江蘇省發現隋煬帝墓

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

隋王朝の煬帝の墓見つかる
4月15日 22時59分

中国東部の江蘇省で、都市開発の工事の際に偶然、１４００年前に大運河を築いたことなどで知られる隋王朝の煬帝のものとみられる墓が見つかったと、地元の当局が発表しました。

中国国営の新華社通信などによりますと、墓が見つかったのは江蘇省揚州の郊外で、都市開発の建設工事の際に偶然、面積が３０平方メートルほどの古代のれんがでできた石室２つが見つかりました。地元の文化財当局が調査したところ、石室のうち１つから「隋の煬帝」と書かれた墓誌のほか、銅製の工芸品や玉がちりばめられた金のベルトなどの副葬品が発掘されました。
盗掘の跡があり、人骨などは見つかっていませんが、地元当局は、発掘された副葬品は高貴な人物にしか見られないことなどから、墓の主は隋の第二代皇帝、煬帝と基本的に認定できると発表しました。煬帝は中国の南北を縦断する大運河を築いたほか、聖徳太子が当時の中国を日本と対等にみて「日出づる処の天子」で始まる手紙を書いたことに激怒したことなどで知られています。
江蘇省揚州には、別に煬帝の墓とされる陵墓がありますが、歴史の資料に煬帝の墓は何度も移されていると書かれていることから、地元当局は今後、今回発見された墓との関係を詳しく調べることにしています。

(試譯文)

The local authorities announced that by chance at a construction project for urban development in Jiangsu which was located at eastern part of China something believed to be the grave of Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty was found; Emperor Yang was known for having built the Grand Canal 1400 years ago.

According to the Xinhua News Agency managed by the Chinese government, it was at the suburb of Yangzhou in Jiangsu where the grave found. Two ancient tombs with an area of about 30-square meter made with ancient bricks were found by chance on the occasion of a construction work being carried out for urban development. When investigated by the local cultural-assets authorities, in one of the ancient tombs, there was the epitaph written "Emperor Yang of Sui". Besides, some copper handicrafts and jade, and a belt studded with gold etc. burial goods were unearthed.

Although there were marks of grave robbing, no human bones were found. The local authorities announced that fundamentally it was presumed that the owner of the grave was the second generation of Sui Dynasty Emperor Yang since the burial goods unearthed could be seen only among the noble people. Emperor Yang built the Grand Canal which ran through the north and south of China. He was also known for being enraged by Prince Shotoku because the latter had written a letter which saw China of those days as an equal to Japan and started writing with the words "the emperor of the place where the sun rises".

In Yangzhou of Jiangsu separately there was an Imperial mausoleum used as Emperor Yang's grave. Since it was written in historical records that Emperor Yang's grave had been moved repeatedly, the local authorities from now on would investigate in detail the relation of the grave that was now discovered.

It is an interesting historical discovery. Perhaps historical records could be updated because of this new finding.

当局調査張芸謀違反一孩政策?

Yesterday the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

中国:「紅いコーリャン」監督に子供７人　当局が調査

毎日新聞　2013年05月11日　21時27分（最終更新　05月11日　22時51分）

　【北京・石原聖】「紅いコーリャン」「初恋のきた道」などの作品で知られる中国の映画監督、張芸謀（チャン・イーモウ）氏（６１）が一人っ子政策に違反し、７人の子供をもうけたとの疑惑が浮上している。中国メディアは当局が調査に乗り出したと報じており、事実ならば約１億６０００万元（約２６億円）の罰金を科される可能性があると伝えた。

　報道によると、張氏は最初の妻との間に１人、再婚後に３人の子供をもうけたほか、婚姻関係のない女性２人との間に３人の子供がおり、子供の数は計７人。現在の妻の戸籍がある江蘇省無錫市で豪邸を購入し、妻と３子を生活させているという。

　映画のオーディションに落選した女優がインターネット上で指摘し、無錫市の当局者は「現行の政策や規制に基づいて調査を行っている」と説明した。ネット上では「有名人でも特別扱いすべきではない」といった意見が出ている。

　中国は人口抑制策として１９７９年から一人っ子政策を導入し、少数民族などのケースを除いて２人目を産むと罰金を科される。罰金は年収と子供の数から算出されるうえ、未婚の場合には増額される。

　張氏は２００８年北京五輪の開閉会式の演出も担当していた。

(試譯文)

 Suspicion had surfaced that the film director of China Mr. Zhang Yimo (61), who was known for the work such as "The Red Kaoliang" and "Wode Fuqin Muqin", had broken the one-child policy due to having seven children. The China media had reported that the authority was set to investigate, and if they were facts, it was reported that a fine of about 160 million Yuan (about 2,600 million yen) might be imposed.

According to the report, Zhang had one child with his first wife, and he had three children in the second marriage, and also had three children with two women who did not have marital relation. The total number of children was seven. A palatial residence was purchased in Jiangsu Wuxi registered with the present wife's family, and it was said that he was living his wife and three children.

An actress who had failed in the audition of a movie pointed out on the Internet that the authorities of Wuxi explained was "doing investigation based on the present policy and regulation". The opinion that "a celebrity should not be given special treatment, either" had come out in the network.

China introduced the one-child policy starting from 1979 as a population control measure and if the 2nd child was borne, except for an ethnic minority case etc., a fine would be imposed. The fine was computed based on the number of the annual income and the number of child; and in the unmarried case the amount would be increased.

Mr. Zhang took charge of the production of the opening-and-closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

It is an interesting case. It is a test on how China would implement its one-child policy.

超過一半日本人賛成憲法修改

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

憲法改正、「賛成」が５１％…読売調査

読売新聞社の全国世論調査（３月３０、３１日、面接方式）で、憲法を「改正する方がよい」と答えた人は５１％となり、昨年２月調査の５４％に続いて半数を超えた。

　「改正しない方がよい」は３１％（昨年３０％）だった。

　政府が「保有するが行使できない」としている集団的自衛権に関しては、「憲法を改正して使えるようにする」が２８％（同２８％）で、「憲法の解釈を変更して使えるようにする」の２７％（同２７％）との合計は５５％となり、昨年に続いて容認派が半数を超えた。

　憲法改正の発議要件を定めた９６条については、「改正すべきだ」と「改正する必要はない」がともに４２％で並んだ。

　今夏の参院選で投票先を決める際、憲法問題を判断材料にすると答えた人は４０％で、前回参院選前の２０１０年調査から１２ポイント上昇した。安倍首相が９６条の先行改正などの憲法問題を参院選の争点に掲げていることを反映したようだ。各政党が憲法論議をもっと活発に行うべきだと思う人は７６％に上った。

　海外で事件に巻き込まれた日本人を自衛隊が輸送する場合、船舶や航空機に加えて、車での輸送を認める方がよいとする人は７６％に達した。

（2013年4月19日23時39分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

At a national opinion poll (held on March 30 and 31 by interviewing) done by the Yomiuri Shimbun, the people who answered that regarding the constitution "It is better to revise" turned out to be 51%, continued to exceed 50% following the investigation done in February last yeas which stood at 54%.

"It is better not to revise" was 31% (30% last year).

About the right of collective self-defense which the government was presupposing that "it will not be used even if it is on hand", those who answered "to enable it to be used by revising the constitution” was 28% (last year 28%), "to change the interpretation of the constitution to enable it to be used" was 27% (last year 27%). The sum total would become 55%, following last year the supporting group continued to exceed half.

 About article 96 which provided the requirement for initiating a constitutional amendment, those saying that "you should revise it" and those saying that "it is not necessary to revise it" were equally at 42%.

40% the people who had answered the poll supported the idea that when during the Upper House election vote casting this summer, to make this constitution problem into the material for voting. This percentage had gone up 12 points since last time’s 2010 investigation done before the Upper House election. It seemed that it reflected that Prime Minister Abe had brought up the constitution problems, before the revision of article 96 etc, making it a point of issue for the Upper House election. Those who thought that individual political party should perform a constitutional debate more actively went up to 76%.

When the Japanese were involved in the incident overseas and that the transportation of Self-Defense Forces was needed, in addition to the vessel and the airplane, those who thought that it would be better to permit transportation by car had reached 76%.

So, over half of the Japanese would support making some amendments to their constitution.

海龜鼻子靈敏度比狗更高

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

スッポンの鼻、犬より繊細？…理研チームが発表

スッポンは、においを嗅ぎ分けるセンサーの種類が多く、嗅覚の繊細さは脊椎動物でトップ級かもしれないという研究成果を、理化学研究所発生・再生科学総合研究センター（神戸市）などの国際チームが科学誌ネイチャー・ジェネティクス（電子版）に発表した。

　鼻の中の細胞表面にあるセンサー（嗅覚受容体）は、その形に合うにおい物質がやって来ると結合し、においを「感じた」という信号が脳へ送られる。受容体の種類が多いほど、多彩なにおいを嗅ぎ分けられる。同センターの倉谷滋グループディレクターらが、スッポンの嗅覚受容体を作る遺伝子の数を調べた結果、１１３７個あった。においを嗅ぎ分ける能力の高いラット（１２０７個）に匹敵し、犬（８１１個）や人間（３９６個）より多かった。

　入江直樹研究員は「犬の方が鼻の中の表面積が広く、においへの感度は優れているだろうが、繊細さはスッポンに軍配が上がるかもしれない」と話している。

（2013年5月1日12時19分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle had many kinds of smell sensors to perform smelling; the research result of the international teams, such as the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research Office - the Generating and Reproduction Science Research Center (Kobe), showed that the delicacy of turtle’s sense of smell might be at the top in the vertebrate class; the team announced this in a science journal The Nature Genetics (electronic edition).

Regarding the sensors (odor receptor) in the cell surface of the nose of this turtle, they fit their shape together, and would join with the substance of the incoming odor, and sent to the brain the signal of "having felt" the smell. There were many kinds of receptor and a variety of smell could be sensed. As a result of counting the number of the genes, group director Kuratani Shigeru of the Center and others put the number of the odor receptor of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle at 1137. It was comparable to the high rat (1207 numbers) in the capability to scent a smell, and better than the dog (811 numbers) and the human being (396 numbers).

      Researcher Naoki Irie was saying that "although the dog probably has a large surface area in the nose and its sensitivity to the smell is excellent, yet the delicacy of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle is superior in tactic".

I think in future may be the turtle could be used to help differentiate the smell.

沖縄島附近海底發現大規模礦床

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

沖縄沖の海底で大規模鉱床発見

4月10日 22時39分

沖縄本島の北西の沖合にある海底のくぼ地で、亜鉛や金などを大量に含んだ新たな鉱床、鉱物が集中的に集まる場所が発見され、当初想定されていた５００万トンの資源量を上回る可能性もあることから、今後の資源開発につながるとして期待されています。

新たな鉱床が見つかったのは、沖縄本島の北西およそ１００キロの沖合に位置する「伊是名海穴」と呼ばれる直径３キロから６キロの海底のくぼ地です。
独立行政法人の「石油天然ガス・金属鉱物資源機構」によりますと、国が策定した海底の鉱物資源開発計画に基づき、経済産業省の委託を受けて平成２０年度から伊是名海穴の海底調査を行っていて、ことし１月と２月、海底面から３０メートル以下の地底で亜鉛や金などを大量に含む新たな鉱床を発見したということです。
新たな鉱床の厚みや範囲はまだ不明だということですが、海底面付近ですでに確認されている鉱床の資源量がおよそ３４０万トンと見込まれていることから、新たな鉱床を含めると、伊是名海穴には当初想定されていた５００万トンの資源量を上回る大規模な金属鉱物資源が存在する可能性があるということです。
「石油天然ガス・金属鉱物資源機構」では、今後の資源開発につながるとして、新しい鉱床の全体の規模を把握するため、引き続き、海底での調査を続けるということです。

(試譯文)

It was new ore deposit containing zinc, gold etc. in large quantities: a place where minerals were gathering in large amount was discovered at a depressed ground of the seabed in the offing of the northwest of the main Okinawa island; since the resources might exceed 5 million tons that was originally assumed, it was expected that it might lead to future resources related development.

New ore deposit was found at the depressed ground of the seabed with a diameter of 3 to 6 km at the so called the "Izenakaiketsu" located in the offing about 100 km northwest of the main Okinawa island.

According to the "Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation" which was an independent administrative agency, it was said that based on the mineral-resources  development plan of the seabed which the country had decided, seabed investigation on the Izenakaiketsu was performed staring from the Heisei 20^th year in response to Commission for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In January and February this year a new ore deposit which was containing zinc, gold, etc. in large quantities was discovered below the seabed at depth of 30 meters below the sea water.

Although it was said that the thickness and the range of the new ore deposit were still unknown, because the resources of the ore deposit which was near the sea surface had already been checked and estimated at about 3,400,000 tons, when this new ore deposit was included, it was said that there might exist in the Izenakaiketsu a large-scale metallic mineral resources which could exceed the 5 million-ton estimation originally assumed.

In "Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation" it was said that the investigation on the seabed was carried out continuously in order to grasp the scale of the whole new ore deposit, noting that it would lead to future resources development.

It is good news for Japan, the discovery would help its industrial development.

新版松本清張大作「日本の黒い霧」會加入註解

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

「日本の黒い霧」注釈付け改訂版出版へ

4月20日 21時33分

作家・松本清張の作品「日本の黒い霧」の中で、スパイ事件のいわゆる「ゾルゲ事件」の端緒となる情報を警察に流したと描かれている男性について、出版社が、記述内容を否定する証言も明らかになっているなどとする注釈を付けた作品の改訂版を出版することになりました。

松本清張のノンフィクションの代表作「日本の黒い霧」では、日本共産党の元最高幹部、伊藤律氏が、昭和１６年に起きたスパイ事件「ゾルゲ事件」の摘発の端緒となる情報を特高警察に流したと記述されていますが、伊藤氏の遺族側が、事実関係を否定する証言が出ていることなどを理由に、出版元の文藝春秋に内容の訂正を求めていました。
伊藤氏の次男の淳氏によりますと、文藝春秋側から、作品で記述された説を疑問視、否定する関係者の証言も明らかになっていることや、伊藤氏自身も関与を否定していたという注釈を付けた改訂版を出版したいとする打診を受けたということです。
淳氏は、２０日に都内で行った講演で「作品に注釈を加えることを評価して受け入れたい。父の名誉回復のために活動してくれた人たちに感謝したい」と述べました。
「日本の黒い霧」は、昭和３６年の出版から半世紀以上を経て、改訂版が出版されることになります。

(試譯文)

About the work "The Black Fog of Japan" by writer Seicho Matsumoto which described a man passing hints and information to the police in the so-called "Sorge Incident" espionage case, the publishing company would publish a revised edition of the work that would attach notes to make known that there was a testimony that denied the contents described etc.

In "The Black Fog of Japan", which was described as the nonfiction master piece of Seicho Matsumoto, the former executive of the Japan Communist Party Mr. Ritsu Ito passed information to the special political police and started the exposure of the espionage case the "Sorge incident" that occurred in Showa 16^th year. Mr. Ito's bereaved family asked Bungeishunju, the publishing agency for correction of the contents on grounds that some testimony on the facts had come out etc.

According to Jun, the second son of Mr. Ito, it was said that Bungeishunju had accepted the consultation and would, when published the revised edition, attached notes to point out and make clear that there were testimonies from concerned people who regarded some opinion described in the work as questionable, and also that Mr. Ito had denied his involvement.

At a lecture held in the metropolitan area on the 20th Jun said that "I would like to evaluate and accept the appending of notes to the work. I would like to thank those who had worked for my father's rehabilitation".

As for "The Black Fog of Japan", a revised edition would be published as it had gone through more than five decades since its publication in Showa 36.

So the story of this non-fiction literature would be up-dated soon.

日俄首腦會議與北方四島領土交渉

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

領土交渉「面積２等分で…」露大統領発言に憶測

ロシアのプーチン大統領が先月２９日の安倍首相との首脳会談で、過去にロシアが行った中国との領土交渉や、ノルウェーとの境界画定交渉に触れ、「面積を２等分して解決した経験がある」と述べていたことが分かった。

　政府筋が明らかにした。北方領土問題の解決を念頭に置いた発言か、４島返還を主張する日本をけん制したのか、様々な臆測を呼んでいる。

　これに関連し、安倍首相は１日、訪問先のサウジアラビアで同行記者団に、「（大統領が北方領土２等分による解決に言及した）事実はない。北方４島の帰属問題を解決し、平和条約を締結する方針に変わりはない」と語った。

　首相同行筋によると、首相の指摘通り、会談で大統領が両交渉の経緯を首相に説明した際、北方領土問題と絡めることは言わなかったという。仮に北方４島を面積で２等分した場合、４島の中で最も北側にある択捉島の西部に日露の国境線を引き、日本が択捉島の西側の一部と国後島、色丹島、歯舞群島の全部を領有し、択捉島の大半をロシアが領有する形が想定される。

（2013年5月1日19時07分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

It turned out that at the summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe on the 29th last month Russian President Putin had touched on territorial negotiations and about the border drawing which Russia had performed in the past with China and Norway, and about "the experience of dividing the area equally into two to solve the problems".

This was clarified by government sources. Various guesses were called for, with solving the issue regarding the Northern Territories in mind, could it be used to check Japan which had asserted the return of the four islands.

      In relation to this, on the 1^st Prime Minister Abe told the press corps traveling together at the visiting location of Saudi Arabia that "it (that the President mentioned the solution for the Northern Territories was to divide them into two equal parts) is not true, the ownership question of four northern islands would be solved, and there was no change in plan to conclude a peace treaty."

      According to sources accompanying the Prime Minister, it was say that the Prime Minister had pointed out that when the President explained the circumstances of the negotiation, the latter had not said things related to the Northern Territories. When temporarily equally divided the four northern islands into two areas, it was assumed that the form would be to draw the Japan-Russia international border in the western part of Etorofu which was the northernmost of the four islands, Japan would possess a part of the west side of Etorofu and all of Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets; and that Russia would possess the great portion of Etorofu.

It is an interesting story. To divide the islands equally could be a possible solution to the dispute.