VOA Special English News 81

Japan has agreed to help support Indian's money, the rupee. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda agreed to an exchange of 15 billion dollars of currency with India during a visit to New Delhi on Wednesday. Indian money has been losing its exchange value recently. Mr. Noda and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also spoke about increasing trade between the two countries. Trade between India and Japan reached about 14 billion dollars this year.


original news・日本語のニュース

日本は、インド通貨、ルピーをサポートすることに合意した。野田佳彦首相は、水曜日、ニュー・デリー訪問の際に、インドとの150億ドルの通貨スワップ協定に合意した。インド通貨は、最近その交換価値が低下している。また、インドのマンモハン・シン首相は2国間の増加している貿易についても語った。今年、インドと日本の間の貿易は、140億ドルに達している。

My thought/opinion on this issue

I have learned that PM Noda visited India from this program. Now, his party are facing serious problem that several politicians have left the Japanese Democratic Party in opposition to a plan to rise rate of consumer tax in the future.

Asahi says that two countries have confirmed that they make an effort to agree to corporate on a development of nuclear power. But, I cannot agree this Japan's policy because I think that Japan should consider all policies on the use of nuclear power after Fukushima. 

"Fukushima"

I have finished reading a book written by "Genyu Soukyu"（玄侑宗久） who is a Buddhist priest in Fukushima and a winner of the Akutagawa prize（芥川賞）. The title of the book is "Fukushima ni ikiru"（福島に生きる）.

He writes about the difficult situation that people in Fukushima have faced. He also writes about his decision to fight it with them.

 I have again recognized that we are facing at a very difficult problem. We have never experienced it in the past.

He says in the book that he has started a foundation that has supported people who have been in bad situation. The foundation's name is "Tamakiawaru-Fukushima-Kikin."(たまきはる福島基金).

I donated a little money to it, and I will do it again when I have surplus money.

VOA Special English News 80

Turkey has reacted angrily to a French parliament vote. The lower house in France approved a measure that would make it a crime to say that the death of many Armenians almost 100 years ago was not genocide. Armenia says Turkish troops killed one and a half million Armenians during the First world war. Turkey says many Armenians died.  However, it says the death were the result of civil war and not genocide. In answer to the vote Thursday, Turkey has told its ambassador to leave the country. It has also banned the French navy from Turkish waters. And it is not letting French military airplanes use some Turkish air space. The law now goes to the  French Senate for a vote. Hundreds of thousands of French citizens have families that came from Armenia.


original news・日本語のニュース

（日本語訳）
トルコは、フランス下院議会が約100年前に起きたアルメニア人「虐殺」を否定すると罪に問われる法案を承認したことに対して激し反抗している。アルメニアは、第一次世界大戦中にトルコ軍が150万人のアルメニア人を殺害したと言っている。トルコは、たくさんのアルメニア人が死亡したが、それは内戦によるもので、虐殺ではないと言っている。（フランス議会での）投票に応えて、トルコはトルコとの大使にフランスを離れるようにと話している。トルコはまた、フランス海軍がトルコ水域の使用を禁止し、フランス軍飛行機のトルコ空域の一部の使用を禁止している。法案は、上院議会に付される。数十万のフランス市民はアルメニア移民の家族を持っている。

"Tonakai" is a basic meat in Alaska

Reindeer is a well-known animal in Japan that Santa Clause uses to transport gifts children. It is translated as "Tonakai"（トナカイ） into Japanese, but I don't know the origin of the name.

Today, I have learned that reindeer is a basic meat in Alaska through the VOA Special English program. At first, I could not understand this part in it, "children might want to cover their ears for this part", but later I found out it.

"Why do children want to cover reindeer's ears?", first I thought. After considering it, I got to an idea that means "子供たちは、この部分については、耳を覆いたくなるかもしれない。＝子供たちは、このことは聞きたくないかも知れないが".

There are similar stories in the world. Those include that some people in Japan eat a meat of dolphin and some Korean eat dog's meat. And I have heard that people in Britain usually eat a meat of rabbit. They look very similar things to me, but there are many critics against eating dolphin and dog. I do not know why those differences happen on those issues.

VOA Special English News 79

A Japanese automaker is planning to help a Canadian mining company speed their development of rare earth metals. Toyota announced on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Matamec Explorations. The agreement offers Toyota some of the metals it needs to cars that do not use gasoline. The mine's chief officer said Toyota will buy everything the mine produces. Rare earth metals are a set of 17 chemical elements that are not rare. But they are usually found in amounts that do not make them financially valuable. China currently produces almost all rare earth elements.

related news・日本語のニュース

（日本語のニュース）
日本の自動車メーカーは、カナダの鉱山会社のレアアース（希土類）の開発を早めること支援することを計画している。トヨタは、火曜日、マタメック社と同意したことを発表した。その同意では、トヨタがハイブリット車に必要としている金属をトヨタに提供する。鉱山の幹部は、トヨタは鉱山が採掘した全てを買い上げることになると言った。レアアースは１７の化学元素で、レアではない。しかし、sそれらは、採算がとれる量が算出されない。最近では、中国がほとんど全てのレアアースを生産している。

My thought/opinion on this issue
It is not old news that China used stopping the export of rare earth to Japan as diplomatic measure in answer to Senkaku Island problem. It is not good situation that one country monopolies one  resource.

My favorite time

I stop in at a cafe named "Tsujiri"（辻利）once or two times a week to listen to VOA Special English programs recorded in my IC recorder after working.. It is only about 20 minutes, but I am not bothered by anything, enjoying good foods there, so it is my favorite time.

Tsujiri serves "matcha"（抹茶） and "matcha dessert" like green tea ice cream.

Last Friday, I ordered "kuro-mame-warabi" and "sencha" set（黒豆わらびと煎茶セット）. "Warabi"(わらび or わらび餅） was not too sweet, very delicious. 

VOA Special English News 78

Pakistan says the American military has left an air base in the country's southwest. Pakistan ordered the American military to leave the base in answer to a Nato air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month. The Pakistani military says it took over the Shamsi base in Baluchistan province on Sunday. As the last flight, carrying American troops and equipment, departed. American media report United States military used the base to launch unpiloted aircraft to attack al-Qaeda and Taliban militants along the Pakistani-Afghan border. American intelligence experts say the withdrawal from Shamsi air base is not likely to hurt the drone attack plan in the border region. They say the American military can still fly the drones from air fields in Afghanistan.

original news・日本語のニュース

（日本語訳）

パキスタンによると、アメリカ軍はパキスタン南部の空軍基地から撤退するとのことである。パキスタンは、先月、NATOによる空爆でパキスタン軍人、24人が死亡したことを受けて、アメリカ軍に撤退するよう求めていた。パキスタン軍は、日曜日バルチスタン地方のシャムシ基地を引き継いだと言っている。最後のフライトとして、アメリカ軍と装備の搬送が出発した。米メディアの報道によると、合衆国軍隊は、その基地をパキスタンとアフガニスタンの国境付近のアルカイダやタリバン兵士を攻撃するための無人飛行機を飛ばすために使っていたということである。アメリカのスパイ専門家は、シャムシ空軍基地からの撤退は国境付近における無人飛行機攻撃計画を妨げることにはなりそうにない、アメリカ軍はまだアフガニスタンの空港から無人飛行機を飛ばすことができると言っている。

My thought/opinion on this issue

I have learned a new term, "drone" in this news. High technology cuts cost of war and prevents soldiers from considering killing not by facing death. They can kill people like playing video games.

VOA Special English News 77

A leading Japanese food manufacturer says the radioactive metal cesium has been discovered in its baby food. The Meiji Company said Tuesday that it has launched an immediate recall of 400,000 containers of powdered baby milk. The company said the level of cesium were well below government safety limits. The Meiji company said it volunteered the recall. And it said it is not sure how the substance got into its powdered milk. But it says it suspects it came from the Fukushima-Daiich power Plant in March. The plant was struck by the earthquake and tsunami. Cesium cannot be seen, tasted or smelled.

original news・日本語のニュース

日本の大手食品メーカーは、自社製品から放射性物質であるセシウムが検出された発表した。明治乳業は、火曜日、粉ミルク40万缶の即時レコールを発表した。会社の発表によると、セシウムのレベルは政府の安全基準を十分下回っていたが、自主的にリコールをしたとのことである。また同会社はどうやってセシウムが粉ミルクに入ったか、わからないが、地震と津波で破壊された福島第一原発から来たものではないかと、言っている。セシウムは、無味無臭無色である。

My thought/opinion on this issue

I live in a place far from Fukushima, so I have not been conscious of the radiation problem in daily life, especially in food. But I can easily imagine that people in Kanto area have become nervous about it.

Now people in Japan have faced very difficult situation. However, I expect that people will conquer it with wisdom and calm.

demographic dividend

I have learned an economics term-"demographic dividend"- through the VOA Special English program. It is a difficult and unfamiliar word, but has brought a new idea to me.

The center of world economy has been changing, I think from recent news. Most people have recognized that it is in US or Europe now. But, it may move to China, India or Brazil in the future.

By the way, Japanese word translated from"demographic dividend" is "人口配当（or 人口による配当）".

VOA Special English News 76

Arms control experts are disputing a study that claims China may have many more nuclear weapons than officials estimate. A professor of Georgetown University and his students say China could have up to 3,000 nuclear warheads hidden in underground passways. The official estimate is that there are only 250. Professor Philip Kerber's report has started a dispute among experts on China's nuclear weapons. The professor is a former official at the American Defense Department. He has not answered calls from VOA. Gregory Kulacki, a researcher at the Union of Concerned Scientists told VOA the group's research methods are irresponsible, incompetent and lazy. The student used military magazines and Internet sources such as blogs and satellite images in their research.

original news・日本語のニュース

軍事評論家は、中国が公表しているよりも、ずっと多く核兵器を保有しているかも知れないと主張する研究について議論している。ジョージタウン大学の教授と彼の生徒たち（の研究に）よると、中国は地下通路に隠された３０００発以上の核弾頭を保有しているとのことである。公的に発表されたものでは、核弾頭は２５０発しかない。フィリップ・カーバー教授のリポートが、中国が保有する核兵器について、専門家たちの物議を醸（かも）している。その教授は、アメリカ防衛省の前職員である。彼は、VOAの電話（質問）に答えなかった。「憂慮する科学者連盟」（UCS）のグレゴリー・クラッキは、VOAに、教授たちの研究しているものは、無責任で、不完全で怠惰なもの（手抜きしている）だ、と語った。学生は、軍事雑誌や、ブログや衛星写真など、インターネットで得たものを研究の中で使っていた。

My opinion/thought on this issue

I do not believe what the report claims, either. But very limited people know the accurate number of China's nuclear weapons, I think.