北京五輪開幕

(Aug. 8, 2008) The Yomiuri Shimbun

The world's eyes are on China

北京五輪開幕　世界が中国を注視している（8月8日付・読売社説）

 

The Summer Olympic Games open on Friday in Beijing.

北京五輪がきょう８日開幕する。

 

This will be the third Summer Olympics in Asia, following the Games in Tokyo in 1964 and in Seoul in 1988. About 16,000 athletes and officials from 205 countries and territories will participate--the most in Olympic history. We hope participating athletes will bring all their strength to the events, which come only once every four years.

アジアでは、東京大会（１９６４年）、ソウル大会（８８年）に続く３回目の開催だ。世界２０５か国・地域から約１万６０００人の選手・役員が参加する。五輪史上、最多の規模である。選手たちには、４年に一度の祭典で、全力を尽くしてもらいたい。

 

The Beijing Olympics is an international event to which China is committing its national prestige. It is conspicuous that China is attempting to demonstrate to the nation itself and to the world the achievements of its reforms and open-door policies started 30 years ago, as well as its presence in the international community.

今回の五輪は、中国にとって国家の威信をかけた国際イベントである。３０年前に始めた改革・開放政策の成果と、国際社会での自国の存在感を内外に誇示しようとする姿勢が際立っている。

prestige＝名声、威信 conspicuous＝明らかな、よく見える、人目を引く

 

As a sign of such efforts, China has invited heads of states and leaders of more than 80 countries, including Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, U.S. President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, to the opening ceremony.

開会式に、福田首相やブッシュ米大統領、サルコジ仏大統領ら８０か国を超える世界の首脳・指導者を招いているのもその表れだ。

 

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Under unprecedented alert

◆空前の厳戒下の祭典◆

 

However, the Beijing Olympics is also peculiar in a sense that it is attracting world attention for aspects other than sport.

しかし、今回の五輪ほどスポーツ以外の面で、世界の注目を集めている大会もまれだ。

peculiar＝人目を引く、特異な、目立った

 

At first, international criticism mounted against China's crackdown in March on antigovernment protests in Tibet. Following the incident, the Olympic torch relay caused serious confusion during its legs in the United States and Europe as well as in Nagano.

まず、３月のチベット暴動への弾圧に国際的非難が高まり、聖火リレーは欧米諸国や長野市で大きな混乱を巻き起こした。

 

Right before the opening of the Games, the country was hit by a series of terrorism incidents, including serial bus blasts in Yunnan Province and a deadly attack on policemen in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, events that go against the spirit of a sporting event.

開幕直前には、雲南省の連続バス爆破や、新疆ウイグル自治区での武装警官へのテロ攻撃などスポーツの祭典に似つかわしくない流血の惨事が続いた。

 

It can be interpreted that a variety of problems faced by China, such as the issue of ethnic minorities, economic and regional divides, corruption and oppression by government officials, have come to light all at once during the Olympic countdown.

少数民族問題や経済・地域の格差、役人の腐敗・横暴など中国が抱える様々な問題が、五輪開催を機に一気に噴き出した形だ。

oppression＝抑圧

 

During the Games, China plans to mobilize 110,000 police officers, including terror control officers, and more than 30,000 military personnel and 290,000 volunteers for security purposes.

中国は大会期間中、テロ対策要員を含む警察官１１万人、軍兵士３万人以上、警備担当ボランティア２９万人を動員する。

 

Though taking security precautions is necessary, the unprecedentedly high security alert in the country is creating an extraordinary atmosphere.

やむを得ない措置とは言え、空前の厳戒態勢は異様な雰囲気を醸し出している。

 

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Protect freedom of press

◆報道の自由を守れ◆

 

In terms of press freedom, there has already been friction between Chinese authorities and the international media.

報道の自由という点でも、早くも国際メディアと摩擦を起こしている。

 

At the two media centers of the Beijing Olympic Games, certain Internet sites deemed as anti-China have been made unaccessible. Freedom of the press is not fully guaranteed even for coverage of international events.

メディア・センターでは、反中国的とされる一部ホームページにはアクセスできない。国際行事でさえ、報道の自由は完全には保障されていない。

 

In connection with the attack on police officers in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, two Japanese newsmen who were at the attack site to cover the incident were beaten and temporarily detained by Chinese police.

加えて新疆事件では、取材で現地入りした邦人記者２人が警官に暴行を受け、一時拘束された。

 

Human rights issues in China emerged earlier this week following the country's detention of activists and lawyers protesting the country's Tibet policy and who are against the hosting of the Olympics.

中国のチベット政策や五輪開催に反対する内外の活動家や法律家が拘束されるなど、中国における人権問題が、改めて浮上することにもなった。

 

Before the opening of the Games, concerns were raised over air pollution and food safety in the country.

開会を前に、大気汚染問題や「食」の安全も懸念された。

 

In Beijing, more than 100 factories have suspended operations or have reduced production.

北京市では、すでに１００か所以上の工場が操業を停止したり減産している。

 

Authorities are stepping up efforts to tackle environmental problems, including regulations on gas exhaust by limiting the number of cars allowed to run in the city. We wonder how far such efforts have been successful.

走行できる車両数を制限し、排ガス規制を進めるなど、環境対策に力を入れている。どこまで効果を上げているのか。

 

Security problems and air pollution also are influencing Olympic participants in various ways.

治安悪化や大気汚染は、選手たちのコンディション調整にも、微妙な影響を及ぼしている。

 

Athletes from about 20 countries trained at camps in Japan until right before the Games. Some even said they wanted to avoid the risk of staying in Beijing for an extended period.

開幕直前まで、約２０か国の選手団が日本で合宿を行った。北京に長く滞在するリスクを避けたい、と語る関係者もいる。

 

After entering the Olympic Village in Beijing, members of the Japanese national contingent were told by their managers and coaches not to go out alone.

北京の選手村に入った日本選手団は、一人歩きをしないように監督やコーチから指示されている。

contingent＝選手、選手団

 

"I hope the Olympics will be held safely and in peace," said Hiroyuki Tomita of the men's gymnastics squad. This wish is certainly shared by all athletes.

男子体操の冨田洋之選手は「安全で、平和裏にオリンピックが行われることを願っています」と語った。選手全員の思いだろう。

squad＝チーム

 

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Japan ready to shine

◆がんばれニッポン◆

 

There are 339 Japanese athletes participating in the Games, the largest ever number to participate except for in the Tokyo Olympics. The Japanese contingent aims to take home double-digit gold medals and 30 or more medals in total.

日本人選手は３３９人に上る。東京五輪を除けば最大規模だ。「金メダルを２けた、メダル総数３０個以上」を目標としている。

 

We hope Japan see success close to that seen at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when Japan took 37 medals, including 16 gold.

金１６、計３７のメダルを獲得した前回アテネ大会に迫る結果を期待したい。

 

On Saturday, Ryoko Tani will compete in the women's 48-kilogram event in judo, aiming for an unprecedented third-straight gold medal in that event. If Tani achieves her goal of "winning a gold medal as a mom, too" following her golds under her maiden name of Tamura and under the name of Tani after her marriage, it will stir the spirits of the entire Japanese contingent.

９日には、五輪３連覇を目指す柔道女子４８キロ級の谷亮子選手が登場する。「ママでも金」を実現すれば、日本選手全体の士気が上がるだろう。

 

Finals in swimming will be held in the morning, which is unusual. The decision is believed to have been made to allow the finals to be aired live in prime time in the United States. Such consideration for schedules is in part because the operating costs of the Olympics are mainly funded by massive broadcasting rights fees.

競泳は、午前中に決勝が行われる異例の日程となった。米国内でテレビのゴールデンタイムに生中継できるよう配慮したためとされる。巨額の放送権料が運営費の柱となっている五輪ならではの競技設定といえる。

 

There are numerous reasons to watch the swimming events. Will Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima be able to win his second consecutive gold medals for both the men's 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke? How many world records will be rewritten by those wearing the much talked-about high-speed swimsuits?

平泳ぎの北島康介選手が、百メートル、二百メートルの２種目で連覇を達成できるか。話題となった高速水着により、世界新記録がいくつ生まれるか。興味は尽きない。

 

Baseball--of which the Japanese team mostly comprises professional players--and softball will be removed from the Olympics starting with the 2012 London Olympics. We hope that Japan, which won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, will put on a powerful show of the sports' attraction to the rest of the world.

プロの主力選手で臨む野球は、ソフトボールとともに、次回のロンドン五輪で競技から外れる。０６年のワールド・ベースボール・クラシック（ＷＢＣ）で世界一となった実力を発揮して、野球の魅力をアピールしてほしい。

 

Meanwhile, competition venues also are expected to be under tight control by Chinese authorities, with even the cheering activities being regulated in a variety of ways.

当局の厳戒態勢は、競技場内にも及びそうだ。応援ルールには様々な規制がかかっている。

 

Besides such points, attention also will be focused on the behavior of Chinese spectators. During the 2004 Asian Cup soccer games, Chinese spectators loudly booed Japanese players in a way that went too far, and it is still fresh in our memories.

そうした中、試合を観戦する中国人のマナーも注目を浴びるだろう。０４年のサッカー・アジア杯で、中国人観客の度を越した対日ブーイングは記憶に新しい。

spectators＝観客

 

Anti-French sentiment swept through China following disruptions in the Olympic torch relay in Paris. We wonder what attitude the Chinese people will show toward French players during the Olympics.

パリの聖火リレー妨害を理由に、中国全土で反仏抗議が吹き荒れた。フランスの選手に対して、どのような反応を示すのか。

 

It must be remembered that the international community is expecting the Chinese people to also show fair play in how they support all the athletes.

国際社会は、応援でもフェアプレーの精神を期待している。

 

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 8, 2008)

（2008年8月8日01時49分  読売新聞）