２０１２回顧・日本 再生への希望が芽生えた年

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 30, 2012)
Positive events in 2012 set stage for nation's recovery
２０１２回顧・日本　再生への希望が芽生えた年（12月29日付・読売社説）

Many readers must have gained hope and courage from the bright news stories of 2012.
　明るい話題に、希望や勇気をもらった人が多かったのだろう。

Among this year's top 10 domestic news stories selected by Yomiuri Shimbun readers, the awarding of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka headed the list. The opening of Tokyo Skytree ranked second, followed by the winning of a record number of medals by Japanese athletes at the London Olympics.
　読売新聞の読者が選ぶ今年の「日本１０大ニュース」の１位は、「ノーベル生理学・医学賞に山中教授」だった。
　「東京スカイツリーの開業」が２位、「ロンドン五輪、史上最多のメダル」が３位に入った。

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells developed by Yamanaka have contributed greatly to medical progress toward realizing the regeneration of damaged organs.
　山中伸弥京都大教授が開発したｉＰＳ細胞（人工多能性幹細胞）は、傷んだ臓器などの再生医療を実現へ大きく動かした。

However, after it was announced he had won the award, Yamanaka said, "I haven't saved even one patient yet [with my iPS technology]." The professor's humble and sincere attitude favorably impressed many people.
「まだ一人の患者も救っていませんから」。受賞が決まった後の山中氏の謙虚で誠実な姿勢も好感を呼んだ。

Tokyo Skytree has attracted 28 million visitors in the six months since it opened to the public in May. The 634-meter Skytree is the world's tallest free-standing broadcast tower.
　東京スカイツリーは５月の開業から半年で約２８００万人の入場者を集めた。６３４メートルは自立式電波塔では世界一の高さだ。

If Tokyo Tower, the second-tallest tower in Japan, is a symbol of Japan's past rapid economic growth, what will the popular Tokyo Skytree come to symbolize?
東京タワーが高度成長の象徴ならば、スカイツリーはどんなシンボルとして親しまれていくのだろうか。

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Good news in sports

Japanese athletes won a record 38 medals--including seven gold medals--at the Summer Olympic Games held in London. In women's wrestling, Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho grabbed their third consecutive Olympic golds. And many female athletes such as members of the Nadeshiko Japan women's soccer team and volleyball and table tennis players performed superbly.
　ロンドン五輪で日本選手団は、金７個を含む３８個のメダルを獲得した。レスリングの吉田沙保里選手、伊調馨選手が五輪３連覇を達成した。なでしこジャパンのサッカー、バレーボール、卓球など女子選手が見事な活躍を見せた。

In eighth place on the list of top 10 domestic stories was the Yomiuri Giants' winning of the Japan Series, marking the team's first championship in three years and its 22nd overall.
　プロ野球の「巨人３年ぶり２２度目の日本一」は８位に入った。

Meanwhile, Hideki Matsui, who had been a Giants slugger for many years, announced his retirement Thursday. Matsui hit a total of 507 home runs while playing for the Giants, the New York Yankees and other major league teams, and won the World Series MVP award with the Yankees in 2009. Fans will take his dynamic batting style deep into their hearts.
　その巨人の主砲を長く務めた松井秀喜選手が２７日、引退を表明した。巨人や米大リーグ・ヤンキースなどで５０７本塁打を放ち、ワールドシリーズの最優秀選手にも選ばれた。豪快な打撃はファンの心に深く刻まれよう。

The general election held in December, which resulted in the inauguration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet, ranked fourth on the list of top 10 stories. Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda promised the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito he would dissolve the House of Representatives "sometime soon" in return for their cooperation in passing bills related to the comprehensive reform of social security and taxation systems, which ranked 16th in the list of top domestic news stories. Noda kept his promise and dissolved the lower house, but his Democratic Party of Japan suffered a crushing defeat in the general election.
　安倍内閣の発足につながる「師走の衆院選挙」は４位だった。民主党は、野田前首相が社会保障と税の一体改革（１６位）と引き換えに、「近いうち解散」に打って出た末の惨敗だった。

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Change in government

The defeat ended the DPJ-led government's rule, which had lasted three years and three months.
３年３か月に及んだ民主党政権が終わった。

The DPJ-led administration caused confusion in management of such national issues as the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, and its election pledges fell through. Many voters must have concluded the DPJ was not qualified to run the country. Prime Minister Abe is expected to draft and carry out realistic polices, and to stably run the government.
　米軍普天間飛行場移設の問題などで迷走し、民主党の政権公約（マニフェスト）も破綻した。政権担当能力に欠けると多くの有権者は判断したのだろう。
　安倍首相には、現実的な政策の立案・実行と安定した政権運営が求められる。

In fifth place on the list was the deterioration of Japan-China relations resulting from Japan's nationalization of some of the Senkaku Islands. For instance, anti-Japanese demonstrators rioted and stormed Japanese firms in China. Improvement of the bilateral ties is a priority issue for the Abe Cabinet.
　尖閣諸島の国有化による日中関係の悪化も、５位と関心が高かった。中国では反日デモが暴徒化し、日本企業が襲われた。関係の改善は安倍内閣の重要課題である。

The collapse of ceiling panels in the Chuo Expressway's Sasago Tunnel in December, which killed nine people, ranked 7th. Aging infrastructure in the nation should be revamped as soon as possible.
　１２月には中央道の笹子トンネル（山梨県）の天井板が崩落し、９人が死亡する大惨事が起きた（７位）。老朽化したインフラ（社会基盤）の改修も急ぎたい。

We would like to see 2013 become the turning point in the nation's steady recovery.
　日本が確実に再生の道へ歩み出す。来年をその節目にしたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 29, 2012)
（2012年12月29日01時20分  読売新聞）