東京五輪招請

2008/6/10 --The Asahi Shimbun, June 8(IHT/Asahi: June 10,2008)

EDITORIAL: Tokyo's Olympic bid

五輪招致―東京の個性をもっと

As Tokyo has made it on the shortlist for the 2016 Summer Olympics, challenges to its bid are now more clear-cut. Of the seven cities that placed bids, the list has been narrowed to four cities: Tokyo, Madrid, Chicago and Rio de Janeiro.

２０１６年五輪の招致をめざす東京が１次選考を通った。７都市から東京とマドリード、シカゴ、リオデジャネイロの４都市へ。候補地が絞られたことで、東京が取り組むべき課題も浮かび上がってきた。 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board assessed prospective cities by quantifying each city's plans to host the Games.

国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）の理事会による絞り込みは、各都市の計画案を数値化して行われた。 

(quantify=量で示す、数値化する)

Tokyo had the highest overall score, but that was mostly due to the city's infrastructure.

東京は総合で一番高い評価だったが、点数を稼いだのはもっぱら都市のインフラだ。 

This centered on the availability of accommodation to cater to people coming from all over the world to watch the Games, setting up the athletes' village within roughly 9 kilometers of each event venue and having a high level of security and safety precautions. It is only natural for a city with a population of more than 10 million and prior experience of having hosted the Games to have such assets in place.

世界中からやって来る観客を受け入れる宿泊施設数、各競技会場までの距離を平均９キロに抑えた選手村、治安の良さと安全対策。いずれも、１千万人を超える人口を抱え、かつて五輪を開いた都市としては当然ともいえる。 

（center=集中させる） (cater=サービスを提供する)

Yet, it is premature to assume that the shortlist means Tokyo is now the frontrunner.

だからといって、今回の選考で東京がトップランナーに躍り出たと考えるのは早計だ。 

Compared to the other cities, Tokyo leaves the impression that it doesn't boast any special attributes to attract the world's attention. How will Tokyo be able to promote itself as superior in character to the other cities? The Tokyo 2016 Olympic Games Bid Committee, made up of the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Japanese Olympic Committee, needs to revamp the bid proposal.

ほかの都市と比べ、むしろ世界の視線をひきつけるだけの独創性を欠く印象が否めない。どこで他の都市よりも優れた個性を際立たせるのか。東京都と日本オリンピック委員会でつくる招致委員会は、「東京だからこそ」をめざして計画を練り直す必要がある。 

(boast=自慢する、誇らしいと思う､誇りにする) (attributes=特質､特性、属性) (Olympic Games Bid Committee=オリンピック招致委員会)

(revamp=刷新する、改造する、案などを練り直す)

So far, the committee has been stressing the "environment" factor. Officials say that a new urban project, in tandem with the Olympic Games, will reclaim Tokyo's standing as a city of water. However, the plan lacks specifics and it is hard to judge the viability of the proposal.

いまのところ、招致委員会が強く押し出しているのが「環境」だ。五輪の開催と新しい都市計画を連動させて「水の都を取り戻す」と訴える。だが、具体的な計画はまだあいまいで、実現できるかはっきりしない。 

(in tandem with=並んで、並列に､並走する) (specifics=特徴、特質) (viability=実行可能性、生存能力)

On the other hand, it came to light that the Toyosu area, where many of the Olympic venues are planned, has a serious soil contamination problem. The Tokyo government plans to transfer the Tsukiji fish market to Toyosu, and then build a Olympics media center where the Tsukiji market stands. Now, it seems likely that all will not go according to plan.

逆に五輪会場が周りに集まる豊洲地区で深刻な土壌汚染が表面化している。ここに築地の魚市場を移転させ、その跡地に五輪のメディアセンターをつくる予定だが、その建設も計画通りにはいかない可能性が出てきた。 

(venues=行為の行われる場所、事件の現場) (contamination=汚染、汚濁、堕落、汚れ)

The committee also failed to address the problem of expected traffic congestion, which could paralyze Tokyo's functions during the Games.

日常生活をマヒさせかねない交通渋滞も、ほとんど手つかずのままだ。 

（paralyze=しびれさせる、麻痺させる）

Early next year, the bid committee is scheduled to submit its finalized proposal to the IOC, and then, based on that proposal, a group of experts will visit to survey the capital. The assessment for the shortlist was based on documents that were submitted; the actual on-the-ground survey would be far more rigorous. Yet, if the bid committee puts together a plan for an unfeasible project that would increase the taxpayers' burden, then neither the Japanese public nor Tokyoites will swallow it.

来年初めにＩＯＣへ最終的な計画案を提出し、それに基づいて専門家グループによる現地調査がある。今回の書類審査のように簡単ではない。かといって無理な計画案をつくって財政的な負担が増えるようなことになれば、国民、都民が納得しないだろう。 

(on-the-ground survey=現地調査) (rigorous=厳格な、厳重な) (unfeasible=実行可能でない、実現性の低い、作るのが難しい)

(Tokyoistes=東京都民) (swallow=飲み込む、理解して納得する、受け入れる)

Tokyo's major weakness is that the public is not very excited about the Olympic bid. The IOC conducted opinion polls in each candidate city; over 70 percent of the residents of the other three cities each supported hosting the Games--Madrid was highest at 90 percent. As for Tokyo, only 59 percent endorsed the idea.

東京の一番の弱みは、国民的な盛り上がりがいまひとつなことだ。ＩＯＣが候補地ごとに世論調査をした結果、自国の招致への支持はマドリードの９０％を最高に他の３都市は７０％を超えたが、東京は５９％にとどまる。 

(Endorse=意見計画などを是認する／裏書する)

For previous Olympic bids, the first round of the selection process placed Paris at the top for 2012 Summer Games and Salzburg, Austria, for the 2014 Winter Games. In the end, both lost out to London and Sochi, Russia, respectively.

１次選考での首位は、１２年五輪がパリ、１４年冬季五輪がオーストリアのザルツブルクだった。だが、それぞれロンドンとロシアのソチに敗れた。

It will be up to over 100 members of the IOC to select the winning city. The shortlisted cities can now start their campaigns overseas to woo them.

開催地の決定はＩＯＣ委員約１００人に委ねられる。その委員に対する海外でのＰＲ活動も解禁になった。 

(shortlisted cities=開催予定地、ノミネートされた都市) (woo=支持を得ようと努める、求愛する)

There are 16 months to go before the voting takes place in October 2009. Perhaps, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara should go to the Beijing Olympics this summer and start by trying to sell Tokyo's bid there.

来年１０月の投票まで１６カ月。石原都知事はまず、この夏に北京五輪の現地で、東京を大いに売り込んでみたらどうか。 

（bid=努力、企て、試み／指値､値段／入札）

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 8(IHT/Asahi: June 10,2008)

朝日新聞 ６月０８日号（英語版 ２００８年６月１０日発行）