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Sample translations submitted: 4
English to Japanese: Blackpool Tower(Tourism)
Source text - English
One of the most iconic buildings in the northwest of England has to be the Blackpool Tower with many of the locals comparing it to the Eiffel Tower. It is most famous for ballroom dancing which was highlighted in the Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere film ‘Shall we Dance’ and if you choose to you have the opportunity to dance in this famous dancefloor. The Tower also contains other attractions such as: a circus, an aquarium and an adventure park for kids. And of course going to the top of the tower makes it possible to see the views of 4 different areas of the country. To enter the admission price is £12.95 for adults.
When Mel Gibson unleashed his warriors in the movie ‘Braveheart’, there was only one thing you could hear on the background; that was the sound of the traditional Scottish instrument, ‘the Bagpipe’. A place in the City of Glasgow keeps the tradition alive. The National Piping Centre has classes on learning to play the bagpipe open to everybody that has interest in playing this instrument. This is a ‘must’ for anyone who is seeking a new experience and deeper knowledge of the Scottish Culture and Identity. Classes cost from £150 for 10 lessons to £260 for an intensive course.
Translation - Japanese
イングランド北西部のもっとも象徴的な建物のひとつとされ、地元の多くの人々たちにエッフェル塔と比較されるブラックプール・タワー。なかでも有名なのがこのタワーで行われる社交ダンスです。ジェニファー・ロペス、リチャード・ギア主演の映画『シャル・ウィー・ダンス』では映画のハイライトを飾りました。機会があればこのダンスフロアで踊ってみたいと思われることでしょう。その他にもサーカス、水族館、子供向けのアドベンチャー・パークといったアトラクションがあり、タワーの屋上からはこの国の四地域を見渡すことができます。入館料は大人12ポンド95ペンスです。
English to Japanese: Subtitling of a Documentary Film
Source text - English 1 00;00;01;08 00;00;05;27 Barbara Tucker
Barbara Tucker
2 00;00;11;25 00;00;17;13 Genocide is a war crime.
3 00;00;17;26 00;00;24;25 And Gordon Brown is a war criminal.
4 00;00;25;05 00;00;28;02 Stop killing children.
5 00;00;28;06 00;00;33;15 Arrest the war criminal.
6 00;00;39;08 00;00;40;29 My name is Barbera Tucker.
7 00;00;41;00 00;00;47;12 I have been with Brian's campaign
for about a year and a half.
8 00;00;47;13 00;00;50;03 I used to come down two or three days a week.
9 00;00;50;04 00;00;54;27 On the 23rd May last year the government ordered...
10 00;00;54;28 00;00;58;29 ...seventy eight police to come in and tear down the campaign.
11 00;00;59;00 00;01;04;18 Since then myself and some others have lived in Parliament Square...
12 00;01;04;19 00;01;08;23 ...with Brian to support him.
13 00;01;09;19 00;01;14;10 I primarily campaign that individuals in government...
14 00;01;14;11 00;01;16;27 ...stop killing children for money.
15 00;01;16;28 00;01;19;22 Essentially that is how I see it.
16 00;01;19;29 00;01;24;29 There is a few war mongers in government
making life a misery for people throughout the world.
17 00;01;25;00 00;01;29;17 I think that the Iraq war, Afghanistan, Palestine and...
18 00;01;29;18 00;01;37;01 ...Lebanon last summer is a growing pattern of imperialism being witnessed again.
19 00;01;37;02 00;01;39;11 It is always the people that suffer.
20 00;01;39;12 00;01;41;10 I think that peaceful people across the world...
21 00;01;41;11 00;01;45;13 ...stand hand-in-hand in peace and do not want what is going on.
22 00;01;46;21 00;01;49;03 These people leaving the Houses of Parliament...
23 00;01;49;04 00;01;51;17 ...are not doing law and democracy.
24 00;01;51;19 00;01;54;18 They are bending over for George Bush.
25 00;01;54;24 00;01;59;18 The US and UK governments are saying to the people of Iraq...
26 00;01;59;19 00;02;04;16 ...how many of you are willing to die before you give us your oil.
27 00;02;04;26 00;02;09;13 This is a power scramble between China and the US.
28 00;02;10;03 00;02;13;15 The many are suffering for the greed of the few.
29 00;02;13;16 00;02;17;20 Who drive around in their armoured vehicles.
30 00;02;19;00 00;02;23;22 You are a disgrace to law and democracy.
31 00;02;24;12 00;02;30;14 Which part of your theft, rape, torture and genocide...
32 00;02;30;15 00;02;34;12 ...is the democracy bit.
33 00;02;37;00 00;02;38;29 Are you Barbara Tucker?
34 00;02;39;00 00;02;40;13 Excuse me.
35 00;02;40;14 00;02;41;22 Are you Barbara Tucker?
35 00;02;41;23 0;02;43;24 I might be anything.
36 00;02;43;29 00;02;46;06 I know you as Barbara Tucker.
37 00;02;46;07 00;02;50;00 Just to let you know the use of the megaphone as part of...
38 00;02;50;01 00;02;54;29 ...Brian's protest outside of the alloted hours at 9:30 in the morning...
39 00;02;55;00 00;03;00;04 ...until 4:30 in the afternoon is in breach of the conditions...
40 00;03;00;05 00;03;02;26 ...imposed by Westminster city council.
41 00;03;02;28 00;03;05;18 I will be formally reporting you.
42 00;03;06;11 00;03;09;23 I would like to say you are aiding and abetting war criminals.
43 00;03;09;24 00;03;12;05 We will never negotiate with war criminals.
44 00;03;12;06 00;03;14;18 We do not debate the killing of children.
45 00;03;14;19 00;03;17;23 Go and take your political game somewhere else.
46 00;03;18;22 00;03;22;17 We all know it is about the government trying to make...
47 00;03;22;19 00;03;24;26 ...sure that Brian's display never comes back.
48 00;03;24;28 00;03;28;02 So everybody connected to that, they are trying to use...
49 00;03;28;03 00;03;30;26 ...the law they made up for Brian, which is a smoke screen...
50 00;03;30;27 00;03;36;11 ...they are attacking everyone around. Trying to stop protest.
51 00;03;36;14 00;03;39;12 So we are going on the attack now.
52 00;03;39;13 00;03;42;12 We have a judicial review, several other hearings...
53 00;03;42;13 00;03;45;25 ...and also civil proceedings against the police.
54 00;03;45;26 00;03;48;24 There are lot of cases as I have been arrested about...
55 00;03;48;25 00;03;50;13 ...twenty one times.
56 00;03;50;14 00;03;52;28 I only have several outstanding cases.
57 00;03;52;29 00;03;55;12 I have got fifteen unlawful arrests.
58 00;03;55;13 00;03;57;27 I have got all of these civil proceedings to catch up with.
59 00;03;57;28 00;04;07;25 So I want to get that to say stop this campaign of harassment.
60 00;04;07;26 00;04;13;00 I was at inner London Crown court today on an obstruct PC case...
61 00;04;13;01 00;04;18;16 ...where I am lawfully demonstrating peacefully under SOCPA.
62 00;04;18;24 00;04;22;19 They can't get me under SOCPA, so they do me for obstruct PC.
63 00;04;22;20 00;04;26;08 As I explained to the judge, really the case is about I am...
64 00;04;26;09 00;04;30;18 ...lawfully demonstrating what is the arrest and convition about?
65 00;04;30;19 00;04;34;05 Where is the law in there because we don't know.
66 00;04;34;06 00;04;42;02 We do know, but yes. So to say stop making up stuff we are peacefully campaigning leave us alone.
Translation - Japanese 1 00;00;01;08 00;00;05;27 Barbara Tucker
Barbara Tucker （バーバラ・タッカー）
2 00;00;11;25 00;00;17;13 Genocide is a war crime.
大虐殺は戦争犯罪だ
3 00;00;17;26 00;00;24;25 And Gordon Brown is a war criminal.
そしてゴードン・ブラウンは
戦争犯罪者だ
4 00;00;25;05 00;00;28;02 Stop killing children.
子供たちを殺すのはやめろ
5 00;00;28;06 00;00;33;15 Arrest the war criminal.
戦争犯罪者を逮捕しろ
6 00;00;39;08 00;00;40;29 My name is Barbera Tucker.
バーバラ・タッカーといいます
7 00;00;41;00 00;00;47;12 I have been with Brian's campaign
for about a year and a half.
ブライアンとともに約一年半
抗議運動をしています
8 00;00;47;13 00;00;50;03 I used to come down two or three days a week.
以前は週に二、三回
来る程度でした
9 00;00;50;04 00;00;54;27 On the 23rd May last year the government ordered...
昨年の5月23日、政府は―
10 00;00;54;28 00;00;58;29 ...seventy eight police to come in and tear down the campaign.
78人の警察官に
取り壊しを命じました
11 00;00;59;00 00;01;04;18 Since then myself and some others have lived in Parliament Square...
以来、私とあと何人かが
パーラメント・スクエアに―
12 00;01;04;19 00;01;08;23 ...with Brian to support him.
ブライアンと共に住み、
彼をサポートしています
13 00;01;09;19 00;01;14;10 I primarily campaign that individuals in government...
私は主として、
政府の一人一人が、子供たちを―
14 00;01;14;11 00;01;16;27 ...stop killing children for money.
金目的で殺すのを辞めるよう
訴えています
15 00;01;16;28 00;01;19;22 Essentially that is how I see it.
基本的にはそういう意見です
16 00;01;19;29 00;01;24;29 There is a few war mongers in government
making life a misery for people throughout the world.
戦争を商売にして人々の暮らしを
悲惨な状態にしている人が―
世界中にいます
17 00;01;25;00 00;01;29;17 I think that the Iraq war, Afghanistan, Palestine and...
イラク戦争、アフガニスタン、パレスチナ
18 00;01;29;18 00;01;37;01 ...Lebanon last summer is a growing pattern of imperialism being witnessed again.
そして昨夏のレバノンなどは、
帝国主義が再び成長していることを
露呈したわね
19 00;01;37;02 00;01;39;11 It is always the people that suffer.
いつも苦しむのは民衆です
20 00;01;39;12 00;01;41;10 I think that peaceful people across the world...
世界中の平和を願う人々は
21 00;01;41;11 00;01;45;13 ...stand hand-in-hand in peace and do not want what is going on.
平和に手を取り合い、
今起きていることを―
望んではいない
22 00;01;46;21 00;01;49;03 These people leaving the Houses of Parliament...
国会議事堂を出てくるこの人たちは
23 00;01;49;04 00;01;51;17 ...are not doing law and democracy.
法や民主主義に則っていません
24 00;01;51;19 00;01;54;18 They are bending over for George Bush.
ジョージ・ブッシュに迎合しているの
25 00;01;54;24 00;01;59;18 The US and UK governments are saying to the people of Iraq...
米国、英国政府はイラク民に
26 00;01;59;19 00;02;04;16 ...how many of you are willing to die before you give us your oil.
オイルを受け渡すまでに
命を差し出す人が何人いるか
27 00;02;04;26 00;02;09;13 This is a power scramble between China and the US.
これが中国と米国の権力争いなの
28 00;02;10;03 00;02;13;15 The many are suffering for the greed of the few.
数人の私欲のために
多くの人が苦しんでいるのよ
29 00;02;13;16 00;02;17;20 Who drive around in their armoured vehicles.
装甲車両を乗り回している
一部の人たちのために
30 00;02;19;00 00;02;23;22 You are a disgrace to law and democracy.
法と民主主義の面汚しだわ
31 00;02;24;12 00;02;30;14 Which part of your theft, rape, torture and genocide...
盗難行為、レイプ、拷問、
大虐殺の一体どこが
32 00;02;30;15 00;02;34;12 ...is the democracy bit.
民主主義だというのでしょう
33 00;02;37;00 00;02;38;29 Are you Barbara Tucker?
バーバラ・タッカーさんですか。
34 00;02;39;00 00;02;40;13 Excuse me.
え？
35 00;02;40;14 00;02;41;22 Are you Barbara Tucker?
バーバラ・タッカーさんですか。
35 00;02;41;23 0;02;43;24 I might be anything.
さあ、誰でしょう。
36 00;02;43;29 00;02;46;06 I know you as Barbara Tucker.
バーバラ・タッカーさんですよね
37 00;02;46;07 00;02;50;00 Just to let you know the use of the megaphone as part of...
メガホンの使用について
38 00;02;50;01 00;02;54;29 ...Brian's protest outside of the alloted hours at 9:30 in the morning...
ブライアンの抗議活動を
定められた時間外の９時半から
39 00;02;55;00 00;03;00;04 ...until 4:30 in the afternoon is in breach of the conditions...
午後４時半までに行うことは
法律違反になりす
40 00;03;00;05 00;03;02;26 ...imposed by Westminster city council.
ウェストミンスター市議会から
命じられています
41 00;03;02;28 00;03;05;18 I will be formally reporting you.
正式に報告しますよ
42 00;03;06;11 00;03;09;23 I would like to say you are aiding and abetting war criminals.
あなたたちは戦争犯罪者たちを
支援し、けしかけているのです
43 00;03;09;24 00;03;12;05 We will never negotiate with war criminals.
私たちは戦争犯罪者とは
決して折り合ったりしません
44 00;03;12;06 00;03;14;18 We do not debate the killing of children.
子供たちを殺していることに
ついて議論を交わしません
45 00;03;14;19 00;03;17;23 Go and take your political game somewhere else.
政治ゲームはどこかよそで
行ってください
46 00;03;18;22 00;03;22;17 We all know it is about the government trying to make...
私たちにはわかっています
政府がやろうとしていること―
47 00;03;22;19 00;03;24;26 ...sure that Brian's display never comes back.
ブライアンのディスプレーを
消し去ろうとしているのです
48 00;03;24;28 00;03;28;02 So everybody connected to that, they are trying to use...
関係のある人すべてに
49 00;03;28;03 00;03;30;26 ...the law they made up for Brian, which is a smoke screen...
ブライアンのために
作られた法律を
当てはめようとしている
50 00;03;30;27 00;03;36;11 ...they are attacking everyone around. Trying to stop protest.
誰これ構わず攻撃して
抗議を阻止しようとしている
51 00;03;36;14 00;03;39;12 So we are going on the attack now.
だから私たちはこれから
対抗します
52 00;03;39;13 00;03;42;12 We have a judicial review, several other hearings...
司法審査と公聴会を開いて
53 00;03;42;13 00;03;45;25 ...and also civil proceedings against the police.
警察に対して民事手続きを
とります
54 00;03;45;26 00;03;48;24 There are lot of cases as I have been arrested about...
これまでに逮捕された
案件はたくさん
55 00;03;48;25 00;03;50;13 ...twenty one times.
21回あります
56 00;03;50;14 00;03;52;28 I only have several outstanding cases.
未解決の案件がいくつかあり
57 00;03;52;29 00;03;55;12 I have got fifteen unlawful arrests.
非合法の逮捕が15件
58 00;03;55;13 00;03;57;27 I have got all of these civil proceedings to catch up with.
民事手続きをしなければならない
59 00;03;57;28 00;04;07;25 So I want to get that to say stop this campaign of harassment.
ハラスメント運動をやめてくれと
言いたいんですよ
60 00;04;07;26 00;04;13;00 I was at inner London Crown court today on an obstruct PC case...
今日はインナー・ロンドンの
刑事法院に出向きました
61 00;04;13;01 00;04;18;16 ...where I am lawfully demonstrating peacefully under SOCPA.
SOCPAの許可申請が出た
デモでしたが
公務執行妨害で訴えられました
62 00;04;18;24 00;04;22;19 They can't get me under SOCPA, so they do me for obstruct PC.
SOCPAで捕えることができないから
公務執行妨害を使ったのです
63 00;04;22;20 00;04;26;08 As I explained to the judge, really the case is about I am...
判事に説明したのは自分が―
64 00;04;26;09 00;04;30;18 ...lawfully demonstrating what is the arrest and convition about?
合法的にデモをしているのに
逮捕され有罪となってしまった
65 00;04;30;19 00;04;34;05 Where is the law in there because we don't know.
我々の知らない法律があるのか
66 00;04;34;06 00;04;42;02 We do know, but yes.
So to say stop making up stuff we are peacefully campaigning leave us alone.
本当はありませんけどね
平和的に抗議をしている我々の
邪魔はやめてくれと
言いたいのです
Japanese to English: TV Programme (Translation of Narration Script)
Source text - Japanese 世界中が注目する、日本のポップカルチャー
といえば「マンガ」！【MANGA】
5000億市場の立役者・「マンガ週刊誌」
の秘密に迫る！
Translation - English The Japanese Pop Culture which attract the world wide attention is “Manga”!
We are going to feature the key player in the 500 billion market, “Weekly Manga Magazines”!
Weekly SHONEN MAGAZINE was born half a century ago as the first time ever weekly manga magazine in the world, and has lead the industry every since. What is the appeal ?
The catalyst for Manga to be well accepted by large range of age group was the manga magazines.
Japanese to English: Book Translation - "Himitsu(Secret)"
Source text - Japanese [due to copy right issue, the original cannot be listed]
Translation - English Chapter 4
Photo, my mother in my memory wore her hair short.
Short hair
3, April, 2001, when I came back to Japan, I had two suitcases and a small blue bag.
I got the bag from my mother. I filled up the bag with my 28 years’ memories. Birthday presents from my fathers, Christmas presents form my mothers, and the memories with my friends I couldn’t say good-bye to because it was too sudden. Everything was precious memories for me.
However, the thing which took over the bag most was something to remember my mother by.
My mother’s favourite goods, such as the purple jacket and skirt, the black vest which she was wearing during the student movement, the red glass pot, a watch I was given as a birthday present, and a Santa Claus doll as a Christmas present. Holding them, all of them remind me of my mother at that time.
Opening the bag, I want to write a little about my mother’s memory.
I was able to spend the time with my mother, like an ordinary mother and daughter, only when I was a child she was very busy and often left the house. Perhaps, it was about one fifth of my 29 years’ life. However, it does not matter how long it is. My mother and have built a reliable and strong relationship the same as my mother and grandfather have shared a strong bond.
My mother wrote letters to me from a jail, that say she is helped by me. Because of the inconvenience of her life, she says so but I still find the same glint in her eyes when I visit her or see her in the court.
My mother was born on 28 September, 1945, in Baji Kouen, Setagaya ward, Tokyo, right after the Second World War had finished. This means, the length of her life almost equals to the length of the Second World War.
In the late 1960’s, long hair, miniskirt, and long boots were very popular. I often heard from people who spend their adolescence around that time “What’s more with Fusako Shigenobu, she always had long hair.” I am not sure whether she had long hair just because it was in or not, I am sure she loved long hair. However, my mother that I know has always had short hair. I don’t even have a memory that my mother had long hair in my childhood. She had short hair when she was arrested. I think it was a kind of disguise using everyone’s image in an underhand way.
When I was a child, my mother was invited by leaders in the Arab countries and she accompanied me, a little girl. Even in that situation, speaking to old people, children, or poor people, she has never changed her attitude and always and considered each other equal.
“That is because we are both human.”
That is my mother’s favourite phrase.
“Humans must have some common channel. It’s important to speak your tune into their channel.”
“If you have an advantage, you should think them equal to you.”
That is another favourite phrase.
In the Arab countries, the type of woman like my mother is quite rare. It is very difficult to abase themselves or to be modest for the Arabs who put their pride before anything. They think being modest means being made to look stupid or looked down upon.
My mother has never changed her attitude even in the Arab countries. I thought she was great even in the eyes of her daughter. I told her about it but she just said that it was the compliment for my grandfather and she just smiled. I heard it after I came to Japan but the way that she speaks is very similar to her father’s.
I was very happy only my mother was at home because I had had a long time that I couldn’t meet her. Even though I played with my friends outside, I went back to my home many times to see whether she was there or not. I was relieved when I found my mother.
I loved doing thumb wrestling because I could sit down on her lap. Whenever she was at home, I sat down on her lap and asked her for thumb wrestling. It’s not necessary to prepare anything; we loved thumb wrestling and played in the field or the house.
“Mei, let’s play thumb wrestling!”
Even now, I hear my mother’s voice though I spend a night alone in Tokyo.
She often told Japanese folk tales and fairy stories such as my mother’s favourites ‘Run, Melos!’, and ‘The Spider’s Thread’ by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
I was a child who did not sleep until I heard at least one story from my mother, though I now forgot all of them.
I had a tonsil surgery when I was about to leave kindergarten. I created a musical with my family while I took rest in my home because Midori, who had been away for a while, came back to home. The original story was “The Animals in the woods” which was on the school text book.
The story was very simple. A wolf blocked a narrow bridge in the wood to put everyone in trouble and at the end, he regretted what he had done then became friends.
In the bosom of the mountain stream
There was a corduroy bridge
Valley is deep and water is cold
It is impossible to walk two on the bridge
Then, here come a flopsy-bunny
My family who loves the Beatles composed happy music then my mother and I acted as bunnies. That was a sweet memory in the past.
I have memories about the birthday presents I sent. I sent lipstick or eye liner which my mother hardly used because I had been taught by her that you should choose what you give depending on what you want to be given.
In the second year of secondary school, I gave her a hand-knitted scarf, deep green in colour, embroidered with red thread in the middle. Green means fight in the Arab and red is my favourite. It took a long time to knit but she seemed to like it and often put it on.
I sewed trousers with a sewing machine. I made them with light blue denim. She was the mother who becomes happy as much as my hard work.
I often received stationery as a present from my mother. I was given a watch at the age of twelve. It was not so expensive but for a girl around that age, the watch was a very expensive present. I was looking forward to the day I go to secondary school with the watch.
Sometimes, we went to travel together.
In summer holidays or winter holidays, we went to travel when school didn’t have classes, the political situation was relatively stable, and she could afford to travel. Most of the time, we travelled with Midori or a few of my families. We had trip across Lebanon, the Middle East countries, and somewhere quite far.
This is the story when I travelled only with my mother in a train.
At a way station, my mother got off the train to buy some drinks but she didn’t come back for a long, long time. I heard the boarding announcement but she had not come back. I dragged the luggage in a hurry, going to the door and shouted to the conductor that my mother had not came so stop the train. However, the conductor did not know what happened with a look of amazement. I screamed like nothing.
“My mother hasn’t come back yet! Stop the train or let me get leave the train!! Please!”
Shouting and looking in front of me, my mother was coming.
“Why are you shouting?”
She looked strangely at me but I was crying out, thinking whether I couldn’t see her any more or not.
I think that is the reason why I ask my mother to hold my hand tightly and if I got lost, it would bother her. So, I became a person of stability.
“Mei, you were always trying to protect your mother.”
When I meet my mother in Tokyo Jail, she always gives a kingly smile with this saying over the plastic partition:
What Mother Wanted to Convey
“Don’t say “I can’t”. You can do it if you think you can.”
When I was a child, every time I said “I can’t”, she always said so.
She suggested that I could see and think in different angles however difficultly it may be settled.
Nobody knew when would my mother be killed and when would she arrested. That was why she brought me up as an independent person so I could live alone.
I was so curious that I asked why and how on everything. She praised me for my curiosity then answered my questions.
My mother’s dearest wish was that I would be a person, who could stand on my feet. She kept teaching me something helpful to live in bounded time and under regulated conditions.
She occasionally taught many things even we were at home, walking around my neighbourhood, and while travelling.
For instance, she became a botanist when we walked together.
“You can whistle with this leaf.”
“This leaf is dangerous because it is toxic.”
“You can eat this berry. It is good for salad.”
I found the fact that the way she taught was the copied from my grandfather’s way.
My mother lived in Setagaya ward in Tokyo. My grandfather took his family to the park and taught them.
“These grasses are edible.”
“You shouldn’t touch this grass as it is toxic.”
That was in times of scarcity after Japan lost the war. I saw my grandfather in my mother, because they both taught the wisdom of living.
Sometimes, my mother became a historian. She told a wide range of matters, not only Japanese history but also ethnic groups in the Middle East, and religions.
“Originally, Japanese was not a single race. Many ethnic groups came from different places in Asia then created the Japanese.”
“A widely distributed people across Morocco and Algeria, called Berber people, are the native African tribe, and survived in controlled history.”
All her stories were exciting for me.
In the Middle East, The war broke out somewhere and sometimes even after the Second World War and my mother explained the reason of the war whenever it broke out. For instance, Iran-Iraq War, she told me an Iranian history and an Iraqi history. Then, she explained the background of the war and the fact that the great powers supported two countries, giving money and arms as the war never to end.
My mother said that the reason why I interested in math because when I was a child, I sold popcorn and other sweets on the street, as I copied children in my neighbourhood. I learned subtraction naturally while I counted the change. Bath time was the lesson time for us as well. We soaked in a bathtub, which was made of drum, with making ten. For example, if she said eight, I said two. If she said four, I answered six.
She taught me math, then suddenly she started a story, such as the Arab invented figures, and both of Arabian and Indian insisted that they found “zero”. Thanks for my mother and my family, I became good at math.
By the way, I have a habit my mother disgusted with.
When I make a mistake on my home work, I start it from scratch, even if I mistook just only one letter because there was a rule in the Arab that the home work must have been written in a pen. I don’t erase just only one letter, erase whole sentence and start it again. That is my habit.
“You can erase just only your mistake.”
Even though my mother said so, I couldn’t forgive myself as I am a methodical person.
As I became a secondary school student, she came to talk about boys.
She advised me that it was good to fall in love with someone but it might be better to meet and talk with many people before I love particular person. The person who fit me best was the one I fancy his sense or character. She also said that I shouldn’t be madly in love with someone and don’t rush to get marry because I was too young.
She was anxious about me, adolescent daughter, as same as ordinary mother.
Dress with Black Short Sleeves
My mother hardly ever showed me her tears.
However, I found tears sparkling in her eyes when she talked about the time she left her family and Japan.
Thirty one years ago, she told her family that she would go to the Arab using the expression “I’ll go to abroad.” Once my grandfather heard of it, he felt as if he got the message that her daughter would never come back.
He did not want her daughter go to abroad actually. He wanted her to be a teacher, keep her by his side, and enjoy fishing with laid-back lifestyle.
But without showing his inside feeling, he just said.
“Well, you are going to abroad. If you are going, you should do something unlike other people. Anyway, go and do not think you are able to come back.”
Since my grandfather was a member of right-wing group, Ketsumei-dan, he sent her away without asking anything.
“In fact, he didn’t want to let me go but he knew if he said that, it made me hesitate to go. I know everything what he think. It was all over his face.
Whenever she talked about his father, her voice always sounded sad.
My mother often talked about her nephew, who was yet baby at that time. My mother loved him very much, she went to his house as she wanted to get at least a glimpse of him. However, nobody stayed at home. She climbed up the roof of the next door and walked through the both houses’ roof, jumped on to the balcony, sneaked into a room, then waited her brother and nephew would be back.
I heard of it from her brother’s wife recently.
“Fu-chan flicked away wearing long hair, long skirt and boots, and long jacket”
My mother was called a nick name Fu-chan from all of her family.
“You know, Mei? Everybody wants to stay with their family all their life. But no matter how I sad, I had to leave them to achieve of my purpose. It was hard for me to say goodbye to them but I wanted to make my mind clear before I left Japan.
She often talked like that.
She had lost many friends until I became the age I understood her feeling. Some of them passed away, others were arrested. She has lost countless number of the Arab friends too. She has lived with saying goodbye to many people. She often spoke about those fellows.
“Mei, do you remember that mischievous guy? He took your pictures in amusement when you tossed and turned a lot in your sleep. Well, how about that guy? He gave a bee in a plastic bag as you could play with while adults were busy. It was natural the bee stung you, right?”
Perhaps, as she talked her memories, her sadness disappeared a little.
I also left my friends and came to Japan. I understand how my mother felt but my bitter feeling is not as hard as her, less than one hundreds.
When she was in Japan, her activity was very open but since she came to the Arab, she could not get in touch with outsiders freely. In my case, I had been in a secret life then now I am free. Thus, she was not allowed to meet some one she wanted to meet for ever but I can meet some one I want to see if I want to.
I concerned about my mother, able to see her family and friends she said goodbye after she will be set free.
As I went to secondary school, my mother and I hardly lived together. Though I felt close to her, we just talked on the phone once a month.
She didn’t ask me where I was calling from nor She didn’t tell me where she was.
“How are you doing?”
“How is your school?”
“How are you making out I told you last time.”
Most of our topics were her questions about what I had been up to.
Once I said “I have an exam next month.” She rung me with precise timing and asked that how the exam was.
She was anxious about my future job and marriage. Therefore, I told her about my love or whatever she wanted to know. Despite being lived far away, we bonded each other more tightly together.
One of the precious things in the blue bag, which I put a lot of memories, is black half sleeved dress.
My mother worked her way through an evening class in Meiji University and took teacher-training course. She earned the required number of credits and waited to be a practice teacher. This black dress was a present from her mother.
While she was a practice teacher in a state secondary school, she had been in the dress every day. As is often the case with the students around that age, they were very naughty. They put white powder with the chalk on the edge of their desks then put the desks together to make aisles narrower. As soon as she entered the classroom, a student, who was sitting backward, asked her to come because he had something to ask. However, she saw through a plot, and said.
“You should come forward.”
So, he came forward but his trousers were utterly white because of the white chalk. It was easy trick to her because she was a naughty student. However, that opened up the door and brought them closer together.
One day, she asked me to keep the dress.
She asked me to try it on many times but her dress was too small for me.
In retrospect, she did it just in case.
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Years of experience: 30. Registered at ProZ.com: Jul 2007.
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