英字新聞
読売、毎日、朝日各社英字新聞の主として社説を学習研究します

出ました、読売の自動車業界守護神的記事！
日本の自動車業界の被害はタイ洪水被害全体ほんの一部分、タイの被害に焦点を当てて記事を書いて欲しい。
それで日本よりのドネーション（寄付）も増えるでしょう。
大震災、大津波のときに随分タイから援助をもらっています。お返しするのが人の道だと考えます。
円高で材料を安く輸入できるメリットについては、知らん顔。
円高で日本企業（自動車業界中心＾＾）がなりたたない記事ばかり書きまくる。
なんか間違っているんじゃないですか。読売さん。
こういう記事を掲載するのなら、円高メリットのプラス分をも同時に掲載しないと読者は納得しない。

＞国内拠点の再充実により、空洞化を防ぐ方策も考慮してもらいたい。
海外で頑張っていることで、国内の空洞化は完全に補っている。
こういう記事を書かれると海外で真剣に体を張って仕事をしている人は、ガックリさせられてしまうのです。
マイナスイメージの記事は読んでいてストレスフルなのです。
（スラチャイ）

Thai floods should spur firms to review production system
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 5, 2011)
タイ洪水被害　集中生産体制を見直す契機に（11月4日付・読売社説）

The flooding in Thailand has yet to subside, forcing Japanese manufacturers to drastically reduce their production.
　タイの洪水被害が収まらず、日本メーカーが大幅減産に追い込まれた。

Coupled with the soaring yen, there are now concerns that the floods will deal a serious blow to their year-end sales and business performance.
超円高とのダブルパンチで、年末商戦や業績への打撃が懸念される。

Many major Japanese manufacturers have concentrated their manufacturing plants and parts supply chains in Thailand. But this time, such steps have completely worked against the companies.
　主要各社が、工場や部品供給網（サプライチェーン）をタイに集中させたことが裏目に出た。

They must strive to restore their operations as soon as possible and rebuild their production system.
早期復旧を目指すとともに、生産体制の再構築が欠かせない。

Automakers have been particularly hard-hit by the flooding in major industrial parks in the country.
　主要工業団地の浸水で、被害が大きいのは自動車業界である。

Honda Motor Co.'s plant has been inundated by floodwater, making it likely the factory's operations will be suspended for about six months.
　ホンダは工場が水没し、操業停止は約半年に及ぶとみられる。

Because the floods also prevented the automaker from producing parts in Thailand, Honda has been forced to cut production at its Japanese and North American plants as well.
タイでの部品生産もストップしたため、日本国内や北米工場などの減産にも追い込まれた。

Toyota Motor Corp. also suspended operations at its Thai plants because of the difficulty of procuring parts from its suppliers.
　トヨタ自動車も取引先からの部品調達が滞り、タイ工場の操業を停止した。

Just like Honda, Toyota was forced to reduce production at its plants in North America and other parts in the world.
ホンダと同様、減産工場は北米など世界各地に及ぶ。

===

Just-in-time can backfire

As part of their cost-cutting efforts, Japanese car manufacturers have embraced the so-called just-in-time production system, which is designed to avoid excess parts inventory, and consolidated their parts supply networks in Thailand.
　これまで自動車各社は、コスト削減を実現する狙いで、部品の過剰在庫を持たないジャスト・イン・タイム生産を徹底し、部品供給網をタイに集約化させてきた。

This efficient management style has helped make them competitive.
　そうした効率経営は競争力の源泉だ。

However, the current situation has revealed once again that it can also be a weakness when it comes to crisis management, as shown by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which disrupted supplies.
しかし、危機管理の上では逆に弱点となることが、東日本大震災時に続き、改めて浮き彫りになったと言える。

Other industries are facing similar problems. Disruptions in parts supply chains are delaying productions of various items, forcing Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. to put off product launches of refrigerators and digital cameras, respectively.
　他業界でも状況は同じだ。部品供給網が寸断されて生産が遅れ、東芝が冷蔵庫、ソニーがデジタルカメラの発売を延期した。

There will likely be a shortage of hard disk drives (HDDs), a key component for personal computers, which will certainly influence PC manufacturers' year-end sales.
パソコンの部品であるハードディスク駆動装置（ＨＤＤ）の品不足も懸念され、年末商戦に響くだろう。

The government's white paper on manufacturing industries this year showed Japanese companies' unpreparedness for such a situation.
Asked in a survey in February what countermeasures would be implemented if parts procurement was cut off, more than 90 percent of the companies said their measures were insufficient or they had not established any.
　政府の今年の「ものづくり白書」によると、部品調達が途絶えた場合の対応策について、取り組みが「不十分」「進んでいない」と答えた企業は、２月時点で９割を超えていた。

We suspect Japanese companies' insufficient awareness of the need to prepare for unexpected situations is behind the current crisis.
　“想定外”に備えるリスクへの意識が甘かったのではないか。

===

Procure parts from elsewhere

Companies affected by the floods in Thailand should try to resume operations at their plants as soon as possible by procuring alternative parts from Japan, China and elsewhere, and supporting restoration of their suppliers' factories.
　タイ洪水に襲われた各社は、当面、代替部品を日本や中国などから調達したり、取引先工場の復旧を支援したりして、早期の操業再開を目指すことが課題だ。

They will also need to develop parts that can be easily replaced with substitutes and manage their inventory more appropriately.
　代替しやすい部品の開発や、適正な在庫管理も求められる。

Even more importantly, the companies must review their current production system by relocating some of their production centers to other locations, such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
　さらに重要なのは、インドネシア、ベトナムなどに拠点を分散し、生産体制を見直すことだ。

They also have to consider ways to prevent the hollowing-out of Japanese industry by enhancing their domestic production bases.
国内拠点の再充実により、空洞化を防ぐ方策も考慮してもらいたい。

Listed companies are currently announcing their midterm earnings reports for the period ending in September. 　上場企業の今年９月中間連結決算の発表がピークを迎えたが、

Many companies revised downward their business predictions because of the growing impact of the Thai floods and the record appreciation of the yen.
タイ洪水と、歴史的な円高の影響が広がり、業績見通しを下方修正する企業が相次いでいる。

The government and the Bank of Japan's intervention into the currency market earlier this week failed to stop the yen's surge, leaving many Japanese companies in a difficult situation.
　政府・日銀の為替介入にもかかわらず、円高に歯止めはかからず、各社の試練は続く。

They must urgently take measures to bolster their competitiveness.
一層の競争力強化策が急務である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 4, 2011)
（2011年11月4日01時28分 読売新聞）

＞　１～３号機のいずれでも、溶けた燃料がどういう状態でどこにあるのか、原子炉のどこがどのように損傷しているのか、よくわからない。

新聞記者のよくわからない発言記事は見苦しいです。
格納容器の底が抜け、溶融状態の燃料が核融合を繰り返し、どこまでも下がって行く図式だと思いますが。
例えば、原子爆弾のように完全に爆発しきるまでその核融合はずっと続くとはっきり書いたらどうでしょうか。
原爆と違うのは爆発に長い時間がかかるだけのような気がします。
保存されている大量の使用済み核燃料に飛び火すれば関東に人が住めなくなるそうですね。空恐ろしいことです。
（スラチャイ）

(Mainichi Japan) November 3, 2011
Editorial: Closer monitoring and more explanation of Fukushima reactors needed
社説：小規模臨界　監視と説明の強化を

The government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, should step up their monitoring of the plant's reactors to check whether nuclear fission is occurring and provide good explanations of the situation in the reactors to the public.
Xenon was detected in the containment vessel of the plant's No. 2 reactor, and the finding was confirmed by the semi-governmental Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
　東京電力の福島第１原発２号機の原子炉格納容器に、放射性のキセノンが含まれていることが明らかになった。東電が検出、日本原子力研究開発機構が確認したもので、気になる結果だ。

Xenon is a radioactive substance with a short half-life generated in the process of nuclear fission of uranium, a nuclear plant fuel.
　原発の燃料であるウランなどが核分裂する際に生じる半減期の短い物質で、原子炉で核分裂が起きている恐れがある。

The finding suggests that nuclear fission is occurring in the reactor, and it was initially feared that the reactor temporarily reached criticality -- a chain of nuclear fission reactions.
核分裂が連続する臨界が一時的に起きた可能性も否定できない。
東電や政府は、よく調べてもらいたい。

Small-scale criticality temporarily occurring in a reactor would not mean that the reactor is in a dangerous situation.
　一時的に小規模な臨界が起きても原子炉が危険な状態になるとは考えにくい。

Criticality can be sustained only if certain conditions, such as the right ratio of water and fuel inside the reactor, are met.
臨界が長時間続くのは、水と燃料の割合など、特別な条件がそろった時だからだ。

Still, we mustn't let down our guard.
　しかし、だからといって安心していいというわけではない。

The government and TEPCO need to find out why the fission has occurred and take appropriate responses. 核分裂がどういう状況で起きていると考えられるか、原因を突き止め、対応策を取る必要がある。

TEPCO has injected boric acid into the No. 2 reactor to prevent it from reaching criticality, but more may need to be done.
東電は、臨界を防ぐホウ酸水を容器に注入したが、念には念を入れてほしい。

Even if the reactor is not in a dangerous condition, the possibility that it might reach criticality has surely caused anxiety to the public.
　原子炉が危険な状態になくても、臨界の可能性を不安に思う人は多いだろう。

It is important for TEPCO and the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) to clearly explain the condition of the reactors and the implications of the discovery of xenon.
東電や原子力安全・保安院が、キセノン検出の意味や原子炉の状態をよく説明することも大事だ。

The xenon was detected from gas inside the reactor's containment vessel using a containment vessel gas management system that began operations in late October.
　今回の検出は、１０月末に稼働した「格納容器ガス管理システム」を使い、容器内の気体を調べた結果だ。

It was the first time that such a measurement was conducted, and at least one expert says it would be no surprise if nuclear fission has been occurring since well before these latest findings.
こうした測定は初めてであり、実際は、以前から核分裂反応が起きていても不思議ではないとみる専門家もいる。

The gas inside the containment vessels of the Fukushima plant's No. 1 and 3 reactors has not yet been analyzed. 　１号機と３号機では、まだ、こうした格納容器内のガスは調べられていない。

The government and TEPCO should carry out similar examinations of the inside of their containment vessels as soon as possible to check for nuclear fission occurring in them.
２号機と同様の現象が起きている恐れがあり、できるだけ早く調べてもらいたい。

More than these individual measurements, however, what is needed is a system that constantly monitors the conditions of all the nuclear reactors at the plant.
　原子炉の状態を監視するには、一時的な検査ではなく、常時、測定できるシステムを整備する必要もある。

Officials should consider equipment that can detect neutrons, as they can be used as a direct indicator of whether criticality has occurred.
その際には、原子炉内の気体だけではなく、中性子を検出できる計測器の設置も考えてほしい。中性子は臨界を検出する直接の指標となるからだ。

The government and TEPCO have announced their intention to bring forward the timing of achieving a so-called "cold shutdown" of the crippled reactors in their roadmap to bringing the nuclear plant under control.
　政府や東電は、事故収束の工程表を前倒しし、年内に「冷温停止」を達成させる意向を示している。

They define a cold shutdown as a situation in which the temperature inside the pressure vessels of the reactors are kept sufficiently low and the emissions of radioactive substances are under control.
冷温停止の指標としているのは、圧力容器の温度が十分に低く、放射性物質の放出が管理されていることだ。

However, the discovery of xenon in the No. 2 reactor's containment vessel suggests nuclear fission is occurring even though the temperature at the bottom of the pressure vessel is thought to be below 100 degrees Celsius.
It raises questions as to whether such a reactor can be considered stable, even if it is under that temperature threshold.
　しかし、圧力容器底部の温度が１００度未満になっても、核分裂が起きている恐れがあった場合に、原子炉が安定しているといえるのか。今回のことで改めて疑問が浮かぶ。

The conditions and locations of melted fuel in the plant's No. 1 to 3 reactors as well as the details of the damage to the reactors remain unclear, and after this most recent finding, the government and TEPCO must step up their monitoring.
　１～３号機のいずれでも、溶けた燃料がどういう状態でどこにあるのか、原子炉のどこがどのように損傷しているのか、よくわからない。今回の検出結果を踏まえ、監視の強化は欠かせない。

毎日新聞　2011年11月3日　東京朝刊

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 3
EDITORIAL: Fears of fission dispel unwarranted optimism about Fukushima
核分裂の疑い―炉内の混沌を忘れまい

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) announced Nov. 2 that nuclear fission may have occurred in the No. 2 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　核分裂の疑いがある。もしかしたら、一時的に小さな臨界が起こった可能性もある。

The operator of the disaster-stricken facility also said that a temporary, small-scale state of criticality might have occurred.
　東京電力は福島第一原発２号機についてこんな発表をした。

The news is deeply disquieting.
とても気になる話である。

The remaining nuclear materials are still breaking down gradually in a process known as radioactive decay.
　核分裂とは何か。
　福島第一の事故炉では今も、残った核物質が緩やかに壊れているが、これは核崩壊という。

Nuclear fission occurs inside nuclear fuel in an operating reactor.
　一方、運転中の原子炉の核燃料で起こる現象が核分裂だ。

The nucleus of an atom in nuclear fuel splits into smaller parts after being struck by a stray neutron.
原子核が、飛んできた中性子によって割れるように壊れる。

When the nucleus of an atom is split apart in this way, it throws off free neutrons, thereby causing the fission of the nucleus of another atom.
　このとき、また中性子が出るので、別の原子核の分裂を引き起こすことがある。

When this process continues to occur in a chain reaction, this state is called criticality.
これが続くのが「臨界」だ。

A nuclear power plant generates electricity through the huge amount of energy released when nuclear fission occurs.
　この連鎖反応によって、原子核の膨大なエネルギーをとりだすのが原発である。

In short, criticality must not be allowed to occur in a disabled reactor in which nuclear fuel and control rods are not arranged in an orderly manner but are in a chaotic state.
　裏を返せば、燃料や制御棒が秩序だって並ぶことなく、混沌（こんとん）の極みにある事故炉で臨界はあってはならない。

Nuclear fission in the No. 2 reactor, depending on its scale, could result in a dangerous state of criticality and possibly trigger an unpredictable situation that is impossible to control.
　核分裂の規模によっては、そんな臨界を引き起こし、場合によっては制御できない不測の事態を招きかねない。

Soon after TEPCO workers began operating a gas control system at the No. 2 reactor to purify gases within the containment vessel, traces of what appeared to be radioactive xenon 133 and xenon 135 were found.
　今回は、原子炉格納容器の気体を浄化するシステムを動かしてまもなく、その気体から、核分裂の痕跡といえるキセノン１３３、キセノン１３５らしい放射性物質が見つかった。

The presence of xenon isotopes indicates that nuclear fission has taken place.
The detected elements that appeared to be telltale signs of nuclear fission were later confirmed by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency to indeed be radioactive xenon isotopes.
違うものをみたおそれもあったが、経済産業省原子力安全・保安院が本物と判断した。

Since these isotopes have a half-life of several days, they illustrate what is happening right now inside the No. 2 reactor.
They were not generated in the immediate aftermath of the crisis that flared in March.
　これらの半減期は数日以内なので事故発生時ではなく、今の２号機内の様子を反映していることになる。

The elements were detected soon after the gas purification system was activated. They may point to an ongoing situation in the reactor.
浄化システム立ち上げ直後の検出なので、こうした状況は続いているとみるべきかもしれない。

On the other hand, no significant changes in temperature or pressure inside the reactor have been observed.
　事故炉の温度や圧力に大きな変動はないようだが、

But just the possibility of nuclear fission occurring requires immediate actions to prevent criticality from happening.
核分裂の可能性がある以上、臨界を食いとめる手を急いで打たなくてはならない。

TEPCO's quick move to pump water mixed with boric acid into the reactor to prevent criticality shows that the company takes the discovery of radioactive xenon very seriously.
臨界を抑える働きがあるホウ酸水を、東電が直ちに注入したのも、そんな危機感の表れだろう。

At the end of September, the government lifted its designation of areas in a radius of between 20 kilometers and 30 km of the plant as an emergency evacuation preparation zone.
　政府は９月末に、炉の冷却が安定して進み、緊急事態が起こる可能性が極めて低くなったとみて、半径２０～３０キロ圏の緊急時避難準備区域を解除した。

The decision was made in the belief that stable cooling of the crippled reators had been making progress, thus almost eliminating the possibility of a fresh nuclear emergency.
It seems that the Fukushima plant is on track to reach a stable state known as cold shutdown by the end of the year in line with the government's timetable for its efforts to bring the nuclear disaster under control.
いま福島第一原発は、政府が年内をめざす冷温停止状態に近づいているように見える。

It must not be forgotten, however, that there is melted nuclear fuel, which has no trace of its original form, inside the wrecked reactors and their containment vessels.
　だが事故炉やその格納容器のなかのことを思い浮かべれば、そこには、溶け落ちて燃料の原形をとどめない核物質がある。

The government is responsible for cleaning up the mess so that residents in areas around the plant can pick up the pieces of their lives.
　政府は事故処理を進め、周辺住民の生活を元に戻してゆく責任があるが、

That said, the government must not become oblivious to the remaining risks simply because its priority is on carrying out the cleanup work according to the timetable.
工程表の期限を優先するあまり、こうした現実を見過ごしてはならない。

The discovery that nuclear fission might have occurred should be taken as a serious warning.
　核分裂の痕跡を重い警鐘と受けとめたい。

(Mainichi Japan) November 2, 2011
Editorial: Radioactive waste storage project must heed local views
社説：中間貯蔵施設　「３年後をメド」着実に

The government has produced a schedule for handling soil and waste contaminated with radiation from the crisis-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
　政府は、放射性物質に汚染された土壌や廃棄物の処理についての工程表を発表した。

Due to the spread of radioactive contamination, the Ministry of the Environment initially expressed the opinion that it was necessary for eight prefectures including Fukushima to construct interim facilities to store contaminated waste, but it has since decided that in prefectures outside of Fukushima, existing facilities will be used.
　放射能汚染の拡大を踏まえて、環境省は一時、福島県を含む８都県に汚染廃棄物を保管する中間貯蔵施設の設置が必要との認識を示したが、福島以外は既存の処分場を活用する方針に転換した。

The location of the interim storage facility in Fukushima will be decided as early as next fiscal year with operations due to commence in about three years' time.
　来年度中にも福島県内の中間貯蔵施設建設場所を決め、３年後をメドに運用を始める方針という。

To enable residents of Fukushima Prefecture who have been forced to evacuate their homes to return, it is essential that the government sticks to its policy of bearing responsibility for decontamination in areas where radiation dosages reach 1 millisievert per year or more.
　避難を余儀なくされている福島県民の帰還を実現するため、被ばく線量が年間１ミリシーベルト以上の地域は、国が責任を持って除染するという政府方針の実行は欠かせない。

Failure to determine guidelines for storage of contaminated waste will hinder decontamination work.
だが、汚染廃棄物の保管方針が決まらなければ、除染は進まない。

We call on the government to steadily put its schedule into action.
政府には工程表の着実な実行を求めたい。

The schedule states that waste is to be contained in temporary storehouses within each municipality "for about three years" until it is moved to the interim storage facility.
　工程表では、中間貯蔵施設に移すまでの市町村ごとの仮置き場での保管を「３年程度」と明示した。

Some say this will encourage the construction of temporary storehouses by local bodies that have not yet built such facilities out of concern that storage will become prolonged.
これによって、長期化を懸念して多くの市町村で決まっていない仮置き場の設置が進むと期待する声がある。

The government, meanwhile, has indicated that it will supply state-owned forest land in Fukushima Prefecture to construct a facility.
また、政府は福島県内にある国有林を用地として提供する姿勢も示す。

Still, even if local storehouses are temporary, the issue involves the interests of each region, and there are no guarantees that construction will go smoothly.
　だが、たとえ仮置き場とはいえ、地域の利害が絡み合う。設置が順調に進むとは限らない。

Naturally, the government must state how waste is to be stored.
廃棄物の適切な保管方法を示すことはもちろん、

It must become actively involved in explaining the situation and put a full effort into alleviating the concerns of residents.
周辺環境の安全性についても、政府が積極的にかかわって説明を尽くし、地元住民の不安解消と理解に全力を挙げるべきだろう。

What must come after that is the selection of a site for an interim storage facility.
　その後にまず立ちはだかるのが、中間貯蔵施設の場所選定だ。

As the extent of contaminated areas has widened, it is possible that the originally calculated size of the facility (23 times the capacity of Tokyo Dome) may not be enough.
除染の範囲が広がったため、最大東京ドーム２３杯分という収容量の試算がさらに膨らむ可能性がある。

Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato has reserved a decision on the storage project and called for a detailed investigation of it.
　福島県の佐藤雄平知事は「精査させてほしい」と、回答を留保した。

He has also asked the government to quickly state the size of the storage facility and the conditions associated with its construction.
その上で、施設の規模や条件を早期に明示することを政府に求めた。

This is a natural response.
当然の反応だ。

The government's schedule states that the interim storage facility will store waste for up to 30 years.
　工程表によると、最長３０年保管することになる施設だ。

However, there exist no plans for final storage facilities that will enable the waste to be carried out of the prefecture after this period.
しかも、その後、県外に運ぶという最終処分場のメドは全く立っていない。

Local residents fear that the interim storage facility could in fact become a final storage facility.
地元には、そのまま最終処分場にされてしまうとの懸念が強い。

How will the environment around the interim storage facility be managed, and how will the region be revitalized? 　中間貯蔵施設の周辺環境をいかに整備し、地域の振興をどう図るのか。

Unless the government listens to the voice of the prefecture and local bodies, then there will be no progress in selecting a location.
県や市町村の声をしっかりと受け止め具体化しなければ、場所の選定は前に進まないだろう。

The facility will not be any ordinary disposal facility, but one in which radioactive waste is stored for a long period of time.
　また、通常の処分場でなく、放射性廃棄物を長期にわたって保管する役割を持つ。

It is crucial that the government carefully explains the concentration of contamination of waste that is brought into the facility, and the results of environmental monitoring of air and water in the area.
地元住民に対し、持ち込まれる廃棄物の汚染濃度や、水や大気の環境モニタリング結果について繰り返し丁寧に説明することが何より肝心だ。

We hope the government will show its willingness for local residents to be involved in the management and operation of the facility as much as possible to ensure thorough safety.
安全を徹底するため、施設の管理・運用にできるだけ地元住民にかかわってもらう姿勢も、政府は示してほしい。

毎日新聞　2011年11月1日　2時30分

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 30
EDITORIAL: Schools need to encourage children to think about nuclear power
原子力と教育―「不確かさ」を学ぶこと

School teachers across Japan have been grappling with how to deal with topics concerning nuclear power and radiation in their classes since disaster flared at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in March.
　原子力や放射線のことをどう教えるか。原発事故の後、先生たちが頭を悩ませている。

There has been a long hiatus in Japanese education on nuclear energy.
　日本の教育の場には、長い長い空白があった。

Japanese in their mid-40s and older learned in junior high school that atoms of radioactive elements change into atoms of different elements by emitting radiation.
　「放射性元素の原子は、放射線を出してほかの元素の原子に変わる」。中学校の理科でこう習ったのは、４０歳代半ばから上の世代だ。

Since the 1980s, however, the topic of radiation has been dropped off the science curriculum under a government policy of making school education free from pressure, which has significantly reduced educational content.
１９８０年代以降は「ゆとり教育」で学ぶ内容が減らされ、放射線にかかわる授業はなくなった。

On the other hand, the government has been promoting education on nuclear power generation in line with its policy of expanding the use of atomic energy.
　一方、原発推進という国策に沿った「原子力教育」は進められた。

The education ministry often points out what it thinks are problematic descriptions concerning nuclear power generation in its screening of school textbooks.
教科書検定では、原発に触れた記述にたびたび意見がつく。

The government also distributed supplementary readers containing statements stressing the safety of nuclear power generation, such as "Nuclear power plants are designed in a way that ensures they don't release radioactive materials into the environment."
「原発から放射性物質がもれることはない」などと記した副読本を、政府が配った。

But few teachers have shown any enthusiasm for this teaching method.
　ただ、そうした教育に熱心な先生は多くはなかった。

There has been a tendency among teachers to avoid touching on divisive issues where they are widely different views.
賛否が分かれることは、避けるのが無難。そんな空気もあった。

It can be argued that this trend has produced a large number of people who are indifferent to nuclear power generation and its problems.
　結果として、原発やその問題点に無関心な国民が数多く生まれた、とは言えまいか。

The education community ought to engage in some soul-searching with regard to this situation.
教育界も反省を迫られる。

New curriculum guidelines for junior high school that will be fully introduced next spring bring the topic of radiation back into science classes for third-grade students.
　次の春から本格実施される中学の学習指導要領では、３年生で放射線の授業が復活する。

The new syllabus, which was drawn up before the nuclear accident took place, stresses the usefulness of radiation.
事故の前に決まった内容だ。

Students will learn that there is radiation constantly present in the natural environment, and that radiation is used in various medical treatments.
自然界にも放射能があること、医療で使われることを解説し、その有用性に力点が置かれる。

In response to the crisis at the Fukushima plant, the education ministry has compiled three new supplementary readers for classes on radiation at elementary, junior and senior high schools, respectively.
　原発事故を受け、文部科学省は小中高校生向けに、それぞれ新しい副読本をつくった。

Unsurprisingly, these books don't contain statements that emphasize the safety of nuclear power generation. 　さすがに原発の安全性を強調する記述はなくなり、

Much space is devoted to descriptions about the effects of radiation on human health and protective measures.
放射線の人体への影響や、身を守る方法にページを割いた。

One of the readers says it is not clear whether exposure to low levels of radiation raises the risk of cancer.
「低い放射線量を受けた場合、がんになる人が増えるかどうかは明確ではない」とも説明。

The supplementary readers do not address problems that arose when radioactive fallout occurred following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
福島事故による放射能汚染の広がりには、踏み込んではいない。

The knowledge and information imparted about nuclear power and radiation to students under the new curriculum is still far from sufficient to fill the gap left by many years of neglect.
　空白を埋めるには、まだまだ不十分だろう。

Clearly, new ways must be devised to teach this topic. This could best be accomplished through research, practice and conversations with local communities.
研究や実践を重ね、地域の声も聞き、新しい授業を組み立てるしかない。

What is the difference between radioactivity and radiation?
　「放射能と放射線はどう違うの」。

It is not easy to help children understand such concepts.
見えないだけに難しい。

But questions like this can be a starting point for children to learn what is necessary to protect themselves.
でもそうしたことを入り口に、身を守るための学びが始まる。

It is also important to make sure that classes on nuclear power and radiation do not trigger unnecessary anxiety and prejudice among students.
無用な不安や偏見を生まないようにすることも大切だ。

With appropriate care and caution, teachers need to teach students both the dangers and merits of radiation.
　そのうえで、放射線の危険性と利点をきちんと教える。

They should also encourage children to think and talk about the accident, as well as various issues concerning nuclear power generation.
事故のことや原発をめぐる議論も、子どもに投げかけてほしい。

Efforts should be focused on helping children to acquire the ability to understand different views, make their own judgments based on scientific knowledge and act on their own.
異なる考え方を理解し、科学の知識をもとに自ら判断し、行動する力を身につけさせる。

Japanese teachers have traditionally been rather weak in helping students learn about problems to which there is no definite answer or those which have unclear elements.
　日本の先生たちは、正解が定まらないこと、不確かなことを学ばせるのは苦手だった。

But facing the risks of radiation and thinking about nuclear power generation is of vital importance for future generations.
　けれども、放射線のリスクに向き合い、原子力のあり方を考えることは、これからの世代にこそ切実な課題である。

Education has a crucial role to play in helping children tackle this challenge.
　教育の役割は重いのだ。

(Mainichi Japan) October 30, 2011
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: The term 'female doctor,' and what it means now
香山リカのココロの万華鏡：「女医」という呼び方　／東京

Lately, when going to convenience stores, I often see books or magazines with titles like, "Lively, beautiful female doctor teaches how to maintain your health."
　コンビニに行くと最近よく見かけるのが「ハツラツ美人女医が教える健康法」といったタイトルの本や雑誌。

On the cover, I see a smiling woman who looks more like a movie actress than what you expect a doctor to look like.
表紙には、女優さんかと見まがうばかりの女性がニッコリ。

I suppose she's the "beautiful female doctor."
この人が「美人女医」というわけか。

Seeing this, I think that times have changed.
　それにしても、時代は変わったものだ。

When I was young, people sensitive to gender equality considered the term "female doctor" to be sexist.
私が若い頃には、男女対等の意識に敏感な人たちは、「女医」という言い方を女性差別的と考えていた。

There was an adult-oriented comic with "female doctor" in the title, where all the women doctors were very sexual, and this helped contribute to people's feelings that the word had such connotations.
『女医の診察室』といった成人向けマンガで描かれる女性医師のほとんどが“お色気たっぷり”に描かれすぎていたこともあって、「女医」という言葉自体におかしな先入観が持たれていたのも事実。

In the past, I have gotten overly angry because of calls to the hospital asking if there were any "female doctors," responding with things like, "There are no female doctors here, only doctors!"
私も、病院への電話で「女医さんいますか？」ときかれて、ムキになって「ここには女医はいません、医師がいるだけです！」などと答えたことがあった。

One of my female colleagues complained, saying, "If there is the word 'female doctor,' then there ought to be the word 'male doctor,' too.
女性の同僚は「女医という言葉があるなら、“男医”だってあってもいいのに。

The fact that there is only a special word for female doctors makes us seem like too much of a special minority and is unequal."
女性医師だけに特別な単語があるのは、いかにも特殊な少数派という感じで不平等」とボヤいていた。

Many years have passed since then, and female doctors are no longer the minority.
　それから長い年月がたって、今や女性医師は少数派ではなくなった。

I also think that patients no longer care much whether the doctor who sees them is male or female.
患者さんも、自分を診てくれる医師が男性か女性かということに、あまりこだわりはなくなったのではないか。

Now, precisely because the distinction between male and female doctors has largely disappeared, there is a movement of women purposely drawing attention to their womanhood, identifying themselves as "female doctors" or touting the fact that they once won a Miss such-and-such contest.
男性と女性の区別が消えたからこそ、今度は女性側から「私、女医ですけど」「ミス○○コンテスト優勝歴もあります」と女性であることを積極的にアピールしようとする動きが出てきたわけだ。

That the term "female doctor" has become an expression of one's personality rather than a sexist expression is not a bad thing.
　「女医」が差別的な言い方ではなくて、むしろ個性のひとつになったというのは、悪いことではない。

Those women who appear in magazines proclaiming, "I am a beautiful female doctor!" are most likely also working hard while practicing medicine, putting forth their full efforts for their patients.
おそらく、「私、美人女医よ！」と雑誌のグラビアなどに登場する人たちは、医療の面でも手抜きせず、患者さんのために最大限の力を発揮しているのだろう。

That said, there could also be problems if this trend goes too far.
　とはいえ、この傾向が強まりすぎるのもちょっと問題だ。

For example, there are many regular male doctors who are neither "female" nor "lively."
たとえば医師の中には“女医”でもなくハツラツともしていないような“ふつうの男性医師”もたくさんいる。

What will happen to their social status?
彼らの立場はどうなるのか。

Furthermore, if outside appearances and sprightly youth are overly emphasized, then middle-aged, slow moving doctors like me might feel inferior.
また、外見や輝くばかりの若さだけがすばらしい、ということになると、私のような“中年モタモタ医師”は肩身の狭い思いをすることになりかねない。

There is no problem with "beautiful female doctors," blessed with both looks and ability, working in medicine and helping explain medical problems in an easy-to-understand way to the public.
　外見にも能力にも恵まれた“美人女医”が活躍し、医療の問題をわかりやすく一般の人たちに伝えるのは、おおいにけっこう。

However, I would like to say that it is not just they who are supporting our medical system.
でも、医療を支えているのは彼女たちだけじゃないんですよ、ということをひとこと、言っておきたい。

So while I glance at the covers in the convenience store and marvel at these people's beauty, I will continue my own work, slowly but steadily.
私も、コンビニで「へー、こんなステキな人もいるのか」と横目で彼女たちの姿を見ながら、毎日の仕事を地道にこなしていこうと思う。

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2011年10月25日　地方版