安倍首相夫人不懂英語

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

「安倍首相夫人は英語話さない」 トランプ大統領発言に波紋

7月21日 8時20分

アメリカのトランプ大統領は今月上旬にドイツで開かれたＧ２０サミットの夕食会で、隣に座った安倍総理大臣の夫人の昭恵氏について、「すばらしい女性だが、英語を話さない。ハローも言わないくらいだ」と述べ、波紋を広げています。

アメリカの有力紙ニューヨーク・タイムズによりますと、トランプ大統領はインタビューで今月上旬にドイツで開かれたＧ２０サミットの夕食会について、「私は安倍総理大臣の夫人の隣に座った。彼女はすばらしい女性だが、英語を話さない」と述べました。

そして記者から「全く話さないのか」と質問されると、「ハローも言わないくらいだ」と答えたうえで、「日本語の通訳がいなければ厳しかっただろう」と述べました。

これに対してアメリカメディアは、昭恵氏が２０１４年にニューヨークで英語でスピーチしたことがあると指摘し、その際の動画や昭恵氏の学歴を掲載して、トランプ大統領の発言を疑問視しています。

一部では「昭恵氏はトランプ大統領と話すのを避けるため、英語がわからないふりをしたのかもしれない」といった臆測まで出ていて、波紋を広げています。

My translation

American president Trump when talked about Ms. Akie, the wife of Prime Minister Abe who sat next to him at the dinner party of G20 Summit held in Germany at the beginning of this month, regarded her as "a wonderful lady, but could not speak English. It was to the extent that even didn’t say Hello", and a ripple was spreading.

According to an American leading newspaper the New York Times, President Trump stated in an interview regarding the dinner party of G20 Summit held in Germany at the beginning of this month that "I sat down next to the wife of Prime Minister Abe. She was a wonderful lady, but she could not speak English."

Then, when asked by the reporter "Didn't she speak at all?", he answered that "it was to the extent that even hello was not said," and stated that "When there wasn't a Japanese interpreter, it would be difficult."

In response to this, American media had pointed out that Ms. Akie had made a speech in English in New York in 2014 and posted a video taken at that time, together with the educational background of Ms. Akie, thus doubting the remarks of president Trump.

Surmise came out to the extent that some said that ‘it may be that Ms. Akie had pretended to not understand English so as to avoid talking with president Trump’. The ripple was spreading.

     It is an interesting situation. Perhaps president Trump was speaking what he truly felt. Might be he was too frank to the reporters in talking about his personal feelings. Perhaps the press was taking Trump’s comments too seriously. One thing is sure: the press love to hear such comments. I think the world in politics is different from the world of business. Good luck President Trump.

Indecent assault by forcibly licking victim's fingers

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following"

ホテル従業員の指をなめた疑い 静岡 焼津市議を逮捕

7月20日 21時05分

静岡県焼津市の市議会議員が、公務で訪れていた兵庫県姫路市内のホテルでフロントの女性従業員の手の指を無理やりなめたとして、強制わいせつの疑いで逮捕されました。警察によりますと「全く記憶にありません」と容疑を否認しているということです。

逮捕されたのは、焼津市の市議会議員、小野田吉晃容疑者（６９）です。警察によりますと、小野田議員はことし５月、姫路市内のホテルで２２歳の女性従業員の両手の指を無理やりなめたとして、強制わいせつの疑いが持たれています。

小野田議員はフロントにいた従業員に「両手を出して」と声を掛け、従業員が手を前に伸ばしたところ、いきなり口元まで引っ張ったということです。

警察の調べに対して、小野田議員は「全く記憶にありません」と容疑を否認しているということです。

焼津市によりますと、小野田議員は議会の委員会のメンバーと子育て関連施設の視察のため、姫路市を訪れていたということです。

(試譯)

A city councilor in Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault by forcibly licking fingers of a front desk female employee at a hotel in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, which he was visiting in public service. According to the police, the allegation was denied as "there is no such memory at all."

Yao Akira Onoda, 69, a member of the city council of Yaizu City, was arrested. According to the police, Mr. Onoda was suspected of indecent assault in May this year in that he forcibly licked the fingers of a 22-year-old female employee at a hotel in Himeji city.

Councilor Onoda told an employee who was at the front desk "to take out both hands" and when the employee stretched out the hands, he suddenly pulled them to the mouth.

According to police investigation, Councilor Onoda denied the allegation in say that “there was no such memory at all”.

According to Yaizu City, Onoda was visiting Himeji city for the purpose of inspecting members of the Council's committee and child care related facilities.

It seems that this is another kind of sexual harassment, interesting.

Hiari Ants - "It was a matter of time"

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

2017年07月17日 20時38分

ヒアリ「時間の問題だった」…横浜市が注意喚起

牧ふ横浜市中区の本牧ふ頭で１４日、南米原産の毒アリ「ヒアリ」が神奈川県内で初めて確認された。

　殺虫剤で駆除を終えているが、市は同日、発見現場から数百メートルの横浜港シンボルタワーに注意喚起の看板を設置した。また、市民らに対し、「見つけた場合は素手で触らず、市や環境省に連絡してほしい」と呼び掛けている。

　環境省の職員がコンテナの保管場所付近でアリを発見し、専門家がヒアリと断定した。地中に巣を作ったとみられ、サナギや幼虫なども確認された。市はコンテナに付いて運ばれたとみている。

　ヒアリは体長２・５～６ミリ。尻の毒針で刺されると、火傷(やけど)のような痛みを発症することから名付けられた。市は刺された場合、３０分程度は安静にして、異変があれば病院で受診することを勧めている。

　発見現場付近は、コンテナをトレーラーに乗せて運び出す作業場所で、業界団体の横浜港運協会は、「全国でヒアリが発見されていたので、横浜でも時間の問題だと思っていた。港湾従事者にはかまれないようにする予防策と、かまれた場合の対応策を徹底する」としている。

2017年07月17日 20時38分 Copyright © The Yomiuri Shimbun

(試譯文)
On the 14^th, at the Honmoku Pier in Mokufu of Yokohama City central district, South Africa's poisonous ant alias "Hiari" was confirmed for the first time in Kanagawa prefecture.

Although the disinfection work was finished using insecticide, on the same day the city set up a billboard at the Yokohama Harbor Symbol Tower to arouse attention. It was several hundred meters from the ant discovering site. Moreover, it asked citizens that “if you find it do not touch it with bare hands, contact the city and the Ministry of the Environment."

A staff member of the Ministry of the Environment discovered ants near the storage location of the container and the expert concluded that they were Hiari. It seemed that they made a nest in the ground, pupa and larvae were identified. The city regarded them to have been brought there by the container.

Hiari was 2.5 – 2.6 mm in length. It was named (Hi-ari = fire ant) because when someone was stung by its poisonous needle at its buttocks, a pain like a burn would develop. If a citizen was stung, rest for about 30 minutes. He was encouraged to visit the hospital if there was anything unusual developed.

In the vicinity of the discovery site there was a work place to carry the container on a trailer. Its industry organization the Yokohama Harbor Co-op Association said, "I thought it is a matter of time to happen in Yokohama because Hiari had been discovered nationwide, there should be measures to prevent people working in the harbor from being bitten by it and thorough measures to deal with it in case of being bitten."

It is surprising to note that the South Africa poisonous ants could reach Japan. Perhaps global warming could be responsible for this.