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揺さぶりをかけろ
筆者が10代の終わりに出合った、とある本。
読者に奇行を勧めるような内容なのだが、その本から筆者は一つの真実を学んだという。
日常生活がどれだけ平凡であっても、自分自身を奮い立たせるための工夫はいくらでもできるものだ、ということを。
Shake it up
When I was about 18 or so, I came across an odd book that was full of the most bizarre activity suggestions I'd ever seen. For example, the following: "Walk to a river carrying a cup. Scoop up some water. Go 10 meters upstream. Dump the water back into the river. Return to the first spot, 10 meters downstream. Scoop up more water and repeat the procedure."
Another passage in the book directed the reader to chop up yarn into various lengths, and to go about offering these strands to family, friends and even strangers. "Record who preferred the longer pieces and who the shorter," the author advised.
The book contained many other exercises, all of which were similarly off-the-wall. I never tried any of them, nor do I particularly recommend that anyone actually does. Least of all the one about the yarn — nowadays, it seems that a person may end up on a suspected terrorist list for less erratic behavior.
Yet the book is one that I still remember and always will, probably because it impressed upon me one simple truth: No matter how mundane everyday life becomes, there is always something that you can do to shake things up for yourself.
For example, if you commute on foot or by bicycle and are bored with the same old scenery, you might make note of the varieties of trees that lie upon the route. Or, if you are not feeling quite that ambitious, just count them. This will at least help you pass the time for a day or two. And, if while gazing at the trees you happen to become interested in what is in, on or around them, you might even come away with a better awareness of local nature. Or perhaps be driven to write a poem. Nothing to sneeze at, either way
Incidentally, I am speaking from first-hand experience here; this is something I actually did some years ago. Just now, as I write these lines, I have begun another of these personal life experiments. This one, though, is both drastic and permanent.
I've decided to completely rearrange the keys on my computer's keyboard. The new system, named Dvorak after the man who created it about 70 years ago, puts the letters most commonly used in English within easy reach of "home position," i.e., the place where you rest your fingers when "touch-typing." So, the "k" on an ordinary computer is now a "t" for me. The "j," located to the immediate left of that key, is my "h." And "d" is now an "e." That means that when I type the word "the" — as I have 46 times so far in this article — I just tap my fingers right where they are instead of moving them here and there as before.
Is relearning how to type worth the trouble? As my fingers will move less overall, even when using Japanese, typing should become less stressful on my wrists. And when my body acclimates, I should also be a much faster typist. But if nothing else, Dvorak has allowed me to part company with a routine that has been with me for decades. For that, I feel energized already.
- Shake it up
- 活を入れる
- bizarre
- 奇抜な
- Scoop up 〜
- 〜をすくえ
- upstream
- 上流へ
- Dump 〜
- 〜を捨てろ
- procedure
- 手順
- chop up 〜
- 〜を切る
- yarn
- 毛糸
- go about 〜
- 〜に取り掛かる
- strands
- 糸
- exercises
- 課題
- off-the-wall
- 風変わりな
- Least of all
- とりわけ
- end up on a suspected terrorist list
- テロリスト容疑者のリストに載る
- for less erratic behavior
- ここまで変じゃない振る舞いによってさえ
- mundane
- ありふれた
- commute
- 通勤する
- are bored with 〜
- 〜に飽きている
- same old
- いつもの
- scenery
- 風景
- what is in, on or around them
- 木の中やその周りにあるもの
- come away with 〜
- 〜を持つ
- be driven to 〜
- 〜したくなる
- Nothing to sneeze at
- 軽く見るべきではない
- Incidentally
- ちなみに
- first-hand
- 直接得た
- lines
- 行
- drastic
- 根本的な
- rearrange 〜
- 〜を並べ替える
- Dvorak
- ドボラック配列。米ワシントン大学のオーガスト・ドボラック教授が考案したキーボード配
- after 〜
- 〜にちなんで
- within easy reach of 〜
- 〜からすぐのところに
- home position
- タイプするときの基本となる指の位置
- i.e.
- つまり
- touch-typing
- キーボードを見ずに文字を入力すること
- immediate left
- すぐ左隣
- worth the trouble
- 苦労に値する
- overall
- 全体に
- acclimates
- 順応する
- if nothing else
- 少なくとも
- part company with 〜
- 〜と縁を切る
- routine
- 決まりごと
- energized
- 活性化された