Teachers' working place

Before I came back to Tokyo, I lived in Illinois and taught Japanese at a public high school. Now, I'm a teacher at a professional school. Although I'm trying to get used to my new workplace, I often get confused by how different the role of teachers is in Japan than in the states.

In the US, teachers' work is to teach. And if you belong to a good school, you can focus on your teaching. However, in Japan, teachers' responsibilities aren't limited to teaching. As a matter of fact, other responsibilties do not give me enough time to prepare for class.

Why teachers can't focus on their own teaching in Japan? I think the reason would be that the schools do not have enough staffs and money to do other jobs. Eduation costs a lot.

Although education reform is one of the major arguments in Abe administration, they never probably intend to increase the costs for education. If they gave many non-teaching staffs to schools, teachers would be able to focus on teaching more. But, probably they don't want to do it. That kind of sucks.

"Education Reform," "No Child Left Behind," and any others need a lot of money to get things working out.

Bless you!

"Bless you" might be a conversation opener.

As Westerners do, I say "Bless you!" when somebody sneezes. In some areas of the US, people may say "Gesundheit!" But, that's not my point. Some of my friends said that I didn't have to say it because I didn't belong to Western cultures. However, I urge you to say it, especially you are Japanese. If you care about the cultural aspect of this phrase, you could say "Are you okay?" instead. What is important is to try to communicate the person who sneezes. Anyway, he or she must say "Thank you" if you say "Bless you." This is the chance to open the conversation. I feel sad to know the fact that most Japanese in the US never try to speak English outside their workplaces or schools. I think that it is very important to speak with others totally different than you, though.

Feel in the dumps.

Now, I kind of feel in the dumps for some reasons. By the way, most of English-Japanese dictionary have the expression "be in the blues." But, according to a native speaker of American English, it should be to "have the blues." Besically to "have" means to "be in." But, he told me that to "be in the blues" was weirld. I want to know why.

ちょっと，個人的にここ数日いろいろなことがあってちょっと落ち込んでる．ところで，確か，よく日本の英和辞典には，be in the blues「落ち込んでいる，ブルーである」という熟語が載っていたと思うが，ぼくが実際使ってみると，have the blues と云え，とアメリカ人に云われた．理由はよくわからない．

An American bank that is liked only outside the US.

かつて，日本の大銀行が批判されて，シティバンクが必要以上にもてはやされた時代もあったが，アメリカではダメダメのようである．ちなみに，シティバンクに口座を作っていても，アメリカ国内では引き出すたびに手数料がかかるのでとくにお勧めしない．アメリカに長く住むのであれば，現地で一番よく使われる銀行口座を使うのが賢明である．

The Japanese used to admire Citibank, but it seems like the bank is not going well in the United States.

Accroding to the New York Times:

NEW DELHI, March 26 — Under pressure from shareholders, Citigroup is planning to shed thousands of jobs and sharpen its focus on its operations outside North America. ...

Citigroup has been under pressure to cut costs and grow profits, after being dogged with problems from regulatory lapses to increased competition. Several analysts have suggested that the colossal bank is worth more in parts than together.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/26cnd-citi.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Latin or German!?

ある人の性格を指して，ラテン系だとかゲルマン系と云う人がいる．ラテン系が陽気で，ゲルマン系がドイツ人のイメージからか堅いということになっている．

日本人の性格を表わすのに，なぜヨーロッパ文化がからむのかわからない．また，英語とかで本当にそんな言い方をするのかも知らない（たぶん，しないと思う）．もしこの区分にあえて従うならば，自分はゲルマン系である．そういえば，大学で何年もフランス語を勉強したのに，はじめてヨーロッパに行くときに選んだ国はオランダとドイツだった．また，機会があれば，ヨーロッパに行きたいが，スペインやイタリアよりも，たぶん，北欧かすでに行った国に行くと思う．

ラテン系とよばれる人たちの行動でもっともわからないのはダンスである．友達に連れられて何度かクラブに行ったが，みんな興奮して踊るのをどこか冷めた目で見ていた．周りの人から，Smile! Smile! と何度も云われた．きれいな女の人にほっぺたに両手をあてられて微笑むように促されたときも引きつったような笑いしかできなかった．小さい頃から，フォークダンスも盆踊りも苦手で，逃げ回っていた．ぼくは，ピアノを習っていたのでリズム感がないとかいう話ではない，単に照れ屋で，人前で踊ることが恥ずかしくてできないだけだ．

だから，学校や仕事でも周囲の人とコミュニケイトするのはひと苦労である．苦労なくできている人を見るとうらやましい．そういえば，アメリカいたときの日本人の友人ですごい人がいた．彼は典型的な「ラテン系」の人だった．お気に入りの女の子が眼鏡をなくしたのに気付くと，「眼鏡なしだとものすごい可愛いよ．でも，ぼくは君がこころにかけているもうひとつの眼鏡をとりはずしたいんだ」とか云っていた．たぶん，そんなことは一生云えるようにはならないと思う．なりたいか，と云われればそれほどでもないけれど．


In Japan, the word "German(ic)" or "Latin" can be used to describe how laid-back you are. "Germanic" people are quiet and stiff. Instead, "Latin" people like to have fun and do not think seriously. I don't know whether this categorization can be used outside Japan (maybe no), but if I follow it, I should belong to "German."

Desite a lot of efforts, I still have difficulty being relaxed for some cases, especially when it comes to dancing. While I lived in the states, I went to a club a couple of times with my friends. But, I haven't had enough fun to forget myself. I remember many people saying to me, "smile!"

Also, I'm too shy to talk to a new person or talk to people first. Sometimes I envy those people who can do this without any difficulty. Let me tell you about a friend of mine.

He is a really "Latin" person. Although most Japanese people are thought to be "shy," but he is not. Anyway, I met him while I lived in Missouri. And he had a thing for a girl working at the library. One day, the girl lost her eyeglasses and she showed up at her workplace without glasses.

The Latin guy said to her, "You look like a princess without your eyeglasses, but you're wearing another pair of eyeglasses in your heart, which I want to take off." It kind of cracked me up, but I believe that I can't say such a thing even after I pass away. The girl seemed to be impressed by his word. So, maybe you can try it if you are a "Latin" person.

How about another candidate?

都知事選について，もう１つ．この間，書店に立ち寄った際，田原総一郎が石原慎太郎と共著を出していた．『サンデー・プロジェクト』とかいう番組では，ツッコミを入れているようなところもあったが，それはやらせなのではないかとも思える．

ところで，ぼく自身，アメリカから帰って来て1年経っていないので，選挙権はないと思っていたが，選挙権自体はあるようである．


I noticed that Shintaro Ishihara published a book with Soichiro Tahara, who was an anchorman at a political talk show. I feel kind of weird because I saw Tahara criticize Ishihara on this show. Maybe that was his fake and Tahara might be strongly supporting Ishihara secretly. Not only politicians but also political commentators often lie. That's life.

Nihon no Chikara (The Power of Japan) by Shintaro Ishihara & Soichiro Tahara: Bungeishunju

It cracked me up. Vote for him? Well,... that's another story.

I happened to see Dr. Nakamatsu, one of the candidates for Metropolitan Governer of Tokyo, making a speech. I don't know if he really wants to become the governer. Sometimes I wonder that he might be joking. He said that he had never missed a class during his school days. Also, he insists that Tokyo be ready to protect herself from North Korea's missile attack and that he could make the best defense system.

I even wonder if he really invented a floppy disk.

How to lose weight

I am trying to lose my weight now. How? It's very simple. Eat only lunch. Don't eat breakfast and supper. It has worked a couple of times. I have no idea whether it is healthy or not and whether it would work with other people. I gained some weight after coming back from the states in July. Probably the rule that you will gain weight in the states and lose it in Japan doesn't apply to me.

実は，いま体重を少し落とそうと考えてる．どうしているかは極めて簡単である．昼だけ食べる世にして，朝と夜は食べない．飲み物とかはあまり気にしないでいる．この方法で何度かうまくいっているので，自分にとってはベストの方法だが，他の人に聞くかどうかは知らない． 去年の夏にアメリカから帰ってきてから，体重が一気に増えていた．日本食はやせるし，ヘルシーだというのをあまり信じない．他の日本人には，と思う．ぼく自身は，あまり米は好きではないし，寿司も刺身も食べられないので，アメリカの食生活で何も困ることはなかった．日本食はほとんど食べる機会もなければ食べようとも思わなかった．チャイニーズやビスケットとグレイビーばっかり食べていた．英語はあんまりうまくないし，かなり恥ずかしがりやなのでそういった面では自分は日本人だと思うが，食事に関しては，自分は本当に日本人なのかとときどき疑ったりする．

今日は友達と約束があって，昼を一緒にするが，イタリアンだ．これも和食ではない．そろそろでかけないといけないので，この辺にしておく．

Aren't they muckrakers?

I saw the advertisement of this article quoted below in the subway when I went to work. In Japanese, "Horie Girls" is the term they use to describe who were ex-girlfriends of Takafumi Horie. I believe that Horie is responsible for what he did and probably the girls who were his dates were kind of using him. Even with these things, I feel weird when those girls are described as if they were perfectly owned by Horie. And the article's writer seems to be in a position of making a right justice. However, I belive that these yellow journalists are as bad as Horie or maybe more. Is it because I'm kind of a naivite?

You can read the artilce from the link below. I stopped quoting the part that describes those girls, though.

From Mainichi Daily News:

With their high-living beau banged up, Horiemon's Honeys crash back to earth

Horiemon's Honeys -- a pin-up queen, a model-cum-actress and one of the country's best-known PR people, all gorgeous women closely associated with Livedoor Inc. founder Takafumi Horie -- have seen their lives change since the downfall of the Internet pioneer who was jailed earlier this week, according to Shukan Bunshun (3/29).

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/news/20070323p2g00m0dm032000c.html

What can't be translated must be translated.

Recently I often read the blog site of Mr. Naota Amaki (http://www.amakiblog.com). This blog is bilingual too, although its blog has far better quality than my blog because of his great insights in politics and knowledge of the English language. However, what worries me is his latest comment. He said that something he felt blogging in English might be meaningless when he writes about non-international topics.


This opinion of him is really rational. But, I don't buy it. I'd like to write something about Japan that has never interested anybody so far. Also, I want more Japanese people to know the United States beyond the information they can get only in the Japanese language and I want to write about it.


Probably Mr. Atsurou Watabe, one of the most handsome actors in Japan, can't be popular overseas.

What can be easily translated into another language must be the neutral part of culture, which is called "glabalization," maybe. But, I belive that real intercultural communication must exist beyond it. I know it is difficult, but I don't want to give up right now. I try to be beyond the limit even if my language skills were limited...

It's hard to make Westerners understand why "Haikei, Chichiue sama (Dear, my father)" is good. Nobody would be satisfied if you tried to appreciate Kazunari Ninomiya, who is so unsophisticated as to doubt whether he is a member of Johnny's entertainment.

Be spontaneous!

Today I was asked to interpret for an English speaker at a meeting. Although I have translated some materials written in English into Japanese and vice versa, it was my first time to do simultaneous translation. And I couldn't do a good job and I became like a lame duck.

But, I learned one thing from this experience. You must not think while interpreting at a meeting. You've got to keep going, which was kind of hard to me, because I'm a thinker. Well, probably I should stop bitching because if you want to speak English fluently, your language is supposed to be made spontaneously.

Maya Angelou's poem: Part III

Our Grandmothers

By Maya Angelou

She lay, skin down on the moist dirt,
the canebrake rustling
with the whispers of leaves, and
loud longing of hounds and
the ransack of hunters crackling the near
branches.

She muttered, lifting her head a nod toward
freedom,
I shall not, I shall not be moved.

She gathered her babies,
their tears slick as oil on black faces,
their young eyes canvassing mornings of madness.
Momma, is Master going to sell you
from us tomorrow?

Yes.
Unless you keep walking more
and talking less
Yes.
Unless the keeper of our lives
releases me from all commandments.
Yes.
And your lives,
never mine to live,
will be executed upon the killing floor of
innocents.
Unless you match my heart and words,
saying with me,

I shall not be moved.

Japanese translation
by OUTRAGEOUS2007:

おばあさん

横になる　湿った泥の上に　肌をつけて
トウの茂みは　さらさらと　音をたてる
風が　そっと　いななく
大きな　猟犬の　叫びがする
近くのやぶで　猟師たちが　探し求める

そっとつぶやく　頭を　自由の方角に向けて
わたしはしない　動いてはいけないんだ

こどもたちを　集める黒い顔には　なみだが　流れているのに
瞳には　狂ったような朝が　映っている
おかあさん、だんなさまは明日やってくるの？
おかあさんを売るために

そうよ
もっともっと歩いて
ずっとずっと黙っていないとね
そうよ
神様が
わたしに命令するのを　やめない限りは
そうよ
みんなのくらしは
わたしのものじゃないから
たくさんの　罪のない人が　死ぬことの上に成り立ってるから
こころとことばをいっしょにしない限りは
わたしとしゃべるときぐらいは

動いてはいけないんだ　わたしは

Do you wanna hang out with me?

I saw some highschoolers in a video rental store. They were talking about going to a member's house to watch a movie. I was happy to hear their conversation because their life was like that of European teennagers in a good meaning. When I was in high school, the minds of my classmates were always occupied with going to a better college and they did not think about spending time without doing anything productive. Thinking about that kind of stuff make me come up with the English phrasal verb to "hang out," which has given me some memory.　hang out at a bar

The opening song for "That 70s Show" starts, "hanging out..."

When I was teaching Japanese at a high school in Illinois, a student in my classroom came up to me, and said in Japanese, "Can I play around here?"

I had to think for a while to find what was going on in his head. And finally, I understood. He meant, "Can I hang out here." He had to wait until the next class began.

I said, "Yes, but the verb you used was wrong," mimicking the action of to "fool around." "Okay. Then, I would say,...," he said in Japanese, "Can I stay over tonight?"

"No, you can't." I really appreciated his willingness to speak Japanese. But, helping him create a right sentence was a slightly difficult. Finally, he said the right sentence, whose word-for-word translation would be "Can I be here for a while?"


以前，このブログのどこかに書いたことがあるかもしれないが，hang out という句動詞について書く．hang out とは，「時間を取り立てて何もすることなく過ごす」という意味である．

この単語には，想い出がある．イリノイの高校で日本語を教えていたとき，生徒の一人が，日本語で「ここであそんでもいいですか？」と云ってきた．

ここは教室なんだから，サッカーなんか突然されたらどうしよう，と思ったが，考えてみれば，Can I hang out here for a while?「ちょっとここで時間をつぶしていいですか」と云いたいのだと気付いた．アメリカの学校では，休み時間以外に廊下をうろうろしていることは許されない．ガードマンに尋問される．ベルがなるまでどこかの教室にいないといけないのである．

「いいけど，君の云った日本語だとこういう意味だよ」と，部屋の中で遊びまわるしぐさをしながら説明した．すると，彼は，「ここに止まってもいいですか」と日本語で云った．おいおい，とまる気かよ．でも，彼はCan I stay here?　を直訳したのだ．

やっとのことで，彼は，「ここにいてもいいですか」という正しい日本語にたどり着いた．やれやれ．日本語はむずかしいですな．

で，hang out だが，友達と一緒に hang out するというと，ヴィデオとかを部屋で一緒に観たり，テレビゲーム（英語ではvideo game）をしたりすることを指す．今日たまたま，レンタルヴィデオ屋さんで，高校生が「お前の家でこの映画みようぜ」みたいなことを思った．けっこうほほえましく思った．ぼくが高校生のころは，みんな受験勉強に忙しくて，友達と一緒にゆったりとする（社会学者の宮台真司が「まったりする」とかいう動詞を使ってたが，このニュアンスに近い．ぼくはこの言葉を使わないし，いまの人が使うかどうか知らない）ことはあまりなかった．

これを云うとヨーロッパかぶれと云われそうだが，ヨーロッパ人（特に労働者階級）は，大人になっても，仕事よりも，家族とか友人と hang out することを生きることの第一の価値においている．日本にいる稀有のヨーロッパモデルに範を見る経済学者・森永卓郎氏の主張する「幸せな人生」というのもこのことである．

Milton Friedman, who wrote "Free to Choose" stressed the advantages of the marketplace and the disadvantage of goverment invention. He considered himself as classically liberal.

それに較べて，英米型モデルというのは多少きつい面があると思う．仕事における明確な目標設定をし，それに向かってもっとも効率的な努力をする，そして，それがうまくいけば，報酬がもたらされる，というのは仕事が好きであれば楽しそうだが，実際，自分の本当にやりたいことを仕事にできる人はおそらく1割，いや1パーセントもいないのではないか．ぼくは，いまでも英米古典派経済学者のミルトン・フリードマンに一目置いてはいるが，人間の生活はなんでも合理主義（rationalism）で割り切れるものではなく，一見意味のないように見える， hang out することに幸せがある，と考えるヨーロッパ文化に一目置く．アメリカでさえも，ぼくが住んでいた田舎にはそういうような考えで生きている人がほとんどだった気がする．

正直云って，たまに友達と会ったりはするが，hang out というようなのんびりした感じまではまだいっていないような気がする．日本だから仕方ないやとも思うが，やはり，ときどき，さみしく感じる．

Don't try to apply the grammar you have learned at school to speaking all the time.

Sometimes an infinitive (to do something) and a gerund (doing something) are interchangeable. If you try to apply this to all sentences, though, you'll make a mistake. Here is some examples from Mr. Hiroshi Ogura's book I mentioned before:

Hiroshi Ogura, a teacher at a cram school, has written some books from his experience of teaching writing with a native English teacher.

Wrong: To collect stamps is my hobby.
Right: Collecting stamps is my hobby.

Wrong: I prefer dying rather than stealing.
Right: I'd prefer to die rather than (to) steal.
Right: I prefer walking to riding.

Grammar always annoys me!

Whenever somebody asks me about my knowledge of English grammar, I feel bad. I don't think that my grammar is as good as people think. As a matter of fact, I always feel that I have got to study English grammar.

One of the reason I think that way is because I haven't completed any grammar book in my whole life. When I was in high school, I wasn't a good student. I didn't pay attention to what the grammar teacher said. Even when I had to take the entrance examination for college, I wasn't able to complete a grammar workbook. After that, I had to take the TOEFL to study in the US. But the same things happened. I didn't like to do a grammar book.

Of course, I improved my knowledge about English grammar through other kinds of English learnning, such as reading. But, the fact that I haven't completed any workbook or grammar reference book is still making me less confident about English grammar. My knowledge is not organized, or I would say it doesn't cover the whole grammar of the English language.

Probably, I will try to complete one book about English grammar many many times from now on till I die. But, I'm not sure if I can make it.

Suica and Pasmo

JR and other rail companies started out a new service with Suica and Pasmo. Japan is really good at this kind of cool technology. But, the problem is... I still need to have two commute passes even with their sophisticated technology because I need to use three diffrent rail services. Life is strange...

According to Wikipedia:

Suica (Japanese: スイカ) is a rechargeable contactless smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. Launched in November 2001, the card is usable currently in the Kanto region (on JR East, Tokyo Monorail, and Rinkai Line), at JR East stations near Sendai and Niigata, and in the Kinki region on JR West. The card can also be used interchangeably with JR West's ICOCA card in the Kansai region. The card is also increasingly being accepted as a form of electronic money for purchases at stores and kiosks within train stations.

Suica stands for "Super Urban Intelligent CArd", and the pronunciation is also a pun on the Japanese word for watermelon, "suika". In the logo, the "ic" is highlighted, as the initials stand for integrated circuit, the technology inside the smart card, in common Japanese usage. An additional meaning comes from the expression "sui sui", meaning "smooth" and an abbreviation for "card", "ka", intended to highlight the smooth simplicity of using the card compared with traditional train tickets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suica

PASMO (パスモ, Pasumo?) is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport introduced in Tokyo, Japan from March 18, 2007.

PASMO CardPASMO is a development of the Passnet (パスネット, Pasunetto?) system used by many non JR railway lines in the Tokyo region. The system offers interoperability with the JR Suica system, as well as integrate private bus companies into the existing Passnet network.

The technology is based on RFID technology developed by Sony corporation known as FeliCa. PASMO will be available as a credit-card sized card. It is also expected to be available as a service for mobile phone users with handsets equipped with FeliCa chips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PASMO

A of B!?

日本語にとって格助詞の「の」というのは恐ろしい力を持っているなあ，と最近痛感したことがある．渋谷駅に「東横のれん街」という看板がある．この看板の日本語について数日前までものすごい思い違いをしていた．

昔，母方の田舎が中目黒にあって，幼少期はよく映画に連れて行ってもらうときにこの看板をよく見た．その後も，かなり渋谷に近い世田谷区の学校に通っていたことがあり，数えられないほどこの看板を見ていた．にもかかわらず，大きな思い違いをしていた．

「東横」については，中目黒から渋谷に何度となく行ったので「東急東横線」の略だろうとはわかっていた．しかし，次の「の」を格助詞と思っていたので，「れん街」とは実際いったいなんだろう，とずーっと思っていた．

しかし，「東横／のれん街」だったのだ，さすがのぼくでも「のれん」が何かは知っている．4歳か5歳ごろからの謎がとけたが，それはあっけなかった．自分としてはコナン君も解けないすごい謎と思っていたのに（笑）．

ただ，言い訳をすれば，ぼくの頭は，名詞を見つけたとたん，つぎにつく助詞を探していたのだ，そこに「の」があったから，格助詞の「の」だと思ったんだ．

こんなぼくだから，この格助詞の「の」が含まれる言葉を英語にしようとするとよく間違える．スタインベックの名作のタイトルもよく the Wrath of Grapes と云ってしまう．もちろん，the Grapes of Wrath である．逆に，日本人がよく間違えるとされる，

rob A of B
deprive A of B

などの動詞の用法はあまり難しく感じない．というより，他の人がなんで悩んでいるのかわからない．意味をとるのに困ったこともないし，しゃべって使ったとしても，間違えたことはないと思う．文法のできる受験英語秀才の人に説明されたりするとかえってわからなくなりそうだ．

He robbed me of my watch.
He stole a watch from me.

と目的語の位置が入れかわるかららしい．

"Noren" means a shop curtain.

I had mistaken the Japanese phrase "Toyoko norengai" for "Toyoko no rengai" for a long time. The reason of my mistake comes from the fact that there is a bunch of "A no B" patterns in Japanese sentences. The particle "no" is very close to the Japanese preposition "of." Then, "A no B" would often mean "B of A" in Japanese. But, I often mistake "B of A" for "A of B" because the word order in Japanese is different than that of English. For example, I often say "the Wrath of Grapes" meaning "The Grapes of Wrath," the title of Steinbeck's great novel.

Instead, I don't think this usage of "of" is difficult. Most Japanese people seem to have difficulty understanding it, though.

1) He robbed me of my watch.
2) He stole a watch from me.

The position "watch" and "me" will switch if another verb is used. But, I don't think it's too difficult. Is it?

Good ESL materials are published in the UK.

Although I prefer American English to British English, I often use ESL/EFL teaching/learning materials published in the UK. Regrettably, there are few good materials by US publishers. Now, I'm trying to read the book named English for Primary Teachers for teacher education programs I'll be working on. This book is so organized that I almost feel that all I have to do is follow this textbook. Anyway, this book is also published by Oxford University Press. Although there are the other two big companies publishing ESL/EFL stuffs, which are Cambridge University Press and Pearson Longman, Oxford is my favorite.

Wanna pronounce them like Americans?

以前の投稿に間違いがあったので，訂正する．前の投稿を書き加えてアップデイトするつもりだが，機械になれないのでうっかり削除してしまったので，書き直す．

1) often

2) because

3) either

4) neither

２）については「ビカッズ」である．３）４）は「イーザー」「ニーザー」でもあるが，「アイザー」「ナイザー」と発音する人もいるということだった．間違えたのは，１）で，

often という単語では，中西部では /aftn/ 「アフトゥンもしくは「オフトゥン」と発音されることが多かった．ついでながら，「オー」という母音（/c/ を左右ひっくり返しにした記号）は「ア」 という母音（音声記号がでないが，筆記体の a みたいな記号，hot, father の中の母音）で代用される．more「モアー」のような /r/ の前を除いては．この傾向はアメリカではどんどん強まっている．だから，coffee「カーフィー」, caught 「カート」である．walk「ワーク」とすることに戸惑うかもしれないが，実はカタカナで表記することには限界がある．日本人はwalk「ウォーク」であり， work「ワーク」と決め付けているが，実際の音声からするとむしろ逆じゃないかと思えたりもする．workの母音は，「ァー」のようにあまり口を開けないで口の奥の方で /r/ と一緒になって発音される．そういえば，いつだったかＮＨＫ教育テレビの英語番組をボーッと見ていたら，安良城紅（あらしろべに）ちゃんが talk を「ターク」と綺麗に発音しているのを確認した．アメリカ人っぽく発音したい人は，/r/ の前以外は全部「ア（ー）」にしてみたらどうか．

She pronounced the word "talk" with clear American accent. The vowels in the two words "talk" and "hot" should be pronounced in the same way.

もちろん「オー」でも通じるので，これは個人の好き嫌いの問題である．ただ，イギリス英語をどうしても話したい人意外は，want についてだけは「ウォント」と発音することはお勧めしない．won't 「ウォウント」と間違えられることが多いからだ．これは，やはり「ワント」と発音されるべきだろう．

Pathetic bilingual people

Yesterday, I saw Yuna Ito, a singer, talking with Ryoko Shinohara, an actress, on TV. In the talk with Shinohara, Ito insisted that the Japanese word "setsunai （せつない）" can't be translated into English. I've had enough of this kind of remark because I'm sure she isn't right. Even with my poor English skills, I can traslate "setsunai" into many Japanese: sad, trying, painful, depressing, melancholy (melancholic), heartbroken.
According to Ms. Yuna, the concept of "setsunai" doesn't exist outside of Japan.
Probably, she wanted to prove that the Japanese have delicate feelings American people would never understand by showing an example. But, her remark comes from her shallow understanding of English and Japanese. The situation in which word-for-word translation from Japanese into English is difficult doesn't mean that Americans do not have the concept Japanese people have, vice versa. What if I said the word "pathetic" cannot be translated into Japanese? Probably some people would insist that it be "mijimena （みじめな）" or "awarena （あわれな）." Although "pathetic" isn't exactly the same as either of the two, you think this word can be translated into Japanese. The same thing should be applied to what Ito said.

The trouble is that most of the Japanese who don't speak English overestimate this type of bilingual people. They just can speak two languages fluently. Nothing more than that. They have never thought of the difference between the two languages seriously. Some of them cannot even read and write in either language. I don't understand why most of them can become TV reporters and be called "intelligent" with "remarkable language skills."
She doesn't look like an American. Isn't she Japanese?

昨日，テレビで伊藤由奈（ゆな）という歌手が，篠原涼子と話しているのをたまたまテレビで見た．「『せつない』と言葉は日本語にしかない言葉で英語に出来ないんですよ」と云っていた．本当かよ，とつっこみたくなってしまった．英語のできないことにかけては人後に落ちないつもりのぼくも，sad, trying, painful, depressing, melancholy (melancholic), heartbroken...　と次々と単語が浮かんでくるからだ．

こういう発言は，日本人は欧米人にはない繊細な感情があって，それがこの美しい日本語にあらわれている，みたいな主張になるが，単に逐語訳が難しいだけのことではないのか．だいたい失礼ながら，この歌手はおそらく英語も日本語も適当におしゃべりできるだけで，読み書き，すなわち，自覚的に思考の道具として言語を使用するということ，ができる人ではないと思う．この人は歌手だからそれ以上云うつもりはないが，ときどきなぜか「語学力を生かして，知的な」アナウンサーになっている人がたくさんいるのにはあいた口がふさがらない．
What if she was a news reporter? Hmm... I can't say anything...

誤解のないように云っておくが，ぼくはすべての英日バイリンガルや帰国子女を批判しているわけではない．それどころか，いまだに，単にネイティヴらしい/r/の発音をしただけで，教室で帰国子女が堂々とクラスメイトや先生からシカト（無視）されているということを聞くと，本当に自分を含めて日本人というのは pathetic （註・これも日本語に訳せないといえば訳せないよね？　「みじめな」と「あわれな」の両方を同時に含むようなニュアンスになるし）だと思う．ただ，たとえ，ニューズを読むだけもアナウンサーになるような人は，英語でも日本語でもどちらでもいいから，読んで理解し，それに対しての自分の考えをコンパクトに云えるぐらいの人がなってほしいと願うだけである．

In Tokyo, snow fell yesterday.

Tokyo saw this season's first snow on Friday morning, more than two　months later than normal, although the amount was so miniscule that most　people didn't even notice it, the Meteorological Agency said.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070316p2a00m0na019000c.html

東京は，なぜか3月も半ばになって初雪が降った．訳がわからない．ところで，「雪が降る」はよく学校で，

We get a lot of snow in winter.「私たちの地方では冬は雪がたくさんふります」
『くもんの中学英文法』（くもん出版）（1996）より
（筆者註・この get は間違いではないが，ちょっと変な気がする．have の方が自然だと思うが，ぼくはネイティヴではない）

というのを習う．この we は「自分と同じ地域に住む人」を指しているとわからないといけないらしい．誰が決めたんだ，そんなこと．また，「天気の it 」とかいう訳のわからない構文として，

It snows a lot (in our place) in winter.

とこの英文は書き換えられる．しかし，

Snow falls a lot (in our place) in winter.

と云ってはいけないのだろうか．実は，この文のほうが自然なのである．それじゃあ，「雪が降る」という日本語とピッタリあっているし，こっちをまず勉強すればいいじゃないか，ということになる．

なるべく，具体的でハッキリした主語・動詞要素（・目的語）が使われている文がネイティヴ・ノンネイティヴともにわかりやすい文なのに，へんな構文を優先させて教えるからおかしなことになる．このあたりに日本の英語教育の欠陥が横たわっているように思えてならない．
Anyway, my argument doesn't seem important because we don't have much snow. But, this girl might say, "Snow falls a lot in Denmark!"


In Japan, people learn 1) and 2) for "weather" expressions. No one would believe that you could say something like 3). Is it correct, native speakers?

1) We get a lot of snow in winter.
2) It snows a lot (in our place) in winter.
3) Snow falls a lot (in our place) in winter.

Japanese English as a different language than native speakers speak and understand

The Japanese learn some idioms that are seldom used in the English-speaking world to pass entrance examinations. Instead, some idioms frequently used are not taught in Japan. Let me give you some examples. The idioms below are still taught in cram schools or high schools that are absorbed in putting their students in famous universities:

The English the Japanese people are using seem to be as awkward as some "Japanese" characters in "Kill Bill," who never look ordinary Japanese citizens.

Idiom: "more often than not = often"
Ex: More often than not I lay awake all night.
Better: I often lay awake all night.

Idiom: "and that = in addition."
Ex: Do it yourself, and that at once.
Better: Do it yourself,... immediately!
Comment: Take some pause after "yourself" and put a strong stress on "immediately."

Idiom: be wont to
Ex: We were wont to meet at that pleasant spot.
Better: We used to meet at that pleasant spot.

Idiom: as yet
Ex: The plan has worked well as yet.
Better: The plan has worked well so far.

Idiom: be of [the] opinion that
Ex: I am of opinion that he will not accept the proposal.
Better: I don't think he'll accept the proposal.

Idiom: Many happy returns of the day!
Better: Happy birthday!

Idiom: play truant
Ex: He would often play truant from school.
Better: He used to cut classes/school.

Idiom: by twos and threes
Ex: They came home from church by twos and threes.
Comment: Probably this is the correct usage, but I think that they don't have to lean this idiom over other important items.

Conversely, the Japanese people aren't familiar with these idioms:

Even students who can read the New York Times may have difficulty understanding pep talk when they first visit an English-speaking country.

Idiom: to rant and rave = to talk loudly, often in anger
Ex: A customer in Tsutaya was ranting and raving that the DVD she rented was broken.

Idiom: down in the dumps
Ex: Hajime is in down in the dumps because he was dumped by the girl.

Idiom: to hang out = to spend time (and do nothing)
Ex: Jen and Kevin often hang out.

Idiom: to freak out = to be upset
Ex: Takeshi's friends freaked out when he told them he was dropping out of high school to become a singer.

There are many other idioms that should be considered, but this time my brain is already burnt out. So, see you next time!

Money or initiative?

Bigger is better? We're not talking about boobs!

Many Japanese people want to speak English, and there are many English language schools. However, I'm afraid that most of those schools are enough good. They rip off teachers and students. If you are English-speaking people, you are likely to teach English, nonetheless. So, what school do you want to work for? A big school that will give you some job security? A small school where you can teach in your own way? The article below gives you some information when you choose a school.

The Japan Times, March 13, 2007:

..."The bigger conversation schools are generally better places to work in terms of job and income security," says Carlet. So, although the wage levels might not differ between small and large schools, your chances of getting paid might.

The competition among smaller schools is even fiercer than between the big four, meaning they are more likely to have financial problems which may ultimately lead to them going out of business.

Carlet also suggests that the large schools are particularly adept at writing contracts which protect themselves. None of the four biggest schools operating in Japan -- Nova, ECC, GEOS and Aeon -- would provide comment for this article.

Despite the titles which some companies adopt -- "language/culture school," "academy," "institute," "college" -- ultimately they are businesses whose main objective is to make a profit.

This is true regardless of the size of the company, the good intentions outlined in its mission statement or the proclamations of educational excellence on its Web site.

As one experienced TEFL professional wearily said, "most places . . . are run by businessmen not language administrators." All the teachers interviewed for this article viewed the big schools in a similar light to other major companies in the service industry.

"Faceless" was probably the most commonly used adjective in their comments, and more than one person spoke of being little more than a cog in a machine. Given that a recent Japanese magazine article referred to Nova as "the McDonald's of English language conversation chains," this attitude is hardly surprising.

On the other hand, smaller schools were generally categorized as having something akin to a family or community atmosphere. One teacher with experience working in both types of school said: "In a small school you play a bigger role . . . You get more say in things like choosing textbooks, deciding what to teach. There are fewer students so you tend to know all of them."

It would seem that small schools are more convivial places in which to work -- you are appreciated, your opinion carries more weight and you have a much larger degree of control over what and how you teach.

But there is a downside. Teachers who worked in small schools often spoke of feeling under more pressure there than in big schools. If a tiny cog in a huge machine breaks down it's unlikely the whole thing will come to a shuddering halt. That's not the case when the teacher is the machine.

Finally, the family/community atmosphere is great as long as it lasts, but of course that isn't guaranteed. Disputes, whether professional or personal, can easily crop up in the language teaching industry and in the experience of the teachers I spoke to, these problems were much easier to deal with in large schools....

Louis Carlet says the best thing for teachers to do is to educate themselves as to the minimum standards a contract ought to offer, the limits on what companies can reasonably expect them to do and the legal recourse they have under Japanese law. This is true regardless of the size of the company.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070313zg.html

What is easy for Americans is what is difficult for the Japanese!?

I watched the movie named "Bloodknot" last night. I don't have much to say about the story of this movie. But, I picked up some phrases that seem to be difficult for English learners in Japan. Of course, these phrases are commonly used by native speakers, but it doesn't mean it's easy for Japanese people. Please take a look below:



We have a lot in common.

To "have sth in common" means to share the same interests or experiences. The Japanese use "similar," or to "look/be like" too often for this case.


Why do you cut me off?

To paraphrase this phrase, "Why do you avoid me?" or "Why are you trying to stay away from me?" In this case, to "cut sb off" means "to separate sb from doing something that s/he is usually familiar with." The phrasal verb to "cut off" has many other meanings. Phrasal verbs are always a pain in the ass.

Being uncool is cool.

Bowling for Soup

Today I bought two CDs at HMV in Shinjuku. I hadn't bought any CD for a long time. What did I buy? One of them are "A Hangover You Don't Deserve" by Bowling for Soup. I often heard their music on MTV, so listening to their music on MTV reminds me of the days in the states.

Their music also entices me into thinking back. It's kind of nostalgic. When I was around 20, I often went to the HMV and bought a bunch of CDs that looked like a cubic when I brought them to the cashier. In those days, Swedish pop music was really in. The Cardigans was one of the coolest bands among us. There's another Swedish band named Cloudberry Jam. They aren't popular any more and I don't know how to get in touch with the friends who recommended me to listen to their music. That's kind of sad..l.

Another reason I kind of like Bowling for Soup is that they don't look cool. Actually they look tacky, but they are cool. When you notice that most of the things and people in this world aren't that cool, it gives me kind of happiness to know that a band like Bowling for Soup is popular.

"My life is so wretched." "Mine too."

According to the Japan Times on 3/13/07:

Workers from all parts of the globe battled wind and rain Sunday to give speeches, performances and then trudge through the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo, calling for job security and equality for all.

"This march is about raising people's awareness about the job situation in Japan, especially for foreigners," said an American woman dressed as the pink rabbit mascot for Nova, the nation's biggest chain of English-language schools. "It keeps getting worse and worse, with job contracts and other common problems.

...Social insurance and pensions are also equally serious issues, he said. "A lot of foreign workers are not enrolled in 'shakai hosho' (social security), which is against the law. It puts people at a great risk of hardship if they suffer from an illness or an accident."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070313a4.html

That the job situation in Japan is getting worse is right. However, it is not limited to foreigners. Most Japanese citizen with low income aren't enrolled in social security either. Some of them are getting nationalistic or even xenophobic because they suspect that their jobs would be taken from foreigners. I don't think, though, that their reasoning isn't right. Same as in the US maybe, there are some richers who never pay their taxes and who are contributing to the nation's huge debt, and both low income Japanese citizens and foreign citizens are forced to pay for it.

The job situation of American and British language teachers in Japan is relatively good because they can get good money. But, Chinese, Korean, Peruvian, Brazilian people in Japan are having a hard time.

Is there really no child who's left behind?

In Japan, students rarely have discussion in class.

Some Japanese people simply believe that the US education system is just great without any doubt and that if Japan just changed its education sytem into that in the US, every problem in education would vanish right away. However, in any country, Education sytem has some problems. A blog in the conservative website Townhall.com might give some ideas to such people.

In any country, education is a very important subject.

日本だけでなく，教育はどこの国でも重要な問題である．日本の教育が批判されるたびに，アメリカのそれが引き合いに出されることが多いが，アメリカの教育現場もさまざまな問題をどう処理しようかとまどっていることがわかる．↓は，ある保守的なウェブサイト中のカリフォルニア州の教師のブログからの抜粋である．日本語訳もつけたので読んでいただければわかるが，はっきり云えば，「もう落ちこぼれに構うのはやめよう．できる子どもに予算が行き渡らなくなって，全体のレヴェルが下がるから」ということである．ブッシュ政権化に制定された「どの子も置き去りにしない法（＝落ちこぼれ防止法案，No Child Left Behind Act）」によって新たに生じた問題も多い．この記事自体には書かれていないが，この引用の最後に，学校側が何を行なうかというと，標準テストの進歩度を達成するために，スコアに達しそうもない生徒を中途退学に追い込むのである．これは，『現代アメリカのキーワード』（中公新書）にも書いてある．

It is very important to help underperforming students, but...

Quote from a blog of Townhall.com:

“Students learn and achieve more”
This should be the primary goal of education in general and teachers specifically. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that today students are achieving less. Some students do not master even the most basic skills after many years in the classroom. The current trend is to make sure that all students can pass the same test at a level called “proficient.” Making sure that everyone passes a standardized test at this level of proficiency requires that the level considered proficient be very, very low. Furthermore, most of the limited available resources (teachers, money, electives) must then be focused on bringing the lowest students up to proficient. This draws resources away from students already proficient and in search of excellence beyond proficiency. Remedial courses using titles like “review” and “prep”are filled with underperforming students who have been removed from their electives. Some experts believe that this is not the best practice, that students need a reason to come to school beyond the three “r's,” but practical administrators and superintendents are making the changes that they feel are necessary to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act, and those changes are seeing test scores improve.
http://calteacherblog.townhall.com/

Japanese translation by OUTRAGEOUS2007:
「生徒がもっとたくさん勉強し，身につける」このことは，概して教育の主たる目標であり，とりわけ教師の目標であるべきなんです．残念ながら，現在，子供が身につけるものはどんどん少なくなっているのではないかと私は思います．何年も学校に通っているにもかかわらず，初歩の学力さえ身についていない子供もいます．現在の教育においては，すべての子供が標準試験で「習得」基準を満たすようにすることが主流になっています．みんながこのレヴェルの習得度で試験を通過するには，習得されるとみなす基準を非常に低くしなければなりません．さらに，限られた資源（教師，予算，選択クラス）を下位にいる生徒を習得するまでに引き上げることに集中させなければいけません．これによって，すでに習得した生徒でより高いレヴェルに行きたい人に資源は行き渡らなくなります．「復習」「準備」という名の補修クラスは，選択クラスを外された成績の悪い生徒でいっぱいです．専門家の中には，これはいい方法とはいえない，生徒は，「３つのＲ」以外に学校に来る理由がなくてはいけない，しかし，現実的な教頭や校長は，「落ちこぼれ防止法案」へ対応していると感じるように（学校を）変えようとしていて，この変化は試験の点数を上げてはいます．

I didn't mean to go get a suit.

"I didn't mean to go to the sea" is the title of a CD album by the Flipper's Guitar, my favorite music band.
Today, I was hoping to get a haircut. But, before going to go to a barbarshop, I recognized I would need a suit because I'm going to work for a new school next week. I'm not interested in how I look at workplace that much, so I thought it wouldn't take much time to find a very simple navy one with solid. But, I was wrong. Most suits at the stores were so unique. What is going on in Japan? Finally, I was able to find one, but I couldn't get a haircut. Today isn't my day!

近いうち，英語学校で勤務するので，スーツを買いに行った．何年も前に知人の結婚式のために買ったものしかもっていなかった．別に背広の着こなしなどにはほとんど興味がない．スーツにお金をかけるぐらいだったら，私服を買う．できれば，前職のように私服で行きたかったぐらいである．だから，適当に一番安い紺の無地のものを買うつもりだった．しかし，驚くことが起きた．そんなスーツはほとんどないのだ．

ＣＭでおなじみの量販店の他，最近できた若者向けの量販店にも行って見たが，紺で無地のスーツはほとんどない．黒のものがほとんどで，たまにある紺もかなり目立つストライプが入っている．ストライプなんてちょっと前にはホストクラブの人の制服だったのに……．普通の人なら，ここですごすごと商売上手な店員さんの言葉に載せられてそういうスーツを買うかもしれない．皆が着ているみたいだし，それでいいかな，と思って．

A Swedish girl told me that Japanese people are so fashionable. But, I think that they care about how they look too much.

しかし，それはできなかった．ぼくは，他人の目を気にして「失敗のないおしゃれ」ばっかりチェックしていて，それに外れた人を「ダサイ」とか云って笑いつつ，自分は内心ホッとしているような人間にはなりたくない．そんなのは日本人の悪い見本だ．そう考えると，実は，みんなが流行にだまされて黒やグレイやストライプのスーツをしている中，紺のスーツを着るということはものすごく革新的なことなのではないか．古いものが新しくなるということはこういうことではないか，とさえ思えてきた．そこで，意地になって探した結果，紺の無地のスーツはある有名量販店で見つかった．安かったので，よかった，よかった．
Ironically, the more the Japanese try to be westernized, the more their bad characters as the Japanese will stand out.

本当のことを云うと，紺のスーツを選んだのはぼくがひねくれ者だからだけではない．実は，欧米のビジネスマンにとって，紺のスーツに薄いブルーのワイシャツ（英語ではドレスシャツ），赤（ワインレッドまたはえんじのこともある）のネクタイは定番中の定番である．いまでも，厳しいところは，これに黒の靴や靴下なども加わるのではないか．アメリカでは服装を理由に，経営者は従業員を解雇できるのである（http://www.dba-oracle.com/dress_code.htm）．だから，いまからスーツを買う男性のみなさんは，無地の紺のスーツ（シングル，３ツボタンか２ツボタンかは個人の好みでいい）にライトブルーのシャツ，赤のネクタイ（柄は無地がストライプ），黒の靴下をするようにしてみてほしい．不安な人は，白のシャツともう１色ぐらいネクタイを用意してもいいが，それ以上職場のファッションについて考える必要はないのだ．繰り返すが，これは，欧米の一流ビジネスマンの定番スタイルなので，男性用ファッション誌で「イタリア風スーツを着こなし」とかいう記事を追っかけて流行のスーツを着ている周囲の人間を気にする必要はない．あなたは世界基準のファッションとともに服装にとらわれない自由を手にするのである．

Most Western people wear simply. So, if you don't try to wear a fancy suit, your fashion will be more like that of a US or European businessman.

"Stacy" can be a noun in either the 2nd person or the 3rd person!?

In English, you can't almost communicate if you aren't allowed to use the word "you." However, in Japanese, people seldom use "you." The Japanese language has counterparts of the English word "you" must be "kimi（君）" or "anata（あなた）" However, these words are used only for specific cases, like you are in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with the person.

You may wonder why the Japanese can communicate without using "you." The secret lies in the usage of proper nouns refering to people or animals. Let me give you an example.

Does Stacy like tennis?

Question: Change the bolded word into a personal pronoun.

It's a quite easy question, isn't it? Of course, the answer is "she" in ENGLISH. In Japanese, the answer varies. It can be "she" or "you."

ステイシーはテニスが好きなの？
Stacy wa tennis ga suki nano?

The Japanese sentence above can be interpreted as either of them below:

1) Do you like tennis, Stacy?
2) Does Stacy like tennis?

Proper nouns refering to people and animals are used even when you are directly talking to them--This rule might be a tip for English-speaking learners of Japanese who want to speak more naturally.


ぼくは英語のネイティヴ・スピーカーではないけれど，ときどき英語で話すほうが楽に感じるときがある．英語では，２人称の代名詞はいつも you でいいからだ．相手と話している限り，ずーっと you で通していればいい．ところが，日本語ではそうはいかない．

日本語の「君（きみ）」「あなた」は特殊な響きがあって，あまり使われない．「あなた」はテレビが不特定多数の視聴者に呼びかけるときぐらいしか使われないような気がする．これは，英語で
You can't always get what you want. とか云う時の generic use に近い．

「君」はもうちょっと使われるが，これも会社で上司が部下に話しかけるときを除いては，特殊な響きがあるので気をつけたほうがいい．以前，ぼくはこの「君」を多用していたのだが，友人には高圧的に響くらしく，異性には「私に気があるの？」みたいに勘違いをされるという失敗を散々繰り返した挙句，使わないように注意している．

で，いまはどうしているのかというと，２回目以後も，相手の名前を繰り返している．

安住さんは何で結婚しないんですか？
Why don't you get married, Mr. Azumi?

とか
あいちゃんは，最近馬鹿なことを云わなくなったね．
I think you stopped saying silly things, Ai.

のように．日本語学習者は，”２人称の代名詞の「君」「あなた」はほとんど使われないから，何回でも相手の名前を直接言及しなくてはならない” というルールを学んだほうがいいのかもしれない．
"I think, therefore I am" is a very famous phrase, but how about "I think of you, therefore I am" or "You are, therefore I am"?
ちなみに，「君」がもっている特殊なニュアンスを利用したい人は勝手にどんどん使ったらいいと思う．「君がいるから，ぼくがいるんだ」とか「君のこころの扉を開くのはぼくだ」でもいくらでも，勝手にどうぞ．止めないけど，相手に退（ひ）かれてしまった（註・間違っても「惹かれて」しまった，ではない）んだ，とか云われても責任はとりません．
Do you want to hear someone like him saying "It's me who's knocking on your door"?

Translation: Still I Rise

Still I Rise
Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling
I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise
I rise
I rise.

Japanese Translation by OUTRAGEOUS2007

それでもわたしは上にゆく

歴史にわたしをきざんでみれば
さみしい、ゆがんだうそで　塗り固めて
どろのなかに　ほうりこまれたって
それでもわたしは上にゆく

ずうずうしいって　おこるかしら
どうして　かなしんだりするの
歩き方が気になるの？
部屋でオイルをくんでるみたいにみえるから？

太陽や月のように
時間の流れにしたがって
希望がわくように
それでもわたしは上にゆく

わたしがこわれるところを　見たかったの？
頭をたれて　視線を落として
肩をなみだみたいに　すとんと落として
心のさけびで　よわくなって

わたしに誇りがあるのが　気に入らないの？
そんなに悪く思わないでよ
だって　笑いたいんだから
庭で金を掘ってるみたいに

言葉でわたしを撃ってみれば
目でわたしを切ってみれば
にくしみでわたしを殺してみれば
空気みたいに　それでもわたしは上にゆく

わたしが色っぽいから　怒っているの？
どきっとしたかしら
おどると　太ももがあんまりすごくて
ダイヤをもっているみたいだから

恥ずかしい歴史の小屋から　わたしは出る
上にゆくしかないから

痛みに根付いた過去から
わたしはずっと上にゆく

わたしは黒い海なの　おおきな波を作るの
潮のなかで　どんどん水があふれるの
こわい夜　背中にする
わたしはずっと上にゆく

すばらしく晴れた　日のあたる場所へ
祖先がくれた　宝物を持って
わたしは奴隷の夢と希望

わたしは上にゆく
どうしても
それしかできないのだから

当然のことながら，詩を翻訳するのは難しかった．ただ，原文の英語を見てみるとわかるように極めて簡潔でわかりやすいものである．だから，できるだけ平易な日本語に心がけた．どうしても，ちょっと口語的すぎたり，あるいは現代的すぎたりするのは，翻訳者のぼくが未熟であるからかもしれない．最後にウィキペディアによる解説をつけておく．

Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Johnson April 4, 1928) is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou

Why can't Taro speak English? Part 2

Japan's public English education is often criticized. But, few people understand what the problem is.

いま，『受験英語禁止令――あなたの英語をリストラする禁１３２条』（小倉弘著，研究社出版）という本を読んでいる．筆者は予備校教師で，ネイティヴスピーカーとの英作文の共同授業をした経験から受験英語の問題点について述べている．

日本の英語教育はよく批判されるが，批判者自体が何が問題か見えていない．よく，「文法と読解ばかりやるからいけないんだ」と云われる．ネイティヴもそんなことを云う．しかし，大人になって英語を使ってみればわかるが，文法なしに英語ができるわけではないし，ある程度読めない限り，仕事や勉強で英語を使うことなんてできるはずないだろう．

It is not bad to learn grammar and reading. How they are learned matters, though.

受験英語の最大の問題は，受験に出る（とされる）変な英語表現・構文を英語という言語そのものへの根本的な理解を無視して，ひたすら覚えさせよう，覚えようとすることにある．こういう受験英語のお決まり表現の多くはネイティヴには理解されない．↓にぼくが重要だと思うものを載せた．

I'm reading a book that is written by a Japanese-speaking English teacher. He wrote the book from the experience when he taught writing with a native speaker. This book contains some typical errors Japanese English learners often make. Some points will benefit you who are learning or teaching English in Japan.

H, Ogura (1998) Do not use English for test preparation in Japan: 132 Don'ts to make your English natural. Kenkyusa, Tokyo, Japan.

From the book:

1. "rather than" is not the same as "not so much as"
He is not so much a teacher as a comedian.
He is a comedian rather than a teacher.
Both sentences are correct, but the meanings aren't same.

2. "without doing sth" needs to be used when the two actions happen at the same time.
Wrong: He decided to stay home without going to the movies.
Correct: He decided to stay home instead of going to the movies.

3. "to come across sth" "run/bump into sb"
Wrong: I came across an old friend on my way to work.
Correct: I run into an old friend on my way to work.

4. "at midnight" means "at 0:00 a.m.," not "in the middle of the
night"

5. "had better" isn't "might as well"
Wrong: You don't look well. You might as well go home.
Correct: You don't look well. You'd better go home.

6. the misuse of the causative verb to "have"
Wrong: He had his house burned down.
Correct: His house was burned down.

7. Wrong: You have a wrong number.
Correct: You have the wrong number.

8. You don't need "the" for plural form's generic use.
Wrong: I like the girls.
Correct: I like girls.

I agree with most of the author. But, I didn't know this one.

9. You can't say "there are a(n)".

Wrong: There are an apple and three oranges on the table.
Correct: There is an apple and three oranges on the table.
Correct: There are three oranges and an apple on the table.

Accept yourself not being perfect.

I'm not talking about self-help. I want to state why most Japanese have difficulty learning English. I have already mentioned their lack of speaking practice. Today, I'm going to talk about listening.

There is many good methods to develp your listening skills. But, the most important thing is that you listen. I know now you want to say "What!?" Let me explain. Most Japanese English learners would say that they are not good at listening. It's true. No surprising. Why? They haven't listened to English enough. They may have tried to improve their listening skills. They have bought some audio materials or tried to listen to CNN News every day. But, I wonder how many people of them still keep listening. I'm sure most of them have already given up.

OK. I know what is on your mind. You would be like, "But, I don't understand at all." What would you do next? Go to the bookstore and pick up a book of which the name is like "Improve listening without difficulty." Probably you'll read up the book, but you still don't understand CNN News. You wonder what is wrong.
He has done his job even though he didn't understand Japanese, right?

Now, probably you understand what the problem is. You have to listen consistently even if you don't understand. As long as you actually listen to English, you listening skills won't improve.

Anyway, if you take some courses in English, you'll get stuck because you seldom understand what the teachers say.
Think about it. If you go to the United States, you will have to speak English even with limited vocabulary. You will have to listen to English even if you don't understand most. As you keep trying to speak and listen to English with limited skills, your English will become better. Okay. Although there's some tips to improve your speaking and listening skills, you have to overcome your frustration of being in the situation where you can't make good sentences and you don't understand what you are listening to.
Forcing a smile seems to be a universal action.
If you keep listening to CNN (or any other English TV shows) with limited listening skills, probably you will guess what's going on screen consciously or unconsciously. That's good. Making predictions is also needed when you live in an English-speaking country. Actually, in Second/Foreign Language Learning theories, these skills are called "top-down skills" and they are regarded as important as "bottom-up skills," which is listening skills to be able to understand each word or sound accurately.

See, that's what I said!

Ezra Vogel, one of the Japanologists in the US (a.k.a. the Japan handlers), say that Japan should not make the relationship with other Asian countries worse. Therefore Abe ministration can't take an agressive attitude any more. I have thought that the Japan should not stir up the tension in Asia, but it is kind of sad that Mr. Abe changed his mind because the US asked him to do so...

Quoted from the Japan Times:

Japan, China must step up high-level talks: Vogel

By SEANA K. MAGEE

NEW YORK (Kyodo) Ezra Vogel, a leading expert on Japan and China, told an audience at the Japan Society recently that both nations should avoid negative steps that impact relations and try to improve bilateral ties despite current challenges.

Bilateral ties hit an all-time low when Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made annual visits during his tenure to Yasukuni Shrine.

The visits fueled outcries in China and South Korea. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took a significant step in visiting Beijing and Seoul immediately after replacing Koizumi, some fear he, too, might choose to visit Yasukuni. "I
think Japan has to stop the prime minister's Yasukuni visit," warned Vogel, a emeritus professor at Harvard. "But from the Chinese, and also the Korean point of view, if the prime minister visits Yasukuni, I think the state of public affairs in those countries is such that there will not be any progress forward."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070306f2.html

Newspapers in Japan

I've refered to an article in the Japan Times about Prime Minister Abe's remark regarding "comfort women" in WWII. I didn't intend to stand by any postion about this matter. What I wanted to tell you is that few newspaper in Japan refer to this topic, despite the fact that there's a long article in the New York Times on March 6 by Martin Fackler (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/world/asia/06japan.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin). Which makes me wonder what is going on in Japan's media now.

In Japan, there is five big nationwide newspapers:

1. The Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞)
2. The Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞)
3. The Sankei Shimbun (産経新聞)
4. The Nikkei Shimbun (日経新聞)
5. The Mainichi Shimbun (毎日新聞)

Then, except #5 the Mainichi Shimbun, all of the four have its counterparts. Let me explain this.

1. The Asahishimbun corresponds to the New York Times.
2. The Yomiuri Shimbun corresponds to the Washington Post.
3. The Sankei Shimbun corresponds to the Washington Times.
4. The Nikkei Shimbun corresponds to the Wall Street Journal.

Sometimes these Japanese newspapers are actually associated with the American newspapers on the right side. But, they are more like the same as the American ones in their editional positions about politics. (If you believe that all the media are politically neutral, you are a little bit naive.)

Then, basically if the New York Times reports a news item as a big one, so the Asahi Shimbun does. But, it doesn't apply for this time.

Actually, recently the Asahi is said to be changing their political standpoint into more hawkish. So, if you read the Asahi as you read the New York Times, you'll be confused a little bit.

By the way, in case you don't read Japanese, some of the big five chains have English version.

1. International Herald Tribune
2. the Daily Yomiuri
4. The Nikkei Weekly
5. The Mainichi Daily News (On Line Only)

Digression

今日，丁度起きた時に友達から携帯メイルが来た．そして，アメリカに住んでいたときのある日本人学生のことを思い出した．彼が何をしたかということはプライヴェットなことだが，彼のことが話題に上るたびにある英語にできない日本語を想い出す．

東京ではよく，「すかす」という単語を口語で使う．これは，元来，「気取る(to put on air)」の意味だが，いまでは，「本当はかまってほしいんだけど，自分からはプライドが高くていいだせないから，ひとりでいるのが好きみたいなふりをしている（けれど，そんな彼の気持ちは懸命な周りの人間には全部見えていて「付き合いにくいやつだなあ」と思われている）」というような意味でよく使われる．上であげた日本人学生がまさしくこれだったが，これをあらわす英語の単語，あるいは表現を探しているけど見つからない．近い表現ならあるがどれもしっくりこない．

shy: nervous & embarassed about talking to other people, esp people you don't know.（他人，とりわけ初対面の人と話すのが得意でなくて，照れてしまう）
　　
sulky: tend to show you're annoyed about something by being silent & having an happy expression on your face.（よく，黙って，不満げな表情を顔に浮かべる）

reserved: unwilling to express your emotions or talk about your problems.（自分の気持ちや自分が抱えている問題についてあまり話したがらない）

To native speakers of English:

Do you come up with any word(s) or expression(s) that define a person described below:

He or she has a tendency to pretend to prefer staying alone but actually wants people around him/her to care about him/herself.

No apology? Well, I thought you said "sorry" on the other day!

実はこっちのニューズのほうが↓の記事よりもここ数日気になっていた．これは『ジャパン・タイムズ』からの引用

From the Japan Times (today):

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday there is no need for Japan to make a fresh apology for forcing women from other parts of Asia into sexual servitude for the Japanese military during the war, even if the U.S. Congress passes a resolution calling on him to do so.

"We will not apologize because of a resolution," Abe told the House of Councilors Budget Committee, referring to the draft resolution on the table at the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"The draft resolution is not based on objective facts nor does it reflect the Japanese government's responses so far," he said.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070306a1.html

こう読むとなんか勇ましいことを云っているみたいに見えるが，実はこの後にこんなことが書いてある．

The same article as the above:

In Washington, Democratic Rep. Mike Honda of California and some powerful Republicans submitted the resolution on Jan. 31 urging Japan's prime minister to "formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner" for the former sex slaves.
Japan has protested the resolution, saying prime ministers have repeatedly offered apologies, but prospects are high it will clear the Democrat-controlled Congress. Four similar bills failed to reach a full House vote in past years under the previous Republican majority.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070306a1.html

Hiroshiege Seko, a spokesman of LDP, a.k.a. Japanese brainwasher.
ぼくは安倍首相の「美しい国」なんて支持しない．でも，この部分をよく読むと，一応，アメリカに反論していることになっているものの，所詮アメリカにいろいろ指図される立場であることがよくわかる．だいたい，ほんのちょっと前の新聞にはこんなことも載っているのだ．この記事の中の世耕弘成（せこう・ひろしげ）というのは自民党のＰＲのスペシャリストである．しかし，これは本名なのか，「世論を耕すことを弘く成す」なんてぴったりじゃないか．

March 5, The Japan Times:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will stand by Japan's apology for forcing Asian women to have sex with Japanese troops during World War II, an aide said Sunday in the wake of an outcry by Asian nations over his recent denial of coercion.

"Though there are many definitions of coercion, Prime Minister Abe has said . . . that he will stand by the Kono statement," said Hiroshige Seko, special adviser in charge of Abe's public relations.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070305a1.html

昨日，『フォーリング・アフェアーズ』から引用して，アメリカ（の政界・日米対策重要人物）にどう思われていることを示した．しかし，日本人の感覚からすれば，首相なんてアメリカの駒に過ぎないし，愛国的だと云われてもたいしたことはできない割りに，たまに勇ましいことをいう，できの悪いドン・キホーテのような存在に等しい．

Abe states that he has a clear vision of Japan he would want to create. But, I want to say, "With who?"


More and more Japanese people cleary state that Japan seems to be just a pawn of international policy makes in the United States. That is why nobody belives that he could do something terrible even if he said some "too patriotic" remarks. If the U.S. said, "You have no right to do that!," probably he would stop.

I know Horiemon and Dango, but what is J-SOX? Japanese White Sox?

『クリスチャン・サイエンス・モニター』というアメリカのどちらかというと保守的な新聞に掲載された日本の企業犯罪についての記事．この新聞は全面をウェブで公開しているので記事全部を載せることにする．残念ながら，ぼくにはこの記事を噛み砕きながら解説する力量はない．優れた読者に自力で読んで欲しい．

The Christian Science Monitor reports corporate crime in Japan. Judging from her name, the writer seems to be a Japanese. Although I don't know this article's reliability, it is very rare and important for Americans to have a chance to read such news regarding Japan.

from the March 01, 2007 edition -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0301/p04s02-woap.html
Japan's J-SOX targets corporate crime

The nation's version of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is intended to hold executives accountable and protect investors.

By Yuriko Nagano, Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

Scandals at Japanese corporations are prompting the government to curb white-collar crimes in a more, well, American way.

Japanese companies have been tainted in recent years by accounting scandals reminiscent of Enron. In response, the government has approved its own version of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

The new guidelines, known informally as J-SOX, are intended to make
executives accountable for actions they take and to protect investors with
greater transparency.

"The new guideline is a departure from the traditional Japanese business style based on trust and belief that humans are fundamentally good," says Shinji Hatta, a professor at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo. Mr. Hatta
chairs the government committee that crafted the guidelines.

The law doesn't go into effect until April 2008. But companies are expected to start implementing it this April as, experts say, such rules have become a worldwide standard with publicly traded companies.

What's unique about the Japanese guidelines is that they give pointers on reporting requirements, but leave executives room to interpret what should be covered.

That provision is a response to perceived shortcomings of the US law. But, says Nobuhito Utsunomiya, consulting-service business unit manager at NTT Data Corp., "J-SOX's strength of not being specific is ... creating confusion. Corporations and auditors are having a hard time agreeing on ...
an acceptable level of implementation."

The wake-up call for reform came with the Seibu Railway scandal. The company was delisted from the stock exchange for falsifying financial records.

Other spurs came from the Livedoor and Murakami Fund scandals, still on trial, which rocked the nation with accounts of inflated profits through stock transactions and insider trading.
Horiemon
The rise in accounting fraud is due in part to a more profit-driven American style of business over the past decade, says Hatta.

As regulators impose the law, however, they hope to avoid some of the pitfalls of the US version of the act. J-SOX asks companies to take a top-down risk approach, forcing executives, for example, to take responsibility for their company's accounting.

Like the US version, J-SOX's intention is to forestall the actions of executives like Horiemon, the nickname of former Livedoor CEO Takafumi Horie. Horiemon has pleaded not guilty to any criminal charges of falsifying financial statements.
Doraemon
The growing clout of shareholders in Japan can also be linked to the creation of J-SOX. Marc Goldstein, of Institutional Shareholder Services Japan, a proxy
advisory service, says that J-SOX is part of a social trend." Japanese regulators are much more willing to penalize companies for crimes that were overlooked in the past," Mr. Goldstein says.

For example, Goldstein points to a crackdown on bid-rigging, or dango.
"Dango has been going on for decades and everybody knew about it," oldstein says.

But in 2006, several sitting and former governors were arrested for dango. The cases accelerated passage of a new law this past December that forbids public employees from such activity.

The trend is the result of globalized capital markets, Goldstein says. Investors want to know capital markets are fair and the rules are enforced
equally," he says.

The shifting relations between Japanese firms and shareholders, who have been more willing to dissent from corporate initiatives, has also had an influence. Notable is the emergence of institutional investors such as the well-regarded Pension Fund Association, which manages 11 trillion yen and represents Japan's corporate pension funds.

"I think domestic Japanese investors are less forgiving than in the past," says Goldstein. "Domestic investors are exercising their voting rights more than ever and they are taking a harsh attitude toward corruption and antisocial behavior."

Ryoko Ueda, of Japan Investor Relations and Investor Support, Inc., points to Japan's now-frayed lifetime employment system. "[It] was a social structure that prevented the need for something like J-SOX," she says. "There may have been some corporate culture for coverups. Now companies need to have rules clearly outlined."