Taku's Blog(翻訳・創作を中心に)

英語を教える傍ら、翻訳をしたり短篇や詩を書いたりしたのを載せています。

Bjork Hyperballad 翻訳

www.youtube.com


[Verse 1]

 

We live on a mountain

Right at the top

There's a beautiful view

From the top of the mountain

Every morning I walk towards the edge

And throw little things off

Like car parts, bottles and cutlery

Or whatever I find lying around

 

私たちは、山の

てっぺんに暮らしていて

うつくしい景色が

そこからは見える。

毎朝私は、崖まで行って

しょうもないものを、捨てるのです。

車の部品とか、瓶とか、ナイフやフォーク

とか、そこら辺に散らかってるものは何でも。

 

[Pre-Chorus 1]

It's become a habit

A way to start the day

 

身体に染み付いた習慣。

そうやって、いちにちが始まる。

 

[Chorus]

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

 

私は、こういうことぜんぶを

あなたが目を覚ます前にすませる。

気持ちが高まる。

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

私は、こういうことぜんぶを

あなたが目を覚ます前にすませる。

気持ちが高まる。

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

 

[Verse 2]

It's early morning

No one is awake

I'm back at my cliff

Still throwing things off

I listen to the sounds they make

On their way down

I follow with my eyes till they crash

I imagine what my body would sound like

Slamming against those rocks

 

朝の早い時間

誰も起きていなくて

私はまた、崖へと。

まだ物を捨てている。

どんな音がしているかな。

落ちていくときに。

クラッシュするまで、目で追いかける。

私の躰だったら、どんな音がするのかな。

あんな岩にぶつかって。

 

[Pre-Chorus 2]

And when it lands

Will my eyes be closed or open?

 

衝突したら

私の両眼は、閉じている?開いたまま?

 

[Chorus]

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

 

私は、こういうことぜんぶを

あなたが目を覚ます前にすませる。

気持ちが高まる。

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

私は、こういうことぜんぶを

あなたが目を覚ます前にすませる。

気持ちが高まる。

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

私は、こういうことぜんぶを

あなたが目を覚ます前にすませる。

気持ちが高まる。

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

 

[Post-Chorus]

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

Safe up here with you

 

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

ここ、高いところで、あなたに包まれて

IELTS Writing Task 2

The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2022 there may be as many as 40 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

 

   The car has always been the most important means of transport in most economies since its advent in the 19th or the 20th century. Unlike other forms of transport, such as the plane or the train, cars can be owned by ordinary people, thus allowing them to live where they otherwise could not access and contributing to the development and urbanization of rural areas. Cars also play a key role in transporting goods and materials to almost anywhere on the globe people engage in economic activities. Such is the convenience of the car that it would be impossible to realize a car-free society. However, we must bear in mind that our planet has been getting warmer over the past decades due in part to the greenhouse gases emitted by cars. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this inconvenient truth; we must tackle this imperative issue collectively, immediately, and successfully for the sake of the well-being of future generations. Needless to say, it is major economic powers that should take the responsibility for having caused global warming, and developing countries should be given consideration. Also, the fact that millions of people are killed in car accidents every year should be taken into account, though different countries have different rates of casualties and different degrees of dependency on cars. Therefore, it is imperative that we find common ground as to what country should do what in order to effectively make international effort to mitigate the detrimental effects cars have on the globe and each economy.

   No one would be able to envision a modern world without cars. Most families living in rural areas have one or more cars as necessities. They couldn’t go to the supermarket or even convenience stores because quite often such shops are located a long way from their homes. Such areas have developed into towns or cities on the premise that residents own vehicles. Moreover, the supply chain heavily depends on cars for carrying materials to factories and goods to shops. Without cars, the efficiency of the economy would greatly suffer.

   That said, we all know that cars are not an environmentally-friendly means of transport. Not only do they give off poisonous gases to breathe in, but also carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming. This phenomenon, putting the lives of many of us in crisis, is undoubtedly related to economic activities since the Industrial Revolution. Therefore, it is natural that countries that modernized themselves relatively early (in the 19th century or in the early 20th century) should be far more responsible than their newly-developed or still developing counterparts. As to the extent to which developed countries and developing countries respectively should commit themselves to addressing the issue, we need to reach agreement to take swift action, not only ourselves but also those unborn. Industrialized countries should use their initiative to minimize the adverse effects global warming might have on the rest of the world as well as themselves, while developing economies should be allowed to pursue their economic benefits in principle. For example, wealthy countries should encourage people to refrain from commuting to work in their cars and to take trains or buses instead, especially by incentivizing them financially, as poor countries claim their right to develop their economies using cars. However, there are a lot of people who cannot do without their cars, even in rich countries, as I mentioned above. Thus, controlling car ownership to reduce the greenhouse effects of cars would be an impossible policy to implement even in a domestic context, let alone on a global scale.

   Fatal car accidents are another challenge, resulting in millions of deaths annually. In my opinion, car accidents are a problem that should be dealt with by each country rather than internationally, based on its unique societal, economic, and legal contexts. Again, international laws would not function, though every society wants to reduce the number of car accidents, because different solutions would be required in different societies. For example, Country A might find it most effective to invest in artificial intelligence to make the roads safer, while Country B might think that the best way to do so is to establish a better railroad or bus system.

   In conclusion, it is unrealistic to try to eradicate cars from the roads, since they have always played a key role in economic activities, and they will. However, no one would deny their negative effects on our lives: global warming and car accidents. As for the former, industrialized nations should play bigger roles than developing nations in finding common ground and coping with it. As for the latter, each society should handle it. In either case, international laws would not work.

IELTS Writing Task 2 (予想スコア 8.0)

Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be and to look the same. To what extent do you agree or disagree? You should write at least 250 words.

 

 Advertisements are ubiquitous. You cannot escape from them unless you are blind and deaf. On the newsfeed on your smartphone screen, they tempt you to buy what they want to sell. On the train or the bus, they represent themselves as visual or audible stimuli, trying to make you remember what they are about. Needless to say, they pop up on TV as commercial messages. Such advertisements are only possible when big companies, which in many cases are either monopolies or at best oligopolistic ones, have invested a huge amount of money into their marketing strategies in an extremely clever manner. Furthermore, advertisements have never been as sophisticated as they are today, because social media have allowed them to pinpoint you, according to how you have been surfing the internet to this day. In these respects, it seems rather difficult for us not to be affected by advertisements or to truly be ourselves, not “choosing” what such companies offer to us. However, I believe that we can choose to be our true selves as long as we are aware of what advertisements do to us.


Advertisements, aimed at persuading you to buy certain goods or services, are so pervasive that it is impossible to imagine a modern world without them. No matter where you are walking in a city or what TV programme you are watching, you will always be exposed to advertisements. Some suggest that you learn English, and some propose that you take medication for your “hair problems,” while others recommend you have your body hair completely removed. These (ugly) messages do urge consumers to spend their money in the way they would otherwise not. Online ads are even more powerful because they are customized for you according to your browsing history. For example, if you are a gamer, ads of video games will bombard you because you have spent a lot of time playing video games online so far, and that data is available to social media companies.


The problem is that powerful advertisements that can reach a large audience are almost always those of a few big companies dominant in the market. The real market is not the perfectly competitive market that economics textbooks depict where countless firms compete with each other. We are more or less conditioned to wanting to wear high-end clothes that world-famous fashion companies supply, or to own an unnecessarily high-quality smartphone, the market of which virtually only two companies on the globe dominate. No wonder we are getting more similar than ever in appearance and values. 


 There is hope, however. More and more people are becoming aware of the cunning nature of how advertisements reach us. Some of them practise digital detox, where they stay away from using their digital gadgets and computers and try to minimize the influence that social media and online advertisements have on them. Meanwhile, they might do yoga and talk to their inner self, or enjoy a face-to-face conversation with friends. Others teach children media literacy, which will allow the younger generation to be less vulnerable to TV or online ads and “separate the wheat from the chaff.” In other words, they will learn to buy things after considering for themselves what they actually desire. Such actions will certainly help each individual to keep and cherish their own uniqueness, no matter what kinds of advertisements they may be exposed to.


 In conclusion, we cannot overlook the influence advertisements have upon our individualities because they exist in every nook and cranny of society and the internet. However, we can be optimistic that each one of us can be our true selves, as long as we are keenly aware of the nature and workings of them and try not be affected by them excessively.

IELTS Writing Task 2 (予想スコア7.5-8.0)

Learning English at school is often seen as more important than learning local languages. If these are not taught, many are at risk of dying out. 

In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we try to ensure the survival of local languages and, if so, how?

 

   The English language is virtually the only lingua franca in the ever-shrinking world. Not only is it the language for international business or academia, but also it is the first foreign language most people learn at school. In this respect, the potential of English is tremendous. Speakers of languages on the verge of extinction will effectively preserve their own languages and cultures by learning English as diligently as they learn their own native tongues because it will allow them to draw more attention from the international community to the importance of ensuring the survival of their endangered languages and cultures.

    It is vital that people whose languages are becoming extinct learn English as well as their native languages to communicate with those from different cultures and persuade them to cooperate with them to preserve the languages. Only when they are fluent in English can they connect with English-speaking people and teach them about their languages. Conversely, English-speaking people, native or non-native, can understand better what locals have to say in fieldwork or personal relationships, encouraging them to be more aware of the significance of language preservation.

    It is also essential that native English-speaking people be given more opportunities to study one or more foreign languages. They must realize that no matter how powerful an influence their language has upon every facet of this smaller-than-ever world, there are thousands of precious languages that should be protected from dying out at any cost. They should learn that there are billions of people who talk, work, and dream in other languages, no matter how fluent they may be in English, and that based upon those languages, their unique cultures and traditions have flourished for hundreds, or even thousands of years. In this regard, some alteration to university curricula might be required to inspire students to learn foreign languages.

    In conclusion, paradoxical as it might sound, the linguistic diversity in the world can only be ensured when people who speak minor languages learn English as industriously as their own. Furthermore, encouraging native English speakers to learn foreign languages will also serve this purpose.

震災の日に。29年前に失ったO君を想って。

 間をもたせるためだけの会話が途切れたときに、繕っていた微笑が引いていくように、垂れ込めた雲の間から溢れていた陽の光が淡く弱くなった。私の四肢は寒さで震えた。あの震災からほとんど30年になろうとしていた。私は「あの日」に腕を引かれるような感覚を覚えるようになっていた。

 

 何年も英語を勉強しているから、英語の「クリシェ」のようなものは否が応でも身についてくる。私が好きなのに、“open up a can of worms”というのがある。「(足のない)虫が詰まった缶を開ける」ということで、余計な災いをもたらすという意味の慣用句である。物語を、あるいは意味のある文章を書こうとするとき、私はときどきこのフレーズの物理的な意味を思い描こうと努める。缶のリッドを引き上げると、うじゃうじゃした、ミミズのような虫がうごめいていて、そういうのは、誰も見たくない、存在は知っているけれど、目にするのは誰にとってもたくさんだ。そんな「リアリティ」はいらない―そういう、歓迎されない、行動。私にとってものを書きだすのは、そういう虫の詰まった缶を開けてみることなのだろうと思う。なかなか外れようとしない自分の蓋を開けようとするには、不惑を過ぎてもまだ、思い切りというか、勇気が足りないけれど。

 

 1995年の1月17日、通わせてもらっていた塾で知り合った、同じ中学校に通う友人のO君を失った。血色が良くて、鼻にそばかすのある、聡明で、まだ声変わりもしていない小柄な少年だった。いつまでも13歳のかれに、何かを書いてあげられればと思う。毎年この日が訪うと、自らがあの日を経て、はるばるとこの日まで到ったことに感じ入ずにはいられない。宗教も霊魂も信じない無慈悲な心にも、その思いは痛切にこたえる。

 

 僕は、ほとんど30年も余分に君よりも生きてしまった。だから、何か余計なことを書いてあげられればと思うよ。生きていてくれたらよかったのに。あの憧れの学舎を出た後、言葉を交わすことがなかったとしても、それでも。

Has urbanization had a positive effect on Japanese society?(英検1級 2014年度第3回)

今日は早起きをして、英文ライティングの練習をしました。↑のネタで、否定的な立場をとって書いてみました。時間や分量のことはあまり考えず、気ままにやりました。

 In Japan, most major cities are undergoing urbanization. The development of a city, usually aimed at enhancing its convenience and functionality, serves its purposes to some extent. However, its negative effects are not negligible: local residents who have been living and working in the community for years are quite often removed from their homes or workplaces in the process of gentrification; urbanization, typically backed up financially by big companies that invest tremendous amounts of money in developmental projects, widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots; and the development of a city degrades the environment as well as its beautiful, traditional cityscape and streetscape.

 

 Urbanization involves forcing people to leave their homes or workplaces and demolishing expanses of buildings, residences and businesses alike. I do sympathize with them, of course, given the sorrow and humiliation they suffer from being displaced from the places they love to be in. At the same time, I worry about the loss of tradition and the collapse of the community. I cannot help picturing a once-lively shopping street in my neighborhood, with a variety of shops engaging in their business on either side, that has been abandoned, only reminding me of the “good, old days.” I cannot help but wonder where those old folks playing shogi (Japanese chess) in the corner of a small local park have gone.

 

 Another impact of urbanization on Japanese society is that it has brought the problem of economic unfairness to the fore. Whereas urbanization could improve a city’s convenience and functionality to a certain degree (as seen in better infrastructure or transport), most benefits it brings with it seem only to be enjoyed by the rich exclusively, while leaving the poor behind. Money starts to talk more. Only rich people can grab and take advantage of lucrative business opportunities that big companies (which might well have been played a part in the development of the city) offer, because that is the logic of capitalism, which enables further urbanization and reinforces their social status, when the poor are denied the chance of social mobility. No expensive restaurants, fashionable boutiques, or fancy hotels are affordable for the deprived. The unwealthy are highly likely to suffer from the high cost of living, find it difficult to make ends meet, and might decide to leave the gentrified city.

 

 Last but not least, urbanization (or better phrased, “gentrification”) damages the community’s environment and its otherwise beautiful cityscape and streetscape. In the City of Osaka, close to my hometown Kobe, trees planted neatly on either side of its main avenues have felled down to hold temporary social events. Overheating economic activities are leading to a proliferation of skyscrapers, heavy traffic and overcrowdedness of the city, all of which seem to be contributing factors for the abnormal climate. Furthermore, gentrification makes the city look monotonous and dull. Whether you are in Tokyo or in Osaka, you are sure to see franchised restaurants and convenience stores, making it all the more difficult to get to grips with a city’s uniqueness. When night falls, ugly, glaring illuminations glitter, robbing the city of any nuanced peace and beauty that the darkness could otherwise have brought.

 

 In conclusion, I am of the opinion that problems caused by urbanization outweigh its positive effects. In the process of urbanization and gentrification, people are displaced, the gulf between the rich and the poor widens, and the environment, the cityscape and the streetscape deteriorates.

(571 words)

まどろみについてのエセー

 重苦しい憂鬱が膿んだ傷口だとしたら――と私は考えてみる。重苦しい憂鬱が膿んだ傷口だとしたら、ベッドで、胎児のような格好をして目を閉じると浮かんでくる夢の帳(とばり)は、血小板だ。夢は傷を包み、傷と同化し、塞いでしまう。そうであってほしいと私は思う。いま私の傷口は疼き、けれども私は、その傷口を同定することができず、苦しそうに目を瞑(つむ)り、呼吸に意識を向ける。鼻ですぅっと息を吸い、唇を薄く開け、ゆっくりと吐く。夢は――血小板は――傷を包み、傷と同化し、塞いでしまう。そうであってほしいと私は思う。そうやって私はまどろむ。

 

 幼い私は丸太の欄干に身をもたせ掛け、布引の滝に見入っている。激しいしぶきは清冽で、虹が見える。池には鰐(わに)が何匹かのんびりと泳いでいる。私はそれを変だとは思わない。振り返ると薄暗い小さな祠にお地蔵様が祀られてある。蝋燭が三本灯され、蜜柑が三つお供えされてある。後ろからは滝のとどろきが聞こえる。私はお地蔵様を右手に進んでゆき、陽の差す樹林に入る。いななくような悲痛な叫びが聞こえ、慌てて池を見る。鰐が、インパラの左後ろの太腿にかじりついたのだ。フェイドアウト。まどろみは濃密になり、私の眠りは暗転する。

 

 モーツァルト弦楽四重奏――第十四番第四楽章――が聴こえ、私は目を覚ましたのだと思う。それは樹々の奏でる調べだった。私はそれを変だとは思わない。音楽は襞(ひだ)のある薄衣のように立体的で軽やかだった。けれども、いつの間にかその音楽は、葉々のそよぎに、小鳥の歌に取って代わられている。私はもう子どもではなく、木漏れ日の中にひとり立ち尽くし、猛烈な孤独の念を覚える。思わず目を固く閉ざす。そうして必死で、サウンドスケープと渾然一体になろうとする。土が呼吸している。陽が葉叢(はむら)を撫でている。遠くで滝の音が聴こえる。小鳥の囀(さえず)りはいよいよ激しくなり、記憶の中の、インパラの嗚咽とも悲鳴とも言えない叫喚(きょうかん)は血糊で濡れている。私は、孤独と混乱と痛みで息ができないような気がしてくる。土が呼吸している。そうしてまどろみは再び暗転し、私は深い眠りに落ちる。

 

 私はまだ二十歳にも達していなかった。教授が「音の種類よりも、語彙の方が豊富なのですから、文学の可能性が音楽の可能性よりも広大であることは必然なのです」と言った。私は阿呆らしくなって部屋を出て、外で煙草を吸っていた。イアフォンからは、デイヴィッド・ボウイの『ジギー・スターダスト』が聴こえていた。大学に入ったばかりで、友達がいなかった。

 

  Ziggy really sang

  Screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo

  Like some cat from Japan

  He could lick 'em by smiling

  He could leave 'em to hang

  He came on so loaded, man,

  Well hung, snow white tan

 

        ジギーの歌はすごかった。

        目を吊り上げて、髪を振り回して

        日本から来たネコみたいだった。

        ニッコリ微笑むと、舐め回されたみたいに

        みんなが夢中になった。

        すごい奴だと思ったよ。

        チンチンはでかくて、肌は雪みたいに真っ白だった。

 

 気がつくと、小学生の頃、大学生の頃、それから仕事を始めてから馴染みになった三人の友達の姿が見える。皆、格好のいいスーツを着て、決まっている。彼らは互いを知らないはずだが、シャンパングラスを片手に歓談している。私はそれを変だとは思わない。私もシャンパングラスを持っていたから、彼らに気さくに話しかけにゆく。けれども私が何を話しても、彼らは私のことが目に入らないようだ。私も私で、彼らが何の話をしているのか全然分からない。やっと私に気づいた!三人の憐れむようなまなざしが私を刺した。私は、私の服装が粗末だからなのかと思う。そうして、違う、私の顔つきのせいなのだと気がつく。ああ、今ここに鏡があって、それを確認できれば!彼らは、私という醜悪な現象を私の顔に見てとっているのだ。私は泣きそうになる。こんなふうに生きてくるべきではなかったのに。そうして彼らは私に背を向け、歩き去ってしまう。フェイドアウト。暗転。

 

 目が覚めると私は泣いていた。台所の換気扇の下まで行って、煙草を吸った。鰐に噛みつかれたインパラの叫びが、虹を裂き、時を止めた。それでも滝の奔流は絶えずして留まるところを知らなかった。木漏れ日を浴びた土が呼吸をしていた。私のかつての友達は背を向けて、私の世界からはいなくなってしまった。鏡の中には、何も変わらないように思える私がいた。でももちろん、変わらないものなど、ない。万物は流転するのだ。まどろみがどんなに甘くても、夢がどんなに不思議でも、それらはまだ私を癒やしてくれない。私は手と顔を洗って、朝食の支度をする。温めたフライパンに溶き卵を落とすと、ジュウッという音がして、胡麻油の香りが立った。