大山鳴動して鼠一匹 Much Ado about Nothing

大山鳴動して鼠一匹　

「過去最大級の台風が接近しています。厳重な注意をして下さい」アナウンサーが話している。４日前、台風10号が鹿児島県に上陸した。それ以降、ニュースは台風の被害や対策ばかり。のろのろ台風で、明日にも名古屋に来るという予報に反して、三日経っても四日経っても名古屋には接近して来ない。。

スーパーでは米が売り切れとか、緊急避難とか。土砂崩れとか、避難セットが売れているとか、新幹線が運休とか、飛行機も飛ばないとかで、頭の中が台風だらけになる。いつものことだ。今日、やっと台風らしき雨が降ったが、普通の雨とそんなに変わらない。わいわい騒ぐほどのことはなかった。

今日は、栄で一時半から、シェクスピア講座を受講する日だが、予報によると大雨になりそうなので、欠席の電話を入れた。

しかし、大雨にならなかった。こんなことなら出席すればよかった。

江戸時代はいい。台風が接近しているなどという知らせは入ってこない。当日になって、はじめて「今日は嵐になるかな」と思うぐらいである。四日も前から気を揉む必要がない。今回はこの三、四日、気を揉んで揉んで疲れてしまった。余分な情報に引っ掻き回された。

Much Ado about Nothing

A TV news announcer warned, “One of the largest typhoons in recent years is approaching Japan. Please keep a close watch on it.” Typhoon No. 10 had reached Kagoshima Prefecture four days earlier. Since then, the news has been dominated by reports on the typhoon, detailing the damages and early countermeasures. The weather forecast predicted it would hit Nagoya within a day or so.

However, the typhoon moved very slowly and did not reach Nagoya even after four days had passed. TV news continued to broadcast updates on how people were coping with the bad news: scarce rice supplies, emergency evacuations, mudslides, unavailable shelter kits, and stoppages of Shinkansen bullet trains and airplanes. My head was overwhelmed with too much information about the not-yet-arrived typhoon. This happens every year. Finally, today, it rained rather heavily, but not as much as expected. TVs, radios, and phones made too much noise. Much ado about nothing.

I was supposed to go to the YWCA to attend a Shakespeare class this afternoon, but I didn’t, because the weather forecast predicted heavy rain. However, it turned out to be just ordinary rain.

I envy the people of the Edo era. They never heard about approaching typhoons. They judged the weather themselves. They might have looked at the sky and thought, “It will probably rain in the afternoon.” They didn’t have to worry about the weather for four days.

I am exhausted from worrying about the typhoon for the past four days. I have had too much incorrect information. Enough is enough.

断腸の別離 Heartbreaking Separation

断腸の別離　　

　今日（８月１１日）、「徹子の部屋」で黒柳徹子は、戦争体験者と対談した番組を放送した。２０年か３０年ぐらい前の対談である。対談相手は往年の映画俳優・池部良、シャンソン歌手・淡谷のり子、演歌歌手・三波春夫等であった。皆、言葉では言い尽くせない悲惨な目に会った人たちであった。中でも涙を誘ったのは淡谷のり子の体験談であった。

彼女は出撃前の神風特攻隊員の前で歌うことになった。隊員担当者によると、彼等は平均年齢１６歳だという。さらに「少年達は、あなたが歌っている間にも出撃命令が下って、歌の途中で退出するかもしれません。気を悪くなさらないで下さい」と言った。

彼女が歌い出すと、少年達は食い入るように彼女の歌を聞いていた。が、出撃命令が下ったらしく、彼等は起立して彼女に敬礼し、にこやかに立ち去って行った。生きては戻れない運命であった。

彼女は、まともに歌うことができなくなり、特攻隊員が部屋を出ると、とどめもなく涙が出た。

徹子は彼女の話を聞き、涙声で対談を続けた。私も目頭が熱くなった。何という痛ましい話か！

今の若者は幸せ過ぎる。出撃した少年兵に想い馳せるべきだ。

Heartbreaking Separation 　

イエオスト Gjetost

イエオスト　

Gjetost

I recently read The Witches, a children’s story by Roald Dahl. The tale follows a young Norwegian boy who, while staying at a hotel in London with his grandmother, stumbles upon a secret gathering of witches disguised as kindly old ladies.

Their leader, the Grand High Witch, who masquerades as a stunning young woman, uses a special potion called Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker to transform the boy into a mouse. However, with the help of his resourceful grandmother, the boy manages to turn the tables, using the same potion to turn all the witches into mice, which are eventually devoured by cats.

After this thrilling adventure, the boy and his grandmother return home. Now in his mouse form, the boy indulges in his favorite treat: a slice of Gjetost, the brown goat cheese from Norway.

Curious, I picked up some Gjetost at the supermarket, just like the boy’s. As I took a bite, I noticed its sticky, caramel-like texture and the slight bitterness in its taste.

 “This is the cheese the boy ate,” I thought, savoring each bite.

 

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

“For supper that evening my grandmother had a plain omelette and one slice of bread. I had a piece of that brown Norwegian goat’s-milk cheese known as Gjetost, which I had loved even when I was a boy. We ate in front of the fire, my grandmother in her armchair and me on the table with my cheese on a small plate.”

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Here’s a revised version of your passage:

 I recently read The Witches, a children’s story by Roald Dahl. The tale follows a young Norwegian boy who, while staying at a hotel in London with his grandmother, stumbles upon a secret gathering of witches disguised as kindly old ladies.

 Their leader, the Grand High Witch, who masquerades as a stunning young woman, uses a special potion called Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker to transform the boy into a mouse. However, with the help of his resourceful grandmother, the boy manages to turn the tables, using the same potion to turn all the witches into mice, which are eventually devoured by cats.

 After this thrilling adventure, the boy and his grandmother return home. Now in his mouse form, the boy indulges in his favorite treat: a slice of Gjetost, the brown goat cheese from Norway.

 Curious, I picked up some Gjetost at the supermarket, just like the boy’s. As I took a bite, I noticed its sticky, caramel-like texture and the slight bitterness in its taste.

 “This is the cheese the boy ate,” I thought, savoring each bite.

 Here’s an excerpt from the book:

 “For supper that evening my grandmother had a plain omelette and one slice of bread. I had a piece of that brown Norwegian goat’s-milk cheese known as Gjetost, which I had loved even when I was a boy. We ate in front of the fire, my grandmother in her armchair and me on the table with my cheese on a small plate.”

 

What’s Good About This Passage:

 

            •           Clarity and Flow: The revised passage reads smoothly, with a clear progression of events.

            •           Descriptive Language: The description of the cheese is vivid and relatable, helping to create a sensory connection.

            •           Narrative Integration: The mention of the book’s excerpt ties the story and your experience together effectively.

 

Suggestions:

 

            •           Emotional Engagement: You might delve a bit deeper into how the connection to the story made you feel. Did the taste of the cheese evoke a sense of nostalgia, or did it make the story feel more real?

            •           Personal Insight: Consider expanding on why this particular detail—the cheese—stood out to you. This can add a layer of depth and personalize the narrative further.

 

Overall, your passage does a great job of linking a literary experience to a real-life moment, making the story come alive in a tangible way.