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

株価が一日に１００円以上下がるにはそれなりの訳があったのですね。
いかさまギャンブルに相当するあくどい行為だと断じます。

スラチャイ

(Mainichi Japan) March 23, 2012
Editorial: Regain financial market confidence through strict investigations, amended laws
社説：内部者情報取引　徹底解明で信頼回復を

Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) recommended that the Financial Services Agency fine Chuo Mitsui Asset Trust and Banking Co. for violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law. 　証券取引等監視委員会が、金融商品取引法違反（インサイダー取引）の疑いで中央三井アセット信託銀行に課徴金を科すよう金融庁に勧告した。

Chuo Mitsui was found to have obtained internal insider information regarding the public stock offering of a company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange from Nomura Securities Co., the lead underwriter of the deal.
東証１部上場企業の公募増資に絡み、増資の主幹事である野村証券から内部者情報を得ていたという。

This incident was the first to expose the collusive ties between a major corporate investor and a leading securities firm.
　大手機関投資家と大手証券の「共犯」関係が、今回初めて明るみに出た。

To restore the confidence that has been lost from the Japanese market, a full-scale investigation into what occurred and the implementation of further preventative measures are crucial.
大きく傷ついた日本市場の信頼を回復するには、疑惑の全容解明と再発防止策の強化が不可欠だ。

A Chuo Mitsui fund manager obtained information on the new share issue of Inpex stock in 2010 from a Nomura sales employee before it had been announced.
　中央三井のファンドマネジャーは、１０年に実施された国際石油開発帝石の公募増資に関する情報を公表前に野村の営業社員から入手した。

Based on the information, Chuo Mitsui used Japanese stock funds that it manages for overseas investors to buy and sell Inpex shares, making about 14 million yen in returns.
その情報を基に、中央三井が運用する海外投資家向けの日本株ファンドを使って帝石株を取引し、約１４００万円の運用益を上げたという。

This is the first time that a trust company -- a major player in the stock market -- will be fined for insider trading.
　証券市場の主力プレーヤーである信託銀行がインサイダー取引で課徴金処分を受けるのは初めて。

Compared to cases of illegal trading that take place between individuals, an institutional violation has a far deeper impact on the market.
会社関係者らが個人的に行う違法取引に比べ、市場への影響は格段に大きい。

Chuo Mitsui officials say that in addition to setting up a special investigative committee to look into the case, it will implement measures to prevent such incidents happening again in the future, including prohibiting contact between its staff who manage stocks and sales staff from securities firms.
　中央三井は、特別調査委員会を発足させたほか、運用担当者と証券会社の営業担当者との接触禁止を含む再発防止策を講じるという。

Chuo Mitsui must take its responsibility seriously, and institute measures to enforce compliance with the law.
責任の重さを認識し、法令順守の徹底を急ぐべきだ。

Nomura Securities, too, is hugely responsible in this case, which marked the first time that a sales member from a securities firm was found to leak yet-unannounced information to an investor as part of their business transactions.
　野村証券の責任も重い。証券会社が営業の一環として、未公表情報を投資家に伝達していたのが確認されたのも初めてだ。

Securities firms have an investment banking division, which handles companies' share sales, as well as mergers and acquisitions; and a sales division.
　証券会社には、企業の増資や合併・買収などを手がける投資銀行部門と営業部門とがある。

Because insider information tends to concentrate in investment banking divisions, securities firms are required to adopt strict measures to prevent any insider information from traveling to their sales divisions.
投資銀行部門にはインサイダー情報が集中するため、証券会社は、その情報が営業部門に伝わらないよう情報管理の徹底を義務づけられている。

While it is still unknown how the Nomura sales division employee who leaked insider information to Chuo Mitsui obtained the information in the first place, it's obvious that Nomura's method for information management had been insufficient.
　問題の増資情報を営業部門の社員が入手した経緯はまだ不明だが、野村社内の情報管理が不徹底だったことは否定できない。

Due to a variety of factors, including a sluggish stock market caused by the Lehman Shock of 2008, securities firms have performed poorly.
　０８年のリーマン・ショックによる株式市場の低迷などで、証券会社の業績は悪化している。

If impatience and anxiety with lagging performance is what motivated the recent scandal, then the problem is deeply rooted and serious.
業績回復への焦りが今回の不祥事につながったとすれば、根が深く深刻だ。

Nomura must conduct an exhaustive inquiry, and re-examine how they handle sensitive information.
野村は原因を徹底的に究明し、その上で、情報管理体制を見直すべきだろう。

In 2010, allegations of violations over public offerings of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and Nippon Sheet Glass Co. shares emerged, bringing with them accusations that overseas funds had been involved.
　公募増資を巡っては、１０年実施の東京電力や日本板硝子などに関しても疑惑が取りざたされ、海外ファンドの関与も疑われている。

We urge the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission to cooperate closely with overseas authorities to uncover the truth.
監視委は海外当局とも連携を密にし、疑惑の全容を解明してほしい。

With regards to the latest incident, Chuo Mitsui will only be fined 55,000 yen -- because that was what the management fee amounted to.
　今回、中央三井の課徴金は５万５０００円にとどまる。
運用報酬が、その額だったからだ。

But isn't this amount too small for a company responsible for destroying market credibility?
しかし、市場の信頼を失墜させた責任の重さにくらべ、軽すぎないか。

Current laws that prevent whoever leaked the information from being penalized are also at fault.
情報提供者を処分できない現行法にも問題がある。

We seek a re-evaluation of related laws to allow for more effective prevention.
再発防止の実効性を高めるため、制度の再検討を求めたい。

毎日新聞　2012年3月23日　2時32分

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 23, 2012)
Greek default avoided, but many problems remain
ギリシャ危機　破綻回避しても課題は山積（3月22日付・読売社説）

The Greek government, which has fallen into a fiscal crisis, has managed to get through a major bond redemption, avoiding a chaotic debt default.
　財政危機に陥ったギリシャが大量の国債償還を乗り切り、無秩序な債務不履行（デフォルト）を回避した。

We welcome the progress made in efforts to contain the eurozone crisis, which has plunged the world into turmoil.
　世界を混乱させてきた欧州危機の封じ込めに向け、前進したことを歓迎したい。

But we must not fall prey to optimism that the crisis is over. The Greek government should not ease its watchfulness but do its utmost to revive its economy.
　しかし、これで危機を脱したという楽観は禁物である。ギリシャは緊張感を緩めず、経済再生に全力を挙げてもらいたい。

Disarray in the massive bond redemption was avoided as the Greek government was guaranteed the funds it needed for the redemption, thanks to a second rescue package worth up to 130 billion euros (about 14 trillion yen) from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, together with a debt reduction by private creditor banks.
　国債償還で混乱が起きなかったのは、欧州連合（ＥＵ）などが１３００億ユーロ（約１４兆円）の第２次支援策を決め、金融機関も債務カットに応じて、ギリシャの資金繰りにメドがついたためだ。

These makeshift measures to rescue the Greek government, at least for the time being, appear to have worked.
　ギリシャを救済する当面の応急措置が功を奏したと言える。

===

Global markets rebound

In the United States, the Dow Jones industrial average has been hovering above the 13,000 mark, and Tokyo stocks have recovered to above 10,000. The euro, which had plummeted, has turned upward against other major currencies.
　ニューヨーク株式市場の株価は１万３０００ドル超で推移し、東京市場の株価も１万円台を回復している。一時は急落していた通貨ユーロも上昇に転じた。

Apparently responding positively to a recent upturn in the U.S. economy, a sense of reassurance seems to be spreading in the markets.
　最近の米国の景気回復も好感されて、市場にはひとまず、安堵(あんど)感が広がっているのだろう。

Yet there remains a mountain of problems.
　ただ、まだ課題は山積する。

The Greek government has faced the possibility of default many times, rocking Europe and the world. It must not cause such turmoil again.
　ギリシャは、これまで何度も破綻の危機に直面し、欧州や世界を揺るがしてきた。同じような混乱を繰り返してはならない。

First and foremost, the government must steadily implement the strict fiscal measures it promised, including cutting the number of civil servants and their wages, and tackling fiscal reconstruction and economic revival.
　まず、約束した公務員削減や賃下げなどの緊縮財政策を着実に実行し、財政再建や経済再生に取り組むことが重要だ。

The new administration, to be chosen in a general election slated for late next month, will assume a heavy responsibility. It must contain public opinion opposing strict fiscal management and will also be tested as to how well it can foster internationally competitive industries.
　４月末にも行われる総選挙で発足する新政権の責任は重い。緊縮財政に反発する世論を抑えなければならない。競争力ある産業の育成も問われよう。

The Greek government's debt ratio is a massive 160 percent of its gross domestic product. The government aims to reduce this to about 120 percent by 2020 through fiscal reconstruction.
　ギリシャは、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）に対する政府債務比率が１６０％と高い。財政再建によって、これを２０２０年までに約１２０％に下げる目標を掲げる。

===

5th year of negative growth seen

As the domestic economy has been deteriorating, however, Greece is expected to post negative year-on-year growth for the fifth straight year in 2012. It is difficult to achieve both fiscal reconstruction and economic expansion.
　だが、国内景気が悪化し、１２年まで５年連続のマイナス成長が見込まれている。財政再建と景気拡大の両立は容易ではない。

Should the government blunder in its handling of fiscal reconstruction, Greece may need additional assistance from outside. In Europe, there are other causes of crisis, as seen in the continued high yield of government bonds of Portugal, which continues to face fiscal problems.
　再建がもたつくと、ギリシャはさらなる支援を仰ぐ事態に陥るかもしれない。欧州では、財政不安が続くポルトガルの国債利回りが高止まりするなど、他にも危機の火だねがくすぶる。

The problem is that chiefly due to opposition from Germany, progress has been slower than expected in expanding the scale of lending of the European Stability Mechanism, which the EU will establish in July. Expanding the funding base of the IMF has also been put off.
　問題は、ＥＵが７月に設ける欧州安定メカニズム（ＥＳＭ）の融資規模の拡大が、ドイツの抵抗で遅れていることだ。国際通貨基金（ＩＭＦ）の資金基盤拡充も、先送りされている。

To dispel future concern, it is vital to reinforce the safety net to prevent the market from falling into turmoil. The eurozone must recognize the reality of the crisis, reconfirm its solidarity and prove itself through concrete action.
　先行き懸念を払拭するには、市場の混乱を防ぐ安全網の強化が欠かせない。欧州は危機感を持って結束を再確認し、具体的な行動で示すことが求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 22, 2012)
（2012年3月22日01時26分 読売新聞）

>>"It would be embarrassing not to be able to contribute at all because I'm hung up on the little things," Sugano says. "
>>「ちっちゃなことにとらわれて何もできないのは恥ずかしい。

これは取材で被災者の一人が口にした言葉です。
人間とは本当に弱いものなのです。思ったり考えたりしていても、それを実行することは難しいことが多いですね。
立派な人だと打たれました。私も見習わなければ。

それから、新聞記者の魂にも打たれました。
しっかり、足で稼いだこの記事は苦闘の連続だったのでしょうね。
胸が詰まりました。

スラチャイ

(Mainichi Japan) March 21, 2012
Learning what it means to be a journalist through disaster victims
記者の目：震災１年　切れかけた「絆」を目にして＝竹内良和（東京社会部）

　◇“ありのまま”を原点に、今後も

Having reported from areas deeply affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis since immediately after their outbreak, the question of whether I've been able to convey the disaster survivors' reality weighs increasingly more heavily on my mind.
　東日本大震災の発生直後から被災地で取材している。「被災者の姿を伝え切れているのか」。自身への問いかけは日増しに重みを増している。

Over the past year, survivors repeatedly told me that their "reality cannot be glossed over with pleasantries" -- words that hit me hard.
　「ここはきれい事ばかりじゃない」。

Sure, in most of the disaster areas I've seen, there have been countless episodes characterized by warmth and tight bonds.
確かに、取材した被災地の大半は温かな絆にあふれていた。

この１年、被災者から何度も聞いた言葉が胸に刺さっている。

Without any reservations, I've reported stories of victims supporting each other through their many challenges.
困難にもめげず支え合う被災者たちの姿を私は迷わず記事にしてきた。

At the same time, however, I witnessed bonds being broken by the triple disasters.
その一方で、震災で失われた絆もあった。

I heard about people who have been kicked out of relatives' homes that they'd taken refuge in, and accusations of some people taking relief supplies all to themselves.
「避難した親戚宅を追い出された」「救援物資を独り占めする人がいる」－－。

I agonized over whether to report on the negative incidents and sentiments among the survivors I wanted so much to support, and for the most part ended up barely doing so.
応援したい被災者の負の側面を伝える難しさに悩み、結局、ほとんど記事にできなかった。

The question of how, if at all, exposing the survivors' faults would help the situation, had driven me into a corner. 　「被災者のあらを取材して、一体、何の役に立つのか」。

It was at such a time that I was reunited with a certain survivor, and learned the importance of facing head-on the ties that one has lost.
思考停止になりかけていたとき、ある被災者と再会し、失った絆に向き合うことの大切さを痛感した。

I met Hiroko Sugano, 69, of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, at an evacuation center four weeks after the March 11 quake last year.
　岩手県陸前高田市の菅野浩子さん（６９）。震災４週間後に避難所で知り合った。

She had a friendly smile, and was busily carrying boxes of relief supplies.
いつも人なつこい笑顔で、救援物資の段ボール箱をせわしなく運んでいた。

In early May, however, when I again visited the same evacuation center, she was no longer there.
だが、５月上旬、避難所を再訪すると姿がない。

She had apparently returned home just a few days earlier.
数日前に帰宅したという。

When I asked another evacuee why Sugano had returned home, the only response I got was, "It's a long story."
避難者に理由を尋ねれば「いろいろあって」。

It didn't seem like something an outsider like I should pursue any further.
部外者が立ち入ってはならないように感じた。

Not long afterwards, Sugano appeared at the evacuation center, asking if it would be all right for her to recharge her cell phone there.
　程なく、「携帯電話の充電をさせてね」と菅野さんは避難所に姿をみせた。

Seeing the same smile she had when I first met her, I felt relieved that she had been able to return home and that things had seemed to work out for her.
変わらぬ笑顔に「家に戻れたし、良かったな」とほっとした。

In the texts she subsequently sent me with her cell phone, she showed no indication that anything was wrong.
その後、何度か届いた携帯電話のメールも変わった様子はなかった。

But I'd been naive.
だが私は鈍感だった。

When I visited her in February this year, Sugano told me, "I was literally living by the light of a lantern after I left the evacuation center."
今年２月、自宅を訪ねると、「避難所を出てからはランタンで暮らしていたのよ」と話し始めてくれた。

　◇避難所を出てランタン生活

Four years ago, Sugano reached mandatory retirement at her company job, and returned alone to her parents' home, which had been empty.
　菅野さんは４年前、会社を定年退職し、空き家だった実家に単身で帰った。

She struggled to readapt to her hometown, which she had been away from since she left for Tokyo over 40 years earlier. Her ties with relatives and acquaintances there were no longer strong.
上京後、４０年以上離れていた古里の雰囲気になじめず、親類や知人とのつながりも薄れていた。

It was under such circumstances that the massive earthquake hit.
そんな時、震災に遭った。

None of the other evacuees at the evacuation center were willing to take on the task of keeping track of relief supplies and maintaining name lists of the evacuees at the center.
　避難所では、救援物資や名簿を管理する「世話役」に誰も名乗り出ない。

In her years working in the corporate world, Sugano had accumulated a wealth of experience in administrative work.
会社員時代は総務畑を歩んできた。

Figuring that she may be the person for the job, she took on the center's general affairs.
「私の仕事かもしれないな」と引き受けた。

At first, relief supplies were barely delivered to the center.
当初は物資が全く届かない。

At one point, Sugano racked her brain over what to do with the seven toothbrushes that had been delivered from the government's disaster countermeasures headquarters, when there were 130 fellow evacuees staying at the center.
１３０人の仲間を前に、災害対策本部からやっともらってきた７本の歯ブラシをどう配ろうか悩んだ。

Sitting until night in the entryway, where a cold draft blew through, Sugano maintained a name list to keep track of the many people coming and going. Soon, she fell sick.
寒風が吹き込む出入り口に夜まで座り、入れ替わりの激しい避難者の名簿もつけた。やがて体調を崩した。

Sugano returned home, she says, because some fellow evacuees had requested that people whose homes had not collapsed in the temblor or been swept away by tsunami to go home.
With the elimination and merging of evacuation centers, space was at a premium.
　菅野さんが帰宅したのは、統廃合で避難所が狭くなるため、一部の避難者から「自宅がある人は帰ってほしい」と言われたからだという。

Sugano felt dejected, as if her ties to her fellow survivors were being severed.
絆を断ち切られたようで、やるせなかった。

Back home, with none of the basic lifelines restored, she once again lived by the light of a lantern.
帰った自宅はライフラインが断たれ、暗がりの部屋にランタンをともした。

She felt hopeless, and pondered the possibility of taking refuge at a relative's home in the Kanto region.
心が折れそうだった。だが、関東の親戚宅に行こうと考えた時、ふと思った。

But she couldn't give up now.
「逃げてはいけない」。

Her fellow survivors, including young brothers who had lost both of their parents and a former classmate who had lost her husband remained at the evacuation center.
両親を亡くした幼い兄弟。夫を失った同級生。みな避難所に残る。

She had finally made emotional connections with these local residents.
やっとできた古里の仲間だった。

Life by lantern lasted for two weeks. Until gas and water supplies were restored, Sugano lived on boxed meals from the convenience store.
　ランタン生活は２週間続き、ガスや水道の復旧までコンビニ弁当でしのいだ。

She also went to visit her fellow survivors at the evacuation center.
そして、また避難所の仲間の顔を見に行った。

Recharging her cell phone was just an excuse for her to go.
「携帯を充電させて」。それは避難所に通う口実でもあった。

Today, even if it's one of the people who asked Sugano to leave the evacuation center, she stops to chat with them when she runs into them on the street.
今は、かつて自分に帰宅を求めた人とも、道で会えば声をかけ、近況を尋ね合う。

At her home, which was spared extensive damage, Sugano puts up friends who were not as lucky, and volunteers who come to the area to help with relief efforts.
　菅野さんは自宅に、実家を流された友人やボランティアを泊めてもいる。

Some volunteers are arrogant.
横柄なボランティアもいる。

But she still lets them stay.
でも泊める。

"It would be embarrassing not to be able to contribute at all because I'm hung up on the little things," Sugano says. "
「ちっちゃなことにとらわれて何もできないのは恥ずかしい。

The volunteers are all valuable people who have come here for the sake of Rikuzentakata.
誰もが高田のために来てくれた大切な人。

It's not a time to complain."
文句を言ってる時じゃない」

Sugano appears to be slowly rebuilding the bonds that were almost destroyed by the quake.
　震災で切れかけた絆を、菅野さんはゆっくり結び直しているかのように見えてならない。

It was through the disaster, she says, that she's been able to become a true "Rikuzentakata citizen" again.
震災を経て「やっと陸前高田市民に戻れた」という。

　◇被災者の言葉に込められた願い

There's another story I heard, from a store owner in the Sanriku area of the devastated Tohoku region. Immediately after the quake and tsunami hit, there was one business owner who did not participate in the searches for missing bodies that the local volunteer fire company undertook, and instead focused on rebuilding their own business.
　被災者は苦楽を併せのんで生きている。三陸地方の商店主からもこんな話を聞いた。震災直後、消防団の遺体捜索に加わらない仲間がいた。
家業の再起に動いていた。

A chasm emerged between those who did and those who did not participate in the searches, with the former denouncing the latter for not wanting to "at least cover the bodies of fellow town residents with blankets."
「同じ町の人間なら遺体に毛布の一枚でもかけたくなるはずだ」とわだかまりが生まれた。

Sometime later, the business owner began to participate in nighttime patrols, and at a one-year anniversary memorial, prayed for the souls of the dead with all the others.
だが、仲間はしばらくして夜警活動に頻繁に顔を出すようになった。３月１１日の慰霊式では、ともに黙とうをささげた。

"Right after the quake, different people had different priorities," says the abovementioned store owner. "Time will take care of everything in the end."
「震災直後、何が一番大切なのかは人によって違った。後は時間が解決してくれる」。商店主は今はそう思う。

In the past year, I've taken 30 notebooks worth of notes in the disaster areas.
　この１年間、私が被災地で書き留めたノートやメモ帳は３０冊になる。

But I still worry whether I've been able to achieve any sort of understanding of the suffering that survivors are going through.
だが被災者のつらさを、どれだけ理解できたのか不安でならない。

With the words, "reality cannot be glossed over with pleasantries," what survivors are likely asking of me is to understand what's going on in the hard-hit areas and to share what's most important with the rest of the country and the world.
「きれい事ばかりじゃない」。そんな言葉には、きっと「ありのままの被災地を知り、本当に大切なことを伝えてほしい」との願いが込められているのだろう。

The disasters' survivors are reminding me, in other words, of what it means to be a journalist.
被災者から、改めて記者の原点を教わっている。

(By Yoshikazu Takeuchi, City News Department)
毎日新聞　2012年3月21日　東京朝刊

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 21, 2012)
Hasty troop withdrawal from Afghanistan risky
アフガン混迷　性急な国際部隊撤収は危険だ（3月20日付・読売社説）

The relationship of trust built up steadily by the United States and Europe with Afghanistan could break down at a moment's notice through thoughtless actions or unexpected incidents.
　地道に積み重ねてきた米欧とアフガニスタンとの信頼関係も、心ない行為や突発的な事件によって一瞬に崩れ去る。

Many lives have been lost in retaliatory actions in Afghanistan, making the country's security situation more uncertain. This is the reality of Afghanistan as a battlefield.
　報復行為との悪循環で多くの命が奪われ、治安の先行きは一層不透明になっていく。これが戦地アフガンの現状だ。

The Afghan situation has deteriorated since the turn of the year.
　今年に入り、アフガン情勢は悪化するばかりである。

In January, a video clip of four U.S. marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters was hosted on a website.
　１月、米海兵隊員が旧支配勢力タリバンの兵士の遺体に放尿する動画が投稿サイトで流れた。

An angry Afghan soldier killed four French soldiers belonging to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Immediately after this, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said French troops would complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of 2013, one year earlier than scheduled.
　怒ったアフガン軍兵士が、国際治安支援部隊（ＩＳＡＦ）傘下の仏軍兵士４人を殺害するや、サルコジ仏大統領は、仏軍戦闘部隊の撤収を予定より１年早め、「２０１３年末に完了」と発表した。

In February, it was revealed that Korans were among trash burned by ISAF members at a U.S. base. A furious Afghan killed two U.S. officers, who served as advisers to the Afghan Interior Ministry. All advisers to Afghan ministries were withdrawn from the ministries immediately.
　２月には、ＩＳＡＦ要員がゴミと一緒にイスラム教の聖典コーランを燃やしたことが発覚した。反発したアフガン人が内務省顧問の米軍士官２人を殺害したため、各省顧問団は一斉に引き揚げた。

===

Distrust increasing

The series of incidents has increased distrust between Afghanistan and the United States and Europe. The schism yawned even wider on March 11 when civilians were massacred in the southern province of Kandahar.
　アフガン政府と米欧の間で不信の溝が広がったと言える。それをさらに決定的にしたのが、今月１１日、南部カンダハル州で起きた民間人虐殺事件だ。

There is no excuse for a U.S. staff sergeant to indiscriminately kill 16 civilians, including nine children. The U.S. government must investigate the case thoroughly in the hope of regaining Afghanistan's trust.
　子供９人を含む１６人を無差別殺害した米軍２等軍曹の行為は釈明の余地がない。米政府は、事件を徹底的に究明し、容疑者を訴追して、信頼回復に努めるべきだ。

Following the massacre, the Taliban called off behind-the-scenes peace talks with Washington. This development is a cause for concern.
　懸念されるのは、タリバンが、米政府と水面下で進めていた和平交渉を、民間人虐殺事件後、一方的に打ち切ったことだ。

U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
　オバマ米大統領は、米軍戦闘部隊をアフガンから１４年末までに撤収させる、と公約している。

To realize a "responsible withdrawal," the Obama administration wants to promote peace and political reconciliation talks with the Taliban, which has its roots in the south of the country, while fostering and strengthening Afghanistan's security forces so the country can deal with its own public security.
　「責任ある撤収」を実現するため、アフガン治安部隊を育成・強化して自立を促す一方で、南部に根を張るタリバンとの政治的な和解・和平を進める計画だ。

===

Bring Taliban back to talks

New ideas are needed to bring the Taliban back to the negotiating table.
　タリバンを再び対話の場に戻す上で新たな工夫が必要だろう。

A U.S. public opinion survey shows a majority of Americans want the troop withdrawal advanced because of the intensification of anti-U.S. sentiment and the increase in the number of U.S. soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan.
　米世論調査では、アフガンでの反米感情の高まりと米兵の死傷者増加に嫌気がさして、撤収の前倒しを求める声が多数を占める。

But if the United States impulsively pulls out its troops, it only will lead to the Taliban stepping up its military offensive to regain power. The international community must unite to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hotbed for terrorism once again.
　だが、性急に戦闘部隊撤収に動けば、タリバンは政権奪還へ軍事攻勢を強めるだけである。アフガンを再びテロの温床に戻さぬよう国際社会の連携が求められる。

Due to the series of incidents by U.S. troops, the Afghan situation is on the brink of a serious crisis. To stop the Afghan security situation from deteriorating, Washington must redouble its military and diplomatic efforts.
　相次ぐ米軍の失態で、アフガン情勢は大きな危機に瀕(ひん)している。治安の悪化を食い止めるため、軍事、外交両面での努力を倍加させる責任が米国にはある。

In July, Japan will host an international conference on assistance to Afghanistan, at which Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be invited to attend as a guest. Tokyo must step up its indirect and nonmilitary support to help stabilize the Afghan situation.
　日本は７月にアフガン支援の国際会議を主催し、カルザイ大統領を招待している。アフガン安定化への側面支援も強めたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 20, 2012)
（2012年3月20日01時25分 読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 19, 2012)
Vicious cycle of low pay, business slump must end
春闘回答　景気と賃金の悪循環を断とう（3月18日付・読売社説）

The outcome of this year's spring labor offensive, known as "shunto," has been bleak, with major companies in such key industrial sectors as automobiles and electronics not offering any pay increases. Offers regarding biannual bonuses have also been harsh, falling below last year's levels at most companies.
　今年の春闘は、自動車や電機など主要企業が賃上げを見送り、一時金も軒並み前年割れという厳しい結果となった。

Because of the historic appreciation of the yen and the deterioration of economic conditions overseas, the business performance of the nation's companies has been stagnant.
　歴史的な円高と海外経済の悪化で、企業業績は低迷している。

Under the circumstances, many major trade unions had to abandon the idea of demanding a uniform pay scale increase, a base pay raise referred to as "base-up" in Japanese, to prioritize job security instead.
このため、主要労組の多くが賃金改善を図るベースアップを要求せず、雇用確保を優先せざるを得なかった。

Curbs on wage hikes meant to keep companies in business and workers employed tend to dampen domestic demand, thus further worsening the national economy. This vicious cycle must be brought to an end at all costs.
　だが、会社と雇用を守るために賃金を切りつめた影響で内需が冷え、景気がさらに悪化する。そんな悪循環を断ち切らなければならない。

All businesses have a pile of knotty problems that have been left unresolved in this respect.
企業各社に難しい宿題が残されたと言えよう。

===

Pay cuts looming large

In this year's shunto, labor came to the negotiating table intending to achieve regular pay raises based on employees' age and length of employment, known as "teiki shokyu" or "teisho."
　今春闘で労働側は、年齢や勤続年数に応じて賃金を増やす定期昇給の維持だけは譲れないとして、交渉に臨んだ。

The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), the country's largest employers' organization, expressed caution, saying it was no longer possible to consider implementation of teisho raises as a matter of course.
Most major companies, however, have managed to accept labor demands for the teisho portion of pay raises.
　経団連は「定期昇給の実施を当然視できなくなっている」と、強い危機感を示していたが、大半の大手企業が定昇確保に応じた。

Salaried people in the prime of their lives have seen their living expenses increase year after year, especially for the rearing and education of their children. It is reasonable and proper for management to have paid due attention to such realities.
　働き盛りのサラリーマンは、育児や教育などの出費が毎年増えていく。労働者の実情に、経営側が配慮したことは妥当だろう。

The pay hikes offered by some companies in this year's shunto likely reflect corporate managers' desire to reward, even slightly, their employees' dedicated efforts to rebuild factories struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake and their perseverance in working late at night and early in the morning to save electricity.
　東日本大震災で被災した工場の復旧作業や、節電のための深夜・早朝勤務で無理を重ねた社員に、少しでも報いようとした気持ちもうかがえる。

However, corporate managers are naturally limited in what they can do.
　とはいえ、企業努力には限界がある。

Electronics giant NEC Corp. presented in a meeting with its trade union on Thursday a set of proposals to cut ordinary employees' wages, including a 4 percent cut in monthly salaries for nine months.
電機大手のＮＥＣは１５日の労使協議で、９か月間の４％賃下げなど、一般社員の給与削減策を提案した。

Another major electronics firm, Sharp Corp., is also said to be considering a freeze on teisho raises for a certain period of time.
シャープも定昇の一時凍結を検討中という。

Although the uptrend in the yen's exchange rate has paused in recent days, the Japanese currency is still too high from the perspective of export industries.
　円相場の急騰は一服したが、輸出企業にとっては依然として厳しい円高水準だ。

The economies of Europe are expected to log negative growth this year, while the swift growth of such emerging economies as China seems to be weakening. The future of overseas demand is increasingly shrouded with uncertainty.
　今年は欧州でマイナス成長が見込まれ、中国など新興国の高成長にも陰りが見える。外需の先行きには不透明感が強い。

===

China, ROK formidable rivals

In addition, manufacturers in China and South Korea have become increasingly formidable rivals for their Japanese counterparts, in terms of price competitiveness and product quality. International competition is bound to keep intensifying.
　中国や韓国のメーカーは、価格の安さだけでなく品質面でも強力なライバルになった。国際競争はさらに激しさを増すだろう。

However, positive signs have begun to emerge. The Nikkei Stock Average at the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section has climbed back above 10,000, spurred by such factors as improvement in the U.S. economy.
　一方、明るい材料も出てきた。米国景気の好転などを背景に、東京市場の平均株価は、１万円の大台を回復した。

Major Japanese companies are recovering from the serious blow dealt by the March 11 disaster and are expected to post higher profits in fiscal 2012, compared to huge drops in revenues for this fiscal year that ends on March 31.
　大震災の打撃を克服し、主要企業の業績は、今年度の大幅減益から、来年度は増益に転じる見込みだ。

We strongly hope they will have the momentum for a come-from-behind surge in business activity.
反転攻勢に弾みをつけることが期待される。

It is critically important for businesses to carve out private-sector fields with high growth potential to ensure greater corporate profitability. Now is a good time to create new demand on the strength of recovery projects from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, such as new energy-saving businesses and transportation systems.
　何よりも、民間の創意工夫で成長分野を開拓し、企業の収益力を高めることが大切だ。震災復興は省エネや新交通など、新規需要を発掘する好機でもある。

The government, for its part, must flexibly support corporate endeavors, through such means as low-interest loans as part of industrial policy and tax breaks on capital investments.
　政府は、低利の政策融資や投資減税などで、企業の努力に機動的な支援をしてもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 18, 2012)
（2012年3月18日01時40分 読売新聞）

日本は観測衛星や通信衛星をたくさんうちあげていますが、北や中国は、それらに対して文句は言って来ないようです。北が地球観測衛星を打ち上げるのに、こんなに大騒ぎされるのは、やはり過去の行いがわざわいしているのかもしれません。純粋に観測衛星ならば、多国にその打ち上げの是非を問われることはないと考えましたが。

スラチャイ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 18, 2012)
North Korea's 'satellite' launch a threat to Japan
北朝鮮発射予告　「衛星」でも看過はできない（3月17日付・読売社説）

North Korea has announced it will launch a rocket carrying a "Kwangmyongsong-3" earth observation satellite between April 12 and 16.
　北朝鮮が、４月１２日から１６日の間に地球観測衛星「光明星３号」を打ち上げると発表した。

Friday's surprise announcement came only about two weeks after the United States and North Korea reached a deal under which Pyongyang agreed to a moratorium on nuclear tests and long-range missile launches as well as uranium enrichment activities in Yongbyon.
　約２週間前、「核実験と長距離ミサイルの発射、寧辺でのウラン濃縮活動の一時停止」で、米国と合意したと明らかにしたばかりだ。

The satellite launch notice is tantamount to North Korea saying yes and no in the same breath. We think North Korea has exploited loopholes left open by the Washington-Pyongyang deal.
　その舌の根も乾かぬうちの衛星発射予告である。米朝合意の詰めの甘さを突いた、と言える。

North Korea says it will launch a "rocket." Although Pyongyang may want to avoid saying it will launch a "missile," the technological principles underpinning both are the same. The planned liftoff is presumably aimed at enhancing the performance of North Korea's missiles.
　北朝鮮は、発射するのはロケットと称している。ミサイルではない、と言いたいのだろうが、原理は同じだ。発射にはミサイルの性能向上を図る狙いがあろう。

April 15, a date that falls during the planned five-day period for the launch, marks the centenary of the birth of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung. If North Korea successfully launches a domestically manufactured satellite before South Korea does, it would be a major achievement credited to Kim Jong Un, North Korea's young, third-generation hereditary leader. The satellite launch is unmistakably designed with this political objective in mind.
　打ち上げ予告期間中の４月１５日は、故金日成主席の生誕１００年にあたる。韓国に先んじて、自力で人工衛星打ち上げに成功すれば、３代世襲の若い指導者、正恩氏の大きな功績となる。そんな政治的な目的もあるに違いない。

===

Breach of U.N. resolution

Iran, which North Korea closely worked with on missile development, has successfully launched three satellites since 2009. With technological assistance from Iran, North Korea's upcoming launch has a chance of success.
　ミサイル開発で深い関係にあるイランが２００９年以来、３回も衛星打ち上げを成功させている。その技術協力を得て、今回初めて成功する可能性もなくはない。

Even a satellite launch would violate the U.N. resolution banning North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology. We strongly urge North Korea to exercise self-restraint and cancel the planned launch.
　衛星打ち上げであっても、弾道ミサイル技術を使っての発射を禁じた国連決議に違反する。発射の自制を北朝鮮に強く求めたい。

Pyongyang may believe the rocket launch would not equate to reneging on the latest U.S.-North Korean deal.
　北朝鮮は、米朝合意は反古(ほご)にならないと思っているのだろう。

It appears North Korea may have arrogantly calculated that the United States would not raise a fuss about the rocket launch and it will get the U.S. food aid as agreed, as long as Pyongyang quickly allows International Atomic Energy Agency officials to monitor the suspension of uranium enrichment activities at the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
　寧辺でウラン濃縮活動の停止を監視する国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）要員を早期に受け入れれば、米国は打ち上げを問題にはせず、食糧支援も得られる、との身勝手な計算があるのではないか。

Three years ago, after North Korea gave notice that it was preparing to launch a "satellite," it went ahead with the plan while ignoring warnings from countries including Japan, the United States and South Korea.
　北朝鮮は３年前に「衛星」打ち上げを予告した時も、日本や米国、韓国などの警告を無視して発射を強行した。

Pyongyang will most likely carry out the launch unless bad weather intervenes. It will be a huge step forward for North Korea's missile development program.
今回も天候不順でない限り、中止はするまい。ミサイル開発は大きく進むことになる。

===

Accurate missiles a menace

The United States has been nervous about the risk of North Korea possessing a long-range missile capable of reaching U.S. soil and expanding the range of its arsenal. For Japan, which already falls within range of North Korea's medium-range Rodong missiles, increased precision of their weapons is a huge menace.
　米国が神経をとがらせるのは、本土に届く長距離ミサイルの開発であり、射程延伸だ。一方、すでに中距離ミサイル・ノドンの射程内にある日本にとっては、精度向上が大きな脅威だ。

It is critical that Japan and the United States strongly demand North Korea put into force a moratorium on launches not only of long-range missiles but also of its medium-range ones.
　北朝鮮に対し、長距離ミサイルに限らず中距離ミサイルの発射も一時停止するよう強く求めることが、日米両国には重要である。

Three years ago, North Korea fired a missile toward the Japanese archipelago from a missile base on the Sea of Japan coast. To deal with the situation, Japan set up a crisis management task force to prepare for a contingency in which the missile fell on Japanese territory, and went on high alert by deploying Aegis-equipped destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force and SDF ground-to-air missile defense units.
　３年前、北朝鮮は日本海側の基地から日本列島に向けてミサイルを発射した。日本は国内に落下する万一の事態に備えて、自衛隊のイージス艦や地対空誘導弾部隊を展開させる警戒体制を敷いた。

North Korea has said the upcoming launch will be aimed southward from a base on the Yellow Sea. The rocket will probably not pass over the Japanese archipelago, but the government must stay alert and vigilant against North Korea's moves.
　今回、北朝鮮は、黄海側の基地から南に向けて発射するという。日本列島の上空は飛行しないはずだが、政府は北朝鮮の動きを注視し、警戒を怠ってはならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 17, 2012)
（2012年3月17日01時21分 読売新聞）