今朝、いつものように英字紙をチェックしていて唖然とした。
なんと本日１２月２５日より、朝日新聞の英語版は有料となっていた。
外国人向けに支払いはペイパルでなされる仕組みだ。
で、これ以降ですが、朝日関連の掲載はできません。
スラチャイ愛読の米国紙、タイの英字紙、全部無料です。
英文の質は朝日より、当然ですが、格段に高い。
あえて朝日英字紙を購入する人がいるのでしょうか＾＾。
（スラチャイ）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 25, 2011)
New food safety rules require time for explanations, preparation
放射能「新」基準 食の不安の拡大防止策が先だ（12月24日付・読売社説）
Stricter limits on radiation in food are meant to make the public feel safe and secure--but what if they have the opposite effect?
安心のための基準がかえって不安をあおることにならないか。
The government must be circumspect in its moves in this area.
政府は、慎重に対応すべきだ。
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has worked out a set of proposals for new limits on radioactive cesium in food. Following exchanges of views within the government on the proposed standards, the ministry plans to put the new criteria into practice in April 2012.
厚生労働省が、食品中に含まれる放射性セシウムの新たな規制値案をまとめた。政府内で調整後に、来年４月の導入を目指している。
Currently, "provisional regulatory ceilings" are in place as yardsticks for safe levels of radiation in food. The provisional ceilings were set immediately after the outbreak of the nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 power plant. The new ceilings proposed by the ministry are far stricter.
今は、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故直後に定められた「暫定規制値」を食品の安全確認の目安としている。新たな規制値案は、これより大幅に厳しい。
For instance, the proposal calls for a ceiling of 50 becquerels per kilogram for milk and baby food items, including baby formula. This is one-fourth the current 200-becquerel limit. The planned limit for general food items such as rice, meat and vegetables is 100 becquerels per kilogram, or one-fifth the current ceiling. The proposed limit on drinking water is 10 becquerels, which is one-twentieth the current 200-becquerel limit.
例えば、粉ミルクなどの「乳児用食品」や「牛乳」は、暫定規制値の４分の１である１キロ・グラム当たり５０ベクレルだ。その他の一般食品は５分の１の同１００ベクレル、飲料水は２０分の１の同１０ベクレルとなる。
===
Risk of worsening anxiety
The ministry says the tightening of the limits is for the sake of "ensuring a sense of safety among the public." Specifically, the risk of "internal exposure to radiation affecting human bodies" would be reduced to less than one-fifth the risk under the provisional ceilings, according to the ministry.
厚労省は、規制値を厳格化するのは「安心確保」のためと説明している。具体的には、食品を通じた「内部被曝(ひばく)」のリスクが今の５分の１以下になるという。
If the new ceilings proposed by the ministry are introduced, decisions on such matters as banning shipments of food would be made on the basis of the toughened criteria.
導入後は、これに基づき出荷停止などが判断される。
Careful attention should be paid, however, to the possibility of stricter limits instead heightening the risk of social unease.
しかし、規制値を厳しくすることで社会不安が高まるリスクも注意深く見極める必要があろう。
If the new criteria are enforced, there may be many cases in which food items with "safe" radiation levels under the current limits would be found to contain "excessive" levels of radioactive cesium. It is therefore feared that shipments of foodstuffs could be suspended one after another.
暫定規制値で十分「安全」の範囲なのに、新規制値で「超過」と判定される例が想定される。出荷停止が続発しはしないか。
The current provisional ceilings are already markedly strict as they are one-half to one-fourth the regulatory limits in the United States and European countries. Because of this, the government and many experts have said in explaining the provisional ceilings that eating foods whose radiation readings are slightly above the provisional limits does not mean they are "dangerous" to health. Instead, they say, people can eat them without fear.
現行の暫定規制値も、欧米の規制値の２分の１から４分の１程度と厳格だ。だから政府や専門家の多くは、規制値を多少超えた食品を口にしても、「危険」の域に入るのではなく心配は無用、と「解説」してきた経緯がある。
The health ministry, before implementation of the new ceilings, is set to seek understanding and cooperation from local governments and industries concerned about toughening the limits. For some categories of food, the ministry is considering taking "tentative steps," or measures to delay the application of new ceilings.
厚労省は、新規制値導入に際して関係自治体、業界にも理解と協力を求める方針だ。食品によっては、新規制値の適用時期を遅らせる「経過措置」も検討する。
To measure radiation levels in accordance with the new ceilings, high-precision instruments capable of detecting radioactive cesium at a single-digit level of becquerels will be needed. Some industries may be unable to obtain such instruments immediately. The switch from the current ceilings to new ones, therefore, should be preceded by sufficient time to make preparations.
新規制値に対応するには、微量のセシウムも測れる精密測定装置が要るが、直ちに準備できない業界もあるだろう。規制切り替えは時間をかけて進めるべきだ。
===
Cesium levels dwindling
In its studies of the advisability of introducing the new criteria, the ministry has conducted a series of sampling examinations of a wide range of foodstuffs to find how much radioactive cesium they contain.
新規制値を検討するに当たり、厚労省は様々な食品にセシウムがどの程度含まれているか、抜き取り調査をしている。
According to the investigations, less than 1 percent of food items examined nationwide were found to contain radioactive cesium in excess of the provisional ceilings. Any foodstuffs with radioactive cesium exceeding the ceilings have been prohibited, in principle, from being put on the market.
調査によれば、全国で、暫定規制値を超えた食品は全体の１％未満に過ぎない。暫定規制値を超過した食品は原則、流通しない。
Moreover, the number of cases in which radioactive cesium has been detected at levels below the provisional ceilings has been gradually shrinking, the ministry says. A fact that should be taken into account is that, due to the characteristics of radioactive material, the quantity of radioactive cesium in food is certain to decline by a wide margin in the year to come.
それ以下の食品でも検出例は減る傾向にある。放射性物質の特質として、セシウム量が１年後に大幅に減ることも考慮したい。
It is very important for the government to provide detailed explanations of such matters to spread accurate information about food safety among the public.
こうした状況を国民に丁寧に説明し、食の安全への正しい理解を広めることが、まず重要だ。
Government efforts to ensure the safety of foodstuffs in the process of their distribution must continue to be undertaken in a reliable way.
流通過程での安全確認も、確実に継続しなければならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 24, 2011)
（2011年12月24日01時16分 読売新聞）
「コンクリートから人へ」、二年前、この標語には新鮮な響きがありました。
ところが、３．１１の大地震、大津波、原発事故で事情は一変しております。
学生時代に重力式ダムの設計をしたことがありますが、施工経験がありません。
黒部の太陽に代表されるように、ダム建設は男の中の男の仕事でした。
あこがれますね＾＾。単身赴任はダメです！家庭が崩壊します。
（スラチャイ）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 24, 2011)
Yamba construction to restart after 2 years of meandering
八ッ場ダム 混乱と無策の果ての建設続行（12月23日付・読売社説）
After more than two years of turmoil, the government has finally settled the issue of whether to cancel or resume construction of the Yamba Dam in Gunma Prefecture.
建設中止か続行かを巡り、２年あまり迷走したあげくの決着である。
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Takeshi Maeda has at last decided to resume construction of the dam in Naganoharamachi. The government will earmark costs for building the main structure, funds for which had been frozen, in the fiscal 2012 budget.
群馬県の八ッ場(やんば)ダムについて、前田国土交通相がようやく建設続行を決めた。これを受け、凍結していた本体工事の費用を２０１２年度予算案に盛り込むことになった。
The decision was based on a reexamination of the project by the ministry, in which it judged "construction of the dam is most desirable" in terms of flood control and water utilization effects as well as project costs.
治水や利水効果、事業費などの面で「建設は最良」とする国交省の検証結果を踏まえた決定だ。
We think the decision is quite appropriate.
極めて妥当な判断と言える。
The concept for the Yamba Dam project dates back about 60 years. It is designed to prevent floods in watershed areas of the Tonegawa river system and provide a water resource for the Kanto region. With a total construction cost of 460 billion yen, the dam will be one of largest in the country.
約６０年前に構想が持ち上がった八ッ場ダムは、利根川流域の洪水防止と関東圏の水源としての利用が目的で、総工費４６００億円の国内最大級のダムである。
===
Maehara started turmoil
Under the slogan "from concrete to people," the Democratic Party of Japan included cancellation of the Yamba Dam project in its manifesto for the 2009 House of Representatives election, which brought about the DPJ-led administration.
民主党は「コンクリートから人へ」を掲げ、０９年衆院選の政権公約（マニフェスト）に八ッ場ダムの建設中止を盛り込んだ。
Seiji Maehara, now the DPJ's Policy Research Committee chair, became infrastructure minister after the 2009 election. Based on the manifesto's promise, he forcibly terminated the dam's construction without any consultation with local governments involved. That was the start of the turmoil.
政権交代後、国交相に就任した民主党の前原政調会長が、マニフェストを理由に、地元との協議もなく強引に建設をストップしたのが迷走劇の発端だ。
In the face of strong opposition by residents and local governments, then Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Sumio Mabuchi in autumn 2010 effectively nullified Maehara's decision on the project. Subsequently, the ministry had been reexamining the project to decide whether the dam should be constructed.
地元住民や関係自治体の反発を受け、１０年秋には当時の馬淵国交相が中止を事実上棚上げした。その後、国交省が建設の可否を判断する検証作業を続けていた。
The DPJ has never come up with an alternative plan. Land ministers after Maehara just put off reaching a conclusion, bowing to the "manifesto-supremacism" within the party. This is nothing but political delinquency. The government as well as the DPJ must reflect seriously on their actions.
民主党は代替案も示さず、歴代国交相は党内のマニフェスト至上主義に配慮し、結論を先送りしてきただけだ。これでは政治の怠慢以外の何物でもない。政府・民主党は、猛省すべきである。
Maehara bears a particular heavy responsibility.
特に前原氏の責任は重い。
Although it was crystal clear there would be enormous side effects to canceling the construction, he did not accept the results of the ministry's reexamination of the project--which concluded construction is appropriate--to the end.
建設中止の副作用が大きいことは明白だったのに、建設が妥当と結論付けた検証結果を最後まで受け入れようとしなかった。
"If the government forces the construction costs through in the budget, the party won't approve it. I won't let the Cabinet approve it," Maehara said Thursday. This is going too far. It is unbelievable that these are statements of the policy chief of the ruling party. He should not cause further turmoil.
前原氏が「無理やり予算に入れるなら、党としては認めない。閣議決定させない」とまで述べたのは、行き過ぎだ。政権党の政策責任者の発言とは思えない。これ以上の混乱は避けるべきだ。
===
Residents made sacrifices
Years ago residents and local governments made a painful decision to accept the dam construction, and many residents moved from areas that were to be submerged under the planned dam lake. While the dam construction was up in the air, residents suffered more economic losses--a number of hot spring inns closed their doors, for example.
地元は苦渋の決断でダム建設を受け入れ、水没予定地から大勢の住民が転居した。ダム建設が宙に浮く間、温泉旅館の休業が相次ぐなど新たな打撃も受けた。
If construction had actually been canceled, plans to revive areas around the dam as tourism spots might have been scrapped.
このうえ建設中止となれば、ダム観光で再生を図る計画も頓挫しかねないところだった。
Already 80 percent of the total project costs have been spent on related works, such as construction of roads to replace ones that will become unusable. If the project had been axed, the government would have had to return funds to Tokyo and five other prefectures of the Tonegawa basin, which had paid out more than half of these costs.
道路の付け替えなど関連事業に総事業費の８割がすでに投じられている。中止の場合、半分以上を支出した流域の１都５県に対し、政府が費用を返還しなければならなくなる問題もあった。
We do not think anyone in the DPJ can say the party fully took such factors into consideration while the party was creating the manifesto. The government needs to flexibly review policies if defects and misjudgments become clear. It must learn this lesson from the Yamba Dam issue.
マニフェストを作成する段階でこうした事情を十分考慮したとは言えまい。欠陥や誤算が判明すれば、柔軟に見直す必要がある。八ッ場ダムから学ぶべき教訓だ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 23, 2011)
（2011年12月23日01時38分 読売新聞）
昨年の１２月２５日、クリスマスプレゼントとしてスラチャイ編集の辞書をプレゼントしました。（タイ日辞書、ラオ日辞書）
↓
http://page.cafe.ocn.ne.jp/profile/srachai/diary/d1564
今年は、無料で楽しめるオンラインカジノゲームをプレゼントいたします。
ルーレット、スロットマシン、ブラックジャックを用意しました。
● 完全無料のルーレットゲームはこちらです。
↓
http://sdin.jp/browser/casino/europeanroulette/
● 完全無料のスロットマシンはこちらです。
↓
http://sdin.jp/browser/casino/slotmachine/
● 完全無料のブラックジャックはこちらです。
↓
http://sdin.jp/browser/casino/blackjack/
--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 22
EDITORIAL: Clock is ticking on tax reform to finance the future
一体改革―税制の全体像を描け
The tax debate among government and ruling party policymakers involved in the development of a draft plan for integrated tax and social security reform is coming to a head. This is an important process to secure financing of the social security reform plan recently drawn up by the government.
社会保障と税の一体改革の素案づくりで、政府・与党の税制論議が正念場を迎えた。先にまとまった社会保障改革案の財源を確保する大切な作業だ。
The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan decided in June to gradually raise the consumption tax rate to 10 percent by the mid-2010s as part of the integrated reform. The first thing is to decide on specifics of the proposed consumption tax hike--the timing and scale of each of the tax increases.
２０１０年代半ばまでに段階的に消費税率を１０％まで引き上げる――まずは政府・与党が６月に決めたこの方針に沿って、いつ、何％ずつ引き上げるか、決めなければならない。
The ruling camp has made it clear that all the revenue from the consumption tax will be used to finance growing social security spending. This policy is based on the notion that the consumption tax, which everyone pays at the point of purchase, is suitable as a revenue source to fund the social security system, the principal social safety net based on mutual aid among all members of society.
消費税は社会保障だけにあてる目的税とする。誰もが負担する消費税は、社会全体で支え合う社会保障の財源にふさわしいとの考えに基づく。
But raising the consumption tax rate to 10 percent alone will not put social security on a firm and sustainable financial footing.
ただ、税率を１０％に上げても社会保障が万全になるわけではない。
The government’s social security spending, including health care, pension, nursing care and child care benefits, will reach 108 trillion yen ($1.383 trillion) in fiscal 2011, which runs through March 2012.
医療や年金、介護、子育てなど社会保障の給付費は１０８兆円（１１年度）。
Of that total, nearly 60 trillion yen is financed by social security premiums collected from taxpayers. The revenue from a 10-percent consumption tax is less than 30 trillion yen, while social security spending keeps growing by 3 trillion yen every year. The consumption tax hike now being discussed will only be one landmark in the long process of making the social security system financially sustainable.
保険料で６０兆円近くをまかなうが、１０％の消費税で得られる税収は３０兆円に及ばない。給付は高齢化などで毎年３兆円ずつ増えていくだけに、議論中の消費増税も長い道のりの一里塚にすぎない。
That is why it is vital to start a serious and in-depth debate on taxes other than the consumption tax from the viewpoint of the future of the nation’s tax system.
だからこそ、税制の将来像を見すえて、消費税以外の税も議論を深める必要がある。
The government has already decided to lower the effective corporate tax rate in response to intensifying international competition companies are facing. So the debate on the future of the tax system should focus on such key levies as income and inheritance taxes.
法人税は国際競争の厳しさを考慮して実効税率の引き下げが決まっており、所得税や相続税が焦点となる。
One proposal would change the current six income tax brackets--ranging from 5 to 40 percent--and raise the top tax rate to 45 percent.
所得税では、５～４０％の６段階の税率区分を見直し、最高税率を４５％に引き上げる案が出ている。
The government is also considering shrinking various tax deductions, which reduce the amount of income subject to tax.
課税の際に所得から差し引く各種の控除も、縮小の方向だ。
The draft bill for tax changes for the next fiscal year already includes a provision to impose a ceiling on the standard income deduction applied to corporate employees. This provision was first proposed as part of the tax changes for the current fiscal year but later dropped amid partisan confrontation at the Diet.
すでに来年度税制改正案には、サラリーマンに適用される給与所得控除に上限を設ける案が盛り込まれた。与野党の対立から、今年度の税制改正で実現しなかった案だ。
The state general-account budget is in dire straits, with the amount of government bond issues, or the government’s overall borrowing, exceeding the total tax revenue.
国の一般会計は、借金である国債発行額が税収を上回る異常事態が続く。
It is now inevitable that the tax burden on high-income earners will be increased in addition to raising the consumption tax.
消費税の増税とともに、所得が多い人の負担を重くするのは避けられない。
But effective efforts should be made to avoid putting an excessive load on the working population, or people who bear the burden of swelling social security spending in an aging society.
しかし、高齢社会を支える現役世代に過度の負担がかからないよう、気を配らなければならない。
It is also necessary to debate the question of what would be the best balance between premium payments for health-care, pension and nursing care programs and income tax payments.
医療、年金、介護の保険料負担と所得税とのバランスも議論する必要がある。
In planning an increase in the social security burden, the emphasis should be placed on taxation of assets.
重視すべきは、資産への課税だろう。
Another proposal for fiscal 2011 tax changes that fell through would have reduced the basic deduction for the inheritance tax and lifted the top rate to 55 percent from 50 percent. This is a good place to start.
その柱となる相続税も今年度に成立しなかった案がある。基礎控除を縮小し、最高税率も５０％から５５％に引き上げる内容だ。これが出発点になる。
With economic inequality widening in this nation, it would make sense, also from the viewpoint of fairness, to increase the tax burden on people who have a significant amount of assets coming, for example, from a large inheritance from their parents.
社会の格差が広がる中、親からまとまった財産を受け継いだりして資産を持つ人に、より負担を求めることは、公平性の観点からも望ましい。
The government and the ruling party first need to draw up a vision for the overall tax reform focused on the consumption tax. Then, they need to develop a specific plan and timetable for pushing through the reform.
消費税を中心に据えながら税制の全体像を描く。どんな手順で改革を進めるか、素案を工程表づくりにつなげる。それが政府と与党の責務だ。
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 22, 2011)
Beef up international cooperation on nuclear, abduction issues
日米外相会談 「核」「拉致」進展へ協力強化を（12月21日付・読売社説）
We hope the change of leadership in North Korea will be a chance to resolve the long-pending issues of that country's nuclear development program and abduction of Japanese nationals.
北朝鮮の指導者の交代を、核開発と日本人拉致問題という長年の懸案を解決するための足がかりとしたい。
During their meeting in Washington on Monday, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed it was important to ensure that the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il did not negatively affect peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
玄葉外相とクリントン米国務長官がワシントンで会談し、北朝鮮の金正日総書記の死去について「朝鮮半島における平和と安定に悪影響を与えないことが重要だ」との認識で一致した。
Gemba and Clinton also agreed that the two countries would cooperate and promote information-sharing with other countries concerned, including South Korea, China and Russia.
日米両国が韓国、中国、ロシアなど関係国と情報共有を進め、協調することでも合意した。
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on the phone Tuesday and confirmed that their two countries would work together toward stabilization of the Korean Peninsula.
野田首相とオバマ大統領も電話で、朝鮮半島の安定化へ日米両国が連携することを確認した。
The immediate common interest for not only Japan and the United States but also the other countries concerned, including China and South Korea, is ensuring that unpredictable events such as a coup d'etat or military provocation do not happen in North Korea. Close, multilayered cooperation is needed among the countries concerned.
当面、北朝鮮でのクーデターや軍事的挑発など、不測の事態を招かないようにすることが、日米だけでなく、中韓両国を含む関係国の共通の利益だ。各国の緊密かつ重層的な協力が求められる。
===
Give up nuclear ambition
From a medium- and long-range perspective, it is essential to convey to Kim's successor Kim Jong Un and other leaders of the new North Korean regime that relinquishing its nuclear ambition is indispensable to reconstructing the battered economy. The countries concerned must lead North Korea in that direction.
中長期的には、金総書記の後継者の金正恩氏ら新指導部に対し、疲弊した経済の再建には核放棄が欠かせないことを伝え、その方向に誘導することが肝要となる。
The key element in this area could be cooperation with China, which exerts influence over North Korea through food and energy assistance.
重要なのは、食糧やエネルギー支援を通じて北朝鮮に影響力を及ぼしている中国との連携だ。
Tokyo and Washington must hold consultative talks with Beijing to devise concrete strategies on how to work on Pyongyang.
いかに北朝鮮に働きかけるか、日米は中国と協議し、具体的な戦略を練らねばならない。
Recent U.S.-North Korea talks saw a certain degree of progress on food assistance and halting uranium enrichment activities. It will be important for the countries concerned to move in step with each other toward the next round of U.S.-North Korea talks, which may be held as soon as early January, and the six-nation talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to be held afterward.
最近の米朝協議では、食糧支援とウラン濃縮活動の停止に関する交渉が一定程度進んでいた。年明け以降の次回協議と、その後の６か国協議に向けて、関係国の足並みをそろえることが大切だ。
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Tripartite dialogue significant
In his meeting with Clinton, Gemba proposed creating a framework for dialogue involving Tokyo, Washington and Beijing, and Clinton concurred. China is wary of such a move, but tripartite dialogue would have great significance for peace and prosperity in Asia. Strenuous efforts are needed to achieve that goal.
外相会談では、玄葉外相が日米中３か国の対話の枠組みを作ることを提案し、クリントン長官も賛同した。中国は慎重だが、日米中の対話はアジアの平和と繁栄にとって大きな意味を持つ。粘り強く実現を追求したい。
For Japan, moving forward on the deadlocked abduction issue is a top priority.
日本にとっては、膠着(こうちゃく)状態にある拉致問題を前に動かすことも、最重要の課題である。
There have been no negotiations on the issue since September 2008, when North Korea unilaterally broke its promise to reinvestigate the abductees' cases.
北朝鮮が２００８年９月に拉致被害者の再調査の約束を一方的に反故(ほご)にして以来、日朝協議は一度も開かれていない。
In the Washington meeting, Gemba also sought U.S. cooperation in resolving the abduction issue. His request reflected expectations among the families of abductees that Kim's death will contribute to progress toward a resolution.
玄葉外相は会談で、拉致問題への米国の協力を要請した。金総書記死去が拉致問題の進展の契機となることを期待する被害者家族らの声を踏まえたものだ。
If progress is made on the nuclear issue, it is also possible regarding the abductions. There used to be differences in the level of interest regarding a solution among Japan and its allies the United States and South Korea. But in recent years Washington and Seoul have consistently supported Japan's position on the matter. So the international environment is not unfavorable for Japan.
核問題が進めば、拉致問題も動く可能性がある。拉致問題では従来、米韓両国と日本の間に温度差もあったが、最近、両国は日本の立場を一貫して支持しており、国際環境は悪くない。
Of course, we cannot be too optimistic when it comes to North Korea. But now is the time for the government to make utmost efforts to work toward resolving the abduction issue.
無論、北朝鮮に対して楽観は禁物だが、政府は今こそ、拉致問題の前進に最大限努力すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun Dec. 21, 2011)
（2011年12月21日01時17分 読売新聞）