外国でも平和を話し合うために

アダム・ベック

米国イリノイ州出身。ニューヨークの大学と、サンフランシスコの大学院で演劇を勉強。大学院生のときに「ピースコール」というボランティアとして、ヨーロッパのチェコで英語の先生をした。広島市東区在住。

English Challenge

楽しいバレンタインデーを過ごしましたか。誰かにチョコレートを渡しましたか。もらった人はいますか。米国のバレンタインデーは、男女がお互いにチョコレートやプレゼントを渡します。ホワイトデーはありません。もしかしたらホワイトデーは、日本のチョコレート会社がチョコレートを売るために作ったのかもしれませんね。

さて前回の課題は「信頼を寄せる人はいますか。その人について教えてください」でした。夫、妻、きょうだい、友だち、先生などいろんな回答がありました。初投稿してくれた高校３年のbisonさんは４歳下の妹に「絶大な信頼」を寄せているとのこと。「She is not only my sister, but also my best friend （彼女は妹というだけでなく親友なのです）」とつづっています。大学進学のため４月から京都へ行くというbisonさん。お互い寂しくなるのは間違いないですね。

大学３年のMURATAさんは、親友がくれたアドバイスを大切にしています。高校を卒業した後にどうすべきか不安を感じていたとき、親友は「Don't be influenced by the opinions of others （他人の意見に影響されないように）」と言ってくれたそうです。

人生の中で信頼できる人を持つのは大切です。同時に、他人に信頼してもらえるようにするのもとても大切なのではないでしょうか。

今回の課題へジャンプ

　　前回の日本語訳

Who is someone you trust? Tell me something about that person.

信頼を寄せる人はいますか。その人について教えてください

It’s funny, because the article above is about Tomoko Watanabe, but I think she’s the person I will choose for my essay. I met Tomoko almost ten years ago. I went to her office to tell her about an idea I had for a special art exhibition. I heard that Tomoko is a very helpful person and I was hoping she might help me. Our meeting that day resulted in the start of Art Party. Art Party is a charity event where pictures made by children in need, from a variety of countries, are displayed and sold at the art gallery in Aster Plaza. The money raised is then sent back to the children as a donation. Since December 2003, when the first Art Party exhibition was held, there has been an exhibition every year. And it’s because of Tomoko’s kind, smiling help and strong, positive spirit that the idea of Art Party was realized and has continued to this day.

何て面白いんでしょう。上の記事に出ている渡部朋子さんが、今回私がエッセーで紹介したい人なのです。朋子さんと出会ったのは約１０年前。私は絵の展覧会のアイデアについて話そうと、彼女のオフィスを訪れました。彼女はとても親身になってくれる人だと聞いていたので、きっと私を助けてくれるだろうと期待していました。そして、あの日の話し合いが「アート・パーティー」につながったのです。アート・パーティーはチャリティーイベントです。さまざまな国の恵まれない子どもたちが描いた絵を、アステールプラザ（広島市中区）のギャラリーで展示し、販売します。集まったお金は、寄付として子どもたちへ送られます。アート・パーティーは２００３年１２月に始まり、毎年続いています。朋子さんの優しくてにこにこしながらの支援、そして強くて前向きな精神力のおかげでアート・パーティーのアイデアが実現し、今も続いているのです。

ベックさんのコメント

Ms. MURATA :	I think your friend gave you some very good advice. It's important to follow our dreams. Of course, our dreams may change as time goes by, and that's okay, but having dreams, and moving toward them, is a key part of our happiness. By the way, your essay was well-written and your English is continuing to improve. Don't forget your "irregular verbs," though: the past tense of "teach" is "taught."
Ms. bison :	Thank you for your essay. I enjoyed reading it. It sounds like you and your sister have a special relationship. I know it will be a big change for you both when you move to Kyoto, but I'm sure your relationship with your sister will continue to deepen as you both grow older. Your English is good, especially since you're still in high school. Keep studying hard and please write again! (At the end of your essay, I think it’s better to use the word "hope" instead of "expect.")
Ms. silver bell :	Thank you for taking the time to write. Of course, I'm sorry that your family doesn't appreciate you. It's frustrating when the people around us don't recognize our efforts. Maybe it would help if you quietly told them your honest feelings? Anyway, please take care. About your English, here's one small point to remember (these are examples, for a teacher who is 50 years old): "I have been a teacher for 29 years." or "I have been a teacher since I was 21."
Ms. yukki :	Your essay was nicely written. Your husband sounds like a good and helpful man. I like the way you describe him as "calm, cool, and unflappable." The word "unflappable" is a very good choice. Just a couple of things: instead of "on the other side," which doesn't sound natural here, the expression "while" would be fine; and instead of "It's so thankful...," use "I'm so thankful..." I look forward to your next essay.
Ms. vine eggs :	I like flowers, too. I don't have much knowledge of flowers myself, but I always enjoy seeing the lovely designs of "ikebana" exhibitions. About your essay, here are a few revisions to your sentences. It might help you to see the same information, but expressed in more natural English: "I have studied flower arrangement for about seven years." ... "The person I trust most is my teacher..." ... "I feel flowers give me power." Good job, as always!
Mr. SOS男 :	You wrote another sensitive and well-written essay. Your wife sounds like a very sweet person and I'm sure she appreciates your gratitude. Your English is quite good, though I might make one suggestion: you can use the expression "an arranged marriage" to describe your situation, as in "It was an arranged marriage." Best wishes to you and your wife!

さて、今回の課題は、ひろしま国の特集に関連し「ちゃんと食べていますか。今より健全な食生活のためにどんなことができると思いますか」です。皆さんからのエッセーを読むのを楽しみにしています。年齢や英語のレベルは問いません。ペンを持ったり、パソコンの前に座るのをためらったりしないでくださいね。

Do you eat well? What could you do to have healthier eating habits?

In general, I think I eat pretty well. There are two reasons why. First, because I live in Japan, I can eat a lot of healthy food every day like rice and fish. In America, there is so much junk food and it's more difficult to maintain healthy eating habits. If I still lived in America, I think I would be fatter now, like many Americans. And the second reason is because my wife is a good cook and she makes healthy meals for me and my children. If I had to cook - and I can't cook very well at all - I'm sure my meals would not be so healthy. I would probably eat pizza every day! At the same time, it's true that I could be more careful about snacks. I eat too many snacks, especially sweets like chocolate and ice cream. When you read this essay, I will probably be eating a big box of Valentine's Day chocolate!

＜Vocabulary＞
eating habits＝食生活, pretty＝まあまあ, junk food＝高カロリーで低栄養な食べ物, in general＝概して, reason＝理由, maintain＝維持する

　※締め切りは２月２０日（必着）です。

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