問 20 解答例
- I don’t think a virtuous quality can take on negative aspects. This may be a case of a negative moral quality expressed under the guise of a virtuous quality. Some Japanese many be hypocritically polite. But others are just very polite … not too polite.
問 20 出題 Give your opinion on the following.
Q: - Some contend that the Japanese are occasionally too polite. What do you think?
You: - ____________________________________________________________.
《Introspective Observation》
“too polite”とはどういう意味だろう。Too polite to be true.の意味か？質問の真意がよくわからない。過ぎたる礼儀など有り得るだろうか。美徳は高尚になりすぎることはない。もし過ぎたら美徳ではない。不誠実の仮面をかぶった偽りではないか？
A: A virtuous quality can be elevated, refined, and upgraded but never overdone or abused.
問 19 解答例
- The former is under his control and the latter is under social control. This is a case of an arrogant and conceited individual meeting his and social requisites.
問 19 出題 Give your opinion on the following.
Q: - How do you explain the fact that a person who flaunts his sense of importance is sometimes overly modest, like when he refers to his family?
You: - ___________________________________________________________.
《Introspective Observation》
人間の感情は複雑で、時に、矛盾や非論理的な感情も抱く。
- Arrogance and modesty are logically incompatible. However, the human mind is often ambivalent and contradictory if not illogical.
威張る人間が、家族のことに触れると、謙遜するのは社会に強要されているから、とも言える。
問 18 解答例
- It means to be obsessed with an exaggerated sense of self importance and to manifest it on private and public occasions.
問 18 出題 Answer the following question.
Q: - How do you translate the Japanese verb “ibaru” into English?
(ibaru = 威張る)
You: - _______________________________________________________.
《Introspective Observation》
世界でも、各界のお偉方や政治家の先生が”威張る”のは、当然のことと受け入れられているが、この時代錯誤の言行は、強調すればするほど、幼稚で劣等意識を如実にあらわす。わが国の政治家やビジネスマンの中にも、発展途上国では威張り、先進国では卑下する人がいるが、縦型社会で育った者の弊害で、どこでも”平等”を志す人に成長したいものだ。
問 17 解答例
- I don’t see how an individual can be totally free from social mores, however, American modesty publicly manifested is more of a question of personal preference than a rigidly imposed social norm.
