英雄について | オピニオン | 英語のニュース

Opinion

Heroes

In my last article I mentioned that the writer and scholar Joseph Campbell was one of my heroes. Now you might find it amusing that someone can claim to be an adult and still have heroes. Heroes, after all, are larger than life, perform superhuman deeds and often save the world. And a lot of people even sneer when they say the word "hero" — the very idea is either fantastic or elitist. Well, I have a different notion of heroes.

From far back in our history humans have had their heroes both real and legendary, men and women who did extraordinary deeds to save their nation or their tribe or even just a single individual in distress. For example, the Irish have Cuchulain the mighty warrior, and the Finns have Vainamoinen the sage.

Sometimes fact and fiction overlap as in the case of King Arthur and the Round Table and Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. Wandering knights in medieval Europe were said to rescue beautiful maidens from fire-breathing dragons. And in China the xia were a type of knight-errant or ronin, both male and female warriors, skilled in personal combat and dedicated to fighting injustice.

In 1949, Joseph Campbell published one of his most popular books, "The Hero With a Thousand Faces." In the book he examined hero stories from all over the world and came to the conclusion that there is a surprising similarity in all hero stories. He called this the monomyth, and showed that it contained a three-part cycle of departure, initiation and return. George Lucas' "Star Wars" is said to be a perfect modern example of this pattern.

I have mentioned that Campbell is one of my personal heroes. That means that he is a person who has certain qualities that I admire and would like to have. Campbell was a great scholar, prolific writer and made a huge contribution to the understanding of human life. Some people have Princess Diana as their hero, not only because of her beauty and charm, but also because of the good work she did during her life. The same holds true of musician Bono of the Irish rock group U2. He is not only a celebrity but also a hero to many for his political activism.

What's more, I don't think people have to be famous like Diana or Bono to be personal heroes. Some people find heroism in the lives of people they know, like a parent, relative or teacher.

I have often heard it said "difficult people are your best teachers." I strongly disagree with that. Difficult people can teach us patience, which is indeed valuable, but that is about all. No, I believe our best teachers are the people who become our heroes, the men and women who rise above the ordinary, who make a difference, in short, people who inspire us. We don't even have to have actually ever met them, yet they have a profound influence on our lives, they inspire us to be the best we can, they show us what is possible for a human being.

And for that reason I think that as long as there are humans on Earth, there will be heroes.

(536 words)

Discussion: Who are your heroes?

Shukan ST: June 16, 2006

●英字新聞社ジャパンタイムズによる英語学習サイト。英語のニュース、英語教材、TOEIC、リスニング、英語の発音、ことわざ、などのコンテンツを無料で提供。
	脚注を印刷吹き出し表示フレーム表示
Opinion Heroes By David Parmer In my last article I mentioned that the writer and scholar Joseph Campbell was one of my heroes. Now you might find it amusing that someone can claim to be an adult and still have heroes. Heroes, after all, are larger than life, perform superhuman deeds and often save the world. And a lot of people even sneer when they say the word "hero" — the very idea is either fantastic or elitist. Well, I have a different notion of heroes. From far back in our history humans have had their heroes both real and legendary, men and women who did extraordinary deeds to save their nation or their tribe or even just a single individual in distress. For example, the Irish have Cuchulain the mighty warrior, and the Finns have Vainamoinen the sage. Sometimes fact and fiction overlap as in the case of King Arthur and the Round Table and Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. Wandering knights in medieval Europe were said to rescue beautiful maidens from fire-breathing dragons. And in China the xia were a type of knight-errant or ronin, both male and female warriors, skilled in personal combat and dedicated to fighting injustice. In 1949, Joseph Campbell published one of his most popular books, "The Hero With a Thousand Faces." In the book he examined hero stories from all over the world and came to the conclusion that there is a surprising similarity in all hero stories. He called this the monomyth, and showed that it contained a three-part cycle of departure, initiation and return. George Lucas' "Star Wars" is said to be a perfect modern example of this pattern. I have mentioned that Campbell is one of my personal heroes. That means that he is a person who has certain qualities that I admire and would like to have. Campbell was a great scholar, prolific writer and made a huge contribution to the understanding of human life. Some people have Princess Diana as their hero, not only because of her beauty and charm, but also because of the good work she did during her life. The same holds true of musician Bono of the Irish rock group U2. He is not only a celebrity but also a hero to many for his political activism. What's more, I don't think people have to be famous like Diana or Bono to be personal heroes. Some people find heroism in the lives of people they know, like a parent, relative or teacher. I have often heard it said "difficult people are your best teachers." I strongly disagree with that. Difficult people can teach us patience, which is indeed valuable, but that is about all. No, I believe our best teachers are the people who become our heroes, the men and women who rise above the ordinary, who make a difference, in short, people who inspire us. We don't even have to have actually ever met them, yet they have a profound influence on our lives, they inspire us to be the best we can, they show us what is possible for a human being. And for that reason I think that as long as there are humans on Earth, there will be heroes. (536 words) Discussion: Who are your heroes? Shukan ST: June 16, 2006 (C) All rights reserved