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歴史の街ボストン
"歴史の街"といわれるボストンには由緒ある場所がたくさんあります。当時の姿そのままに保存されている独立戦争の史跡はもちろんのこと、この街で数々の名作を生みだした文学者の存在も忘れてはなりません。雅子さんの案内でいろいろ見てまわりましょう。
Historic Boston
By MASAKO YAMADA
It's surprising that it never occurred to me to write about the history of the Boston area until now. Perhaps it's because I've changed from being a guest to a resident of this city, and I'm not very interested in the touristy aspects of Boston. Actually, I never have been, but I've always noticed little details here and there that make the city feel special and I'd like to jot some of them down.
People say that America is a young country because it was founded in 1776, making it only about 200 years old. What they often forget is that this city was settled in the early 1600s. Of course, this still doesn't put Boston in a league with China, but it shows that it had its own history before the first 13 colonies officially agreed to unite as a nation. One detail that emphasizes the history of the area is the celebration Harvard held for its 350th anniversary in 1986. It's the oldest university in the States.
Harvard's roots are deeply intertwined with those of the Unitarian Church. Even now, Harvard Divinity School is one of the few universities to train Unitarian ministers. A large proportion of famous New England intellectuals and leaders have come from this sect.
It's telling that Unitarian ministers are trained at universities, and not at monasteries. Unitarianism embraces open-mindedness and the free exchange of ideas. Members don't even call themselves part of a "church" anymore because that word suggests Christianity. In this enlightened age, they belong to an "association."
Given the intellectual slant of Boston, it's not too surprising that the area is well-known for its contributions to literature. Concord, a suburb of Boston, has given rise to Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. One can visit their birthplaces when one visits Concord. One can also visit battle monuments there. There are many memorials, statues and parks around Boston that commemorate the various battles that have taken place. One of the islands in Boston Harbor has an old stone fort that stands in its entirety.
My first year at Wellesley, I toured Boston with a friend who studied architecture at MIT and knew interesting details about various buildings downtown. Many of the older buildings that look shabby next to their gleaming neighbors have cast iron windows or marble pillars that make them special. He also told me that the John Hancock Tower that everybody knows ― the glassy skyscraper designed by the famous Chinese architect I.M. Pei ― is a new incarnation of the adjacent building. The old John Hancock Tower is squat and made of stone. It has a lighted pole on top that predicts the weather: "Solid red, rain ahead; flashing red, snow instead...." I.M. Pei thought the stone building had weight and he covered the new building with mirrors so it would reflect and blend in with its surroundings.
During the concert season, my chamber music coach performs with a group called musicians of the Old Post Road. The "Old Post Road" is the first road used to carry mail from Boston to New York. Her group plays in various historic buildings along the route, including historic Faneuil Hall. The Faneuil Hall area is a slick tourist trap, but the actual hall in which they play has no trace of this shallowness. It's a simple square room with simple wooden benches, old paintings and a high ceiling. They play on period instruments, so it all fits very naturally.
There is a little piazza outside this hall, and that is where the street musicians play. Sometimes, I like listening to them, too.
It's surprising that it never occurred to me to write about the history of the Boston area until now. Perhaps it's because I've changed from being a guest to a resident of this city, and I'm not very interested in the touristy aspects of Boston. Actually, I never have been, but I've always noticed little details here and there that make the city feel special and I'd like to jot some of them down.
People say that America is a young country because it was founded in 1776, making it only about 200 years old. What they often forget is that this city was settled in the early 1600s. Of course, this still doesn't put Boston in a league with China, but it shows that it had its own history before the first 13 colonies officially agreed to unite as a nation. One detail that emphasizes the history of the area is the celebration Harvard held for its 350th anniversary in 1986. It's the oldest university in the States.
Harvard's roots are deeply intertwined with those of the Unitarian Church. Even now, Harvard Divinity School is one of the few universities to train Unitarian ministers. A large proportion of famous New England intellectuals and leaders have come from this sect.
It's telling that Unitarian ministers are trained at universities, and not at monasteries. Unitarianism embraces open-mindedness and the free exchange of ideas. Members don't even call themselves part of a "church" anymore because that word suggests Christianity. In this enlightened age, they belong to an "association."
Given the intellectual slant of Boston, it's not too surprising that the area is well-known for its contributions to literature. Concord, a suburb of Boston, has given rise to Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. One can visit their birthplaces when one visits Concord. One can also visit battle monuments there. There are many memorials, statues and parks around Boston that commemorate the various battles that have taken place. One of the islands in Boston Harbor has an old stone fort that stands in its entirety.
My first year at Wellesley, I toured Boston with a friend who studied architecture at MIT and knew interesting details about various buildings downtown. Many of the older buildings that look shabby next to their gleaming neighbors have cast iron windows or marble pillars that make them special. He also told me that the John Hancock Tower that everybody knows ― the glassy skyscraper designed by the famous Chinese architect I.M. Pei ― is a new incarnation of the adjacent building. The old John Hancock Tower is squat and made of stone. It has a lighted pole on top that predicts the weather: "Solid red, rain ahead; flashing red, snow instead...." I.M. Pei thought the stone building had weight and he covered the new building with mirrors so it would reflect and blend in with its surroundings.
During the concert season, my chamber music coach performs with a group called musicians of the Old Post Road. The "Old Post Road" is the first road used to carry mail from Boston to New York. Her group plays in various historic buildings along the route, including historic Faneuil Hall. The Faneuil Hall area is a slick tourist trap, but the actual hall in which they play has no trace of this shallowness. It's a simple square room with simple wooden benches, old paintings and a high ceiling. They play on period instruments, so it all fits very naturally.
There is a little piazza outside this hall, and that is where the street musicians play. Sometimes, I like listening to them, too.
Shukan ST: March 7, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- it never occurred to me to 〜
- 〜 するのを思いつかなかった
- resident
- 住民
- touristy aspects
- 観光という見地からみた側面
- little details here and there that make the city feel special
- あちこちに、ボストンの街を特別だと思わせるようなちょっとしたこと
- jot 〜 down
- 〜 を書き留める
- was founded
- 建国された
- was settled
- 人々が定住した
- this still doesn't put Boston in a league with China
- 中国などとは比べものにならない
- colonies
- 植民地
- unite as a nation
- 国家として合併する
- emphasizes
- きわだたせている
- celebration
- 祝賀
- Harvard
- ハーバード大学
- roots
- 起源
- are deeply intertwined with 〜
- 〜 と密接に結びついている
- Unitarian Church
- (プロテスタントの一派の)ユニテリアン派の教会
- Harvard Divinity School
- ハーバード神学校
- train
- 養成する
- ministers
- 聖職者
- A large proportion of 〜
- 〜 の多く
- intellectuals
- 識者
- sect
- 宗派
- It's telling that 〜
- 〜 は多くを語っている
- monasteries
- 修道院
- embraces
- (教義を)奉じている
- open-mindedness
- 寛容さ
- suggests
- 意味する
- Christianity
- キリスト教教義
- In this enlightened age
- この開けた時代に
- belong to 〜
- 〜 に属する
- "association"
- 「協会」
- Given the intellectual slant of 〜
- 〜 の知的な一面を考えると
- contributions to 〜
- 〜 への貢献
- Concord
- ブドウの産地として知られる田園地帯
- suburb
- 郊外
- has given rise to 〜
- 〜 を生んだ
- Henry David Thoreau
- 詩人で哲学者。著書に『ウォルデン、森の生活』がある
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- "The Sage of Concord"(コンコードの哲人)と呼ばれた評論家、詩人、超絶主義者(19世紀前半にユニテリアン派の人々を中心に始まるロマン主義運動)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
- 『緋文字』などを書いた小説家
- Louisa May Alcott
- 『若草物語』などを書いた小説家
- battle monuments
- 戦争の記念物
- memorials
- 記念碑
- statues
- 銅像
- commemorate
- 記念する
- have taken place
- 起こった
- stone fort
- 石の城塞
- in its entirety
- そっくりそのまま
- architecture
- 建築
- I.M. Pei
- 中国生まれの米国の建築家。構造物と環境を統合させた
- MIT (=Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- マサチューセッツ工科大学
- shabby
- みすぼらしい
- gleaming
- キラキラ光っている
- cast iron windows
- 鋳造した鉄の窓枠
- marble pillars
- 大理石の柱
- John Hancock Tower
- 60階建ての保険会社のビルで、一枚板に見える総ガラス張りの近代的なもの
- glassy skyscraper
- ガラスの摩天楼
- architect
- 建築家
- incarnation
- 生まれ変わり
- adjacent
- 隣接する
- squat
- 低層の
- lighted pole
- 明かりのともる柱
- predicts
- 予報する
- Solid red, rain ahead
- 赤い明かりが点滅せずについていれば雨になる
- flashing red, snow
- 赤が点滅していれば、雪
- reflect and blend with its surroundings
- 周りの建物を写し、周りにとけ込む
- chamber music coach
- 室内楽のコーチ
- Faneuil Hall
- 豪商ピーター・ファナルが市に寄贈したホール
- slick tourist trap
- しゃれた観光客寄せスポット
- has no trace of this shallowness
- 軽薄な様子はみじんもない
- period instruments
- 時代ものの楽器
- piazza
- 幅広い路
-