このページはフレーム対応ブラウザ用に作成されています。下のリンクは非フレーム使用ページですのでそちらをご覧ください。
この記事をプリントする
由緒正しき伝統の弁論クラブ
オックスフォード大学には、1823年に設立された Oxford Union という弁論クラブがあります。ここでは日々、時事問題について議論が戦わされており、ときには出された結論が国を動かすほどの影響力を発揮することもあるようです。自らを「世界一有名な弁論クラブ」と位置付ける、Oxford Union を紹介します。
Oxford's debating society
|
Oxford Union の建物
|
On an obscure wall of the King's Arms, there is a black-and-white photograph of around 50 dignified white men dressed in black tie. It is the 150th reunion portrait of 50 former presidents of the Oxford Union, the university's self-proclaimed "world's most famous debating society." I remember looking at the photo for a minute or so, trying to count how many famous people I could recognize.
Devout Union members say the Oxford Union is no ordinary debating society. It is supposedly the pathway to prominence and power, a rite of passage for aspiring politicians and future prime ministers, a society that invites such renowned speakers as the Dalai Lama, Ronald Reagan and Mother Theresa to grace its debating halls.
It is the stereotypical embodiment of the Oxford elite, a class of students who revel in their affluent background and education, a group of people who, in many ways, grow up to rule the world. Of course, this description is more myth than fact. Yet what, then, is the Oxford Union, and why does it interest me so much?
The Union was founded in 1823, and is first and foremost a debating society that promotes discussion of topics ranging from abortion to soccer's World Cup. It quickly became the bastion of free speech within the university, an opportunity for both students and guests to voice their opinions on the pressing issues of the times.
Debates typically consist of a controversial motion, such as, "This House believes the United States is the greatest barrier to world peace." Students take turns arguing for or against the motion. At the end of the debate, the audience votes to decide the victorious side, and so determines the opinion of the Union on a particular subject. In a famous motion that was televised on the BBC in 1975, the Union passed an approval of British membership in the European Community (EC) with a sweeping 493-to-92 majority. The Oxford debate is often said to be a major influence on the national referendum result that catapulted the United Kingdom into the EC.
Yet, would you pay 160 pounds (¥30,720) to become a member of the Union? Not me. When I first came to Oxford, I had assumed that anyone could join the society for free. Unfortunately, it's expensive. Many students agree that membership isn't worth it unless one is truly fanatical about debating. Membership of the Union may give a student the prestige of belonging to an exclusive club of ambitious, intelligent young individuals, yet it is this aura of elitism that troubles me.
On the one hand, the Oxford Union is independent from the University and has no choice but to charge high fees for membership. However, many students who simply want to listen to high-quality debates, or just participate in such debates, are excluded from attending or even entering the Union. This exclusivity strikes me as both unfortunate and hypocritical, if one considers the fact that free speech is the Union's pursuit, yet free access is denied to students. I do concede that the Union's policy is inevitable when considering its circumstances, yet to become a member of a mere debating society, the price is high.
Perhaps my opinion of the Union as a "mere debating society" is mistaken. Members seriously believe the Union dramatically influences people and politics, and that their motions can change the world. It's this naive and exaggerated self-perception of the Union's place in society that fascinates me. It's a club that lets members live the Oxford high life, letting them feel important while sipping brandy and smoking cigars in private billiard rooms. More than just a prestigious debating society, the Union is a posh club for the wannabe influential. Would you pay 160 pounds to feel important?
Shukan ST: April 25, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- debating society
- 弁論クラブ
- obscure
- 薄暗い
- King's Arms
- オックスフォードにあるパブ
- dignified
- 威厳ある
- black tie
- 礼装
- reunion
- 親ぼく会
- self-proclaimed 〜
- 自らを〜と位置付ける
- Devout
- 熱心な
- is no ordinary 〜
- 並みの〜ではない
- supposedly 〜
- 〜とされる
- pathway to 〜
- 〜への道
- prominence and power
- 名声と権力
- rite of passage
- 通過儀礼
- aspiring 〜
- 〜志望の人
- politicians
- 政治家
- prime ministers
- 首相
- renowned
- 有名な
- grace 〜
- 臨席して〜を栄誉あるものにする
- stereotypical embodiment of 〜
- 〜に対する固定観念が目に見える形になったもの
- class
- 階級
- revel in 〜
- 〜を享楽する
- affluent background
- 裕福な生い立ち
- myth
- 根拠のない通念
- first and foremost
- 第一に
- ranging from 〜 to 〜
- 〜から〜まで
- abortion
- 中絶
- bastion
- 拠点
- pressing issues of the times
- その時々の差し迫った問題
- typically
- 普通は
- controversial motion
- 意見の分かれる議題
- House
- 弁論クラブのこと
- barrier
- 障害
- take turns arguing for or against 〜
- 〜に賛成か反対かを交代で論じる
- votes
- 投票する
- victorious side
- 勝者
- was televised
- 放映された
- passed an approval of 〜
- 〜を承認した
- with a sweeping 〜 majority
- 〜の圧倒的大多数で
- national referendum result
- 国民投票の結果
- catapulted 〜 into 〜
- すぐに〜を〜に加入させた
- had assumed that 〜
- 〜だと思っていた
- isn't worth it unless 〜
- 〜でない限りそれだけの価値はない
- fanatical
- 熱心な
- prestige
- 名声
- exclusive
- 排他的な
- ambitious
- 大志を抱いた
- aura
- 雰囲気
- On the one hand
- 一方で
- has no choice but to 〜
- 〜せざるを得ない
- charge high fees for membership
- 高い会費を取る
- are excluded from 〜
- 〜できない
- exclusivity
- 排他性
- strikes 〜 as 〜
- 〜に〜の印象を与える
- hypocritical
- 偽善的な
- pursuit
- 理想
- concede
- 認める
- inevitable
- 仕方のない
- when considering its circumstances
- 取り巻く環境を考えると
- naive
- 考えが甘い
- exaggerated
- 大げさな
- self-perception
- 自己認識
- fascinates 〜
- 〜を魅了する
- high life
- 上流の優雅な生活
- sipping 〜
- 〜をすする
- billiard
- ビリヤード
- prestigious
- 権威ある
- posh
- きざな
- wannabe influential
- 影響力を持つ人になりたがっている人