天声人语 2011.11.23 勤劳感谢之日

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▼字面は硬いが、勤労感謝なる言葉は味わい深い。収穫に謝する新嘗祭（にいなめさい）の休みを継いだせいもあろう。祝日法にある「勤労を尊（たつと）び、生産を祝い、国民互いに感謝しあう」という素朴さがいい。
　“勤劳感谢”一词虽读起来略显生硬，却意味深长。11月23日原是为感谢秋季收成举行新尝祭的节日，战后改称“勤劳感谢日”。《祝日法》中对这个节日的定义：“尊重勤劳、庆贺生产、国民互相感谢”，写得非常朴素。
▼対立するかに聞こえる名言が、劇作家のバーナード・ショーにある。「老いゆえに遊びをやめるのではない。遊びをやめるから老いるのだ」。なるほど、遊興は人生を潤し、よく遊ぶ者は時に大成する。無論、よく働いた上での話である。
   而英国剧作家萧伯纳则有一句名言，与之形成鲜明对照：“不是老了才玩不动，而是玩不动才叫老了。”原来如此哈，游乐滋润人生，玩得多的人有时反而成大器。当然，前提是勤奋工作的人。
▼大王製紙の井川意高（もとたか）前会長（47）が、特別背任の疑いで東京地検に逮捕された。子会社から勝手に100億円超を借り出し、ほとんどを海外のカジノ遊びに費やした上、数十億円の損害を与えたという。
   大王造纸的前任会长井川意高（47岁），11月22日以涉嫌特别背任（注：日本公司法中的罪名，与中国刑法中的‘妨害对公司、企业的管理秩序罪’接近）被东京地方检察院予以逮捕。他擅自从子公司挪用超过100亿日元的款项，且在海外赌场将其挥霍殆尽，并给公司造成数十亿日元的损失。
▼大負けは時の運にしても、創業家３代目の優位を乱用した罪は重い。かの散財はどう見ても、人間修業というより道楽である。紙問屋の若旦那がよからぬ界隈（かいわい）に入り浸り、店の金を使い込む。時代劇なら古い番頭あたりが諫（いさ）める場だが、乱行は止まらなかった。
  即便可以把豪赌输光归咎于时运不济，作为大王造纸的第三代接班人，井川滥用其显赫地位的行为罪孽深重。他在赌场里的一掷千金，怎么看都不像是为了人生历练，而纯粹是寻欢作乐。造纸世家的少东家整天游荡在不三不四的地方流连忘返，肆意挥霍。这要是出古装电视剧，就是年迈的老管家苦口婆心相劝，那人却置若罔闻我行我素。
▼その昔、旦那どころか世の大店（おおだな）がこぞって賭場に入れ込んだ時代があった。財テクと称するギャンブルだ。オリンパスの負けは1300億円にも膨らんだが、表沙汰を恐れて帳簿をごまかしてきた。こちらも特捜部が関心を寄せる。
  泡沫经济时代，别说什么少东家，市场上的大户们都曾纷纷冲进赌场。这场豪赌叫做“投资”。日本奥林巴斯会社输掉了1300亿日元，怕被曝光于是做假账。东京地方检察院特别搜查部对这起丑闻也正高度关注中。
▼精勤あっての息抜き、本業あっての余資運用である。遊びが過ぎた若旦那も、保身に汲々（きゅうきゅう）とした大店の面々も、きょうの旗日はほろ苦いだろう。幸か不幸か億の額には縁遠い小欄、ご同輩と存分に勤労を称（たた）え合うとする。
  勤奋工作之余可略作休整，做好本职行当之外闲钱可以拿去投资。不管是玩得过头了的井川少东家，还是疲于自保的奥林巴斯，今天这个“勤劳感谢节日”对他们来说有些苦涩吧。不知道算幸运呐还是不幸，反正我这个小专栏跟动辄亿万的财富基本没啥关系，还是跟我亲爱的同事们好好互相赞赏一下彼此的辛勤劳动吧。

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VOX POPULI: Let's thank the workers, not the gamblers
The kanji that make up the Japanese phrase “kinro-kansha” (labor thanksgiving) look kind of stiff, but their meaning feels profound. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Labor Thanksgiving Day coincides with the old “Niinamesai” (harvest festival), an ancient ritual to celebrate the harvest of rice and other grains. According to the national holiday law, kinro-kansha is a day "to pay tribute to labor, celebrate production and for citizens to express gratitude to one another." How nice and simple.

Let me also quote a maxim by the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) about what is sometimes taken as the opposite of work: play. Shaw said: "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Playing does indeed make life richer, and people who are good at it sometimes achieve success. It goes without saying that they also work hard.

The former chairman of Daio Paper Corp. Mototaka Ikawa, 47, was arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on a charge of aggravated breach of trust. He is suspected of having diverted more than 10 billion yen ($139 million) from Daio subsidiaries to gamble at overseas casinos, causing the company billions of yen in damages.

One can suffer heavy losses depending on the way the dice rolls, but Ikawa abused his power as the third generation heir of the family that founded the company. No matter how we look at it, the way he squandered someone else's money was debauched and showed no self-discipline. The young master of a paper wholesaler frequents questionable neighborhoods and spends money from the till. If it were a period drama, a long-serving head clerk would reprimand him. In this case, however, the misconduct did not stop.

There was a time when big businesses as well as heirs to family businesses flocked to gambling houses to make speculative investments. Olympus Corp.'s loss swelled to 130 billion yen, but company executives cooked the books to hide it. The case is also attracting the attention of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigative unit.

Workers must work hard before they rest, and companies must concentrate on their main businesses before they use surplus funds to try to make extra money. Labor Thanksgiving Day must give bitter pause for thought to prodigal young heirs and big major businesses now under threat. I don't know if I'm lucky or not, but I am a stranger to sums in the order of tens of billions of yen. I want to celebrate labor thanksgiving with my fellow workers.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 23