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

最近、報道された「スーパークールビズ」を知っていますか。ハワイアンシャツ（アロハシャツ）が認められた、とのこと。環境省の粋な計らい、私は大歓迎です！

スーパークールビズもその一つですが、省エネをテーマにした前回の課題（家でどんな省エネをしていますか。もっとできそうなことはありますか）について、いろんなエッセーが届きました。私を含めて、ひろしま国の記事で省エネについて新たに知った人も多かったようです。

例えば、大学生の tambourineさんは、先月から寮生活を始めました。１人暮らしに慣れず、テレビをつけることが多かったのですが、「When I read the article by the junior writers, I felt surprised. And I noticed that I was using a lot of electricity!（ジュニアライターの記事を読んでびっくりしました。多くの電気を使っていると気付きました！）」とのこと。今、テレビをつける時間を減らそうとしている tambourineさん。「I began to realize that the more I keep the TV off, the more I can concentrate on studying（テレビを消せば勉強に集中できると分かりました）」と記しています。

皆さんの投稿を読むと、大切なのは「気付くこと」だと見えてきました。省エネについて気付けば気付くほど、さらに取り組めるのです。そして、お金がたまるだけでなく、今、日本が直面しようとしている電力不足という難問の回避に向けた挑戦につながるのです。

今回の課題へジャンプ

　　前回の日本語訳

In what ways do you try to save energy in your home?
Is there anything more you can do to save energy?

家でどんな省エネをしていますか。もっとできそうなことはありますか

I have a story to tell. I had a computer for many years. It was an old computer, but I didn't have any serious troubles with it. Then one morning I pushed the button to turn it on and nothing happened. I panicked, of course, then finally it started working again. But after that I was worried: If I turn it off again, will be able to turn it on? So for a while I didn't turn it off at all. I felt bad about that, because I knew I should turn it off when I wasn't using it. But I was worried that it wouldn't start again. Finally, though, because I felt guilty about it, I turned it off. And I was right! It wouldn't turn on again! It was dead! That's when I had to buy a new computer. And now I always turn off my computer when I'm not using it. (Well, almost always...)

お話ししたいことがあります。私は何年もの間、パソコンを持っていました。古いパソコンだったのですが、特にトラブルなく使っていました。ある朝、スイッチを入れようとボタンを押したのですが動きません。もちろん動転しました。最終的には動いたのですが。その後、私はスイッチをいったん切ると、立ち上がるかどうか心配し、スイッチを切らずにいました。使わないときは電源を切らないといけないのは分かっているので申し訳ない気持ちでした。しかし、二度と立ち上がらなくなるのではないかと心配だったのです。結局、後ろめたくて切りました。そして、その通り、立ち上がらなくなったのです！パソコンはダメになってしまいました。私は新しいパソコンを買わないといけなくなりました。そして、今は使わない時はいつも（あ、ほぼいつも）スイッチを切っています。

ベックさんのコメント

Ms. tambourine :	It was nice to hear from you again! I hope you're enjoying university life! As for your essay, it was generally clear to me, but I didn't understand the last part of it. Also, I suggest using the verb "get used to" instead of "become accustomed to," which sounds too formal in this context. For example: "I haven't gotten used to living alone." Good luck with everything at school! Please write again!
Ms. Big Brother :	Thank you for your essay! Your writing was very good, though I must tell you that I don't like goya! Anyway, here is the part about your "electric bill," expressed a little more naturally: "Last Wednesday I received my electric bill for the electricity I used from April 11 to May 11. I was so surprised! The amount of electricity I used was about 40% less than the same period last year!" I wish you well with your energy-saving efforts--and enjoy your goya!
Ms. Mackey :	I enjoyed your essay. It reminded me of my childhood in America because we had a fireplace in the house where I grew up. It was really nice on a cold winter day, especially around Christmas time! About your essay, I have a tip for you. In this sentence, you used the word "much": "In hot summer or cold winter, we have to pay much money for electricity..." I know that the use of "much" and "many" can be confusing. But did you know that "a lot of" is always correct? So try using "a lot of" instead!
Ms. vine eggs :	Yes, I'm trying to save energy in the same ways. Before, I would sometimes feel annoyed when my wife was always pulling out the plugs for things like the microwave oven, but now I try to do it, too. (Instead of "points," I think you meant "plugs.") Good luck with your "green curtain"! Speaking of flowers, that's one reason I like taking daily walks in the spring around my neighborhood. I can always see a lot of flowers!
Mr. SOS :	Again, you've written a strong and thoughtful essay. I like your motto of "Simplicity and Frugality" very much. Lately, I've been feeling that a simple lifestyle is best for me, too. Your writing is excellent, but perhaps one sentence could be revised to read more naturally: "When it is hot, I go to a nearby library partly to read and partly to be in a cool place." I hope you're enjoying the cool days of spring--I'm afraid it will be hot very soon!

挑戦といえば、「地球人として生きる」の記事を読みましたか。夢を持ち、その夢をつかむために挑戦をしています。ということで、今回の課題は夢についてです。「どんな夢を持っていましたか。今の夢は何ですか」です。あなたの夢を教えてください！　私のは、下の回答例を見てくださいね。

What were your dreams in the past? What are your dreams now?

As a child, I loved animals and I dreamed of being a veterinarian. However, when I was in junior high school, I had a bad experience in biology class. The teacher told us to make an insect collection. We had to find as many insects as we could, poison them in a jar, and display them in a box by sticking pins through them. I hated killing the insects and failed the assignment. After that, I didn't like studying science. So I didn't become a veterinarian, but I still love animals. In fact, animals are still an important part of my dreams today. I'm now writing a novel, for older children, and there are a variety of animal characters in the story. There's a dog, a bear, a porcupine, a lot of llamas, and many others. My goal is to get this novel published in the United States after I finish it. Maybe one day you can read it! (In English, of course!)

＜Vocabulary＞
veterinarian＝獣医師, biology＝生物, poison＝毒殺する, fail＝落第点を取る, assignment＝課題, porcupine＝ヤマアラシ

　※締め切りは６月５日（必着）です。

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