take on a life of its own

5月22日付の朝日新聞の”吉田調書”に関する記事が議論をよんでいます。　8月31日付Japan NewsのEditorialがこの件を取り上げています。

その記事からの抜粋：

Before his death, Yoshida had asked that the document not be publicly released. He believed the record could be misinterpreted by readers unless it was put into a proper context. However, his account has begun to take on a life of its own, partly due to the Asahi article.

The government reportedly intends to make the transcript available to the public, in the belief that the widely accepted perception of his account runs counter to the wishes of the late Yoshida.

ここでtake on a life of its ownとは：

これは直訳すると「それ自身で命を持つようになる」という意味になり、”独り歩きをする”ということになります。