巨大な桃 The Giant Peach

 巨大な桃　　

The Giant Peach

I am reading Roald Dahl story, James and the Giant Peach. This is a humorous story. It depicts an enormously big peach on which James and other small animals such as grasshopper, a spider, an earthworm, a centipede, and a ladybird stand. One day, they encounter a storm and the rain washed away the paint which had cemented the centipede’s feet. Their enemy, cloud’s men, had shot the paint bullets toward them. The Centipede became happy. The following is an extract from the story:

………………………………………..

‘Look at me!’ cried the Centipede.

Oh, loot at ME! I am freed! I am freed!

Not a scratch nor a bruise nor a bleed!

To his gave this fine gent

They all thought they had sent!

And I very near went !

Oh, I VERY near went!

But they cent quite the wrong Setipede!

弁才船 Bensai-boat

弁才船

弁才船

今、小原鉄心の小説を執筆している。江戸末期（１８３８年）大垣藩は洪水に見舞われ、村人は飢えに苦しむ。運悪く、藩の備蓄米が足らない。鉄心は３０００俵の米俵を安濃津藩（今の津市）に買受に行く。鉄心と従者は弁才船に乗り、米俵を積んで大垣に帰る。

弁才船のことが分からなければ執筆できない。図書館に行って弁才船関連の本を１０冊ほど読み、ネットやユーチューブでも調べた。名古屋港の海洋博物館に行き、弁才船の模型を見た。お陰で執筆ができた。

大型弁才船の長さは２９メートル、幅８メートル。帆柱の高さ２０メートルある。

本帆、帆桁、表車立、航、轆轤、矢倉、矢倉板、舵柄、身縄、帆柱、筈緒、手縄、烏頭、艫矢倉などの役割が分かるようになった。

弁才船については何も知らなかったが、かなり分った。求めよさらば与えられんだ。

Bensai-boat

I am writing a novel about Ohara Tesshin, the chief retainer of Ohogaki Domain in the Mino District (present-day southern Gifu Prefecture). Near the end of the Edo era in 1838, the Ohogaki Domain was devastated by a flood, leaving farmers on the brink of starvation. Unfortunately, the stockpiled rice was insufficient to sustain them. In response, Tesshin embarked on a waterborne journey to the Anozu Domain (present-day Tsu City) to purchase 3,000 rice bags. Tesshin and his men traveled by Bensai-boat, returning to Ohgaki with their precious cargo of 3000 ricebags.

To accurately portray the Bensai-boat, I delved into extensive research. I visited libraries, scoured the internet, watched YouTube videos, and even made a trip to the Marine Museum in Nagoya Port to examine a Bensai-ship model.

A large Bensai-boat measures approximately 29 meters in length and 8 meters in width, with a mast towering 20 meters high. I familiarized myself with various tools used on the boat, such as the Honho (main sail), Hogeta, Omote-shadate, Rokuro, Yakura, Minawa, and others.

Although I initially knew nothing about Bensai-sen, my research has provided me with a deeper understanding and appreciation of these remarkable vessels.

Ask and you shall receive.

 

 

 

いんかあそれいしょん incarceration

いんかあそれいしょん　

先日、BBC放送が原住民と白人の差別問題を取り上げていた。聞いていると何度も「いんかあそれいしょん」と言う言葉が出てきた。辞書でIncarsorationとかincasorationとか見当をつけて引いたが分からない。

ChatGPTに「オーストラリアと原住民の摩擦で、いんかあそれいしょん、とは何かと日本語で訊いた。

直ちに以下の答が出た。

incarcerationを指している可能性があります。Incarcerationは「投獄」や「収監」を意味し、オ―ストラリアの先住民に関連して以下のような問題に言及する際に使われます。先住民が刑務所に入れられる割合が非先住民と比較して非常に高いことです。

語源を訊くと、

Incarcerationは以下のように分解できます：

１.　Latin語　“in” 意味：中に、内側に

２．ラテン語　“carcer” 意味：牢獄、檻

３．”ation”　動詞を名詞化する接尾語

次に、マンション名に「カーサビアンカ」があるが何という意味かと訊いた。カーサが同じ発音だからである。

“casa"はイタリア語で「家」を意味し、”bianca”はイタリア語で「白い」の意味だと答えた。またCasaとcarcerは語源が違うそうだ。

ChatGPTの威力に圧倒された。

incarceration

The other day, I listened to a BBC program discussing ethnic issues between white people and Indigenous Australians. The narrator repeatedly used a word that sounded like "inkasoreishon." I tried to guess the correct spelling, such as "incarsoration" or "incasoration," but I couldn't find the right one.

I asked ChatGPT in Japanese, "What does 'inkasoreishon' mean in the context of Indigenous friction with white people?" The tool immediately replied:

"It is probable that the word is 'incarceration.' It means 'imprisonment' or 'custody.' It is used when referring to the issue concerning Indigenous Australians: The rate of imprisoned Indigenous Australians is much higher than that of non-Indigenous Australians."

In response to my question about the etymology of the word, it said:

1.    Latin 'in' meaning 'inside' or 'inner part'

2.    Latin 'carcer' meaning 'prison' or 'cage'

3.    'ation' is a suffix that turns a verb into a noun

I then asked in Japanese, "What does 'Kasabianka' mean?" I thought 'Kasa' in 'Kasabianka' and 'Kaso' in 'inkasoreishon' had similar pronunciations.

ChatGPT answered:

"'Casa' means 'house' in Italian, and 'bianca' means 'white' in Italian. The origins of the two words are different."

I was amazed by the incredible capabilities of ChatGPT.

いま蒔いている種 The Seed You Are Planting

 いま蒔いている種　

　先日、地下鉄に座っていたら、目の前に若者が立った。フリースの胸に、”the seed you are planting" (あなたが蒔いている種）と書いてある。何の事かと思って、もう一度、英語を見ると、the seedの上に単語が一語あるようだ。残念ながら、若者の腕が単語を覆っている。しかし、最後の文字が”ｔ”だと分かった。”ｔ”で終わる動詞だと推測し「蒔いている種を～せよ」と書いてあると思った。が、その動詞が分からない。いらいらしていると、若者の腕が下がり、Trust (信頼する）という単語が現れた。英文は "Trust the seed you are planting"だ。これならわかる。「あなたが蒔いている種を信頼せよ」の意味だ。今、蒔いている種は将来きっといい花を咲かせる。

私は８１歳だから余命が限られている。それでも、将来のために（５年、１０年後、いや、もっと先かも）良き種を蒔いておかねばならぬと思った。

昨日、NHKの「知恵泉」の録画を見た。早川雪州を扱っていた。雪州は、似たような言葉を残している。「最高の種を蒔けば、最高の実がなる」

追加（２０２５．１．２８）

ユーチューブの英語番組を見ていたら次のように言っていた。

「あなたは、いい種を植えましたね。きっと人の心を永く豊かにするでしょう」

The Seed You Are Planting

The other day, I was sitting on a subway train seat when a young man stood in front of me. I noticed an English phrase on the chest of his fleece. It read, “the seed you are planting.” Not understanding its meaning, I looked at it again carefully and saw that one word was written above the phrase. However, his arm covered it, so I couldn't see it. After a careful watch, I noticed a letter “t” at the end of the word. I thought it might be a verb ending in “t.” I conjectured the meaning of the phrase: do something about the seed you are planting. Unable to see the verb, I felt irritated. Then, he lowered his arm, revealing the verb. It was ‘Trust.’ So, the whole phrase read: “Trust the seed you are planting.” It is a good phrase, meaning that the seed you are planting will surely bloom into a flower in the future.

I am 81 years old and have a limited life expectancy. Yet, I want to plant a good seed for the future, even though it may be five or ten or more years from now.

Yesterday, I watched a recorded NHK program, “Chieizu” (Source of Wisdom), which featured the famed film star Sessue Hayakawa. His words were similar to the seed phrase: “Plant the best seed, and it will bear the best fruit.”

ＰＳ.　An English program on You-tube said as follows:

"You've planted a good seed which will benefit humanity for a long time."

鉄道馬車とエレベーターと A Horsecar and an Elevator and ...

 鉄道馬車とエレベーターと　

司馬遼太郎著『坂の上の雲』に、こんな場面がある。秋山真之は中学を中退して、従兄弟の内山直枝と松山から上京した。明治１９年である。

「東京についてもっともめずらしかったのは鉄道馬車であった。レールの上を馬車が走るのである。（中略）レールのそばに立った内山直枝は兄貴株らしくもなく、青くなってしまった。かれらにすればこのレール敷の道路をこえてむこう側にゆきたいのだが、踏みまたいで横切っていいものかどうか判断にまよってしまったのである。（中略）またいでは叱られるのか、それとも田舎者じゃと軽蔑されるのか……」

信じられない話だ。でも、初めての彼等は面食らったであろう。

私の父は明治４３年生まれでエレベーターの乗り方が分からないと言っていた。そのとき私は、まさか、と思った。

しかし、今、スマホやAIが登場し、この先、どんな奇異なものが登場するか見当が付かない。おそらく新製品を前にして私も面食らうだろう。

A Horsecar and an Elevator and...

One of the scenes in “Sakano-ue no Kumo” (Clouds above the Slope) written by Ryotaro Shiba takes place on a busy street in Tokyo. The protagonist, Saneyuki Akiyama, had quit high school and went to Tokyo with his cousin, Naoe Uchiyama, from their hometown in Matsuyama, Shikoku, in 1886 (Meiji 19). Shiba writes:

“Arriving in Tokyo, they were surprised to see a horsecar. They had never seen a tram drawn by a horse along tracks laid in the streets. […] Uchiyama’s face turned blue, unlike Masayuki’s big brother. They wanted to cross the tracks to go to the other side but wondered whether it was allowed to step across them. […] Would they be scolded for crossing them or looked down on as countrymen?”

This is unbelievable. However, I understand how embarrassed they were to see the horsecar for the first time.

My father was born in 1910 (Meiji 43). He once said to me, “I don’t know how to ride in an elevator.” I thought he was kidding, but he was serious.

That said, smartphones and AI have been introduced. I can’t imagine what strange things will be used in the near future. I will probably be embarrassed by them, too.

国宝「瓢鮎図」 National Treasure "Hyonen-zu" (Calabash and Catfish)

国宝「瓢鮎図」

 谷崎潤一郎の小説『猫と庄造と二人のをんな』に「...追い詰められるまでは瓢箪鯰に受ケ流してゐて」と書いてある。瓢箪鯰とは、辞書によれば（「瓢箪で鯰を押える」から ) ぬらりくらりとして要領を得ないさま、と定義。

先日、京都の妙心寺の塔頭・退蔵院を訪れた時、「瓢鮎図」の水墨画を見た。1415年頃に描かれた国宝である。

男が瓢箪を持って鯰を捕らえようとしている。水墨画に書かれている文言は「空を飛ぶものは矢に糸を付けた射包（いぐるみ）でからめ捕り、水中を泳ぐものは網でとらえる。これが漁や猟の常法である。中が虚ろで丸く、コロコロした瓢箪で、鱗がなくネバネバした鮎を深い泥水の中で抑えつけることなど、一体できるであろうか」

この禅の公案に31人の禅僧が画賛を書いている。その図が「瓢鮎図」である。図書館で芳沢勝弘著『「瓢鮎図」の謎』を借りて来た。

１０人ぐらいの画賛を読んだが、全て禅問答で、ちんぷんかんぷんであった。

National Treasure "Hyonen-zu" (Calabash and Catfish)

A passage in “Neko to Shozo to Futari no Onna” (A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women) written by the famed Japanese author, Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965), reads: “[The protagonist] was pretending to be listening to her like a ‘hyotan-namazu’ (a calabash-catfish) until he was driven into a corner.” A dictionary defines ‘hyotan-namazu’ as a catfish that is slippery and difficult to catch because it is impossible to capture one with a calabash.

The other day, I saw an ink wash painting named Hyonen-zu (a calabash-catfish picture) in a sub-temple, Taizo-in, when I visited Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto. It was painted in 1415 and is a National Treasure.

In the painting, a man holding a bottle gourd is trying to catch a catfish. The inscription above the painting poses a Zen question: you catch a bird flying in the sky with an arrow attached to a thread; you catch a creature swimming in the water with a net. These are orthodox ways to catch birds or fish. However, how can you possibly hold down a slippery and scale-less catfish in muddy water with a round and empty gourd?

Each of the 31 Zen monks wrote a poetic inscription in an attempt to answer the question. The scroll painting of the Zen question and answers is called Hyonen-zu. I borrowed “The Mysteries of Hyonen-zu” written by Katsuhiro Yoshizawa from a library.

I read a dozen poetic inscriptions, but they were all Zen riddles. They were too difficult for me to understand.

桃太郎の家来はなぜ猿雉犬か Why are Momotaro’s Followers Monkey, Pheasant, and Dog?

桃太郎の家来はなぜ猿雉犬か

桃太郎の話は有名ですが、考え方によっては桃太郎は勝手に鬼ヶ島を侵略し、財宝を略奪した極悪人です。

ところが、鬼は退治されなければならぬのです。それは古代中国の思想に関係があります。

古代中国の「陰陽五行思想」では、北東は「鬼門」と呼ばれ、災いをもたらす方向でした。上の図の丑寅の方向です（赤い文字）。鬼は丑のように角が生え、寅のパンツをはいているのは丑寅のためです。

「鬼門」と相対する方向は「裏鬼門」と呼ばれ、申の方向（図の青い文字）です。鬼と申は敵対関係にあります。干支は右回りですので、申の次は酉、戌です。

ですから、桃太郎は鬼に敵対する猿、鳥（雉）、犬を従えて鬼退治に行き、鬼を退治しました。

最近受講した名古屋市民大学講座（講師・深草正博教授）で知りました。

Why are Momotaro’s Followers Monkey, Pheasant, and Dog?

The Japanese folk tale "Momotaro" is well known throughout Japan. Some people criticize it, saying: "Momotaro is a bad guy because he invades Onigashima, or Devils’ Land, and robs them of their fortune."

However, the devils must be vanquished. Why? The reason is connected to the ancient Chinese philosophy called Inyo Gogyo.

According to Inyo Gogyo, the northeast direction is called Kimon, or Demon’s Gate. It is the evil direction that causes disasters in human lives. Look at the diagram above. Ushi (bull) and Tora (tiger) in red letters indicate the evil direction. That’s why the devil has two horns like a bull and wears shorts made of tiger skin.

The opposite direction of Kimon is called Ura-kimon, which is the direction of the monkey. Look at the blue letter in the diagram. Therefore, Demon and Monkey are adversarial. Eto goes around in a clockwise way, so the closest neighbors of the monkey are the bird and the dog. Therefore, Momotaro took a monkey, a pheasant, and a dog as his followers and went to Onigashima to conquer the demons.

I studied this when I attended Prof. Masahiro Fukakusa’s lecture at Nagoya Citizen College the other day.