自分がしたことを簡単な英語にしてみてください．つまり，トイレに行こうかな，と思ったら，

I want to go to the bathroom.

と云ってください．ぼくは英語がそこそこできるので，きちんとできましたが，初めての人は to とか the が抜けたりしているかもしれませんが，そんなのはほうっておいてください．心配になったら，辞書を引いたり，いままでやった教材（学校の教科書とかでいい）を見てもかまいませんが，そんなことはしなくてもいいです．それだけです．終わったら，別のことを英語で云おうとしてみてください．

Miki Mizuno is strong.

Her hair is pink.

気をつけるのは，単語ではなくできるだけ文にすること，自分の知っている単語を使うことの２つぐらいです．自分は英語なんて高校（大学）以来やってない，とか心配する必要はありません．カタカナになっている言葉を含めて，一般的な日本人なら最低１０００語以上，もしかすると２５００語程度は知っています．英語で云えないのは難しく考えるからです．「あいつはむかつく」と思ったら，

I don't like him/her.

と云えばいいのです．「むかつく」という形容詞（あるいは動詞？）は何かと考える必要はないのです．もちろん，そういう単語はあります．英語ができる人のために書いておきます．

S/he annoys me.

S/he is disgusting.

She pisses me off.

でも，こういう表現はとりあえず知らなくていいです．最初の簡単な文章で十分です．とにかく，こういう作業を毎日３０分から１時間，１ヶ月以上続けてみてください．ひとりでいるときは声にだしていって欲しいですが，電車の中などでは頭の中でしゃべるだけでいいです．

もう一度云いますが，間違いは気にしないでいいし，わからなくてもほうっておいていいです．「これは英語にできないや」と思ったら別のことを考えて，英語にしてみてください．そんな感じでいいです．発音もどうでもいいです．自分の好きなように発音してください．

いいですか．英語をしゃべれるようになりたければ，だまされたと思って，この作業をまず１ヶ月ほどやってみてください．基本的に初心者向きですが，中級者以上にも効果があると思います．１ヵ月後には，かなりヘタでも英語らしきものが口に出る（もちろん，英語国民がそれを聞いてわかるとは保障しません）はずです．それ以上に，この先，どのような勉強をすればいいか自分の課題がはっきり見えてくるはずです．

Is Hermione drinking?

Japanese people need to practice how to speak English. I recommend that they have the habit of making a simple sentence in English. If they do this just 30 minutes a day for a month, they'll be able to say something in English and more than that, they will know what they need to work on next. Trust me, this is a very simple but effective way to learn English.

Freedom of speech, that which we have got to preserve...

この記事は知人のアメリカ人からＥメイルの転送機能で送られたものである．日本人であるぼくに，どういう意図があって送ってきたかは理解に苦しむが，この英文を書いた人とその夫は，多くのアメリカ人に読んで欲しい，と思っているようなので，ご希望を超えて，日本人にも読めるように翻訳をつけて載せることにした．言い訳のようだが，この翻訳はそれほどうまくはない．英語がある程度できる人は原文のほうにも目を通すことをお勧めする．

断わっておくが，ぼくは，この著者の移民やアメリカに対する考えに賛成している訳ではない．しかし，それでも自分のブログに乗せようと思ったのにはいくつか考えがある．

Freedom of speech doesn't exist for putting a picture like this.
まず，第１にぼくは，近代国家において，言論の自由とは何にも増して尊重されなければならないと考えている．言論の自由というのは，いやがる有名人たちを追っかけていってそのプライベート写真をタブロイド紙に載せることではない．複数の意見を載せることで，知的な読者に何が本当に正しいかどうか考える機会を与えるために，存在するのである．ところが，最近では，日本はもちろん，ジャーナリズムが進んでいるはずのアメリカやイギリスでさえ，言論の自由は制限されているようにみえる．たとえば，私たちは，北朝鮮やイランやイラクの人々が何を考えているか知らない．彼らの生の言葉が新聞や雑誌やテレビの報道番組に載ることはほとんどない．イラクや北朝鮮ばかりではない．数年前，オーストリアやデンマークなどで極右政党の動きが注目されたが，日本ではあまりきちんと報道されていなかったように記憶する．受け入れるかどうかは別に，実際，彼らの考えを知ることは大事なことと思うのだが．世の中に人種差別や偏見が満ちていると知ることは悲しい．しかし，そのことに対する認識がなくては，私たちはそれらを減らすことはできないのだ．

第２に，この記事を読むことを通じて，アメリカなどの海外に住んでいる，あるいは住みたいと思っている人たちの中で極めて知的なみなさんに海外に日本人が出ていくということはどういうことなのか考えて欲しいと思った．アメリカに住んでいたころあった日本人の多くが日本の閉鎖性に文句を云いたくなる気持ちはぼくにもわかるが，そのくせ「こんなことは日本ではありえない」とか「アメリカ人にはしょせん日本のことなんてわからない」とか文句を云っているのは相当虫のいい話だな，とも同時に思った．どこに住むにせよ，まったく自分の反省をしないというのも考えものである，と思う．

The quote below was a forwarded message from an American through email. I'm not quite sure why she emailed to a Japanese person like me. However, I decided to put this on this blog with my translation. If you are a native speaker or an advanced learner of the English language, I urge you to read the original.

By the way, I don't agree with her. However, I got it out. Here is my reasons.
Everybody has their different opinion about what their country should be.

First, I believe that freedom of speech is the most important right in a modern country. Why do we need it? For paparazzi. Hell no! Freedom of speech gives people a chance to know different ideas and to consider what is the best among them. However, you hardly can find different ideas in US and UK media as well as that of Japan. For example, you can't know what the people in North Korea, Iran, and Iraq think. Their direct words seldom appear in any newspaper or magazine. Also, when there was a movement of extreme right groups in Austria and Denmark, Japanese media doesn't give enough information to explain this movement. We have got to know their thoughts even if we do not want to agree with them. In fact, it is very sad to know that there is some discrimination or prejudice in this world. But, unless we recognize the facts, we can't make this world better.
Cameron Diaz won the court regarding the picture taken when she was 19.
Second, I want some Japanese people to think about what it is like to live in another country as a Japanese. I have lived in the United States for three years. And some of Japanese people I met up there told me that they had felt frustrated because Japan is a very closed society. I don't disagree with it, but I am kind of surprised that those people criticized the US as well as Japan like, "That would never happen in Japan," or "Americans do not understand what Japanese think!" Well, I would say that it is a bit too selfish to complain all the time regardless of where you live. You have to try to acculturate yourself into the place you belong to.

Note: In Second Language Acquistion, to "acculturate" means to adjust yourself to a new environment. It is slightly different than to "assimilate," which means to change yourself completely into a new one.

（ここからその手紙．Outrageousによる日本語訳）

新聞各社は、編集部あての手紙で政治的に不適切なもの（以下参照）や彼らの編集方針に合わないものは記事に載せることを絶対にしない。この女性の編集者あての手紙は記事に載せるべきである。だが、あなたの力でネット上に載せて欲しい。

新しい移民たち
デイヴィッド・ラ・ボンテより

私の妻のロウズメリーはＯＣレジスターあてに素晴らしい手紙を書いたが、ご想像の通り、紙面を飾ることはなかった。そこで、私は、自分でインターネット上でこれを表に出すことにした。

もし、納得したら、どんどんこの記事を（知人に）回してほしい。

署名

『オレンジカウンティー・レジスター』編集部宛の一連の手紙への見解

編集部御中
多くの（読者欄に乗せられた）多くが、アメリカが移民によってできた国ということに基づいて主張を展開しています。たとえば、アーニー・リューヤン氏は、「私たちは自由の女神像をぶち壊すべきだ。今問題に上がっている移民たちは、昔エリス島などの港を共にこの国に入って来た人のようには扱われていないのだから」と主張しています。

歴史の本を見て、リューヤン氏のような人に、なぜ現在のアメリカがこの新しいタイプの移民を喜んで受け入れないのか指摘してあげるべきです。さかのぼること，時代は約１９００年．ヨーロッパ中からアメリカに移民が押し寄せて来た時代がありました。彼らは，船を降りて，ニューヨークで長い列をつくらなければいけませんでした．移民として登録してもらうためです．跪（ひざまず）いて恥ずかしい思いをしなければならない人もいました．よい時代も悪い時代も法に服従し，この新しい国に仕えることを誓いました．彼らは新しいアメリカでの家庭において英語を勉強することを最優先の課題として，家庭内においてアメリカ流に名前を替えることさえしました．

彼らは，自分の子供に新しい生活を送らせるために，生まれた土地に完全に別れを告げて，自分の子供が新しい文化に完全に溶け込むようにいかなる努力もしました．

彼らに与えられるものは何もありませんでした．食事の配給も福祉も彼らを守る労働法もありませんでした．彼らにあったのは，輝かしい未来を勝ち取るための技術と能力だけでした．第２次世界大戦が勃発した時，彼らの子供は成人に達しました．私の父は，両親の祖先がドイツやイタリアやフランスや日本での男たちと一緒に戦いました．この第一世代のアメリカ人の中に，自分の両親がどこから来たのか考えるような人は誰もいませんでした．彼らはヒトラーやムッソリーニや日本の天皇と戦うアメリカ人だったのです．アメリカ軍がフランスを救助したとき，村人たちは誰も，フランス系アメリカ人やドイツ系アメリカ人，アイルランド系アメリカ人を探したりはしませんでした．フランス人たちが会ったのはは単なるアメリカ人でした．私たちは自分の国をあらわすひとつの国旗を掲げました．これらの移民の子供達の中に他の国の国旗を自分のアイデンティティーとして掲げる人はいませんでした．そんなことをすればここに来るまでにたくさんの犠牲を払ってきた両親に対してのひどい不遜な行為にあたるからです．これらの移民たちは本当にアメリカ人であるということの何たるかを知っていました．彼らは，人種のるつぼをかき回して，お椀に入った赤と白と青という統一された料理に変えたのです．

そして，現在，２００６年に，アメリカには，私たちアメリカ人と同じだけの権利を欲しがる新しい種類の移民が出現しました．あろうことか，かつてとは別のルールによって移民の地位を手にいれようとしているのです．永住権と自分の生まれ育った文化を大切にするという別のルールに．申し訳ありませんが，アメリカ人であるということはそういうことではないと思います．１９００年代初期にエリス島にやってきた移民は，（現在の移民の）地位以上のことをしたと思うんです．続く世代のためにつらい，苦しい労働に耐え，多くの犠牲を払い，合法的によりよい生活を求めてアメリカにやってくる人々の指針になるような場所を築いたのですから．初期の移民は，自分の生まれ故郷の国旗を振っている移民に（アメリカが移民国家である）例として引き合いに出されると知れば，彼らはショックを受けるでしょう．

そして，自由の女神を壊してしまうという提案についてですが，自由の女神は今度の移民法案に投票するアメリカ市民にとって多くのことを意味しています．私は，まだ，アメリカを壊してしまうことについて議論をし始める気にはまったくなれないのです．

ロウズメリー・ラ・ボンテ

追記　この私の文章を知り合いみんなに送ってください．この手紙を止めずにずっと動かし続けてください．この手紙がアメリカ中の何億人ものの人々が読んでほしいと願っています．もっともっとずっと遠くまで（この手紙が届きますように）！

神よアメリカに祝福あれ

Original:

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a greatletter to the editor that should have been published; but, with yourhelp it will get published via cyberspace!

New Immigrants / From: "David LaBonte"

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OCRegister which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print"itmyself by ending it out on the Internet.

Pass it along if you feel so inclined.
Dave LaBonte (signed)

Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the
OrangeCounty Register:

Dear Editor:

So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island andother ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and badtimes. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their newhome.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.

Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most oftheir children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americansever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from.They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for theFrench-American or the German American or the Irish American. Thepeople of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag thatrepresented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would havethought about picking up another country's flag and waving it torepresent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red,white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generationsto create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searchingfor a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are beingused as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed)
Rosemary LaBonte

P. S. Pass this on to everyone you know!!! KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!!
I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across
thenation!!

Ever onward!!

MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA

Case Closed!

I have watched "Monk" on cable TV, but the first series finished yesterday. That is kind of sad. One of my pastime is gone...

This is one of the few mystery drama series that have satisfied me. I hope I can find another one soon.

How long can sexy celebs remain hot?

Basic Instinct 2 will show up as a DVD soon, but the movie got an unfavorable prize in the US.

『氷の微笑２』（Basic Instinct 2，邦題これで正しいか不明）が今年度の最低の映画に択ばれたそうだ．記事によると，肉体に無理があったからというのが理由らしい．しかし，ハリウッドに較べれば，もっと日本の芸能界は回転が速いような気がする．１０代が終わると，もう，賞味期限が過ぎたとか云われるのはちょっと気の毒だと思う．

Mari Yabuki, who was an ex-Morning Musume member, is still in her early 20s.

'Instinct 2' named worst movie of the year
By Todd Leopold
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- In the end, Sharon Stone baring her body outdid Nicolas Cage in a bear suit.

"Basic Instinct 2," the bomb sequel to 1992's "Basic Instinct," defeated
tough competition on Saturday night to win the Razzie Award as the worst picture of 2006. The competitors included Cage's critically slammed remake of "The Wicker Man," in which the once Oscar-winning actor wears a bear suit at a moment of high drama

"Instinct 2" -- known to Razzie organizers as "Basically, It Stinks, Too"
-- won four awards overall, including worst screenplay, worst prequel or sequel and worst actress for Stone, who was mocked for her poorly presented physical assets as well as her performance.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/25/razzie.awards/index.html

She might have already passed the best time of her career. I don't know much about her, though.

If they were men, wouldn't they have to worry about their ages? Some guys who are more than 50 yrs old could chase young girls even after they got their grandchildren! Is it fair? No, I don't think so, but I have no idea how to change the situation. Sorry, girls...

What the heck is that?

秋ごろから，友人から指摘されて変なスカートをしている人がいるのを知ったが，どんどんそういう人が増えている．ファッションにまったく興味のない人間としては，たぶん，スカートが捲れるといけないから，ただ，中に折り込んでいるんだろう．みっともないのに，と思っていた．どうやら，これはファッションらしい．昨日，ようやくこれは「バルーン・スカート」というとわかった．新しいものではないらしく，アメリカでは５０年近く前からあって，消えていたものらしい．英語では「バルーン・スカート」の他，「バブル・スカート」とかいうらしい．
More and more Japanese girls wear this type of skirts, although I don't think the skirts make them look sophisticated...

わからない人のために（ぼくだけだった？），その「バルーン・スカート」写真を載せておきます．本当は，読者サーヴィスとしてきれいな有名女性タレントの写真を探したけどがなかった．


Beni Arashiro, a friend of Crystal Kay. Is she wearing a bubble skirt?

Talking to myself? To Do list? Or notification?

ブログを作ろうと考えたのは，長く頭に溜まっていた考えを表に出すためだったが，書き出してみると，意外と言語化するのは難しい．ぼくの文章力や思考力に限界があるというのも理由のひとつかもしれないが，それ以上に，なにか別のタイムリーなことについて書いて見たいという欲求が着実にひとつひとつの文章を積みあげていくことと相反することのほうが大きいような気がする．

実はいますぐにもブログに載せたいようなことがいくつもあるが，出しかねているものもある．実は，移民問題に関してのある英語記事を日本語訳とともに載せたいと思っているが，途中で止まっている．あと，人間関係について考えた事もほぼ記事は書き上げていながら，なんか表に出す気力がなくなってしまった，というのもある．３年間でのアメリカ生活などで英語の単語の用法やニュアンスについてはっ，と気付いたことも優に本１冊がかけるぐらいある．だが，これも整理できていない．で，このままでいくと，いまの情報社会の流れの中で，これらのことについて書こうとしていたことさえ忘れてしまいそうだから，いま書きたいと思っていることを箇条書きで全部表に出すことにする．別に，書くと決めたわけではないが．

１．アンナ・ニコール・スミスの事件とイギリス人にとって推理小説を読むということはどういうことか

２．大人気児童文学ハリー・ポッターの文化背景について

３．欧米の自由主義思想リバータリアニズムを実践している日本人について

４．英文法学の失敗――「文法」に対する認識の違いが日本英語教育の失敗を招いていることについて

５．『トゥルーコーリング』というアメリカのテレビドラマについて

６．『オーメン』シリーズについて

７．英語教育についての日本知識人の考え方とその欠点について

８．欧米の教育に較べて，日本の教育が欠けているものは暗記偏重ではなくて，全体像を見せないことだ

まあ，とりあえずこのぐらいだろうか．まあ，１年以内にはこれらのことすべてをきちんとした文章にして世に出せればと思う．自分をとりまく環境がめまぐるしく変わっているので難しいかもしれないが……

The reason I started out blogging is because I've got many things I've been thinking and I wanted them out. But, I kind of notice that putting everytihng in my mind on this blog is very difficult. You can say that it is because of the limit of my thinking and/or writing ability, but I also think that it is because some other things I may want to put on this blog always show up.

There's many things I want sombody to read. For instance, I have an article about immigration I want Japanese to read. I've already translated this article, but after I've done with its half, I kind of lost my motivation to put the article on this blog. Also, I've written an article about the relationship between two males, but I'm kind of wondering when I should put it here. Also, I've learned so many things about the English langauge while I lived in the US. I want to write about them because I know that they are hard to understand only with diligent studying in Japan. And so many things...

I think I should put all of the things that are occupying my head so that I won't forget the fact that I have wanted to write about it.

1. About Anna Nicole Smith's death / What reading mystery stories means for British people

2. the background knowledge to read Harry Potter series Japanese people do not know

3. Japanese libertarians

4. Different people think about English Grammar differently, that's the problem

5. True Calling

6. Omen

7. latest arguments about English education in Japan

8. How Education in Japan is wrong-- the problem is not memorization, but the lack of the effort to give students clear picture of learning...

Translators gotta have progressive mind

Almond used to be "the" place to meet in Tokyo

Today I went to Roppongi again. I was supposed to see a girl in front of the Almond cafe. Well, who would use this place for meeting in this 21st century? Luckily, I didn't have to wait for her too long, though.

When the girl found her, she offered to buy me a lunch. Since I'm not too conservation to lose the change to have a free lunch, I said "sure." However, I was wondering how the clerk would think when I ordered at Mcdonald's and she paid the money despite the fact that her age is almost as half as mine... Basically I don't do anything stupid, but I like to think something stupid. This time, I was like, "what if this clerk would think that we're seeing each other?" -- In Tokyo, you can find a lot of dating couples who are American guys and Japanese girls. Recently more and more Japanese guys go out with American or European girls. But, nobody can find the two who are an American teennager and a Japanese guy who looks like her sponge. Of course, she is not my date and I don't intend to go out with any teennage girl. But if she was, our relationship would have been really progressive.

By the way, the reason I met the girl is because I was going to the house of her sister who is working for the embassy. The sister needed a translator, and this time I translated some poems into Japanese. It was more difficult than I did before. Even if I understood the meaning of the poem in English and I had a great command of the Japanese language, it is very hard for me to find poetic words in Japanese. It was a good experience, though.

今日はこないだにつづいて六本木に行った．なんとびっくりなことに，喫茶店『アマンド』での待ち合わせである．ここが待ち合わせの定番だったのは何十年前の事か．というか，そのころさすがにぼくも生まれていないんじゃ……？

大使館に勤める知人のお手伝いのいうのが今回の目的だった．彼女は待ち合わせの４時には勤務中ということで妹さんが代わりに来た．妹さんは何か食べるのを買いに行こう，と云ってマックに行った．お姉さんにお金をもらったのでここは払うという．この子は日本語は話せないので，ぼくが当然注文する．そして，お金は女の子が払う．このとき，店員さんの顔を見てひとりで面白がっていた．というのは，１５歳のかわいらしい黒人少女が，だいぶ年上の日本人にお金をだしてハンバーガーを買ってあげているわけである．お約束の欧米人男性と日本人女性のカップルに加えて，最近では日本人男性が欧米人女性とのカップルも東京ではよく見る．しかし，外国人のティーンネイジャーと年上の日本人のヒモというのは聞いたことがない．そう見えていたら，面白いだろうなあ，と勝手に思っていた．行動としては，ぼくは過激な行動は生まれてこの方何もしたことはないが，頭の中ではカール・マルクスやジョン・ナッシュもびっくりのことを考えていたりする．

まあ，とにかく買い物も無事に終わり，大使館内にある知人の宿舎に入ることができた．普通はこういう機会はあまりないのでちょっと感激である．見かけはそれほど大きくない都営アパート風だった．だが，入ってあれと思った．階段が部屋の中にあるわけである．ということは２階分が１世帯分になるので，アパートに較べればやっぱり大きいわけである．さすが，日本国内のアメリカというわけである．

今回は知人に頼まれて，英語の詩を翻訳した．けっこう長い詩３つなのに強引に２時間程度でやってしまった．若い頃の柴田元幸氏が「質より量の翻訳家」と名乗っているのを思い出した．あー，柴田氏みたいになりたいなあ♪

"If you go to country, there are lots of skanks!" "Really?"

Learning English pronunciation is very important. If your pronunciation is really bad, people may think that you mean "skank" when you say "skunk." Some English learners from Asian countries have difficulty distinguishing between /r/ and /l/. Let me give you a funny example. One of my friends from Taiwan said to a female tried to make a compliment to a lady. He meant to say "You look elegant," but the lady who had his words got puzzled, because she thought he said "You look arrogant." I heard this episode from the friend with some Americans, but surprisingly, one of them said, "Well, I think that the two words have almost the same meaning." Was he right? I don't think so.


Skunks spray a liguid with a very strong, bad smell from their bodies
However, I dare to say that you don't have to be paranoid about English pronunciation. Some Americans don't make a distinction between "pin" and "pen." I watched a teenage girl asking a gentleman to take her picture. But, the gentleman didn't understand her till the girl pointed to the hill behind her. She said, "Could you take a picture of me along the hill?" but to the gentleman and me, it sounded like "Could you take a picture of me along the hell?"

英語を勉強している人なら，発音をよくしたいと一度ぐらいは思っただろう．勿論，「発音なんか悪くてもいい」「ネイティヴのように発音する必要なんかない」という気持ちはわかるが，いいにこしたことはない．ちょっとの発音で誤解を生むことがないわけではないからだ．

ぼく自身もあまり発音はよくないが，残念ながら（？）発音にまつわる面白い実体験はない．だけど，友達などの体験で面白いものを紹介する．

Is Paris Hilton a skank?

ある友達の日本人の女の子がおならをする動物スカンクのことを英語っぽく発音しようと思って「スキャンク」と云った．だが，実際の英語のskunkの発音は「スカンク」のほうに近い．別に他の単語に間違えられなければ，ただの発音ミスですむのだが，残念ながらこの場合，skankという単語がある．これは俗語だから，語数の少ない英和辞典や外国人向けの英英辞典とかにはないかもしれないが，

Skank is slang and a pejorative term used in the Western World to describe an extremely self entitled or promiscuous female.[1] It can also refer to how a woman is dressed.[2] Skanks are supposedly shallow women, obsessed with celebrity lifestyle and emulating or focused on the attainment of material goods. This term is distinct from "slut" in that it usually implies a slovenly or ill-featured woman.
Originally denoting a bad smell[citation needed] or a filthy surface[3], "skank" has come to refer to someone who is physically repugnant for their filth, and figuratively applied to someone who is morally or socially repugnant for their behavior and demeanor, most often sexual conduct.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skank

性格には，Wikipediaの定義を参照してほしいが，要は「軽い女」「チャラい女」のことである．シチュエーションによっては，skunkとskankを入れ替えても意味が通じることもあるのでその場合はまずいことになるかもしれない．まあ，ぼくが耳にしたこの女の子とアメリカ人男性の会話では相手が笑ってすんだんだけど．

あとは，台湾人の友達が，アメリカ人女性の身なりを褒めるつもりで，You look elegant.「素敵に見えますね」と云ったつもりが，You look arrogant.「あなたは威張って見えますね」　ただ，この場合は，「気品のある服装をしている」ということは「偉そうに見える」から同じことだろうというアメリカ人もいた．

ただ，発音を気にしすぎるのもよくない．アメリカでも地域によってはpin（安全ピンなどのピン）とpen（ペン，最近では実質的にはボールペンを指す）を発音し分けない人もいるぐらいだ．Could you take a picture of me along the hell?とアメリカ人の女の子がおじいさんに頼んでいるテレビ番組を見たことがある．そのおじいさんにもぼくと同じように「地獄」に聴こえたらしくて，女の子が丘（hill）をさすまでキョトンとしていたのを思い出す．

I will examine your proposal in a positive manner!?

Cross-cultural communication is important. If you make little of it, you'll be slapped!

『ジャパン・タイムズ』紙のロジャー・パルヴァース氏のコラムは英語学習者におすすめである。もっとも、日本で英語を教えたりしているネイティヴ・スピーカーにも読んでもらいたいが。下に引用したコラムはeuphemisms（婉曲表現）について述べている。日本語の発想が英語国民にとってどう映るかが解って面白い。ちなみに、ぼくは、英語で「しまった」とか「本当かよ」とか云いたい時は、Oh, my God!と普通に云う。Jesus!とかも平気で云う。逆に、日本人がOh, my Gosh!とか云うとうそ臭く感じる（もちろん、云ってはいけないわけじゃない）。ちなみに、アメリカではいまの高校生ぐらいの子はOMGという。これは、頭文字をとっただけ。

Roger Pulvers's column in the Japan Times will be a good textbook for anyone who is interested in cross-cultural communication. I want any English teacher and learners in Japan to read his columns.

By the way, I usually use "Oh, my God" and "Jesus" rather than "(Oh, my) gosh" and "gee." Nowadays, I observed many high school students in the US say "OMG," which is the initial words of "Oh, my God."

Euphemisms may mask ruder instincts -- or not

By ROGER PULVERS

...Japanese people will use the squirmiest circumlocutions to avoid a confrontation. If you ask for something, you may be given the genteel refusal, kangaete okimasu. This literally means "I will think it over," and no Japanese would ever interpret this as a yes.

Another, more convoluted, refusal is indicated with maemuki-ni kento sasete itadakimasu (literally, "I will examine [your proposal] in a positive manner." Make that "positively no."

In Japanese "maybe" means "no" and "yes" means "maybe." So, you may wonder, how in tarnation (which is a euphemism from "eternal" and "damnation") do they ever get anything done? Search me. For instance, if a guy said to his date, "Issho ni yoake no kohi o no- mimasenka (Would you drink a cup of coffee at dawn with me?)," would she realize that he was offering her more than a shot of caffeine? The expression "coffee at dawn" comes from a nearly 40-year-old pop song, "Koi no Kisetsu." If you are going to use this, I advise you to try it first on a woman over 60.

Euphemisms soften the shock of words; and humans are most shocked, it seems, by words that describe sex, God and death, not necessarily in that order. The Japanese word neru (to sleep [with]) is a universal euphemism for making love. The most common euphemism for the horny, randy and raunchy is ecchi. This word derives from the first letter, h, of hentai, meaning abnormal or perverted. In its verbal form, it indicates the sex act itself.

...They were also invented to avoid blasphemy or to protect the speaker from the accusation of misdeed. English, in particular, is rich in words altered so as not to be blasphemous. These include "gosh" and "golly" from "God," and "gee" from "Jesus."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/ek20070130a1.html

The reason I like Sweden

やっと、このブログのデザインをスウェーデン風に変えることができた。スウェーデン風になぜしたかというとスウェーデンが好きだからだ。なぜ、好きかと云えば、スウェーデン人の女の子が可愛いとかいうそういうことではなくて、音楽に影響されたことが大きい。２０歳前後のころは、よくスウィーディッシュ・ポップを聴いたものだ。世界的にはカーディガンズ（The Cardigans）がヒットしたと思うが、日本で人気がでたのはやはり、クラウドベリー・ジャムで、ぼくもよく聴いた。

Swedish girls are pretty.

日本でもスウィーディッシュ・ポップの大物プロデューサー、トーレ・ヨハンソンの名のもと、日本のミュージシャンもスウェーデン風のポップソングを作った。ボニーピンクとカジヒデキが有名だ。このところ音楽は新しいのは殆んど聴かなかったが、最近、クラウドベリージャムが音楽を再開しているようなので、今度ＣＤでも買いに行こうかと思う。

Hideki Kaji, Mr. Sweden

I have changed the looks of the website into a Swedish style. Why did I do it because I like Sweden! Why do I like Sweden? Not simply because Swedish girls are very beautiful but because I love Swedish pop music. When I was around 20, Swedish pop music was big. The Cardigans became popular worldwide, but most Japanese CD listeners love Cloudberryjam also, and I love Cloudberryjam too!

In those days, some Japanese musicians used Tore Johansson, a Swedish music producer, as their producer. Hideki Kaji and Bonnie Pink were famous among them.

I haven't listened to music for a long time. But, I became interested in music again after I got to know that Cloudberryjam restarted working. Maybe I am going to go to HMV in Tokyo again and check out their latest CD.

Cloudberryjam, from Sweden, very popular in Japan

Math sucks!

Although math was always a pain in the ass when I was a kid...

不安になると数学の問題が解けなくなるって本当？

Math anxiety saps working memory needed to do math

By Julie Steenhuysen Mon Feb 19, 9:03 AM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Worrying about how you'll perform on a math test may actually contribute to a lower test score, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.

Math anxiety -- feelings of dread and fear and avoiding math -- can sap the brain's limited amount of working capacity, a resource needed to compute difficult math problems, said Mark Ashcroft, a psychologist at the University of Nevada Los Vegas who studies the problem.

"It turns out that math anxiety occupies a person's working memory," said Ashcroft, who spoke on a panel at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070219/od_nm/math_anxiety_dc

She's not gonna steal Sabrina's boyfriend!

英語を勉強したり、日本語を教えたりすると、母国語話者（ネイティヴ・スピーカー）にとってあたりまえのことが、非母国語話者（ノン・ネイティヴ・スピーカー）にとってはぜんぜんあたりまえではないことがある。今日、なにげなく『サブリナ』という子供番組を見ていたら、主人公サブリナが別の女の子にボーイフレンドをとられそうになっているところで、サブリナの友人がサブリナを助けようといろいろ画策するのだが、そのとき、「あの子にサブリナのボーイフレンドを横取りするようなことはさせないわ」というときに、 Melissa Joan Hart, Sabrina

She's not gonna steal Sabrina's boyfriend.

と云っていた。考えてみれば、これも日本人にはピンとこないのではないか。自分がその女の子がサブリナのボーイフレンドをとろうとしているたくらみを防ごうとしているところで、その女の子を主語にたてて、be going toをあっさり使える日本人はよほどの上級者だろう。文法的には、このbe going toには、「命令・禁止」の働きがあると説明するらしい。

Through my language learning and teaching experience, I often notice that what is so obvious to native speakers doesn't make a lot of sense to non-native speakers. Today, I got an good example while watching "Sabrina, the Teennage Witch." While a Sablina's friend is trying to interrupt another girl's plot to steal Sablina's boyfriend, the friend was like,

"She's not going to steal Sabrina's boyfriend."

To Japanese English learners, this sentence could be a little bit difficult. For saying the same content, probably they would say, "I won't make her steal Sablina's boyfriend." To them, it is kind of odd for you to be able to make "she" the subject and to put "be going to" although the "she" is not you.

In Micheal Swan's Practical English Usage, "be going to" in this sentence could be categorized as "commands and refusals."

Michael Swan, a big person in ESL education

It rubs me the wrong way!

『プリンセス・マサコ』の日本語版の出版がとりやめになった。また、今日のInternational Herald Tribune紙の日本版（『朝日ヘラルド』と呼ぶらしい）には、フランスの日本料理屋を公的機関がフランスまで行ってチェックする、という内容の『天声人語』の英訳が載った。つくづく救いようのない国だと思う。ぼくの記憶に間違いがなければ、「文化」とは本来「政治・軍事力によらない（国民の）支配」という意味だと思うが、この国は政治力で「文化」を管理するようだ。北朝鮮のことをよくバカにできるものだと思う。ついでに、大衆の娯楽などはcultureといわず、sub-culture（サブカルチャー）といったりするが、日本の大衆娯楽の多くもくだらないことこの上ない。２月に開けて、プロ野球のキャンプがはじまったり、アメリカでプレイする日本人選手のニューズが報道されるが、どうもどうでもいいニューズを勝手にマスコミが盛り上げている感がある。団塊の世代の人たちに媚びているつもりなのかもしれないが、悪いが、長島茂雄氏が紅白戦を見たとか、どうせもうポンコツになって使えない桑田や清原の報道なんてしてどうするんだ。視聴者をバカにするのもいい加減にしろ。本当は、こんな２人を飼っている球団やプロ野球界そのものが批判されていいぐらいだ。勿論、桑田や清原自体には、自分の好きな道を進む権利があるだろうが。

あまりにこれらのことがイライラするので、毒を吐いてみた。

If you have a time to report them, there are many other athletes to be reported, I think...

It seems like the Japanese culture is not controlled by government. The Japanese translation of "Princess Masako" is not going to be published. Also, International Herald Tribune (Japan Edition) put a translation from Asahi Shimbun's column "Global 'sushi police' a dubious endeavor." This article says:

Determined to promote "correct" Japanese food, Matsuoka has begun creating system by which the government will give its seal of approval to overseas eateries that serve only "authentic" Japanese food.
(February 20, International Herald Tribune- Asahi Shimbun)

If I remember correctly, "culture" means something that is transmitted not by political or military power. But, in this country, it is done by the government! I wonder why Japan can look down on North Korea...

Not only the culture but also the subculture of Japan annoys me. Since it is February, the media started out reporting baseball. I don't know why, but they report very very silly news items such as Shigeo Nagashima, who has been retired from his coaching position for a long time, Masumi Kuwata, who couldn't play in Japan any more because of the decline of his physical strength but who was hired by a major league team that does not know the fact, and Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who has not played for a whole season within these years and who doesn't seem to play well this year also. Maybe, they would excuse themselves, like "They are popular," or sometihng really lame. But for their excessive reporting, nobody cares Nagashima, Kuwata, and Kiyohara any more.

Of course, some athletes who are not doing well could be popular in other countries, but...

Since I have got too many frustration about this kind of things, I became blunt.

Why can't Taro speak English?

Misako Yasuda, openly saying that her hobby is speaking English, doesn't speak English. I don't wanna criticize her, 'cuz most Japanese are like her (NOTE: I'm not saying "most Japanese people like her").
自分自身がそんなに英語がうまいわけじゃないので、偉そうに云うのはなんだか気がひけるが、やっぱり日本人の英語はダメだと思う。ただ、云えることは、特別恵まれて幼年期に英語圏に住んだとかいうことがない限り、時間をかけて勉強しないと英語はできるようにならない。

そのことを差し引いても、日本人の英語はヘタだと思う。そこで、日本人特有の英語の欠点とその対処法をこのブログに書いてみたい。今日は、語彙について。日本人はいわゆる教材で英語を勉強するのに慣れているので、教材以外の単語が使われると戸惑う。具体的に云えば、中学・高校などで学校英語として英単語を勉強する。そのほか、資格試験のために勉強する人もいるかもしれない。そのほか、英会話を勉強しようと思ってそのための本を買ったりする。そういう教材の中に入っている語は重要かもしれないが、日常生活で使われるごくごく普通の英単語を私たちはあまりにも知らない。そういう単語を知らないで、スラング、口語表現、時事英語、日本特有のものを言い表す表現なんて勉強しても仕方ないと思うのだが。で、その勉強法だが、いたってシンプルに英語の読書量を増やすのが正攻法だ。ただ、読む教材は、選ばなくてはいけない。報道記事は時事用語が多すぎるし、文学作品は凝った表現が多すぎる。そこで、おすすめなのが新聞・雑誌などにある人生相談コーナーの英語である。例を見せよう。

Dear Prudence,

I was married a year and a half ago, after a probably too-brief courtship, to a woman who soon after the wedding was diagnosed as bipolar. I later discovered she had a previous history of mental illness that she had concealed from me. I feel as if I'm living with an emotional terrorist—I never know where or when the next bomb is going to go off. She is now on medication and things have gotten better, but better still isn't good. Intimacy, partnership, and equality are no longer real possibilities. We haven't slept in the same bed for over a year. Yes, we've tried counseling, and no, nothing improved. My wife is also financially irresponsible and routinely bounces checks. I discovered that she had tens of thousands of dollars in defaulted debt. I know that anyone reading this letter is going to say, "It's been less than two years, you were lied to, get out while you're still sane." But I feel tremendously guilty over the idea of abandoning someone who is mentally ill, and who in all likelihood could not survive on her own financially. Yet I also feel that I can't live the rest of my life trapped like this. I just need an impartial voice to tell me that if I end it, I'm not going to be condemned to hell for needing to move on in order to survive. If you're that voice, please speak up now. If you think I'm evading my responsibilities, please let me know.

—Torn

これはインターネットからぱくってきたものである。赤字にしたのが、なじみがないであろうという表現で、覚えておきたいもの。courtshipというのは「（恋愛関係における）お付き合い」というような意味。diagnoseは「（何か具合の悪いこと・病気などが）見つかる」ということ。ちなみにbipolarという単語は知らなくていい。なにかしらの精神的な病気ということがわかっていれば。あと、intimacyは「親密さ」、irresponsibleは「コントロールできない」ということ、bounceは「バウンドする、させる」というのが第一語義だが、ここではto bounce a checkで「赤字を出す」という意味がある。銀行に十分な残高がないのに、小切手を切る、ということから来たわけです。tremendouslyは「とても、ものすごく」という意味で、日本人はveryしか知らないが、こういう単語も知っておいたほうがいい、ものすごくよく使われるので。ということでじっくり味わって読んでください。で、この相談に対する答えも載せておきます。

Dear Torn,

You're not going to be condemned to hell—you're already there. Bipolar disorder is a terrible illness, though fortunately it can be treated and controlled. But your wife sounds as if she's a long way from stability, if she will ever get there. At the least, she was obligated to disclose her mental and financial history to you. She didn't, so your marriage began in deceit. You say your survival is at stake here, so the question is not staying or going—it's how you go while doing the least damage to a woman you
cared for enough to marry. You should discuss with both a therapist and a lawyer your desire to help her make the transition back to being on her own. And while you're talking to that therapist, try to figure out how you entered into a marriage with a virtual stranger.

—Prudie

http://www.slate.com/id/2159840/?GT1=9129

Stop bullying!

Keigo Oyamada, who has admitted bullying somebody as a child in a magazine, is not a gay.

アイオワ州でいじめ防止法案が出来たらしい。どこでも、教育の世界で起こる問題は似たようなものということか。

House approves bill to stop bullying
Many tied long debate to gay-rights controversy
By JENNIFER JACOBS　REGISTER STAFF WRITER
February 8, 2007

22 Comments
Classmates used to press themselves against their lockers in mock horror when Tyler Mooers walked through the hallways of Carlisle High School.

When he heard a ban on bullying - including so-called cyber bullying - was approved 62-37 in the Iowa House on Wednesday night, Mooers said he thinks the legislation will be "really effective."

The bill would force public and private schools to have policies by Sept. 1 that prevent and punish bullying or harassment of any student.

Seventy-seven school districts, including Des Moines, Urbandale and West Des Moines, already have antibullying policies, which include "sexual orientation."

More than 280 public school districts don't have the "sexual orientation" category, including Carlisle, Ankeny, Indianola, Johnston, Southeast Polk and Waukee."

A lot of people say it's just so gay kids get all these special rights, but it's not," said Mooers, 18, who revealed his sexual orientation in his sophomore year and was bullied enough that he sometimes wanted to skip school. "It's about protecting everybody."

Rep. Jodi Tymeson, a Republican from Winterset, doubted the legislation's effectiveness."

It won't stop one kid from being bullied," she said.

Several Republicans unsuccessfully tried to strike the list of specific categories, arguing schools should simply protect "all students" without distinction."

Why are the four-eyed, band-playing, choir-singing, too small to play high school athletics, why are those traits not worthy enough to make this list?" said Rep. Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City. "How does adding 'any' or 'all' diminish what you want to accomplish?"

Rep. Roger Wendt, a Democrat from Sioux City, said the list includes categories most frequently targeted for bullying, but school districts are free to add more.

Many lawmakers and observers interpreted the long debate over this bill as a thinly-veiled controversy over gay rights.

A safe learning environment for every child is "a moral imperative," yet some legislators opposed the bill, said Connie Ryan Terrell, the executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. That's because they objected to the words "sexual orientation" and "gender identity," she said.

Asked if opponents didn't want to expressly protect gay students from bullying because that could be perceived as condoning homosexuality, Rep. Scott Raecker, a Republican from Urbandale, said that wasn't true.

"Not at all," he said.

Raecker, who voted in favor of the bill, had suggested the state require, and pay for, professional development for teachers and staff, including character development.

Raecker is the executive director of the Institute for Character Development. His idea failed, but the bill still encourages such training on a school's own dime. Raecker said his intention was not to encourage schools to hire his business.

The House approved other amendments, including one that states that the teaching of doctrinal matters in nonpublic schools would not be inhibited. Another prohibits bullying via cell phone, e-mail or the Internet.

The Senate on Jan. 30 approved the legislation, 36-14, but the House amendments mean the bill will go now back to the Senate.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070208/NEWS10/702080420/1001/NEWS10

Lost in translation!?

I went to Roppongi Hills yesterday. It was my first time (Are you really a Tokyoite? LOL). Anyway, the place around Roppongi Hills was more terrible than I had thought. While I was waiting for the traffic sign to turn green, I heard a couple of foreigners speaking in English. Well, it wasn't the sort of English I wanted to hear. It was the English gangsters in American movies use. As a person who always wants to speak like Anderson Cooper (just kidding), I felt so unconfortable.

Anyway, the reason I went there was to see a person I had met in Illinois. Now, she is working for the American Embassy in Tokyo. She looked fine. The problem was that she brought her friends, some of whom spoke English and the other of whom spoke English. What happened was the Japanese speakers said to me, "Where are you from?" after giving me some compliments to my Japanese. I was relactant to say, "I am from Japan" at that time (LOL). Actually, that is not the first time I was mistaken for a non-Japanese.

Well, anyway, I like international cities, but even if I had plenty of money, I wouldn't want to live in Roppongi.

Japan to accerate economic reform

It seems like the US is ordering Japan to do more economic reform...

USTR Schwab Calls on Japan to Accelerate Economic Reform
U.S. Submits Annual Regulatory Reform Recommendations
12/05/2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States today presented comprehensive reform recommendations to the Japanese Government that urge further improvements in Japan’s business environment and new market opportunities for U.S. exporters and companies seeking to do business in Japan.

U.S. - Japan Regulatory Reform Initiative includes detailed recommendations for Japan to strengthen regulatory transparency and predictability, facilitate cross-border triangular mergers, improve access to life-saving medical devices and drugs, and strengthen intellectual property protection through bilateral cooperation and domestic reforms. The recommendations also call on Japan to undertake reforms to Japan Post that will level the playing field in Japan.

...This year’s report – part of an annual exchange under the U.S.-Japan Regulatory Reform and Competition Policy Initiative (Regulatory Reform Initiative) – also recommends improvements in other key sectors –including financial services, agriculture, commercial law, telecommunications, distribution, and information technologies.

Background

The Regulatory Reform Initiative was established under the 2001 U.S. - Japan Economic Partnership for Growth as a key forum to promote economic growth through improvements in domestic regulatory regimes. Both governments will consider the recommendations through working-level and high-level meetings. Progress is documented annually in the Initiative’s Report to the Leaders.

USTR leads the Initiative for the U.S. government, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes the lead for the Japanese government.

http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/December/USTR_Schwab_Calls_on_Japan_to_Accelerate_Economic_Reform.html

I wish I could be free...

I often Sit and Wish -- Mother Goose

I often sit and wish that I
Could be a kite up in the sky,
And ride upon the breeze and go
Whichever way I chanced to blow

I tried to explain seriously what I thought below, after watching the movie. But, I felt every word I used going away from what I thought. Since I want to understand this movie more, please tell me what you think about this movie if you have seen it.

下で映画についての感想を書こうと思ったのですが、言葉が空回りしてしまいました。この映画は２つ以上の物語が交錯するというしくみ以外はよく解らなかった。「映画なんて面白ければいーじゃん」のように考えることをやめてしまうところにどこか抵抗があるので、あえて言語化を試みましたが、まだ理解が不十分だったかもしれません。もっとわかったら、もう一度書きます。

Post-modernism and Lady in the Water

I watched Lady in the Water (2006), which some of my friends in the US have talked about more than one time and which I had never seen even after coming back to Tokyo. To tell the truth, I didn't understand this movie well. Here is the storyline:

Apartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep (Giamatti) rescues what he thinks is a young woman from the pool he maintains. When he discovers that she is actually a character from a bedtime story who is trying to make the journey back to her home, he works with his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452637/

I am sure that this movie is a fairy tale for adults. And it is also somewhat relevant to post-modernism in that the life of characters in the movie are related to a bedtime story. To tell the truth, it is hard to believe that our life is directly affected by a fiction. Even if yes, it is harder to know how it is relevant to our life. But, post-modernism has been dealing with that kind of matter, in my understanding of philosophy. Anyway, this movie was really difficult for me to understand because of two reasons. I have already mentioned one of them. The other is that Japanese people do not understand "to be modern" before thinking about "post-modernism." It is difficult to explain what "modern" means, but you have to be able to interpret what is going on in this world by yourself if you are modern. But, this type of thinking practice is not familiar with the Japanese. As long as we are human, we have to come across lots of situation we have to decide, right? Then, who make decision? Yes, it is you. But, Japanese people tend to avoid making their own decision by themselves. They often want to know what others would do before making decision. You could say that it is because the Japanese are group minded, but I sometimes feel it is really sad.

『レイディー・インザ・ウォーター』という映画を観た。これは、大人の寓話というやつだが、よくわからなかった。たぶん、ポストモダニズムとかと関係していると思う。登場人物の運命が、あるおとぎ話と関係があるという設定なのだから。ただ、日本人には結局、ポストモダニズムとはわからないものだとも思う。モダニズムがわからないんだから。何をモダニズムとするかは難しいが、基本にあるのは、世界を自分なりに解釈しようという試みのことだと思う。このこと自体にピンとこない人のほうがほとんどじゃないかと思う。「自分の頭でものを考える」と云いかえることもできるが、これだと当たり前じゃないかいつもいろいろ考えてるよ、とみんな云うだろう。でも、「私もそろそろ２０代後半になるから」とか「みんな（あるいは、自分の好きな有名人）が云ってるから」とか「雑誌・新聞に書いているから」で物事を決断している人は結構多い。もちろん、欧米人だって、媒体には影響されるが、アイディア（思考、思想）そのものまで影響されるというのではあまりに悲しい。だが、意外とこの状態から抜け出るのは難しい。

"Doraemon" is weird.

"What's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own."- William Shakespeare

"Meitantei Conan" is called "Case Closed" in the US

I used to read "Doraemon" as a child. I think that this comic series is really unique.

In the US, there's "Phil of the Future," where a main character has come from the future. But, he is not like Nobitakun, which is the main character in "Doraemon."

Nobitakun always tries to avoid solving his matters for himself. Instead, he uses Doraemon's convenient tools from the 22 century to solve his problems. There is another wacky character in Doraemon, who is called Suneo, who is always fluttering to who is stronger than him and looks down on who is weaker than him.

I don't know if children should read "Doraemon." I don't want any kids to become like Nobita or Suneo, though. I kind of doubt that every kid TV show should be like one by Disney's, who is too romantic and too different than the real world is.

ぼくも小さい頃は見たり、読んだりしたが、いま思い返してみれば『ドラえもん』というのはすごくユニークな漫画だったと思う。

未来から誰かが来るという設定の子供番組はアメリカにもPhil of the Future（邦題『フィルにおまかせ！』）というのがディズニー・チャンネルにあるが、この番組の主人公はのび太君に似ても似つかない、目の前の問題を自分の力で解決しようとする「まともな」子供である。

そういえば、『遊戯王』や『ポケモン』のみならず、『ブギーポップは笑わない』とか『名探偵コナン』とかががんがん英語版が出てアメリカで読まれているのに、『ドラえもん』は英語学習用のものがたまにアメリカでも見つけるぐらい、というのはやっぱり登場人物や設定が教育的によくないからだろう。

確かに、子供がみんなのび太君のように、だれかが助けてくれるのを待っているような人間になろうとするのは困るし、スネ夫君のように、お世辞ばっかりしているやつはぼくは嫌いだが、アメリカのディズニー番組のような理想的な世界を子供に押し付けるというのも少し抵抗がある。

ドラえもんについては、以下のサイトが面白い。本当は英語版があれば、欧米人の人にも笑ってもらえるのだが、残念ながらそれは不可能だ。

http://hendora.com/

silly Japanese TV shows

こんなことを云うのもなんだが、やっぱり日本のテレビ番組の多くはくだらない。
ヨーロッパ人に倣って、テレビを一切見ないようにするというのもひとつの選択かもしれない。

Kazunari Ninomiya is a good actor despite the fact that he is a member of Johnny's Entertainment.

というわけで、あまりヴァラエティー・ショウの類やニューズ番組はなるべくみないようにしているんだが、ドラマは少しみる。『拝啓、父上様』というフジのドラマはつくりは『北の国から』と同じだが、嵐の二宮君がジャニーズとは思えないさえない若者をうまく演じているのはいいと思う。

ちょっと前までは『結婚出来ない男』の再放送を見ていたやっぱり阿部寛はいい。

はじめのほうはユースケ・サンタマリアが出ていた『今晩、妻が浮気します』も見ていたが、話があまり進展しないので少し飽きてきた。二枚目俳優、沢村一樹（いっき）は今回も大した訳じゃない。

Ikki Sawamura is a handsome actor, but he hasn't played a major role in a major TV drama. Is it because he talks difty whenever he appears on other TV shows?

これはどうでもいい話だが、テレビでどうしても自分の感覚ではきれいとかかっこいいとか思わない俳優やＴＶタレントが「美人」とか「美形」とか云われているのが謎だ。一応、自分の感覚が少しおかしいんだろうと謙虚に考えるようにはしているんだけど。

Asami Mizuhara. "Is she pretty?" "I'm afraid not."

Dutch picture books are cool.

The Japanese like Dick Bruna

To avoid coccoing, yesterday I went to Daimaru Museum at Tokyo, where Exibition of Dutch Picture Book Illustrators are held.

Although most people seem to be interested in "Miffy," by Dick Bruna, I felt some other illustrators such as Jan Jutte, Patsy Backx, and Marit Tornqvist are doing good work too.

I think that picture book illustrators draw simply, which is one of the tips to entertain kids. Although Japanese anime illustrators do excellet job in details, those skills might not go with picture books. In this sense, all of the illustrators whose works I observed yesterday draw their pictures only with a few lines and colors.

http://www.daimaru.co.jp/museum/schedule/tokyo/index.html

As I wrote above, I went there just because staying home all the time isn't healthy. But, another reason would be that I like Holland. I went there a couple of years ago, and it was really cool.

Learning English on TV

Basically I don't like Disney's movies, because they are too romantic and totally different than the real world where you have to face a lot of bad people and painful reality of the life.

Should we still call her Bonnie Pink? Her hair isn't pink any more!

But, I watch some dramas and comedies on Disney Channel at times to learn English. I started out this learning method because that is the way Bonnie Pink, who sings in both English and Japanese, learned English despite the fact that she's not a returnee. The English used for such dramas contains many useful expressions that are frequently used in the real communication with native speakers but that are not taught at school in Japan.

I watched Disney Channel a couple of days ago since I had nothing to do at that time. And I came to know that Beni Arashiro sings a song for the Japanese version "Kim Possible." The main characters of this cartoon were highschoolers, so maybe it may be appropriate for high school learners' supplemental audio materials.

Beni Arashiro also shows up in an NHK's English learning program.

So far, mainly I've just wanted to say that if you live in Tokyo and are paying for a Cable TV, watching Disney Channel at times may help you improve your English. From now, I want to bitch about Disney Channel in Japan. Between a program and another, there is a corner called something like "Disney 365" and it will introduce some shows that are coming. Well, that makes sence, but who does it? Actually, Shuzo Matsuoka, a former tennis player, does. I don't like to watch him too often. He may not be a bad person, but his energetic personality on TV often rubs me the wrong way. Whenever a figure skate game is broadcasted, he will be on TV. And he is supporting Mao Asada as if being his daughter. It makes me really exhausted. To tell the truth, I'm not interested in figure skate and Mao Asada. But, my parents often see figure skate on TV, and in our small house, Mr. Matsuoka's voice supporting Asada really freaks me out. Also, I'm astonished by my dad, who is always like, "Well, I think Kimmie is prettier." I'm like, "Who is Kimmie?" Recently, I learned that it was Kimmie Meissner, who is an American athelete (I put her picture here). Maybe, for most dirty-old men, watching figure skate is like watching Morning Musume...

Mao Asada, Matsuoka's favorite