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

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 16
（社説）丸川環境相　撤回しても残る「軽さ」
EDITORIAL: Marukawa’s gaffe about Fukushima heightens doubts about Cabinet's aptitude

Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa caused a stir by claiming the government had no scientific grounds for its radiation decontamination target around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
　福島第一原発事故への対応で、担当閣僚である丸川環境相の発言が波紋を広げている。

Her comment came in a Feb. 7 speech on the government’s long-term goal of reducing radiation levels near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant to an annual dose of 1 millisievert or less.
　国が追加被曝（ひばく）線量の長期目標として示した年間１ミリシーベルトについて、７日の講演で

“There are people who worry about radiation no matter how much the levels have been lowered, people who might well be described, appropriately or not, as an ‘anti-radiation camp,’” Marukawa said. “While such people were making noise, the environment minister at that time decided (on the target) without any scientific grounds.”
「『反放射能派』と言うと変ですが、どれだけ下げても心配だという人は世の中にいる。そういう人たちが騒いだ中で、何の科学的根拠もなく時の環境大臣が決めた」などと発言した。

Her remarks were reported the following day by The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, a local newspaper.
翌日の信濃毎日新聞が報じた。

Decontaminating areas polluted with radioactive materials and curbing additional exposure to radiation is one of the top policy priorities for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet.
　放射性物質の除染や、追加被曝の抑制などは、安倍内閣の最重要課題の一つである。

Nearly five years since the nuclear disaster unfolded, decontamination efforts alone appear unlikely to achieve the long-term target in some areas. Residents from these areas have no hope of returning to home soon.
　原発事故からまもなく５年。除染だけでは長期目標の達成が難しい地域がまだ残り、住民の帰還が進まない現状がある。

The Democratic Party of Japan-led government set the long-term decontamination goal based on recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The panel recommended annual doses in the range of “1 to 20 millisievert” as a yardstick for recovery from the accident.
　長期目標は、国際放射線防護委員会が原発事故から復旧する際の参考値とする「年１～２０ミリシーベルト」の最も厳しい水準だ。

The government’s decision to adopt the stricter end of the recommended range for the decontamination target reflected strong demand for absolute safety and security among communities in the affected areas.
１ミリシーベルトに決まった背景には、安全や安心を求める地元福島の要望もあった。

Responding to residents’ desire to return home as soon as possible while pursuing the tough long-term goal has proved a formidable challenge.
　一日も早い帰還を願う住民の思いと、長期目標をどう整合させるか。

The goal, determined after considering a complicated mix of factors, has forced the government to continue making strenuous efforts while learning from mistakes.
さまざまな複雑な要素を考慮して決められ、いまなお試行錯誤が続く難題である。

If Marukawa didn’t know this background, she should be accused of failing to do her homework. Or did she know all these facts and was simply trying to demean the previous DPJ-led government?
　丸川氏がそうした経緯を知らなかったとすれば、不勉強と言われても仕方がない。それとも、経緯を知ったうえで、決定当時の民主党政権をおとしめるための発言だったのか。

Even more troubling is how she flip-flopped in replying to questions about her remark.
　さらに深刻なのは発言が報じられて以降の二転三転ぶりだ。

The environment minister initially responded to questions posed at the Diet and from reporters by repeatedly saying she had “no recollection of using such wording” in the speech.
　国会質問や取材に「こういう言い回しをした記憶は持っていない」などと答え続け、

On the morning of Feb. 12, however, she changed her account and admitted having made the comments. She retracted the remarks in the evening that day.
一転して「言ったと思う」と認めたのは１２日朝、発言を撤回したのはその日夕方になってからだ。

Did she really forget making the remarks? Or did she bet that people would eventually forget the matter if she kept saying she had no memory of saying such things?
　本当に発言内容を忘れたのか。記憶がないと言っていれば、いずれ国民が忘れてくれると思ったのか。

In any case, Marukawa’s remarks raise serious questions about her aptitude for her job.
いずれにせよ、閣僚としての適格性が疑われる発言というほかない。

However, Marukawa is not the only Cabinet member who has made a verbal blunder indicating a disturbing carelessness in speech.
　丸川氏だけではない。安倍内閣の言動の「軽さ」を印象づける場面は他にもある。

In a Feb. 9 news conference, Aiko Shimajiri, the state minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, could not read the kanji characters for the Habomai group of islets, and asked her secretary how the characters should be read. The Habomai islets are part of the Northern Territories, a chain of islands claimed by Japan but occupied by Russia.
　島尻沖縄北方相は記者会見で、北方領土の一部である歯舞（はぼまい）群島の「歯舞」を読めず、秘書官に問う場面があった。

Abe himself recently made an embarrassing verbal error.
In an Internet program of his Liberal Democratic Party, Abe misnamed the 2014 Stockholm agreement in which North Korea promised a fresh investigation into the fates of Japanese citizens it had abducted decades earlier. Abe mistakenly called it the Oslo Agreement, a 1993 peace accord between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
　安倍首相も、自民党のインターネット番組で、２０１４年に北朝鮮が拉致被害者らの再調査を約束した「ストックホルム合意」を、中東和平の「オスロ合意」と間違えた。

Nobody is free from slips of the tongue or misunderstandings.
　確かに、言い間違いや思い違いは誰にでもある。

But the above-mentioned errors are serious because dealing with the nuclear disaster, tackling the territorial dispute with Russia and resolving the North Korea abduction issue are important challenges placed high on the Abe Cabinet’s policy agenda.
ただ、原発事故対応や北方領土、拉致問題はいずれも安倍内閣が重要課題に掲げるテーマだ。

These gaffes could call into question not only the ministers’ qualifications for their jobs but also the Cabinet’s stances toward the issues.
閣僚の資質とともに、内閣としての姿勢が問われかねない。

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Govt needs to calmly deal with N. Korea’s halt to abduction probe
拉致再調査中止　「北」の揺さぶりに冷静対処を

North Korea’s latest act is a despicable attempt to pressure our nation. The Japanese government should not be upset by this, and must make persistent efforts to resolve the issue of the Japanese nationals abducted by that country.
　北朝鮮の卑劣な揺さぶりである。政府は、動じることなく、日本人拉致問題の解決に粘り強く取り組まねばならない。

North Korea has announced it will completely halt a renewed investigation it launched regarding the fate of Japanese abductees and others in July 2014. It also said it would dissolve the Special Investigation Committee.
　北朝鮮が、２０１４年７月に開始した拉致被害者らの再調査を全面的に中止すると発表した。「特別調査委員会」は解体するという。

According to an announcement by North Korea, the latest move has been taken as a response to the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s strengthening its unilateral sanctions on the country. In the same announcement, North Korea also threatened Japan that it will “continue strong countermeasures to Japan’s provocative acts of hostility.”
　安倍政権が北朝鮮に対する独自制裁を強化したことへの対抗措置としている。北朝鮮は「日本の挑発的な敵対行為に対する強力な対応措置が続く」と恫喝どうかつした。

North Korea also asserts that Japan’s move to strengthen its sanctions was tantamount to “nullifying” the Stockholm agreement reached in May 2014 to reinvestigate. Japan’s position is that it has no intention to abrogate the accord.
　北朝鮮は、日本の制裁強化で、１４年５月の再調査に関する日朝のストックホルム合意が「破棄」されたとも主張する。日本は「破棄する考えはない」との立場だ。

Under the agreement, Japan lifted part of the sanctions it imposed on North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang’s renewed investigation into the fate of the Japanese nationals in question. They include the 12 people who have been acknowledged by the Japanese government as abductees, but have not yet returned to Japan, as well as other Japanese missing and thought have been abducted by North Korean agents.
　合意では、未帰国の拉致被害者１２人や、拉致の可能性のある特定失踪者らの再調査と引き換えに、日本が制裁の一部を解除した。

Japan’s action to reinforce sanctions was in response to North Korea’s recent move to conduct a nuclear test and launch a ballistic missile, thereby threatening regional security. North Korea’s accusations against our nation are absurd.
　制裁の強化は、北朝鮮が核実験と弾道ミサイル発射を強行し、地域の安全を脅かしたためである。北朝鮮の批判は筋違いだ。

It should be noted, first of all, that North Korea has put off reporting the pertinent findings of its probe for more than 1½ years, including what has become of those who were abducted. Although North Korea told Japan that it “has set up four subcommittees” on the committee, it is doubtful whether the country has actually seriously renewed its investigations into the abductions.
　そもそも、北朝鮮は１年半以上も、被害者の安否情報などの報告を先送りしてきた。「４分科会を設置した」などと説明していたが、真剣に拉致問題の再調査を行ったかどうかすら疑わしい。

World must step up pressure

North Korea’s conduct has been particularly hard on the abductees’ families, who had pinned their hopes on the renewed probe.
　再調査に期待を寄せた被害者家族の感情を踏みにじる行為だ。

Shutting its eyes to its own atrocities, Pyongyang has blamed the whole problem on Japan. Its assertions are totally unacceptable.
　自らの非道を棚に上げて、日本に責任を押しつける北朝鮮の主張は、到底容認できない。

The Japanese government has lodged a protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels. Katsunobu Kato, the minister in charge of the abduction issue, has emphasized that he wants to “do [his] utmost to get North Korea to take specific actions, through dialogue and pressure and under the principle of action for action.” He had every reason to strongly demand Pyongyang continue its reinvestigation into the abduction issue.
　政府は、外交ルートを通じて北朝鮮に抗議した。加藤拉致問題相は「対話と圧力、行動対行動の原則の下、北朝鮮から具体的な行動を引き出すよう、最大限努力したい」と強調した。再調査の継続を強く要求していくのは当然だ。

North Korea has sought to gain greater rewards for fewer concessions by providing various pieces of scattered information. This approach is the country’s usual ploy. The Japanese government should never be cajoled into following North Korea’s lead on bilateral negotiations.
　様々な情報をちらつかせ、より少ない譲歩で、より多くの見返りを得ようとするのは北朝鮮の常套じょうとう手段である。相手の交渉ペースにはまってはなるまい。

North Korea’s announcement on its suspension of the renewed probe may also be viewed as an attempt to disrupt Japan’s cooperative ties with the United States and South Korea by focusing on a problem unique to our nation.
　北朝鮮の再調査の中止表明は、日本固有の問題を取り上げ、米韓両国との足並みの乱れを生じさせる狙いもあるとみられる。

Japan’s basic policy is to seek a comprehensive solution to both the abduction issue and North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile development. This is the time for Japan to cooperate with the international community to step up pressure on North Korea to rein in its dangerous acts of provocation.
　拉致と核・ミサイル問題の包括的な解決が日本の基本方針だ。今は、国際社会と連携し、北朝鮮の危険な挑発に歯止めをかけるために、圧力を強める時である。

South Korea has imposed a unilateral sanction on the North by shutting down operations at the Kaesong industrial complex, an inter-Korea cooperative project. The United States is also set to strengthen its economic sanctions on North Korea.
　韓国は、独自の制裁として、南北協力事業「開城工業団地」の操業中断に踏み切った。米国も北朝鮮への経済制裁を強化する。

As in the past, it is important for Japan, the United States and South Korea to closely cooperate with each other. The emphasis should be put on ensuring that the U.N. Security Council soon adopts additional stern sanctions on North Korea.
　日米韓３か国の緊密な協調が引き続き大切である。国連安全保障理事会での厳格な追加制裁決議の早期採択に力を入れたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 14, 2016)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Can consensus be achieved through LDP’s lower house electoral reform plan?
衆院選制度改革　自民党案で合意形成できるか

The electoral system is the foundation of democracy. It is desirable that the system is reformed based on a broad consensus among the ruling and opposition parties. However, a draft plan proposed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party looks unlikely to win the understanding of other parties.
　選挙制度は民主主義の土台だ。与野党の幅広い合意で見直すことが望ましい。自民党案では他党の理解は得られまい。

According to the draft plan on reforming the House of Representatives electoral system compiled by the LDP, only demarcation of single-seat constituencies would be reviewed based on simplified censuses conducted in 2015, while the number of seats allocated to prefectures would be maintained, to reduce vote-value disparities to less than 2 to 1.
　自民党が衆院選挙制度改革の原案をまとめた。小選挙区の「１票の格差」を２倍未満に抑えるため、２０１５年の簡易国勢調査に基づき、都道府県の定数配分は維持したまま、選挙区の区割りだけを見直す。

The LDP draft plan also says the reduction of lower house seats and the review of their allocation to prefectures would be postponed until after full censuses are conducted in 2020. The LDP proposes eliminating six seats in single-seat constituencies and four in proportional representation blocs, but details on how to allocate the number of seats to prefectures — which is the most important point — are still unclear.
　定数の削減と配分見直しは、２０年の国勢調査後に先送りする。削減幅は小選挙区６、比例選４という。しかし、肝心の具体的な定数配分方式は曖昧なままだ。

The LDP claims its draft plan is based on a report submitted by a research panel of experts on lower house electoral system reform, but the party seems to lack sincerity.
　自民党は、有識者調査会の答申に沿っていると強弁するが、誠実さが欠けていないか。

The panel says in its report that the Adams’ method should be used to reallocate lower house seats to prefectures. According to the report, this would increase the number of seats allocated to Tokyo and four prefectures by seven in total, while 13 prefectures would lose one seat each. Even if population changes in the future are taken into consideration, the vote-value disparity is expected to be less than 2 to 1 for a while.
　答申は、「アダムズ方式」で都道府県定数の再配分を求めた。定数は東京都と４県で計７増え、１３県で各１減る。将来の人口変動を加味しても、１票の格差は当面、２倍未満に収まる見通しだ。

Compared to other major allocation methods, the Adams’ method is said to be advantageous to less-populated prefectures. The LDP is critical of the panel’s report for being harsh on provincial regions. However, it certainly pays due consideration to them.
　アダムズ方式は、他の主な配分方式と比べて、人口の少ない県に有利とされる。自民党は「地方に冷たい」と批判するが、地方にも一定の配慮をしている。

In the report, redrawing electoral districts at the time of simplified censuses is considered merely a supplementary measure for the correction of the number of lower house seats to be done every 10 years.
　簡易国勢調査時の区割り見直しは、あくまで１０年ごとの定数是正の補完措置との位置づけだ。

Respect panel’s report

The LDP’s draft plan, which would change demarcation of constituencies first, cannot help but give the impression that the party has employed only parts of the report for its own convenience. Doesn’t the LDP, in its heart of hearts, only want to avoid opposition from incumbent lawmakers whose constituencies are in prefectures where lower house seats might be reduced?
　区割り見直しを先行させる自民党案は、答申のうち、自らに都合の良い部分をつまみ食いした印象が拭えない。定数が減る県の現職議員らの反発を避けたいのが本音ではないか。

A major problem with the LDP’s draft plan is that electoral districts would have to be redrawn widely twice — this time, and five years from now.
　問題なのは、自民党案では、今回と５年後の２回、大幅な区割り変更を余儀なくされることだ。

If demarcation of constituencies is changed often, it could damage the stability of the electoral system. It would also weaken relations between voters and lawmakers or candidates.
　選挙区の境界が頻繁に変わるようでは、制度の安定性が損なわれかねない。有権者と議員・候補者の関係も希薄になろう。

Since the LDP failed to reach an agreement on an electoral reform plan in its negotiations with the other parties in the first place, didn’t the party decide to let experts discuss the issue and pledge to respect their report?
　そもそも、自民党は他党との協議で改革案に合意できなかったため、有識者に検討を委ね、その答申を「尊重する」と約束したはずではなかったのか。

Of course, as the report expresses doubt about the necessity to reduce the number of lower house seats, there is some room for discussion on that point. However, it is unreasonable not to accept the Adams’ method, a basic part of the report, and postpone fundamental reform for as long as five years.
　答申は、定数削減の必要性に疑問を示しており、その点は議論の余地はある。だが、答申の根幹部分と言えるアダムズ方式を受け入れず、抜本改革を５年も先延ばしするのは筋が通らない。

Some members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan have already voiced criticism about the LDP plan, calling it “out of the question.”
　民主党などからは早くも、自民党案について「論外」などと批判する声が出ている。

Transition to a new electoral system will require revision of the Public Offices Election Law and other relevant laws, and reviewing the demarcation of electoral districts.
　新制度への移行には、公職選挙法などを改正したうえ、区割りの見直し作業などが必要となる。

The LDP, which is far more powerful than any of the other parties in the lower house, bears the grave responsibility of leading discussions on electoral system reform. The party must refine its draft plan, rising above party interests and strategy.
　衆院で「１強」の自民党は、選挙制度改革論議を主導する重い責任がある。党利党略を排し、原案を練り直さねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 13, 2016)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
1st detection of gravitational waves opens new window to universe
「重力波」初観測　宇宙への新しい窓が開いた

It is highly significant that a new observation method has been acquired to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
　宇宙の謎を解き明かす新たな観測方法を手に入れた意義は大きい。

A research team that includes the California Institute of Technology has announced it detected gravitational waves from the universe.
　米カリフォルニア工科大などのチームが、「宇宙から到来した重力波を捉えた」と発表した。

Albert Einstein hypothesized the existence of gravitational waves a century ago based on his theory of general relativity.
　重力波は、アインシュタインが一般相対性理論に基づき、１００年前に存在を予言した現象だ。

According to Einstein’s theory, celestial bodies like black holes, which have a huge mass, would warp space-time around them. If such bodies collided, the warp would spread like ripples.
　一般相対性理論によると、ブラックホールなどの巨大な質量の天体は、周囲の時空間をゆがめる。天体同士が衝突すると、ゆがみがさざ波のように広がっていく。

The research team believes the gravitational waves it detected were generated 1.3 billion light years from Earth when two black holes merged.
　今回捉えた重力波について、研究チームは、１３億光年の彼方で二つのブラックホールが合体して発生したものと推定している。

Celestial bodies with a large mass could not be observed directly by the electromagnetic waves — such as light, radio waves and X-rays — that have been conventionally used in astronomy.
　これまで、天文学で用いられてきた光や電波、Ｘ線などの電磁波では、巨大質量を持つ天体を直接観測することは出来なかった。

The mass and internal conditions of stars can be inferred by observing gravitational waves. The findings may lead to elucidating such mysteries as how black holes whose nature has not been fully understood are created and how they inflate.
　重力波を観測することで、星の質量や内部の様子を推定できる。実態がほとんど分かっていないブラックホールがどのように誕生し、増大するのかといった謎の解明につながるかもしれない。

Gravitational waves are said to have been generated in the huge expansion of space that occurred right after the Big Bang, which created the cosmos, and the same ripples are said to still exist in space even today. The detection of such ripples may become reality.
　宇宙が誕生したビッグバンの直後に起きた空間の大膨張でも、重力波が発生し、残滓ざんしが今も宇宙に存在するとされる。その発見も現実味を帯びてきたと言えよう。

Hopes for KAGRA project

The U.S. team’s landmark discovery has been supported by high-precision observation equipment.
　米チームによる発見を支えたのは、高精度の観測装置だ。

The coherence of laser beams was used to measure the warps. Laser beams were sent through two pipes, each measuring four kilometers long, to detect warps of space-time caused by gravitational waves.
　ゆがみの測定には、レーザー光の干渉を利用した。長さ４キロ・メートルの２本のパイプ内にレーザー光を走らせて、重力波による空間のゆがみを検出した。

The measured warps were only one-ten quadrillionth of a millimeter. Vibration control equipment was installed to prevent the observation from being affected by vibrations caused by wind, sea waves and road traffic. The team has reportedly looked into all other possibilities to confirm that the observed data represented gravitational waves.
　観測したゆがみは、１京分の１ミリほどしかなかった。風や海の波、道路交通などの振動に影響されないよう、防振装置を設けた。今回の観測データが重力波であることを確認するため、他のあらゆる可能性を検討したという。

Similar observations have been attempted in Japan and Europe. A gravitational wave telescope named KAGRA, now under construction at the site of a mine in Hida, Gifu Prefecure, will start test operations this spring.
　日本や欧州でも同様の観測が試みられている。岐阜県飛騨市の鉱山跡に建設が進む「かぐら」では今春から試験観測が始まる。

Leading the KAGRA project is Takaaki Kajita, a 2015 Nobel Prize laureate in Physics and the director of the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo. Kajita expressed willingness to join international efforts in space observation, saying, “With the participation of KAGRA, the accuracy of observations will improve.”
　チームリーダーは、昨年のノーベル物理学賞を受賞した梶田隆章・東京大学宇宙線研究所長だ。梶田氏は「かぐらが加わることで、観測の精度がよくなる」と意欲を示している。

The U.S. team was able to obtain its results soon after it started observations. Expectations are mounting regarding what discoveries KAGRA will make.
　米チームの成果は、観測を始めてから、ほどなくして得られた。かぐらによって、どのような発見があるのか、期待が膨らむ。

Japan has a long tradition in the field of astrophysics, and has contributed to the observation of neutrinos, thereby developing the science of astronomy.
　日本は、宇宙物理学の分野で長い伝統がある。ニュートリノの観測や、これによる天文学の開拓に貢献してきた。

We also want to see next-generation researchers mature in the field of gravitational wave astronomy.
　重力波天文学でも、次代を担う研究者を育てていきたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 13, 2016)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Outsider candidates dominate U.S. presidential race amid public distrust
米大統領選　政治不信が招く非主流派躍進

Candidates outside the mainstream who are rebelling against the establishment have been gaining ground in the race for the Democratic and Republican nominations for president of the United States. The final election will be held in November.
　１１月の米大統領選に向けた民主党と共和党の指名候補争いで、既存支配層（エスタブリッシュメント）に反旗を翻す非主流派が躍進している。

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a strongly left-wing, self-described “democratic socialist,” won the Democratic Party’s primary in New Hampshire over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This marked a difficult start for Clinton, the favored candidate for the party’s nomination, despite her narrow win in the Iowa caucuses.
　民主党では、「民主社会主義者」を名乗る最左派のバーニー・サンダース上院議員がニューハンプシャー州予備選を制した。「本命候補」のクリントン前国務長官は、初戦のアイオワ州党員集会で辛勝したが、厳しい滑り出しだ。

Real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who has no prior political career, emerged victorious in the Republican Party’s primary in New Hampshire. In Iowa, Trump placed second behind Ted Cruz, a nonmainstream conservative hard-liner.
　共和党は、政治経験のない不動産王ドナルド・トランプ氏がニューハンプシャーを押さえた。アイオワでも、非主流の保守強硬派、テッド・クルーズ上院議員が勝利し、トランプ氏が２位だった。

Indecisive politics continue due to partisan confrontation in Washington. The decline of American influence in the international community is evident. The emergence of these nonmainstream candidates, it may be said, reflects the people’s distrust of and discontent with such developments.
　ワシントンでは、党派対立で「決められない政治」が続く。国際社会での米国の影響力低下も目立つ。これらに対する国民の不信と不満が表れた結果と言える。

If candidates prevail in early-stage primaries that draw significant media attention, they will be able to gather more campaign funds and support due to the psychological effect of jumping on the bandwagon. The whirlwind set off by the candidates who are standing outside the center of politics will not cease for some time.
　メディアの注目を集める序盤戦で優位に立てば、勝ち馬に乗る心理効果で、選挙資金や支持をさらに呼び込める。政治の中心から離れたアウトサイダーの旋風は当面、収まらないだろう。

Conservatives and liberals have become further polarized under the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama. No national consensus can be found regarding the reform of the medical insurance system, the strengthening of gun control and the process for accepting immigrants.
　オバマ民主党政権下で、米社会は保守とリベラルの両極化が進んだ。医療保険制度改革や銃規制強化、移民受け入れ策について、国民的合意を見いだせずにいる。

National consensus illusive

The standard of living for middle- and low-income earners has not improved as their job opportunities decreased due to the transfer of factories to China and other countries, as well as the inflow of immigrants. A sense of unfairness toward the rich has spread among the people.
　中国などへの工場移転や移民流入で、中低所得層の雇用が減り、生活水準は上がらない。富裕層に対する不公平感が広がる。

Of concern is the emergence of a populism that serves to incite amid such a deadlock.
　懸念されるのは、こうした閉塞状況を背景に扇動的なポピュリズムが台頭することである。

Trump has called for “making America great again” and openly expressed his hostile feelings toward China and Mexico, among other countries. He has even gone so far as to argue for forcible deportation of illegal immigrants and an entry ban on Muslims. Trump is also opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework and is calling for huge tax cuts.
　「偉大な米国の復活」を唱えるトランプ氏は中国やメキシコなどへの敵対心をむき出しにし、不法移民の強制送還やイスラム教徒の入国拒否まで主張している。環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）にも反対し、大規模減税を訴える。

Sanders, a champion of “antiestablishment” policies whose signature campaign promise is the correction of economic inequality, has obtained overwhelming support from the young and other voters by proposing to make tuition free at public universities, and dissolve major financial institutions.
　「反エスタブリッシュメント」と格差是正を看板とするサンダース氏は、公立大学の無償化や大手金融機関の解体を掲げ、若者らの圧倒的支持を得ている。

But the campaign promises of Trump and Sanders are nothing but extreme arguments with little chance of being realized.
　だが、２人の公約は実現性に乏しい極論に過ぎない。

It is hard to understand why Clinton, who had pushed for the TPP pact as a member of the Obama administration, has changed tack to oppose it. Even if it is a temporary strategy for the campaign, we are left with the undeniable impression that she has been drawn into a swirl of populism.
　オバマ政権の一員としてＴＰＰを推進したクリントン氏が、反対姿勢に転じたのも理解に苦しむ。暫定的な選挙向け戦術だとしても、ポピュリズムのうねりに巻き込まれている印象は否めない。

If the candidates only deny the existing political and economic systems and compete to make radical and inward-looking arguments, neither national reconciliation nor the recovery of America’s credibility can be realized. We want to see constructive debate that will contribute to repairing social rifts.
　既存の政治や経済の仕組みを否定し、急進的で内向きの主張を競い合っているだけでは、国民融和も、米国の威信回復も実現できまい。社会の亀裂の修復につながる建設的な論戦を求めたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 12, 2016)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan should lead push for tough UNSC resolution on North Korea
対「北」独自制裁　厳格な安保理決議の先駆けに

It is important not to ignore the reckless actions repeatedly taken by North Korea and to swiftly implement tough sanctions against that country. Japan should play a leading role in a concerted effort by the international community.
　度重なる北朝鮮の暴挙を看過せず、厳しい制裁措置を迅速に発動することが重要である。国際社会の一致した取り組みを日本が主導したい。

The government held a meeting of the National Security Council on Wednesday, attended by its four ministers, and decided to revive and strengthen its unilateral sanctions against North Korea.
　政府は、国家安全保障会議（ＮＳＣ）の４大臣会合を開き、北朝鮮に対する独自制裁を復活・強化する方針を決めた。

Nuclear tests and the launch of long-range ballistic missiles by North Korea pose direct threats to Japan. It is a matter of course for Japan to have promptly taken harsh measures.
　北朝鮮の核実験と長距離弾道ミサイル発射は、日本にとって直接の脅威である。いち早く厳格な対応を取ったのは当然だ。

These measures include a ban on the reentry of senior officials of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) who have returned home to North Korea, and a ban on entry into Japanese ports by all vessels of North Korean registry, including those on humanitarian missions. All these measures were lifted when Pyongyang began in July 2014 its reinvestigation of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea or suspected to have been abducted.
　北朝鮮に帰国した在日本朝鮮人総連合会幹部の再入国を禁止する。人道目的を含むすべての北朝鮮籍船舶の入港を認めない。いずれも、２０１４年７月の日本人拉致被害者らの再調査開始時に解除した措置を復活するものだ。

Added to the reentry ban are engineers related to nuclear and missile technologies. The government has also gone so far as to ban, in principle, remittances to North Korea.
　さらに、再入国禁止の対象に核・ミサイル技術者を追加する。北朝鮮向けの送金については、「原則禁止」に踏み込んだ。

North Korea has postponed presenting to Japan the results of its reinvestigation into Japanese citizens abducted to that country or suspected to have been abducted. As long as Pyongyang continues making such insincere responses, it is reasonable for Japan to decide to revive and strengthen unilateral sanctions on North Korea, in line with the principle of “action for action.”
　北朝鮮は、拉致被害者らの再調査に関し、日本への報告を先送りしている。こうした不誠実な対応を重ねる以上、制裁を復活・強化するのは、「行動対行動」の原則に沿う妥当な判断と言える。

Don’t close doors

Actions taken by the North Korean regime under Kim Jong Un have become ever more uncertain.
　北朝鮮の金正恩政権の行動は、不確実性が高まっている。

The Foreign Ministry, the National Police Agency and other government organizations must cooperate closely to ensure the effectiveness of the sanctions. At the same time, the government needs to respond flexibly to North Korea, by not cutting off openings for dialogue, for instance.
　外務省や警察庁などが密接に協力し、制裁の実効性を確保しなければならない。一方で、北朝鮮との対話の窓口は閉ざさないなど、柔軟な対応が求められる。

The government must adhere to its policy of comprehensively resolving the issues of the Japanese abductees and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, and deal with them tenaciously.
　政府は、拉致と核・ミサイル問題を包括的に解決する方針を堅持し、粘り強く対処すべきだ。

Needless to say, Japan’s unilateral sanctions alone will only have a limited effect. It is necessary to hasten the establishment of an international coalition network committed to containing North Korea.
　無論、日本単独の制裁では、効果が限られる。国際的な対北包囲網の構築を急ぐ必要がある。

South Korea announced Wednesday that it would suspend operations at the joint industrial complex in Kaesong, North Korea, as a unilateral sanction. The move is aimed at reducing the foreign currency earned by Pyongyang, but suspending operations could risk losing a channel for dialogue with North Korea.
　韓国は、独自の制裁として南北協力事業「開城工業団地」の操業中断を発表した。外貨収入を減らす狙いがあるが、北朝鮮との対話の窓口を失うリスクも伴う。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held separate phone talks with U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye. They agreed to cooperate toward the early adoption of a resolution by the U.N. Security Council.
　安倍首相はオバマ米大統領、韓国の朴槿恵大統領と個別に電話会談した。国連安全保障理事会での制裁決議の早期採択に向けて、連携することで一致した。

The biggest stumbling block for the UNSC resolution is China’s reluctant posture.
　安保理決議の採択にとって、最大の障害は中国の消極姿勢だ。

China has been asserting that sanctions on North Korea should be limited to measures related to its nuclear and missile developments, and opposes sanctions that would affect the lives of the public.
　中国は、制裁の対象を核・ミサイル開発に関連するものに限定するよう主張し、国民生活に影響を与える措置には反対している。

Yet this conciliatory stance taken for many years by China has bolstered North Korea, letting Pyongyang conduct nuclear tests and missile launches repeatedly. This time, it is vital to strengthen real pressure on North Korea.
　だが、こうした長年の融和的な態度が北朝鮮を増長させ、再三の核実験やミサイル発射を許したのではないか。今回こそ、北朝鮮に対する実質的な圧力を強化することが欠かせない。

It is important for Japan, the United States and South Korea to unite to urge China to modify its stance.
　日米韓は結束し、中国に軌道修正を働きかけることが大切だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 11, 2016)