社説：毎日創刊１４０年 今こそ新聞の気概で

英文でも日本文でもすなおに感動させていただきました。
まったくその通りだと感じました。

語彙、
raison d'etre　レイゾンデトラ　存在理由（語源フランス語）
paleolithic ペイリオリティク　旧石器（時代）の

（スラチャイ）

(Mainichi Japan) February 21, 2012
Editorial: Mainichi vows to be forum of constructive opinions as it marks 140th anniversary
社説：毎日創刊１４０年　今こそ新聞の気概で

Feb. 21, 2012, marks the 140th anniversary of the publication of the Mainichi Shimbun's inaugural issue. Over the past 140 years, society has undergone drastic changes, and roles that the public expects newspapers to play have also greatly changed.
　毎日新聞は今日、創刊１４０年を迎えた。長い年月の間に社会のあり様は大きく変わり、人々が新聞に求める機能も変化してきた。

The role of newspapers to report news speedily and accurately has remained unchanged. At the same time, however, the spread of the Internet has called into question the raison d'etre of printed media including newspapers.
迅速で正確な報道は変わらずに大切な仕事だが、一方でインターネットが浸透する中、活字媒体そのものの存在意義も問われる時代となった。

We would like to consider the roles that newspapers should play in modern society from the viewpoints of unearthing news and dispatching our news analysis and opinions.
　ここでは、現代における新聞の役割を「ニュースの掘り起こし」と「解説・オピニオン発信」の二つをキーワードに考えたい。

To unearth hidden news, it is necessary for journalists to question common knowledge, be aware of their role of serving public interests and patiently gather materials.
　ニュースを掘り起こすためには世間の常識を疑い、報道の公益性を自覚し、粘り強い取材をすることが必要だ。

One example of such efforts is a Mainichi Shimbun scoop in 2000, which uncovered that what a researcher claimed was the excavation of paleolithic stoneware was a fabrication. The reporter who covered the case confirmed the fabrication by repeatedly examining what the researcher called the excavation site.
たとえば、旧石器発掘が捏造（ねつぞう）だったことを暴いた２０００年の毎日新聞のスクープは、定説に疑問を持ち、捏造を続けていた研究家の発掘現場を継続的に取材することで実現した。

In a campaign from 2008 that called for relief measures for children who were not covered by public insurance programs, a reporter who learned that there were children who cannot receive medical treatment because their parents failed to pay national health insurance premiums patiently examined and confirmed the details of the matter.
０８年からの「無保険の子」救済キャンペーンは、親の国民健康保険料の滞納が原因で医者にかかれない子供がいることを知った記者が、実態を地道に調べて実ったものだった。

The Mainichi's scoop on the fabrication of the excavation of paleolithic stoneware forced publishers to rewrite their school textbooks' descriptions of the old stone age, while the campaign on children not covered by public health insurance programs led to the enactment on new legislation. We are determined to continue such news coverage.
　前者は教科書を書き換え、後者は新しい法律ができるきっかけになった。今後もこういった報道をめざしていきたいと私たちは思う。

Newspapers are expected to play an increasingly important role in analyzing various social issues and publish commentaries and a range of opinions on these matters. Such analysis and opinions are supposed to shed light on background factors behind various issues, present options to solve them and clarify the risk involved in them. To do so, we need to eliminate rigid views and view various matters from a broad viewpoint.
　内外で起こっている事象を解説し、それに対しての多様な意見を掲載する機能も今後、ますます重要さを増す新聞の役割だろう。その問題の背景は何なのか。どんな選択肢があるのか。その場合のリスクは何か。大切なのは硬直した考え方を排し、立体的に物事を見据える姿勢だ。

Japanese society is now filled with a sense of stagnation due partly to the prolonged recession and the public's distrust of politics. Moreover, the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated extensive areas of northeastern Honshu has highlighted various problems involving Japan.
　長引く不況や政治への信頼失墜もあって、今、社会には閉塞（へいそく）感が漂っている。また、昨年の東日本大震災は、この国のさまざまな課題を浮き彫りにした。

History has shown that in such an age, narrow-minded nationalism and overly emotional opinions tend to be prevalent. We must not forget lessons we have learned from newspapers' involvement in Japan's moves to proceed to World War II against the backdrop of such nationalism.
　こういう時には得てして、偏狭なナショナリズムや情緒的な意見がはびこりやすいのは歴史が教える通りだ。先の大戦へと突き進んだ流れに新聞も加担したことへの自省は、いつまでも忘れてはならない。

The Mainichi Shimbun is determined to serve as an intersection for various level-headed and constructive opinions and as a place in which we offer materials for discussion that can help our readers develop their own opinions.
　毎日新聞は冷静で建設的なオピニオンが多彩に飛び交う交差点でありたい。さまざまに考えるきっかけや材料を提供し、読者が考えを深める広場でありたいと思う。

With a bit of self-pride, we would like to cite a sense of humor and a spirit of unfettered discussion as the characteristics of the Mainichi Shimbun. The career of those working for newspaper companies would quickly end if they became bureaucratic. We would like to adhere to the basics of newspaper workers of raising their awareness about various issues and checking up on authorities.
　いささかの自負を込めて、毎日新聞の特質として野性味とユーモアを挙げたい。新聞社で働く人間が官僚的になったらオシマイだ。一人一人が問題意識を持ち、権力をチェックする。そんな新聞人の原点を大切にしたいと思う。

It is important for the Mainichi to have human empathy in its news coverage. A sense of humor and empathy can derive from objectiveness with which one views oneself through the eyes of others. We are determined to continue to boldly and humbly make history as a news organization with our readers right beside us.
　また、報道に際しては人情を忘れないようにしたい。ユーモアやぬくもりとは、自分自身を他人の目で見るような客観性から生まれるものだろう。果敢に、しかし謙虚さを忘れず、読者のみなさんとともに新しい歴史を刻んでいきたい。

毎日新聞　2012年2月21日　2時31分