Posted at 2014.04.12 Category : Washington Post
TOEIC試験前日にこんな釣りタイトルの記事を書いてすみません。TOEIC試験とは何の関係のない話です。まあでも、少しでも真剣なTOEIC学習者なら、TOEIC対策における韓国のすごさは充分に承知しています。残念ながら日本の出版社で10セットの模試を一挙に作成する実力のあるところはないでしょう。そういう点では韓国のすごさ、情熱を認めていると思うんです。
といっても、記事のメインは以下のワシントンポストのOpEdです。緒方貞子さんと『Japan As Number One』の著者エズラボーゲルさん、Han Sung-Jooさんの3人で現在の日韓関係を憂慮するOpEdを寄稿していました。
Japan and South Korea can work together to wash away the pains of the past
By Ogata Sadako, Han Sung-Joo and Ezra F. Vogel, Saturday, April 12, 8:12 AM
Ogata Sadako is a former president of Japan International Cooperation Agency and was the United Nations high commissioner for refugees from 1991 to 2001. Han Sung-Joo was foreign minister of South Korea from 1993 to 1994 and former president of Korea University. Ezra F. Vogel is a professor emeritus at Harvard Univerity and a former director of Harvard’s Asia Center.
Relations between Japan and South Korea are probably at their worst since the end of World War II. Conflicts over territories and past history are nothing new between these Northeast Asian neighbors. But diplomatic and political disputes at the government level are being reinforced by media coverage and Internet discussion, hardening public attitudes in each country. There are few signs that bilateral relations will improve anytime soon — even though many people, ourselves included, have tried for years to mend fences.
Unfortunately, a vicious cycle has fueled the worsening of relations, particularly in the past few months. The deteriorating relationship between the governments of Japan and South Korea stirs mutual antagonism. In turn, popular sentiment on both sides prompts political leaders to stiffen their attitudes toward the other country.
現在の関係は戦後最悪のものだと懸念していますね。この記事では両国の政治家や知識人が取り組むべきこと、要は自制を促しています。
The time has come for leaders of both nations to publicly recognize the roots of the problem. Whether for lack of vision or courage, political and intellectual elites in both countries have failed to buck popular sentiments. Japanese leaders should have fully examined their responsibilities of the past. Korean leaders have failed to warn their people of the consequences of their uncalculating displays of emotion.
So, what needs to be done? How to break out of this seemingly endless morass? Just as everyone in the international community has strong stakes in bilateral relations between Japan and Korea, every citizen in both countries — and particularly every leader — has a role to play in improving relations. In this regard, what the leaders do not do is as important as what they do. Here is a short list of recommendations.
First, each side must refrain from actions that the other side would consider provocative. （後略）
Leaders must be ready for high-level dialogue rather than creating preconditions that are politically difficult, if not impossible, to meet. （後略）
Both must also recognize that it would be counterproductive for other countries, the United States in particular, to appear to take sides in these quarrels. （後略）
まあ、頭では分かっていることばかりですが、こういうのを実践に移すことは特に政治家は難しいかもしれません。
South Korea should recognize that excessive patriotism is a view of only a minority of Japanese; it does not represent all Japanese. Accordingly, Seoul should take care not to antagonize the Japanese public at large by placing excessive attention on the views of Japanese extremists or by engaging in wholesale criticism of Japan. For its part, Japan should recognize and accept Korea as an equal partner in its economic and political endeavors, not as an upstart competitor to guard against.
Rather than focusing on gaining another apology from Japan, Seoul should try to persuade Tokyo to cooperate in building a happy and confident Korean nation that would help wash away the pains of the past. The two countries should work together to generate positive feelings associated with being good neighbors. Japan should try to help heal wounds rather than aggravate them. Reviving good bilateral relations could be the greatest gift both countries’ leaders can leave to posterity.
ただ、こういうメッセージをアメリカで発表しても仕方がなので、すでに日本のどこかの新聞が訳したものを発表しているといいのですが。。。
といっても、記事のメインは以下のワシントンポストのOpEdです。緒方貞子さんと『Japan As Number One』の著者エズラボーゲルさん、Han Sung-Jooさんの3人で現在の日韓関係を憂慮するOpEdを寄稿していました。
Japan and South Korea can work together to wash away the pains of the past
By Ogata Sadako, Han Sung-Joo and Ezra F. Vogel, Saturday, April 12, 8:12 AM
Ogata Sadako is a former president of Japan International Cooperation Agency and was the United Nations high commissioner for refugees from 1991 to 2001. Han Sung-Joo was foreign minister of South Korea from 1993 to 1994 and former president of Korea University. Ezra F. Vogel is a professor emeritus at Harvard Univerity and a former director of Harvard’s Asia Center.
Relations between Japan and South Korea are probably at their worst since the end of World War II. Conflicts over territories and past history are nothing new between these Northeast Asian neighbors. But diplomatic and political disputes at the government level are being reinforced by media coverage and Internet discussion, hardening public attitudes in each country. There are few signs that bilateral relations will improve anytime soon — even though many people, ourselves included, have tried for years to mend fences.
Unfortunately, a vicious cycle has fueled the worsening of relations, particularly in the past few months. The deteriorating relationship between the governments of Japan and South Korea stirs mutual antagonism. In turn, popular sentiment on both sides prompts political leaders to stiffen their attitudes toward the other country.
現在の関係は戦後最悪のものだと懸念していますね。この記事では両国の政治家や知識人が取り組むべきこと、要は自制を促しています。
The time has come for leaders of both nations to publicly recognize the roots of the problem. Whether for lack of vision or courage, political and intellectual elites in both countries have failed to buck popular sentiments. Japanese leaders should have fully examined their responsibilities of the past. Korean leaders have failed to warn their people of the consequences of their uncalculating displays of emotion.
So, what needs to be done? How to break out of this seemingly endless morass? Just as everyone in the international community has strong stakes in bilateral relations between Japan and Korea, every citizen in both countries — and particularly every leader — has a role to play in improving relations. In this regard, what the leaders do not do is as important as what they do. Here is a short list of recommendations.
First, each side must refrain from actions that the other side would consider provocative. （後略）
Leaders must be ready for high-level dialogue rather than creating preconditions that are politically difficult, if not impossible, to meet. （後略）
Both must also recognize that it would be counterproductive for other countries, the United States in particular, to appear to take sides in these quarrels. （後略）
まあ、頭では分かっていることばかりですが、こういうのを実践に移すことは特に政治家は難しいかもしれません。
South Korea should recognize that excessive patriotism is a view of only a minority of Japanese; it does not represent all Japanese. Accordingly, Seoul should take care not to antagonize the Japanese public at large by placing excessive attention on the views of Japanese extremists or by engaging in wholesale criticism of Japan. For its part, Japan should recognize and accept Korea as an equal partner in its economic and political endeavors, not as an upstart competitor to guard against.
Rather than focusing on gaining another apology from Japan, Seoul should try to persuade Tokyo to cooperate in building a happy and confident Korean nation that would help wash away the pains of the past. The two countries should work together to generate positive feelings associated with being good neighbors. Japan should try to help heal wounds rather than aggravate them. Reviving good bilateral relations could be the greatest gift both countries’ leaders can leave to posterity.
ただ、こういうメッセージをアメリカで発表しても仕方がなので、すでに日本のどこかの新聞が訳したものを発表しているといいのですが。。。
