JAPAN LAUNCHES DIGITAL AGENCY TO UPGRADE IT SYSTEMSデジタル庁が発足

Japan launched a new agency on Wednesday to upgrade and overhaul the country's digital systems.
The agency is located in central Tokyo and has about 600 staff members. About 200 people have joined from the private sector.
The new authority will have wide-ranging powers, including the right to advise ministries and other agencies.
It'll oversee and control the government's information systems. It'll be responsible for calculating and allocating related budgets.
The agency will also work to standardize the information systems of local municipalities. It'll aim to streamline administrative services that use the My Number identification card.
The agency will work to digitalize fields such as education, medical care, and disaster prevention.
Digital Transformation Minister Hirai Takuya has been inaugurated as the first minister for the organization.

◆allocate       配分する   to use something for a particular purpose, give something to a particular person etc, especially after an official decision has been made 

◆municipality        地方自治体     a town, city, or other small area, which has its own government to make decisions about local affairs, or the officials in that government 

◆streamline 能率的にする、合理化する、簡素化する    to make something such as a business, organization etc work more simply and effectively 

◆inaugurate  就任させる    to hold an official ceremony when someone starts doing an important job in government 

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/22）

27491.social media(SNS）ways of sharing information, opinions, images, videos etc using the Internet, especially social networking sites
I spend too much time on social media. I need to cut down. 
27492.person(~派）

I’m not a big beer person. I prefer wine or cocktails. 
27493.What’s the point in/of(〜しても意味がない）
What’s the point of studying English if you don’t use it? 

27494.at the time(その時）at a particular moment or period in the past when something happened, especially when the situation is very different now 

At the time, nobody had cellphones. It was important to be on time.  
27495.a thing(流行っているもの）
 Back when I was a teenager, pagers were a thing.

徒然草 第百十八段

【原文】　　

　鯉の羹食ひたる日は、鬢そゝけずとなん。膠にも作るものなれば、粘りたるものにこそ。
　鯉ばかりこそ、御前にても切らるゝものなれば、やんごとなき魚なり。鳥には雉、さうなきものなり。雉・松茸などは、御湯殿の上に懸りたるも苦しからず。その外は、心うき事なり。中宮の御方の御湯殿の上の黒御棚に雁の見えつるを、北山の入道殿の御覧じて、帰らせ給ひて、やがて、御文にて、「かやうのもの、さながら、その姿にて御棚にゐて候ひし事、見慣はず、さまあしき事なり。はかばかしき人のさふらはぬ故ゆゑにこそ」など申されたりけり。

【現代語訳】　　

鯉 こくを食べた日は髪の毛がボサボサにならないという。鯉の骨は接着剤の材料になるからネバネバしているのだろうか。
鯉だけは天皇の目の前で調理しても問題ない大変ありがたい魚である。鳥で言えばキジが一番リッチだ。キジやマツタケは皇居の台所にそのままぶら下がっていても見苦しくはない。その他の食材は、汚らわしく見える。ある日、中宮の台所の棚にカリが乗っているのを、お父様の北山入道が見て、帰宅早々、手紙を書いた。「カリのような下手物が、そのままの姿で棚に乗っているのを見たことがない。世間体が悪いことである。一般常識を知っている者が近くにいないからこうなる」と意見した。

◆鎌倉末期の随筆。吉田兼好著。上下2巻，244段からなる。1317年(文保1)から1331年(元弘1)の間に成立したか。その間，幾つかのまとまった段が少しずつ執筆され，それが編集されて現在見るような形態になったと考えられる。それらを通じて一貫した筋はなく，連歌的ともいうべき配列方法がとられている。形式は《枕草子》を模倣しているが，内容は，作者の見聞談，感想，実用知識，有職の心得など多彩であり，仏教の厭世思想を根底にもち，人生論的色彩を濃くしている。

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/21）

27486.apple polisher(ゴマすり） someone who tries to gain something, become popular etc by praising or helping someone else without being sincere 

He is such an apple polisher. He is always complimenting his boss. 
27487.fortune telling(占い）someone who uses cards or looks at people’s hands in order to tell them what is supposed to happen to them in the future
Here is $100 for the fortune telling. 
27488.versatile(用途の広い） someone who is versatile has many different skills/having many different uses 

She’s a versatile actress who can sing, dance, and even emcee. 

27489bring up(話題を持ち出す）to mention a subject or start to talk about it 類義語 raise 

It's probably not a good idea to bring up religion when you first meet someone. 
27490.harsh(厳しい）harsh conditions are difficult to live in and very uncomfortable 類義語 severe/severe, cruel, or unkind
He’s getting suspended from school for dying his hair? Isn’t that kind of harsh? 

Nat king cole, Nature Boy

Nat king cole, Nature Boy

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/20）

27481.exclusive(閉鎖的な、高級な、上流の） exclusive places, organizations, clothes etc are so expensive that not many people can afford to use or buy them
That restaurant is very exclusive.
27482.hardly ever(めったに…(し)ない）not very often
I love the countryside, so I hardly ever go to the city
27483.wish for(~を望む）used to emphasize that you are very happy with what you have and cannot imagine anyone or anything better
She’s  a good person and really loves you.What more could you wish for? 

27484.just because(~と言うだけで）spoken used to say that, although one thing is true, it does not mean that something else is true 

So, you love him just because he's good-looking and rich.
27485.what matters(重要なことは）
But what matters is his personality, isn't it ?

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/19）

27501.bedding(寝具） sheets, covers etc that you put on a bed
The bedding matches the room very well
27502.comforter(掛け布団）American English a cover for a bed that is filled with a soft warm material such as feathers
My feet stick out from under this comforter.
27503.integer(整数）a whole number
1.5 is not an integer

27504.even(偶数） an even number can be divided exactly by two OPP odd 

We can make two teams if there is an even number of players. 
27505.odd(奇数）a number that cannot be divided exactly by two, for example 1,3, 5,7 etc
It's hard to cut a cake into an odd number of pieces. 

夜明けのすべて

夜明けのすべて 瀬尾まいこ 水鈴社

 

【内容紹介】
知ってる？　夜明けの直前が、一番暗いって。
職場の人たちの理解に助けられながらも、月に一度のＰＭＳ（月経前症候群）でイライラが抑えられない美紗は、やる気がないように見える、転職してきたばかりの山添君に当たってしまう。
山添君は、パニック障害になり、生きがいも気力も失っていた。
互いに友情も恋も感じてないけれど、おせっかい者同士の二人は、自分の病気は治せなくても、相手を助けることはできるのではないかと思うようになる――。
人生は思っていたより厳しいけれど、救いだってそこら中にある。
暗闇に光が差し込む、温かな物語。

本屋大賞受賞後第一作。渾身の書き下ろし。

●『夜明けのすべて』刊行にあたって
人生は想像より厳しくて、暗闇はそこら中に転がっていて、するりと舞い込んできたりします。でも、夜明けの向こうにある光を引っ張ってきてくれるものも、そこら中にきっとあるはずだと思いたいです。
いつも本が完成して思うことは、「楽しく読んでもらえることが一番だ」です。その思いは今回も変わりませんが、『夜明けのすべて』を読んでくださった方が、ほっとできる一瞬を味わってくださるのなら、明日を待ち遠しいと思っていただけるなら、幸いです。
瀬尾まいこ 

【読んだ理由】
久しぶりの「瀬尾まいこ」作品

【最も印象に残った一行】

働かないと生きていけないし、仕事がなければ毎日することもない。だから会社に勤めている。けれども、仕事のもたらすものはそれだけではない。自分お出来ることをほんの少しでも、何かの役に立ててみたい。自分の中にある考えを、なんらかの形で表に出してみたい。そういう思いを、仕事は満たしてくれる。働くことで、漠然と目の前にある大量の時間に、少しは意味を持たせれる気がする。

【コメント】
久しぶりに心温まる時間を過ごせた。

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/18）

27471.ripe(熟する） ripe fruit or crops are fully grown and ready to eat
These banana aren't ripe
27472.orchard(果樹園）a place where fruit trees are grown
Is there an apple orchard near here ? 
27473.tart(酸味がある、酸っぱい） food that is tart has a sharp sour taste
This variety of apple is a little tart.

27474.bargain(お買得品） something you buy cheaply or for less than its usual price

Bargains like this don't come around very often. 
27475.limited-time(期間限定の）
Our limited -time sale runs through September 30th.

Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行 Chopin Grande Valse Brillante Op 18 ショパン 華麗なる大円舞曲 作品18

Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井伸行 Chopin Grande Valse Brillante Op 18 ショパン 華麗なる大円舞曲 作品18

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/17）

27466.How much longer(あとどれくらい？)  
How much longer are you planning on living in Paris? 
27467.back away(後退する、取り下げる）to move backwards and away from someone or something, especially because you are frightened/to stop supporting a plan or idea, or stop being involved in something
You have to take advantage of this opportunity. Don’t back away from it. 
27468.uncool(ダサい、格好悪い） not fashionable or acceptable – used especially by young people
Some people think watching anime is uncool, but I don’t think so. I love it. 

27469.somewhat(少し）more than a little but not very 

The design is somewhat different from what I had in mind. 
27470.be in season(旬）vegetables and fruit that are in season are cheap and easily available because it is the time of year when they are ready to eat. If they are out of season, they are expensive or not available 

 What fruits are in season in Wisconsin?

Betsy & Chris White color is lover's 白い色は恋人の色

Betsy & Chris　White color is lover's 白い色は恋人の色

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/16）

27461.accordingly(それゆえに、それにしたがって）in a way that is suitable for a particular situation or that is based on what someone has done or said
Teaching is hard. We need to admit that and act accordingly. 
27462.hence(それゆえに、したがって）for this reason
I am not a trainer, hence I cannot advise anyone on the use of supplements. 
27463.act like(ふりをする、 〜に成りすます）
Brandon acts like he knows everything. It drives me crazy. . 

27464.play dumb(知らないふりをする / とぼける）

I'm just going to play dumb and tell her I didn't hear anything. 
27465.Thanks to(~のせいで）
Thanks to him we are locked out. He left the keys in the car. 

FINAL U.S. TROOPS LEAVE KABULアフガニスタン米軍 撤退完了

America's longest war is over. The United States has finished its withdrawal from Afghanistan, two decades after fighting began.
The final chapter saw a massive evacuation effort and fresh violence, while leaving the Taliban in charge.
U.S. President Joe Biden says more than 120,000 people were flown to safety. He said the world will pressure the Taliban to ensure others can leave.
U.S. leadership has faced steep criticism for the withdrawal and the war itself.

Brown University estimates the 20-year mission cost more than 2 trillion dollars. And a U.S. government report says more than 48,000 civilians were killed.

The last week saw more attacks. A suicide bombing by the Islamic State group killed over a hundred people.

A Taliban spokesperson celebrated the U.S. departure, tweeting Afghanistan is now free and independent. But many worry the Taliban will not respect the rights of citizens, especially women.

◆evacuation      非難、撤退、立ち退き」   an official action, taken to deal with a particular problem

Daily Vocabulary(2021/09/15）

27456.dawn(夜明け）  the time at the beginning of the day when light first appears 類義語 daybreak, → dusk
He held an umbrella over Dawn.  
27457.daybreak(太陽からの光が空に現れ始める日の期間）the time of day when light first appears 類義語 dawn
Birds began piping at daybreak. 
27458.first light(朝に太陽が最初に現れる時間）the time at the beginning of day when light first appears 類義語 dawn, daybreak
The attack will be on at the first light 

27459.kind of like(～のようなもの）spoken slightly but not exactly, or in some ways 類義語 sort of 

Okonomiyaki is kind of like a pancake. . 
27460.shiitake mushroom(しいたけ）
Shiitake mushroom is healthy food.