2013年5月号- エイゴパス英会話レッスン 月刊ニュースレター

英語ニュース Current Internet NEWS!! <新着ネットニュース>
英語のビデオ Video News (Domestic and World Events/国内&世界の動画ニュース)
Business English <ビジネス英語フレーズ>
Grammar Study<今月の文法学習>
TOEICクイズ TOEIC Study Quiz<TOEICテスト>
Monthly Column – <今月のコラム>
 
   
You can read the article below and use it in your lessons to discuss with your teacher. — この記事を読んで先生とレッスンで話し合おう!
World News

Hashimoto’s interpretation of history discredited by international community

In a mind-boggling move, co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party (JRP) and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto declared that the so-called comfort women system implemented by Japan’s military during World War II had been necessary.

Hashimoto also suggested to a U.S. military commander in Okinawa that the U.S. military make more use of the sex industry.

Such an outrageous statement by an influential opposition leader fuels distrust toward the Japanese government in diplomatic relations, and has the potential to damage Japan’s reputation as a nation. Specifically, Hashimoto argued that it was "clear to anyone that the comfort women system was needed to provide rest to soldiers who were exalted in the line of fire," and that "the militaries of other countries also had comfort women systems."

First of all, it is problematic that Hashimoto feels he can flatly state that the sex slave system was a necessity. In response, Administrative Reform Minister Tomomi Inada said, "The comfort women system was a great violation of the human rights of women," and Hashimoto’s statement shows his very lack of consideration for such human rights.

Hashimoto has been critical of a 1993 statement made by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that acknowledged the Japanese military’s use of coercion in recruiting sex slaves, and his latest statements appear to be an extension of that. Various debates exist regarding "comfort women," but as Kono said in 1993, the system "severely injured the honor and dignity of many women," and is not something that can be justified by bringing up other militaries that may have had similar systems.

Furthermore, in the global community there has been a shift toward more crackdowns on sexual crimes in conflict areas, and active deliberation of preventative measures. Amid such trends, the international community is unlikely to be open to a perspective like Hashimoto’s.

Hashimoto’s proposal that the U.S. military "make use of the adult entertainment industry" is hugely problematic. It is only natural that officials at the U.S. Department of Defense refused to take it seriously.

In 1995, the then commander of the U.S. Pacific Command made a comment on the rape of a Japanese girl by three U.S. servicemen that fueled further outrage from local Okinawa residents and pushed him out of his post. "For the price they paid to rent the car (used in the crime), they could have had a prostitute," he’d said.

Was Hashimoto aware of such history when he made his recent comments? If his words and deeds continue in this manner, his qualifications as a politician will be called into question.

There is rising concern in the U.S. over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s interpretation of history. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga’s cautious approach to a review of the 1993 Kono Statement is likely out of fear that any rash moves could diminish Japan’s diplomatic powers. And yet, Shintaro Ishihara has defended his fellow JRP co-leader Hashimoto’s statements. Such moves run the risk of undermining Suga’s stance.

Statements by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s policy chief Sanae Takaichi regarding historical interpretation have also caused controversy in recent days. Politicians of both the governing and opposition parties must understand that their statements could create the possibility of a vicious cycle in which Japan’s diplomatic powers are reduced and national interests damaged.

 



社説:橋下氏の発言 国際社会に通用しない

あぜんとする言動である。日本維新の会共同代表を務める橋下徹大阪市長が旧日本軍のいわゆる従軍慰安婦制度について「必要だった」と発言した。

 橋下氏は沖縄の在日米軍についても司令官に「(米軍は)風俗業を活用してほしい」と提案した。野党実力者の不適切発言は対外的に日本政治への不信を招き、国そのもののイメージすら損ないかねない。

 「精神的に高ぶっている集団に休息させてあげようと思ったら慰安婦制度が必要なことは誰でも分かる」「日本軍だけでなく、いろんな軍で慰安婦制度を活用していた」。橋下氏はこう、主張している。

 まず、慰安婦制度を「必要」とまで言い切る感覚には明らかに問題がある。橋下氏発言に関連し稲田朋美行政改革担当相は「慰安婦制度はたいへんな女性の人権に対する侵害だ」と指摘した。橋下氏の認識は女性の人権への配慮を欠いている。

 また、橋下氏はかねて慰安婦問題で旧日本軍の強制性を認めた1993年の河野洋平官房長官の談話を批判しており、今回もその延長線上にあるようだ。慰安婦についてさまざまな議論があることは事実だ。だが「多数の女性の名誉と尊厳を深く傷つけた」と河野談話が記すように、他軍を引き合いに正当化されるものではあるまい。

 紛争下での性犯罪を重視する流れが強まり、防止策が議論されているのが現在の国際的な潮流でもある。橋下氏のような認識は国際的にも受け入れられないだろう。

 「風俗」発言も問題が大きい。米国防総省担当者が「ばかげている」と取り合わなかったと報じられているのも当然だ。

 95年、米兵による女児暴行事件をめぐり米太平洋軍司令官は「(犯行に使った)車を借りるカネで売春婦を買えた」と語り辞任に追い込まれ、沖縄県民の怒りの火に油を注いだ。こうした経緯をどこまで踏まえた発言だったのか。こんな言動が続くようでは政治家としての資質すら問われよう。

 安倍晋三首相の歴史認識をめぐる疑念が米国で強まっている。「河野談話」見直しに菅義偉官房長官が慎重姿勢を示すのも不用意な対応が日本の外交力を損ないかねないとの警戒からだろう。橋下氏の「慰安婦」発言を維新の会の石原慎太郎共同代表も擁護した。両氏の発言はこうした配慮を台無しにしかねない。

 歴史認識をめぐっては自民党の高市早苗政調会長の発言も波紋を広げている。発言が結果的に外交力を低下させ、国益を損なう悪循環を生みかねないことを与野党の政治家は強く心得るべきだ。

 
 
Japan News:

Popular Line app convenient but protection of personal information crucial

The popularity of the smartphone application Line has exploded, with now over 150 million users worldwide.

"All my friends use Line," says a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo. She communicates via e-mail with her parents, but with her friends, Line is her main mode of communication.

Line is a simple service that allows users who are registered as "friends" to send messages and talk to each other on the phone for free. Young users say the top reason for using the app is its speed; Line messages appear instantaneously on a smartphone screen in the form of speech bubbles.

"E-mailing used to be a drag. When you received a message, you had to remember what you read, then open up a new window to respond," a 21-year-old female university student says. "Line lets you read every exchange you’ve had with that person up to that point, and you can also see if the other person has read what you sent."

Virtual stickers — or large-sized emoticons — have proven attractive to users as an easy way to express nuance and emotion. A 17-year-old male high school student in Yokohama says, "I was too embarrassed to use emoticons available in text messages, but I often use the virtual stickers on Line."

Journalist Atsushi Matsumoto, who has written about youths’ use of Line, explains the difference between e-mails and the instant messaging system. "E-mails were similar to letters in that they required greetings and other formalities. But Line is more like a conversation in that it uses words and expressions."

According to Line Corp., it began operating the service in June 2011. The number of users reached 150 million at the end of April this year, of which approximately 45 million were in Japan. User ages range widely.

To use the service, you must first download the application onto a smartphone and register your name and smartphone number. If you select a setting to cross-check the address book in the smartphone, the app will list people from the address book who are also registered with Line, whom you can then send messages to or call for free. Since Line makes use of the Internet for its services, sending messages and making calls does not cost you anything except for your data plan fee.

The service can be used on regular cell phones as well, though not all functions that can be used on smartphones are available.

While there are many advantages to using Line, there are several things users must be careful of when they use the service.

The reason contacts from your address book appear on your list of Line "friends" is because part of your address book is automatically sent to a Line Corp. server when you register. The company says that because the numbers are encrypted, the company has no knowledge of the numbers it manages. However, if you feel any resistance to this arrangement, select the option not to cross-check your address book when registering with Line. You can set up an ID to use on Line instead of a phone number and distribute the ID to those you want to use the service with.

In the case that someone who has your cell phone number in their address book is using Line, you will automatically be listed as their "friend" if you are registered with Line. This means that people you don’t want knowing you use Line may appear on your "friends" list. Also, phone numbers of people that you no longer associate with but that you still had in your address book may also show up on your "friends" list.

If you want to avoid getting messages and calls from such people, you can "block" them — a move that will not be revealed to the person who is blocked. Another way to avoid becoming a "friend" of someone you don’t want to is by turning off the settings that add people automatically to your friends’ list, or that permit others to add you to their friends’ lists.

As the number of Line users has soared, there have been reported cases of female junior high and high school students being sexually assaulted by people they met using Line. In many of the cases, perpetrators were able to obtain cell phone numbers and IDs that were made public. We should be careful how we treat our personal information to enjoy the fruits of this communication tool.

 

くらしナビ・ライフスタイル:メールより気軽に「LINE」

スマートフォン(スマホ)などで使える無料通話・メールアプリ「LINE」(ライン)が人気だ。メールより気軽に使えることに加え、「スタンプ」と呼ばれる大きなイラストを送れることも魅力で、登録者数は世界で1億5000万人を突破した。ただ、使い方には注意点もある。

 ●スタンプも好評

 「友達はみんなラインを使っている」と話すのは、東京都内に住む女子大学生(19)。両親との連絡は今もメールを使うが、友達とのやり取りはもっぱらLINEだ。

 LINEは、お互いが「友だち」に登録した相手と、無料で電話とメールができるというシンプルなサービス。その魅力は「速さ」と、若いユーザーは声をそろえる。スマホの画面にやり取りが吹き出しの形で即座に表示されるため、素早いやり取りが可能だ。

 「今までのメールは面倒。メールが来たら、読んで頭に入れて、新しい画面を開いて返信しないといけない。LINEは今までのやりとりがそのまま読めて、相手が読んだかどうかも分かる」。別の女子大学生(21)も、やりとりの手軽さの魅力を強調した。

 スタンプでのやり取りも、文字で書くのが難しい微妙な感情を表現しやすいとして好評だ。横浜市の男子高校生(17)は「メールの絵文字は恥ずかしくて使わなかったけど、LINEのスタンプはよく使う」と話す。

 「LINE なぜ若者たちは無料通話&メールに飛びついたのか?」(マイナビ新書、872円)などの著書があるジャーナリストのまつもとあつしさんは「今までのメールは時候のあいさつなどが必要で、手紙に近かった。LINEは文字と表情で表す点で、会話に近い」と指摘する。

 ●利用1億5000万人

 運営するLINE社によると、サービスが始まったのは11年6月。利用者は今年4月末に1億5000万人を突破し、うち約4500万人が日本のユーザーだ。利用者の年代は幅広く、必ずしも若者に限らない。

 使い方はまず、スマホでアプリをダウンロードし、名前や自分のスマホの番号を入力してユーザー登録する。アドレス帳を連携する設定にすると、自分のスマホのアドレス帳に登録している人の中からLINEを使っている相手が、自動的に「友だち」としてリストアップされる。リストから相手を選べば、無料でメッセージを送ったり、電話をかけたりできる。機能は限られるが、従来型の携帯電話でも使用は可能だ。

 インターネット回線を利用するため、電話代やメール代はかからない。パケット通信料は必要だが、定額プランを契約していれば、負担感は少ない。

 ●登録設定に注意

 便利なLINEだが、使う時には設定に注意が必要な点もある。

 
 
 
   
  New! Learning through News Videos
 
 
 
Business English Expression and Phrases <ビジネス英会話フレーズ>
-Learn expressions such as idioms and slang that is unique to culture, age, and business!
新しい英語表現: 文化・時代・ビジネスで使う特有なイディオム表現や俗語を覚えよう!

Tanaka san and John are discussing the status of an order they have received from a customer.

 
Tanaka:

Are there any hitches regarding our deal with Xfactor corporation? When will the purchase order come through? 18.1

 
John:

Well, no promises but it looks good. We need to jump through one more hoop.

 
Tanaka:

Oh, what’s the hold up?  

   
John:

I’m laying the groundwork for the order but it seems there is a slight change in their order.

   
Tanaka:

I see. What happened? I hope there are no issues on our side. 28.6

 

   
John:

They mentioned that their budget had been drastically slashed for the upcoming fiscal year which is why they are looking to get a discount if at all possible.

   
Tanaka: It’s out of the question. The prices we offered them was absolutely rock bottom. 
   
John:

They also mentioned an alternative would be to trim down their first order. That could mean anything from a 20% to even 40% reduction.

   
Tanaka: This order is very important to us John. We can’t make our numbers this year without it.
   
John:

I know. I know. I think they are just playing hardball. I have confidence I can close this deal if I offer a 2% discount if they commit to order more from us next year.

   
Tanaka:

Well, keep me in the loop with any new developments.

 

上記の会話の日本語訳はこちらをクリック’(印刷可): JAPANESE VERSION

 

 
–This section will cover a broad range of different grammar rules and explanations to help you understand sentence structure and improve awareness of English grammar.
このコーナーでは文法の規則や英文の構成についてわかりやすく学べます。
New! Top 15 Mistakes of Japanese students (REPORTED BY OUR TEACHERS)
Each numbered line has 1 mistake. Can you find it?
1. A: How many people are there in your family? B: My family is three people.
   
2. A: Do you have any children? B: Yes, I have.
   
3. A: Did you bring your dictionary? B: Sorry, I forget to bring my dictionary.
   
4. A: You are early today! B: Why I am early is because today is my day off.
   
5. A: Have you been to Hawaii? B: Yes, I did.
   
6. A: I just bought a new mansion yesterday B: Wow, you must be rich! Do you have a maid and bulter? (Hint: "A" is confused why "B" thinks that he/she is rich…)
   
7. Almost of my friends like to go out drinking on Fridays.
   
8. Look! It is rain outside. You should use your umbrella.
   
9. I back to my home every night at around 8pm.
   
10. I like to travel to abroad once or twice a year.
   
11. Before go to work tomorrow, I have to stop by the bank to deposit some money.
   
Thank you for explaining it to me. I’m understanding the lesson now.
12.
   
I have seen a good film yesterday with my friends.
13.
   
Even I don’t have time tomorrow, I have to go drinking with my boss.
14.
   
He played well yesterday, isn’t it?
15.
   
 
 
 
TOEIC対策(読解&リスニング問題編)Eメールとユーザネームの入力でテストの結果がメールで受け取れます。
 
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/toeicsentence/Quiz 2/quiz.swf” width=”636″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/TOEIC850/quiz8audio/quiz.swf” width=”636″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
 
 
NEW! – What is your opinion of Japanese men?

(Stephen 37y.o. male American):

"That’s a good question. Frankly speaking, I rarely stereotype people so rather than trying to give a generalization, I would like to provide my impression based on what I have noticed about married Japanese men with children during my 15 years living in Japan. Alot has changed in regards to how I perceive Japanese men as I feel societal values are slowly evolving and men are adapting to the times as well.

With regards to work, for example, I feel that men put too much emphasis on work more than family. This was especially true many years ago with the typical man coming home so late and spending so little time with family. Japanese men were expected to go out and bring home the bread and that was his sole responsibility and duty. (The argument can be made that men tend to work so much because they want to financially provide for their family thereby showing they love their family most. However, this belief could be held true if the men were more involved during the weekends with families. Do they want to spend time with family or did they feel an obligation to do so. I can not speak for them as every family/situation is unique).

However, I am noticing more and more men taking an active role in family affairs these days. Case in point is when I arrived in Japan 15 years ago, the typical man did not usually take any role in parenting like dropping kids off at school, doing housework, or performing childcare duties. In comparison, men are now seen as taking a more active role in the home and family life. For example, men are often seen in shops or on the streets with their babies wrapped around their chest which was a rarity before. This shift in behavior may be attributed to women working more in the workplace and the belief of shared values/ideas is forcing men to adapt. I personally believe men have come a long way. "

 

(Sarah 24y.o. female U.K.):

"Oh my god. I wish alot of them would just overcome their embarrassment of rejection and just have more confidence. Why are they so shy?! My students tell me that over 55% of men and 50% of women do not have a partner. I think the reason is that men are so passive and dare I say "docile"?

Everyone tells me that because I am a blonde hair, blue eyed girl that it would make it so easy for me to date a Japanese guy. This is based on the belief that Japanese guys have this perception that dating a white girl is cool. I don’t know if this is true or not being that no guy ever asks me out.

I think alot of guys have a lot going for them but I so hope they can be more aggressive and less like a "grass eater!"