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
ボストンを離れる
いよいよ、雅子さんがボストンで過ごす最後の週です。土壇場まで準備に追われた博士論文の口述審査ですが、当日は予想したよりもリラックスして臨め、無事合格することができました。合格後、指導教授や友人たちが心からのパーティーを開いてくれ、雅子さんの思い出いっぱいのボストン生活は幕を閉じました。
Final week in Boston
My final week in Boston was extremely busy. I had submitted my thesis draft several weeks before the defense date, so I gave myself a little break. I should have known better; I ended up editing the seminar slides and the text until the morning of my thesis defense.
|
論文合格を祝って、指導教授が主催したパーティー。
|
Yes, I have finally defended my thesis! First, I had to present a seminar of my work to the public. A few days before the exam, I practiced in front of my labmates. My labmates provided some excellent comments, which I incorporated into the final version, so when it came to the actual day, I felt comfortable giving the talk.
After the seminar, the audience members were asked to leave, and the real fun began: The thesis committee members started asking me questions. I was surprised by the overall casualness. We simply sat around a table and talked about my work.
|
1426の元ルームメイトたち。
|
When the professors asked me questions, they seemed genuinely interested in my answer. They were not attempting to make me stumble. When one professor asked me a question for which I did not have an answer, another professor quickly came to my rescue by chiming in and moving the discussion along. After only one or two questions from each of the five professors, it was over. The entire process, including the seminar, took a little over an hour. The results came in quickly: I had passed!
For the past couple of months, my advisor, Professor Stanley, has been preoccupied with the care of his wife, Idahlia, who has lung cancer, but he was amazingly supportive of my thesis-writing, as well. He even insisted on hosting a celebration party for me after the defense. He told me that he had hosted a party for each of the 81 Ph.D. students he had mentored so far. He was utterly gracious as a host. But this was the first time Idahlia could not make it to one of these graduation parties, and we all missed her. (To the ST readers who have so kindly responded to my article, "Urgent call for help," the Stanley family sends their gratitude.)
My former roommates at 1426 also hosted a party for me, and several of my initial roommates from 1426 came, as well as some friends from Wellesley. After living in the Boston area for almost 10 years, I have accumulated a lot of friends, and seeing them in one room made me realize how much I have relied on them for support over the past six years. I would not have made it without them.
Early this morning, I took a 20-seat propeller plane from Boston to Albany. After I arrived, I happily scouted out my new neighborhood. Later, I felt odd being in a large apartment by myself and eating all my meals by myself. I was with a stranger: ME. In Boston, I ran from one activity to the next, and like it or not, I was always surrounded by people. In that kind of environment, it's easy to forget to think carefully. I'm eager to make new friends, of course, but I know it would be good for me to spend more time alone.
This is the last of my "Letters from Boston," but I'll be reporting on life in Albany once every month or so. Writing "Letters from Wellesley" and "Letters from Boston" has been a consistent pleasure for me, and I have been tremendously encouraged by the positive support I've received from ST readers. Thank you so much.
★このコラムは今週で終了します。長い間ご愛読ありがとうございました。
新コラムについては、こちらをご覧ください。
Shukan ST: Sept. 27, 2002
(C) All rights reserved
- extremely
- 非常に
- had submitted
- 提出した
- thesis draft
- 博士論文の草稿
- defense date
- 論文弁論の日
- gave myself a little break
- 少し休んだ
- should have known better
- 気を抜くんじゃなかった
- ended up editing 〜
- 〜をまとめるはめになった
- seminar slides
- セミナー用のスライド
- labmates
- 研究仲間
- provided 〜
- 〜をくれた
- incorporated into 〜
- 〜に盛り込んだ
- felt comfortable 〜
- 落ち着いて〜できた
- giving the talk
- 発表する
- audience members
- 一般聴衆
- thesis committee
- 論文審査委員会
- overall casualness
- 総じて格式ばらない様
- professors
- 教授陣
- genuinely
- 本当に
- were not attempting to 〜
- 〜しようなどとはしなかった
- make 〜 stumble
- 〜を失敗させる
- came to my rescue
- 助け舟を出した
- chiming in
- 割り込む
- moving the discussion along
- 議論を先に進める
- advisor
- 指導教授
- has been preoccupied with the care of 〜
- 〜の介護で手いっぱいになっている
- lung cancer
- 肺がん
- amazingly
- 驚くほどに
- supportive of 〜
- 〜に協力的な
- insisted on hosting
- 主催すると言い張った
- Ph.D.
- 博士号
- had mentored
- 指導した
- so far
- 今まで
- utterly
- 本当に
- gracious
- 愛想のいい
- make it to 〜
- 〜に出席する
- have so kindly responded to 〜
- 親切に〜に答えた
- Urgent
- 緊急の
- the Stanley family
- スタンリー教授一家
- sends their gratitude
- 感謝している
- former 〜
- 元〜
- 1426
- 筆者のアパートの愛称
- initial
- 初めのころの
- Wellesley
- ウェルズリー大学(筆者の出身校)
- have accumulated 〜
- 〜ができた
- have relied on 〜
- 〜に頼ってきた
- would not have made it without 〜
- 〜がいなければ、やってこれなかっただろう
- propeller plane
- プロペラ機
- Albany
- ニューヨーク州オールバニー
- scouted out my new neighborhood
- 近所を散策した
- meals
- 食事
- like it or not
- 好むと好まざるにかかわらず
- (was)surrounded by 〜
- 〜に囲まれてきた
- (am)eager to 〜
- 〜したいと思う
- Letters from Wellesley
- ウェルズリー大学在籍時に筆者が執筆したコラム(94年10月〜96年9月)
- consistent
- ずっと
- have been tremendously encouraged by 〜
- 〜にとても励まされてきた