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かかわるということ
多くの識者は、日本は今、重大なターニングポイントにさしかかっていると言うが、一般市民は相変わらず政治には無関心なままである。筆者も学生時代は、政治に関心のない、のんきな学生だった。でも、ある教授のおかげで関心を持つように…。
On Getting Involved
By CHRISTINE CUNANAN-NOMURA
Many Japanese intellectuals believe that Japan is now at a crucial turning point. It can either strive to overcome its many problems and grow stronger in the process, or it can continue avoiding reforms and increasingly wreak havoc on itself. However, it is still unclear toward which path the country is headed, and much depends on the public will to effect change in government and society.
But many ordinary people remain apathetic about the national situation because they believe the country's problems do not necessarily affect them personally. Few realize that the unsolved ills of today will definitely be their headaches tomorrow.
"I don't really care about politics," said one university student. "My friends and sports are the most important things in my life." As a carefree student in the Philippines, I felt exactly the same way until a professor changed my attitude toward life.
"How many of you are interested in politics?" my professor asked our freshman class one day. My classmates and I were taken aback. We all led relatively comfortable, indulgent and apolitical lives.
"If you aren't interested in politics, then you might as well not be alive," he said. "It simply means you're not interested in life." We didn't know what he meant.
"I don't like politicians, which is why I don't like politics," one of my classmates replied. "But I'm interested in other issues such as environmental conservation and the prevention of cruelty to animals."
"But that's what politics is all about," my professor explained. "The word `politics' comes from the Greek term for 'state,' so politics can be seen as any concern of society ― which encompasses everything from the way government is run to how people take care of nature. To be political is to be interested in the world around you, which means to be alive."
My professor taught me two valuable lessons: First, that it's important to be concerned about things outside of yourself and to be a part of the world we live in ― otherwise, we are merely existing as physical entities rather than as human beings; and second, that you should never underestimate your own capacity to effect changes in society. You may be just an ordinary individual, but you can vote, write a letter, make a phone call, do a good deed or set an example for others. Many significant events in history began with one single person's actions.
From that day on, my classmates and I started to take on many unimaginable challenges.
In other words, we all became "political" in small and large ways. Today, each Japanese citizen has that same opportunity to work toward a better society and future. These sound like big words, but reforming a country can really only be done through the willing participation of both the government and the citizens. No government can be expected to do the job alone.
Many Japanese intellectuals believe that Japan is now at a crucial turning point. It can either strive to overcome its many problems and grow stronger in the process, or it can continue avoiding reforms and increasingly wreak havoc on itself. However, it is still unclear toward which path the country is headed, and much depends on the public will to effect change in government and society.
But many ordinary people remain apathetic about the national situation because they believe the country's problems do not necessarily affect them personally. Few realize that the unsolved ills of today will definitely be their headaches tomorrow.
"I don't really care about politics," said one university student. "My friends and sports are the most important things in my life." As a carefree student in the Philippines, I felt exactly the same way until a professor changed my attitude toward life.
"How many of you are interested in politics?" my professor asked our freshman class one day. My classmates and I were taken aback. We all led relatively comfortable, indulgent and apolitical lives.
"If you aren't interested in politics, then you might as well not be alive," he said. "It simply means you're not interested in life." We didn't know what he meant.
"I don't like politicians, which is why I don't like politics," one of my classmates replied. "But I'm interested in other issues such as environmental conservation and the prevention of cruelty to animals."
"But that's what politics is all about," my professor explained. "The word `politics' comes from the Greek term for 'state,' so politics can be seen as any concern of society ― which encompasses everything from the way government is run to how people take care of nature. To be political is to be interested in the world around you, which means to be alive."
My professor taught me two valuable lessons: First, that it's important to be concerned about things outside of yourself and to be a part of the world we live in ― otherwise, we are merely existing as physical entities rather than as human beings; and second, that you should never underestimate your own capacity to effect changes in society. You may be just an ordinary individual, but you can vote, write a letter, make a phone call, do a good deed or set an example for others. Many significant events in history began with one single person's actions.
From that day on, my classmates and I started to take on many unimaginable challenges.
In other words, we all became "political" in small and large ways. Today, each Japanese citizen has that same opportunity to work toward a better society and future. These sound like big words, but reforming a country can really only be done through the willing participation of both the government and the citizens. No government can be expected to do the job alone.
Shukan ST: Feb. 21, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- getting involved
- かかわっていくこと
- intellectuals
- 識者
- (is)at a crucial turning point
- 非常に重要な分かれ道にさしかかっている
- strive to 〜
- 努力して 〜 する
- overcome
- 解決する
- in the process
- そうしながら
- continue avoiding reforms
- 改革を避け続ける
- increasingly
- 徐々に
- wreak havoc on 〜
- 〜 に大混乱を引き起こす
- path
- 道
- is headed
- 進んでいる
- depends on 〜
- 〜 次第である
- public will
- 民意
- effect change in 〜
- 〜 に変革をもたらす
- remain apathetic about 〜
- 〜 に無関心のままである
- national situation
- 国の状況
- affect
- 影響する
- unsolved ills of today
- 今日未解決の問題
- definitely
- 必ず
- be their headaches
- 頭悩の種になる
- care about 〜
- 〜 に関心を持つ
- carefree
- のんきな
- attitude toward 〜
- 〜 に対する考え
- freshman
- 新入生の
- were taken aback
- 心のすきをつかれてびっくりした
- led relatively comfortable, indulgent and apolitical lives
- 比較的安楽な、甘やかされた、政治に関心のない生活を送っていた
- politicians
- 政治家
- issues
- 問題
- environmental conservation
- 環境保全
- prevention of cruelty to animals
- 動物虐待防止
- Greek term
- ギリシャ語
- state
- 国家
- can be seen as any concern of society
- 社会が関心を持つことすべてとみなすことができる
- encompasses
- 含む
- everything from the way government is run to how people take care of nature
- 政府がどう運営されているかというようなことから、人々がどう自然を大事にしているかというようなことまですべて
- valuable lessons
- 貴重な教訓
- be concerned about 〜
- 〜 を気にかける
- otherwise
- さもないと
- merely 〜
- ほんの 〜 にすぎない
- physical entities
- 肉体的存在
- human beings
- 人間
- underestimate
- 過小評価する
- capacity
- 能力
- individual
- 人
- vote
- 投票する
- do a good deed
- 善いことをする
- set an example for others
- 他人の手本となる
- significant events
- 重大事件
- take on 〜
- 〜 に取り組む
- unimaginable challenges
- 想像もつかなかったような挑戦
- willing participation
- 自分から進んでの参加
- No government can be expected to do the job alone.
- 単独で仕事を成し遂げられる政府など存在しない
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