広島日豪

2008/6/17 --The Asahi Shimbun, June 16(IHT/Asahi: June 17,2008)

EDITORIAL: Japan-Australia ties

ラッド首相―広島からの日豪の出発

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd began his visit to Japan at an unusual location: Hiroshima, the city on which the world's first atomic bomb was dropped.

"Let the world resolve afresh, from the ashes of this city, to work together for the common mission of peace for this Asia-Pacific century, and for a world where one day nuclear weapons are no more." This was his entry in the visitors' book at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Rudd's aim was clear. Despite the passage of many years since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear weapons has not dissipated.

オーストラリアのラッド首相の日本訪問は、異例の場所から始まった。被爆地、広島である。 

「この廃虚でもう一度、決意を新たにしよう。核兵器のない世界を求めてともに働こう」。平和記念資料館のノートにこんな言葉を記した。 

狙いははっきりしていた。 冷戦が終わって久しいのに、核の脅威は減らない。

(dissipate=追い払う、散らす、分散させる)

We have seen the emergence of countries like North Korea and Iran with ambitions to become nuclear powers. And the nightmare scenario of nuclear arms falling into the hands of terrorists is also becoming more realistic.

北朝鮮やイランなど新たに核への野心を燃やす国が登場する一方で、テロリストの手に核兵器が渡る悪夢が現実味を帯びだしている。 

(emergence=出現、発生)

We must strengthen our efforts to make this world nuclear free. The Australian prime minister must have wanted to send that message.

「核のない世界」への取り組みを強めなければならない。そのメッセージを送りたかったのであろう。 

He also announced the creation of an international commission of experts with Gareth Evans, Australia's former foreign minister and acclaimed expert on national security issues, as a co-head. Rudd called on Japan to participate in the commission.

　具体的な提案もした。オーストラリアの元外相で、著名な安全保障問題の専門家でもあるエバンス氏を共同議長の一人として、国際的な賢人会合を創設するというものだ。日本からの参加も呼びかけた。 

Rudd intends for the commission to put together a proposal for the disarmament, nonproliferation and elimination of nuclear weapons to be presented at the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be held in two years.

核軍縮と不拡散、そして核廃絶への提言をまとめ、２年後に迫った核不拡散条約（ＮＰＴ）再検討会議にぶつけるのだという。 

In the current world, perhaps in reaction to the deepening crisis, there are new dynamics that seek to rid the world of nuclear arms.

いまの世界には、危機の深まりに呼応するかのように、核をなくそうという新しい動きも見える。

Last year, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of Defense William Perry and others issued a joint proposal to realize a world without nuclear weapons.

米国のキッシンジャー元国務長官、ペリー元国防長官らが昨年、核廃絶を実現するための提言を発表した。

The proposal listed a number of former protagonists of U.S. nuclear strategy as advocates for a nuclear-free world.

米国の核戦略を推し進めてきた重鎮たちの名前がずらりと提案者に並んでいる。 

(protagonist=支持者、提唱者､主唱者)

(advocates=（…の）支持者,擁護者,運動家,唱道者,主張者《 of... 》 an ～ of disarmament　 軍縮平和唱道者)

It is probably safe to say that efforts toward the elimination of nuclear weapons-- which was once considered too idealistic-- are now reaching a new level of reality. The Rudd proposal is one example. The Japanese government should support it and actively cooperate.

理想論と見られがちだった核廃絶への取り組みに、新しい現実感が生まれつつあると言っていいだろう。ラッド提案はその一つである。日本政府はこれを支持し、積極的に協力すべきだ。 

(Idealistic= 理想主義の、理想主義者の、理想家の)

The Australian prime minister issued yet another proposal worthy of attention during his visit in Japan: the creation of a cooperation framework in the Asia-Pacific region dealing not only with economic issues but also security and other issues.

首相は滞日中、もう一つ、注目すべきメッセージを発した。経済だけでなく、安全保障なども視野に入れた地域協力の枠組みをアジア太平洋につくりたい、というものだ。 

Along with Japan and Australia, Rudd also called for cooperation from China, countries in Southeast Asia, India, Russia, the United States, Taiwan and others. This proposal seems to be on a similar wavelength with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's foreign policy doctrine, which proposes a regional cooperation framework, including the United States.

日豪はもちろん、中国、東南アジア、インド、ロシア、そして米国、台湾なども加わる、という構想らしい。米国も参加する形での地域協力を提唱した福田首相の共鳴外交の考え方とも波長が合いそうだ。 

(wavelength=波長、考え方)

Rudd, a former diplomat, emphasized the importance of China by giving a lecture in fluent Chinese and offering other initiatives during his visit to that country in spring. This is not surprising given China's rising role in both politics and economics.

元外交官のラッド首相は今春の訪中で、堪能な中国語を駆使して講演するなど、中国重視の姿勢を鮮明にしている。経済、政治両面で中国のもつ重要性を考えれば当たり前のことだろう。 

The times have changed since Shinzo Abe was prime minister. U.S. President George W. Bush and then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard would talk about cooperating in a way that could be construed as a plan to "encircle China."

安倍前首相の時代、ブッシュ米大統領と親密だったハワード前豪首相との間で「中国包囲網」とも見られかねない協力を語り合ったのと比べると、隔世の感がある。 

(construe=～として解釈する、説明する) (encircle=取り囲む、包囲網)

The relationship between Japan and Australia is not without contention. Japan's research whaling, for example, has been harshly criticized by Australia.

捕鯨をめぐる対立など、日豪間に深刻な懸案がないわけではない。

(contention=争い、闘争、喧嘩、競走)

But there are so many issues, such as global warming, natural resources and the food crisis, in which the two countries share a stake.

だが、温暖化をはじめ資源や食糧など、日豪両国には共通する利益があまりにも多い。

(stake=利害関係、関与、投資)

We hope Japan and Australia can become partners that work and sweat together on numerous issues, including those on a global scale.

地球規模の課題を含め、ともに汗をかく仲になっていきたい。

(sweat=汗をかく)

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 16(IHT/Asahi: June 17,2008)

朝日新聞 ６月１６日号 （英語版 ２００８年６月１７日発行）