「戦火の馬」のサスペンス
スチーブン・スチルバーグ監督「戦火の馬」を見た。ジョーイという名前の馬とアルバートという若者の絆を描いた映画だ。第一次世界大戦が勃発すると、アルバートの父はジョーイを英国軍隊に売り、ジョーイは戦線に送られる。４年後アルバートも入隊し、戦線に送られる。戦線でアルバートは目を負傷し、包帯で覆われて野戦病院のベッドに横たわっている。そこへ兵士が来て「奇跡の馬が病院に来た」とアルバートに言う。馬の脚は重傷を負っており、軍医は馬を楽にさせるには撃ち殺すしかないと言う。司令官が射殺するように命じ、兵士が銃を構えたとき、口笛が聞こえてきて、兵士は銃の構えを外す。アルバートがゆっくり馬に近づいて来て、馬に手を触れ、「これはわたしの馬です」と言う。司令官はジョーイの言うことを信用しないので、アルバートは「馬の脚を洗ってもらえば、四脚とも白い足です。また、額の真ん中に白い印がついています」と言う。兵士が泥だらけの脚を洗うと白い足が現れ、司令官が額を雑巾で拭うと白い印が現れる。
「戦火の馬」には原作がある。ジョーイの脚が洗われる場面が原作に描かれているかどうかは分からないが、素晴らしい伏線が張ってある。アルバートは目を包帯で覆われているから、映画の観客は馬の脚と額が全部洗われるまで、待っていなければならない。スピルバーグ（または作家）は、サスペンスを最大限活用しているのだ。小説の書き方という本で、作家は読者のサスペンスをできるだけ伸ばすのがコツだと書いてあった。
スピルバーグの「ジョーズ」にもサスペンスが使ってある。最初、海で女性が恐ろしいものに襲われるのだが、観客はその正体が分かるまで待たなければならない。「未知との遭遇」でもサスペンスが使われている。最初、観客は夜空を浮遊する小さな光る飛行物体を見るが、正体が分かるまで、観客は映画に釘付けになる。映画の後半にスピルバーグは光り輝く巨大宇宙母船を出現させるのだ。
「戦火の馬」で馬の正体が明かされる場面は、「ジョーズ」や「未知との遭遇」のサスペンスと異なっているが、正体が明らかになるまで観客（読者）を待たせるというテクニックは見事だと思う。わたしの小説でもサスペンスを巧く使いたい。
SUSPENSE IN WAR HORSE
I saw a Steven Spielberg’s movie, War Horse. It is a story of a bond between a horse, Joey, and his owner, a young man named Albert. When World War I started, Albert’s father sells Joey to the British military. Joey is sent to the war front. Four years later, Albert joins the army, and is also sent to the front, where he has his eyes injured. When he is lying on bed with his eyes bandaged in a war hospital, a solder says to him, “A miracle horse has come here.” Because the horse’s leg is badly injured, the vet says there is no way to save the horse. So, the commander orders the horse shot to ease the suffering. When a solder is about to shoot, a whistle is heard and he stops the gun. Albert slowly approaches the horse and touches it. He says, “This is my horse.” The commander does not believe him. So Albert says, “His four feet are white and there is a white mark in the center of his forehead.” When a solder washes the horse’s muddy legs, white feet appear. The commander brushes away the horse’s forehead and a white mark appears.
The movie is based on a novel. I do not know whether the scene where Joey’s four legs are washed is written in it, but I admire the excellent foreshadowing: Albert has his eyes injured and his eyes are bandaged. The audience is forced to wait until the horse’s legs and its forehead is washed. Spielberg (or the writer) makes the most of suspense. I read in a how-to-write-a-novel book that the writer should prolong the suspense as long as possible.
Jaws directed by Spielberg uses suspense. At the outset of the movie, a woman is attacked by something horrible. The audience has to wait until they know what the horrible thing is. Another excellent suspension is used in his Close Encounter of the Third Kind. The audience first sees queer small bright objects hovering in the night sky. The audience’s curiosity is hooked until they know the identity of the flying objects. At the final scene Spielberg reveals a giant space ship.
War Horse’s scene to reveal the identity of the horse is not quite similar to the suspense used in Jaws and Close Encounter of the Third Kind, but to make the audience or the reader wait for the revelation is a good technique to attract the readers. I want to make the most of suspense in my stories.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
時間を買う TO BUY TIME
時間を買う
昨日、映画「タイム」を見たが、ポイントが二つあった。一つは文字通り「時は金」で、「タイム」の世界では時間の売買や貸借が行われている。手首を器械にあてがって時間の売買をする。賃金は時間で支払われ、道路料金も時間で払う。公衆電話代金には１分を支払う。
二つ目のポイントは、全ての人は２５歳で寿命が尽き、もっと生きたければ時間銀行で時間を買う。時間が買える限り身体は歳を取らず、２５歳の身体を保つことができる。金持ちは１００年とか、１０００年とか買うことができるが、映画の主人公ウイル・サラスのように貧乏な人は１０時間とか、一日しか買うことができない。
話の筋は，裕福な娘が下層階級の男と恋に陥る「タイタニック」に似ており、ウイル・サラスは億万長者の娘と恋仲になる。二人は娘の父親が経営する時間銀行から時間供給器を盗み、タイムキーパーが二人を追跡する。二人は100万年供給器械を盗み、スラム街の人に時間を分け与える。
この物語は長寿が必ずしも幸せをもたらさないというメッセージを伝えている。映画の出だしで、１００年以上の時間を持った男がサラスにすべての時間を与えて自殺をする。長く生きていることが嫌になったからであった。
「タイム」を見て葛飾北斎（1760-1849)のことを思った。北斎はモネ、ドガ、ゴッホ等の印象派画家に影響を与えた世界的な画家である。北斎は魚、植物、動物、人間、風景等を見事に描くことができた天才であった。死期が近づいたとき北斎は、猫一匹満足に描けないことを嘆いたという。89歳の最後の言葉は「あと１０年、いや、あと５年長生きできたら、絵の達人になれたのに」であった。もし北斎が「タイム」の世界に生きておれば、１０年を買えたのに。達人の絵とはどんなものになっただろう。
私の母は４６歳で、兄は１８歳で亡くなった。二人とも、せめて７０歳までは生きて欲しかった。「タイム」の器械があれば、母に２４年、兄に５２年買うことができるのだが……。
TO BUY TIME
I saw a movie “In Time” yesterday. The story consists of two features. First, it depicts a world where time is literally money. You buy, lend, or borrow time. You just touch your wrist to a tool that supplies or deducts your time. Your salary is paid with time; you give your time at a toll gate; and you pay one minute of your time for making a public phone call.
Another feature is that all people die at the age of 25 when your time expires. If you want to live longer, you buy time at a time bank. As long as you continue to buy time, your body does not get old, but stays as young as a 25-year-old person's. The wealthy people, therefore, can buy a lot of time, say 100 years or 1000 years, but poor people like Will Salas, the protagonist in the movie, live day to day by buying only 10 hours or, at most, a day.
The plot is similar to “Titanic,” where a wealthy girl falls in love with a low class man. In “In Time,” Will Salas falls in love with a daughter of a billionaire. They steal time-supplying tools from her father’s banks. Timekeeper chases them. After robbing a tool that supplies a million years from the billionaire’s safe, they donate the time to the slum people.
The story gives a message that longevity does not necessarily bring happiness. At the outset of the movie, a man who has more than 100 years to live commits a suicide by giving his time to Salas because he is tired of living such a long a life.
The movie reminded me of a world-famous Japanese painter, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), who influenced the impressionist painters including Monet, Degas, and Gogh. His paintings of fish, plants, animals, people, and landscapes are amazingly real. He had a genius level talent. In his final years, however, he repented that he was not able to paint even a cat satisfactorily. It is said that his last words at the age of 89 were: “If I had 10 more years or even 5 more years to live, I could be a master.” If he had lived in the “In Time” world, he could have bought 10 years. I wonder what the master’s paintings would be like.
My mother died at the age of 46, and my brother at the age of 18. They should have lived longer, till at least 70 years old. I wish I had the tool and could give 24 years to her and 52 years to him.
昨日、映画「タイム」を見たが、ポイントが二つあった。一つは文字通り「時は金」で、「タイム」の世界では時間の売買や貸借が行われている。手首を器械にあてがって時間の売買をする。賃金は時間で支払われ、道路料金も時間で払う。公衆電話代金には１分を支払う。
二つ目のポイントは、全ての人は２５歳で寿命が尽き、もっと生きたければ時間銀行で時間を買う。時間が買える限り身体は歳を取らず、２５歳の身体を保つことができる。金持ちは１００年とか、１０００年とか買うことができるが、映画の主人公ウイル・サラスのように貧乏な人は１０時間とか、一日しか買うことができない。
話の筋は，裕福な娘が下層階級の男と恋に陥る「タイタニック」に似ており、ウイル・サラスは億万長者の娘と恋仲になる。二人は娘の父親が経営する時間銀行から時間供給器を盗み、タイムキーパーが二人を追跡する。二人は100万年供給器械を盗み、スラム街の人に時間を分け与える。
この物語は長寿が必ずしも幸せをもたらさないというメッセージを伝えている。映画の出だしで、１００年以上の時間を持った男がサラスにすべての時間を与えて自殺をする。長く生きていることが嫌になったからであった。
「タイム」を見て葛飾北斎（1760-1849)のことを思った。北斎はモネ、ドガ、ゴッホ等の印象派画家に影響を与えた世界的な画家である。北斎は魚、植物、動物、人間、風景等を見事に描くことができた天才であった。死期が近づいたとき北斎は、猫一匹満足に描けないことを嘆いたという。89歳の最後の言葉は「あと１０年、いや、あと５年長生きできたら、絵の達人になれたのに」であった。もし北斎が「タイム」の世界に生きておれば、１０年を買えたのに。達人の絵とはどんなものになっただろう。
私の母は４６歳で、兄は１８歳で亡くなった。二人とも、せめて７０歳までは生きて欲しかった。「タイム」の器械があれば、母に２４年、兄に５２年買うことができるのだが……。
TO BUY TIME
I saw a movie “In Time” yesterday. The story consists of two features. First, it depicts a world where time is literally money. You buy, lend, or borrow time. You just touch your wrist to a tool that supplies or deducts your time. Your salary is paid with time; you give your time at a toll gate; and you pay one minute of your time for making a public phone call.
Another feature is that all people die at the age of 25 when your time expires. If you want to live longer, you buy time at a time bank. As long as you continue to buy time, your body does not get old, but stays as young as a 25-year-old person's. The wealthy people, therefore, can buy a lot of time, say 100 years or 1000 years, but poor people like Will Salas, the protagonist in the movie, live day to day by buying only 10 hours or, at most, a day.
The plot is similar to “Titanic,” where a wealthy girl falls in love with a low class man. In “In Time,” Will Salas falls in love with a daughter of a billionaire. They steal time-supplying tools from her father’s banks. Timekeeper chases them. After robbing a tool that supplies a million years from the billionaire’s safe, they donate the time to the slum people.
The story gives a message that longevity does not necessarily bring happiness. At the outset of the movie, a man who has more than 100 years to live commits a suicide by giving his time to Salas because he is tired of living such a long a life.
The movie reminded me of a world-famous Japanese painter, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), who influenced the impressionist painters including Monet, Degas, and Gogh. His paintings of fish, plants, animals, people, and landscapes are amazingly real. He had a genius level talent. In his final years, however, he repented that he was not able to paint even a cat satisfactorily. It is said that his last words at the age of 89 were: “If I had 10 more years or even 5 more years to live, I could be a master.” If he had lived in the “In Time” world, he could have bought 10 years. I wonder what the master’s paintings would be like.
My mother died at the age of 46, and my brother at the age of 18. They should have lived longer, till at least 70 years old. I wish I had the tool and could give 24 years to her and 52 years to him.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
暫定的健常者 TEMPORARY ABLE-BODIED
暫定的健常者
半分水が入っているコップを見て、楽観主義者は「まだ半分ある」と思い、悲観主義者は「もう半分しかない」と思うそうだ▼英語にフィジカリー チャレンジドという言い回しがある。「身体的に挑戦されている」という意味だ。足が不自由な人は、足がその人に対して「俺と勝負しようじゃないか。俺に勝てるか」と挑みかかっている。その人は「お前なんかに負けてたまるか（「天声新語」応募作品につき、以下読みたい方は、mhiroshi62@yahoo.co.jpまでメールを下さい。）
TEMPORARY ABLE-BODIED
Looking at a glass which is half full of water, an opportunist says, “The glass is half full” and the pessimist says, “The glass is half empty.”
There is an English expression: “physically challenged.” It stirs my imagination. One's crippled leg challenges one saying, “Can you compete with me? I don’t think you will win.” One shoots back, “All right. I accept your challenge. I do not mind my limping. I will overcome the disability.”
Compared with the expression, "physically challenged," I deplore the insensitive Japanese expression "shintai-shogai-sha," which is literally translated into “physically obstructed and harmed person.” What a cruel expression! No one wanted to be born this way. Recently, since the word “gai” (obstruct) gives a negative image, they write “gai” not in hieroglyphic Chinese character (害), but in phonetic character of hiragana (がい), which gives a soft and graceful impression. Such a cheap trick, however, shows the arrogance of an able-bodied person.
Concerning “able-bodied,” there is an eye-opening expression in English: “temporary able-bodied.” It means that since an able-bodied person might lose his leg in a traffic accident the next day, he is ‘temporarily’ able-bodied. He should be careful not to be too complacent.
Of course, however differently you may describe the same phenomenon, the essence does not change, but a different description may give you a totally different view of the world. I want to live my life with a glass-half-full approach free from stereotypes and with flexible viewpoints.
半分水が入っているコップを見て、楽観主義者は「まだ半分ある」と思い、悲観主義者は「もう半分しかない」と思うそうだ▼英語にフィジカリー チャレンジドという言い回しがある。「身体的に挑戦されている」という意味だ。足が不自由な人は、足がその人に対して「俺と勝負しようじゃないか。俺に勝てるか」と挑みかかっている。その人は「お前なんかに負けてたまるか（「天声新語」応募作品につき、以下読みたい方は、mhiroshi62@yahoo.co.jpまでメールを下さい。）
TEMPORARY ABLE-BODIED
Looking at a glass which is half full of water, an opportunist says, “The glass is half full” and the pessimist says, “The glass is half empty.”
There is an English expression: “physically challenged.” It stirs my imagination. One's crippled leg challenges one saying, “Can you compete with me? I don’t think you will win.” One shoots back, “All right. I accept your challenge. I do not mind my limping. I will overcome the disability.”
Compared with the expression, "physically challenged," I deplore the insensitive Japanese expression "shintai-shogai-sha," which is literally translated into “physically obstructed and harmed person.” What a cruel expression! No one wanted to be born this way. Recently, since the word “gai” (obstruct) gives a negative image, they write “gai” not in hieroglyphic Chinese character (害), but in phonetic character of hiragana (がい), which gives a soft and graceful impression. Such a cheap trick, however, shows the arrogance of an able-bodied person.
Concerning “able-bodied,” there is an eye-opening expression in English: “temporary able-bodied.” It means that since an able-bodied person might lose his leg in a traffic accident the next day, he is ‘temporarily’ able-bodied. He should be careful not to be too complacent.
Of course, however differently you may describe the same phenomenon, the essence does not change, but a different description may give you a totally different view of the world. I want to live my life with a glass-half-full approach free from stereotypes and with flexible viewpoints.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
人生のもう一つの楽しみ方 ANOTHER WAY TO ENJOY LIFE
一昨日変な夢を見た。一日の仕事を終えて学校の門を出ると、元の教え子が私を待っていた。顔がはっきりしないが、確かに私の教え子だ。
「先生、車で家まで送りますよ」と教え子が言う。
「それは、済まない」と言って教え子の後について行く。すぐに緑色の簡易トイレのところに来る。高さが２メートルで奥行きが１メートルぐらいある。
「先生、乗って下さい」と教え子が言う。
はて、どこかで乗ったことがあるような簡易トイレだと思いつつ、中に入る。教え子はトイレの内側に備え付けてある棚に座っている。私はトイレの中に立つ。トイレの底に斜めになった長方形の木製の踏み板がある。私は踏み板の持ちあがった部分を足で押す。すると、トイレが地面から浮いて前進しだす。
「先生、運転うまいっすよ」と教え子が言う。
トイレは地面から１０センチぐらい浮いた状態で白い広い道を走る。右に曲がるには身体を右に傾ければ良い。板を踏み込めばスピードが上がる。
やがて、トイレは道から外れて道沿いの池の上を飛ぶ。池の周りに木が生えている。池の上を飛んでいる簡易トイレが見える。怖くなって私は身体を大きく左に傾ける。トイレは大きくカーブして長い白い大きな道に戻って、ずんずん進んでいく。なんて愉快なんだ。
ここで、残念、目が覚めた。
朝、女房に夢の話をしたら「羨ましいわね、夢でも人生を楽しんでるって」と言った。
ANOTHER WAY TO ENJOY LIFE
The day before yesterday I dreamed a strange dream. When I come out of the school after a day’s work, one of my ex-students, whose face I do not recognize, is waiting for me.
“I will drive you home, Mr. Matsuoka,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say and follow him. Soon we come to a porta potty about 2 meters tall and one meter deep.
“Please take a ride in it,” he says.
Remembering that I have driven this kind of toilet before, I step in it. The ex-student sits on the shelf inside the toilet and I stand on the bottom. There is a beveled rectangle wooden pedal on the bottom. I push it with my foot and the toilet floats and moves forward.
“You’re good at driving,” he says.
The toilet runs along a wide white road about 10 centimeters above the ground. To turn right, all I have to do is just lean my body to the right. To gain speed, I just push the pedal hard.
Soon the toilet deviates from the road and flies above a pond surrounded by trees alongside the road. I see the toilet flying over the pond from outside it. Feeling scared, I lean left hard to put the toilet back on the road. After a long curve, I succeed in getting it back on the track. Then I continue driving the toilet on a long white wide road. What fun it is to ride in a toilet!
Then I awake, to my disappointment.
The next morning when I talked about the dream to my wife, she said, “I envy you. You are enjoying life even in a dream.”
「先生、車で家まで送りますよ」と教え子が言う。
「それは、済まない」と言って教え子の後について行く。すぐに緑色の簡易トイレのところに来る。高さが２メートルで奥行きが１メートルぐらいある。
「先生、乗って下さい」と教え子が言う。
はて、どこかで乗ったことがあるような簡易トイレだと思いつつ、中に入る。教え子はトイレの内側に備え付けてある棚に座っている。私はトイレの中に立つ。トイレの底に斜めになった長方形の木製の踏み板がある。私は踏み板の持ちあがった部分を足で押す。すると、トイレが地面から浮いて前進しだす。
「先生、運転うまいっすよ」と教え子が言う。
トイレは地面から１０センチぐらい浮いた状態で白い広い道を走る。右に曲がるには身体を右に傾ければ良い。板を踏み込めばスピードが上がる。
やがて、トイレは道から外れて道沿いの池の上を飛ぶ。池の周りに木が生えている。池の上を飛んでいる簡易トイレが見える。怖くなって私は身体を大きく左に傾ける。トイレは大きくカーブして長い白い大きな道に戻って、ずんずん進んでいく。なんて愉快なんだ。
ここで、残念、目が覚めた。
朝、女房に夢の話をしたら「羨ましいわね、夢でも人生を楽しんでるって」と言った。
ANOTHER WAY TO ENJOY LIFE
The day before yesterday I dreamed a strange dream. When I come out of the school after a day’s work, one of my ex-students, whose face I do not recognize, is waiting for me.
“I will drive you home, Mr. Matsuoka,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say and follow him. Soon we come to a porta potty about 2 meters tall and one meter deep.
“Please take a ride in it,” he says.
Remembering that I have driven this kind of toilet before, I step in it. The ex-student sits on the shelf inside the toilet and I stand on the bottom. There is a beveled rectangle wooden pedal on the bottom. I push it with my foot and the toilet floats and moves forward.
“You’re good at driving,” he says.
The toilet runs along a wide white road about 10 centimeters above the ground. To turn right, all I have to do is just lean my body to the right. To gain speed, I just push the pedal hard.
Soon the toilet deviates from the road and flies above a pond surrounded by trees alongside the road. I see the toilet flying over the pond from outside it. Feeling scared, I lean left hard to put the toilet back on the road. After a long curve, I succeed in getting it back on the track. Then I continue driving the toilet on a long white wide road. What fun it is to ride in a toilet!
Then I awake, to my disappointment.
The next morning when I talked about the dream to my wife, she said, “I envy you. You are enjoying life even in a dream.”
Sunday, January 15, 2012
次の１０年 NEXT 10 YEARS
以下の日本語のエッセーは、Asahi Weeklyの英文エッセーコンテストで最優秀賞を受賞した英文(このブログの後半に掲載）を翻訳したものです。
次の１０年
私は６８歳ですが、父も祖父も７８歳で亡くなっていますから、遺伝子的に言うと余命１０年です。光陰矢の如し。１０年はあっという間です。矢が飛んでいるうちに３つの事をしたいと思います。杖道に熟達すること。本を読むこと。英語の短編小説を世に出すことです。
神道夢想流杖道は３００年受け継がれてきた古武道です。杖は長さが1メートル２０センチで、敵を打ったり突いたりする武器です。今まで２０年間稽古していますが、正確に杖を振ることができません。６４の型を全部習得するにはさらに２０年はかかるでしょう。毎日稽古に励むつもりです。
次に、多くの本を読みたいと思います。英語教師を６５歳で退職するまで教材作りに時間を費やしていましたが、今は時間が十分あり、古今の日本語、英語の作品を多く読みたいと思います。中でも陳舜臣、東野圭吾、ディケンズ、ポー、チェコフは面白い。文字を拡大できるキンドル電子ブックのおかげで、１０年後でも読書を楽しむ事ができると思います。
３つ目は、英語の短編小説の出版です。感動的でユーモアのある短編です。このため２つ講座を受講しています。日本語の「短編を読む・書く」という講座と英語の「クリエイティブ・ライティング」という講座です。日本語の講座では受講生が著名作家や受講生自身が書いた作品を批評し合います。おかげで、同じ短編を色々な視点からみることができます。ライティング講座では英作文力を磨いています。これまで、日本語と英語の短編コンテストに数回応募しましたが入賞したことはありません。私の作品が認められるのは数年先かと思いますが、「ローマは一日にして成らず」の精神で書き続けるつもりです。
私は楽観主義です。杖道の稽古を続けている限り、健康を維持できると思いますし、目標に向かって、読んだり書いたりしている限り、頭は回転していると思います。きっと父や祖父よりも長生きするでしょう。
THE NEXT TEN YEARS
I am 68 years old. In terms of my DNA, probably I have only ten years to live because both my father and grandfather died at the age of 78. The ten years will fly like an arrow. Therefore, while the arrow is flying, I want to accomplish three things: to master the Japanese martial art of Jodo; to read many books; and to publish my short stories in English.
Jodo (stick way) is a 300-year-old Japanese martial art. Jo is a 1.2 meter-long round stick, which functions as a weapon to strike or spear your enemy with. I have been practicing Jodo for 20 years, but I cannot wield a Jo correctly. I am afraid it will take another 20 years to master all the 64 techniques, but I will keep practicing it every day.
Next, I want to read as many books as possible. Until I retired from my career as an English teacher at the age of 65, I had spent most of my time preparing for my classes. Now that I have plenty of leisure time, I want to read as many Japanese and English books as possible, both classical and modern. I am especially interested in reading the works of Chin Shun Shin, Keigo Higashino, Dickens, Poe, and Chekhov. I will enjoy reading even ten years later thanks to the Kindle e-Reader, which allows me to increase the font size.
The third goal is to publish my short stories in English. I want them to be moving and humorous. I attend two classes for this purpose: one is a Japanese short story reading and writing class and the other is an English creative writing class. In the Japanese class, the students comments on the short stories written by well-known authors or by the students. They are helpful for viewing the same story from different perspectives. The creative writing class also helps me brush up my English writing ability. I have applied for several short story contests both in Japanese and English, but I have not yet won a prize. It will take years before my works are recognized, but as Rome was not built in a day, I will keep writing.
I take a glass-half-full approach about my life. As long as I practice Jodo, I can stay healthy. And as long as I keep reading and writing aiming at my goals, my brain will work. I am sure I will survive my father and grandfather.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
クロバタキはクロパトキン KUROBATAKI WAS KUROPATKIN
わたしがまだ小さい子供の頃、変な「しりとり」を覚えました。誰から覚えたのか分かりませんが、多分、父親からか親戚の人からだと思います。「しりとり」は以下のようなもので、今でも覚えています。
スルメ→メジロ→ロシヤ→野蛮国→クロバタキ→きんた＊→マカロフ→ふんどし→しめた→タカジャッポ→ポンヤリ→陸軍の→乃木さんが→凱旋す→スルメ→（最初へ）
この「しりとり」で、クロバタキとは何のことか分かりませんでしたが、最近「坂の上の雲」というＮＨＫの番組を見て分かりました。クロバタキは日露戦争当時のロシア満州軍総司令官だったのです。だから「しりとり」で、「陸軍の」とか「乃木さんが」とか「ロシヤ」という言葉が出てくるのです。マカロフは日露戦争の時の太平洋艦隊司令長官だったこともわかりました。まだわからないのはタカジャッポとポンヤリですが、多分日露戦争に関係のある言葉だと思います。もし「坂の上の雲」を見ていなかったら、この「しりとり」の意味が分からないままだったと思います。
それにしても、小さいころに覚えた事柄が、６８歳の現在まで覚えているとは不思議なことです。
もう一つ今でも覚えているのは、高校一年の時に世界史の時に暗記した中国の王朝の名前です。今でもすらすら言えます。
夏―殷―周―秦―前漢―新―後漢―三国―西晋―東晋―隋―唐―五代―北宋―南宋―元―明－清―中華民国―中国
これは今までいろいろな場面で役立ってきました。
KUROBATAKI MEANS KUROPATKIN
I still remember a chain of words made up of “last and first,” which I learned when I was a small child. Probably my father or uncle taught it to me. It goes:
surume (dried cuttlefish) →mejiro (white eye)→roshiya (Russia) →yabankoku (a barbarian country)→kurobataki→kinta-- (balls)→makarofu→fundoshi (loincloth)→shimeta (tightened)→takajappo→ponyari→rikugunno (army) → nogisanga (General Nogi)→gaisensu (return with glory)→the first word of surume
I did not know the meaning of kurobataki until recently when I watched an NHK television program of “Sakano-ueno-kumo” (Clouds above the Hill), which featured the Meiji-era Japan focusing on the Sino-Japanese War (1894-5) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5). I found kurobataki was the name of the Commander of Russian Manchurian Army, Aleksey Kuropatkin, during the Russo-Japanese War. That is why the chain words include such war-connected words as rikugunno, nogisanga, and gaisensu. I also learned that makarofu was the name of the Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral, Stepan Makarov. If I had not watched the TV program, I would not have found these facts. The program at last revealed the meanings of the unknown words after dozens of years.
Another thing I still remember is the names of Chinese dynasties. I can recite them easily:
Xia―Yin―Zho―Zhou―Western Han―Xi―Eastern Han―Three Kingdoms―Western Jin―Eastern JinーSui―Tang―Five Dynastie―Southern Song―Yuan―Ming－Qing―Republic of China―People's Republic of China
They helped me a lot in various occasions.
PS:
According to a website, takajappo and ponyari mean taka-shappo (high hat) and bonyari (absent-minded) respectively, but I doubt it.
HAIKU
the boyhood day
connected with today
mystery
スルメ→メジロ→ロシヤ→野蛮国→クロバタキ→きんた＊→マカロフ→ふんどし→しめた→タカジャッポ→ポンヤリ→陸軍の→乃木さんが→凱旋す→スルメ→（最初へ）
この「しりとり」で、クロバタキとは何のことか分かりませんでしたが、最近「坂の上の雲」というＮＨＫの番組を見て分かりました。クロバタキは日露戦争当時のロシア満州軍総司令官だったのです。だから「しりとり」で、「陸軍の」とか「乃木さんが」とか「ロシヤ」という言葉が出てくるのです。マカロフは日露戦争の時の太平洋艦隊司令長官だったこともわかりました。まだわからないのはタカジャッポとポンヤリですが、多分日露戦争に関係のある言葉だと思います。もし「坂の上の雲」を見ていなかったら、この「しりとり」の意味が分からないままだったと思います。
それにしても、小さいころに覚えた事柄が、６８歳の現在まで覚えているとは不思議なことです。
もう一つ今でも覚えているのは、高校一年の時に世界史の時に暗記した中国の王朝の名前です。今でもすらすら言えます。
夏―殷―周―秦―前漢―新―後漢―三国―西晋―東晋―隋―唐―五代―北宋―南宋―元―明－清―中華民国―中国
これは今までいろいろな場面で役立ってきました。
KUROBATAKI MEANS KUROPATKIN
I still remember a chain of words made up of “last and first,” which I learned when I was a small child. Probably my father or uncle taught it to me. It goes:
surume (dried cuttlefish) →mejiro (white eye)→roshiya (Russia) →yabankoku (a barbarian country)→kurobataki→kinta-- (balls)→makarofu→fundoshi (loincloth)→shimeta (tightened)→takajappo→ponyari→rikugunno (army) → nogisanga (General Nogi)→gaisensu (return with glory)→the first word of surume
I did not know the meaning of kurobataki until recently when I watched an NHK television program of “Sakano-ueno-kumo” (Clouds above the Hill), which featured the Meiji-era Japan focusing on the Sino-Japanese War (1894-5) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5). I found kurobataki was the name of the Commander of Russian Manchurian Army, Aleksey Kuropatkin, during the Russo-Japanese War. That is why the chain words include such war-connected words as rikugunno, nogisanga, and gaisensu. I also learned that makarofu was the name of the Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral, Stepan Makarov. If I had not watched the TV program, I would not have found these facts. The program at last revealed the meanings of the unknown words after dozens of years.
Another thing I still remember is the names of Chinese dynasties. I can recite them easily:
Xia―Yin―Zho―Zhou―Western Han―Xi―Eastern Han―Three Kingdoms―Western Jin―Eastern JinーSui―Tang―Five Dynastie―Southern Song―Yuan―Ming－Qing―Republic of China―People's Republic of China
They helped me a lot in various occasions.
PS:
According to a website, takajappo and ponyari mean taka-shappo (high hat) and bonyari (absent-minded) respectively, but I doubt it.
HAIKU
the boyhood day
connected with today
mystery
Thursday, December 22, 2011
一本松さん ありがとう THANK YOU, THE PINE TREE
一本松よ ありがとう
心ささえた 九ヶ月
一本松よ ありがとう
７万本の 松林
一本残して 流されぬ
一本だけの 松なれど
多くの人に 元気をくれぬ
３００年 共に育った
仲間と別れ 孤高を耐えぬ
「最後の一葉」 少女を救い
一本松は 皆を救いぬ
ひょろ長さんよ ありがとう
お前の事は 我ら忘れぬ
お前の生んだ 松ぽっくり
１８本の 若木が育ち
３００年後 若木が作る
以前と同じ 松の森
THANK YOU, PINE TREE
the Tohoku Tsunami
washed away
70,000 pine trees
except one
the beautiful scenery
suddenly changed into
a desolate beach
leaving one miraculous tree
after nine months
you, the last pine tree
you, the guardian deity
are now dying
you have encouraged
thousands of victims
as O' Henry’s "The Last Leaf"
encouraged the girl
you must have been
lonely, too, parting with
the trees that grew
for 270 years together
seeing that
the Tohoku people
are recovering
you are joining your friends
thank you, pine tree
your slender tall figure
all the Japanese people
will never forget you
your pine cones
have given new life
18 baby trees
are now growing
washed away
70,000 pine trees
except one
the beautiful scenery
suddenly changed into
a desolate beach
leaving one miraculous tree
after nine months
you, the last pine tree
you, the guardian deity
are now dying
you have encouraged
thousands of victims
as O' Henry’s "The Last Leaf"
encouraged the girl
you must have been
lonely, too, parting with
the trees that grew
for 270 years together
seeing that
the Tohoku people
are recovering
you are joining your friends
thank you, pine tree
your slender tall figure
all the Japanese people
will never forget you
your pine cones
have given new life
18 baby trees
are now growing
they will make
as large a forest
270 years later
as large a forest
270 years later
from now
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