英語のほうが解りやすいポツダム宣言

中学生レベルの英語力でも、辞書を引きながらなら容易に読めるポツダム宣言の原文。当時の変な日本語訳を読むより、こっちを読みましょう。そんなに「つまびらかに」読まなくても意味は単純明白です。この宣言をヒロヒト昭和天皇陛下は、受諾すると口に出して明言し、一転して戦後の日本は始まったわけです。いや好むと好まざるとに関わらず、日本だけではなく世界中の戦後秩序の大きな基板であるといえるでしょう。

それを我らが安倍晋三首相はなんと心得ているのか？　「読んでいない」がウソでもホントでも、中韓の話ではなく欧米も含めた世界中を敵に回しますよ、安倍さん。冗談ではすみませんよ、こればかりは。天皇陛下の詔勅を翻すというのだから、右翼からも刺されますよ。敵は野党ではないのです。敵は「無知」です。こんな人物が自国のリーダーであっても、まだヘラヘラとしている鈍感な国民のみなさん、みなさんはこの人物と、心中するつもりですか？

ちょうどいい機会です。ポツダム宣言を読んでみてください。目を背けたくなるほど厳しい表現ですが、目をそらさずに｡ほとんどをトルーマンが書き、三カ国ぶん彼が署名しました。

これが現実です。

Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender
Issued, at Potsdam, July 26, 1945

1. We-the President of the United States, the President of the National Government of the Republic of China, and the Prime Minister of Great Britain, representing the hundreds of millions of our countrymen, have conferred and agree that Japan shall be given an opportunity to end this war.
2. The prodigious land, sea and air forces of the United States, the British Empire and of China, many times reinforced by their armies and air fleets from the west, are poised to strike the final blows upon Japan. This military power is sustained and inspired by the determination of all the Allied Nations to prosecute the war against Japan until she ceases to resist.
3. The result of the futile and senseless German resistance to the might of the aroused free peoples of the world stands forth in awful clarity as an example to the people of Japan. The might that now converges on Japan is immeasurably greater than that which, when applied to the resisting Nazis, necessarily laid waste to the lands, the industry and the method of life of the whole German people. The full application of our military power, backed by our resolve, will mean the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitably the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland.
4. The time has come for Japan to decide whether she will continue to be controlled by those self-willed militaristic advisers whose unintelligent calculations have brought the Empire of Japan to the threshold of annihilation, or whether she will follow the path of reason.
5. Following are our terms. We will not deviate from them. There are no alternatives. We shall brook no delay.
6. There must be eliminated for all time the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest, for we insist that a new order of peace, security and justice will be impossible until irresponsible militarism is driven from the world.
7. Until such a new order is established and until there is convincing proof that Japan’s war-making power is destroyed, points in Japanese territory to be designated by the Allies shall be occupied to secure the achievement of the basic objectives we are here setting forth.
8. The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine.
9. The Japanese military forces, after being completely disarmed, shall be permitted to return to their homes with the opportunity to lead peaceful and productive lives.
10. We do not intend that the Japanese shall be enslaved as a race or destroyed as a nation, but stern justice shall be meted out to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners. The Japanese Government shall remove all obstacles to the revival and strengthening of democratic tendencies among the Japanese people. Freedom of speech, of religion, and of thought, as well as respect for the fundamental human rights shall be established.
11. Japan shall be permitted to maintain such industries as will sustain her economy and permit the exaction of just reparations in kind, but not those which would enable her to re-arm for war. To this end, access to, as distinguished from control of, raw materials shall be permitted. Eventual Japanese participation in world trade relations shall be permitted.
12. The occupying forces of the Allies shall be withdrawn from Japan as soon as these objectives have been accomplished and there has been established in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people a peacefully inclined and responsible government.
13. We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.

＃＃＃

菅官房長官は２１日午後の記者会見で、安倍総理大臣が２０日の党首討論で、ポツダム宣言への認識を問われたことに関連して「日本はポツダム宣言の受け入れを表明し、繁栄する国を築き上げたわけで受諾したことに尽きる」と述べました。

ysugie

杉江 義浩

杉江 義浩
すぎえよしひろ　Yoshihiro Sugie
1960年東京都渋谷区生まれ。神戸大学卒。「なみはや」プロジェクト終了後、NHK大阪放送局、NHKローマ臨時支局を経て、番組制作局の青少年番組を担当するディレクターとなる。「NHKスペシャル」「天才てれびくん」「週刊こどもニュース」「ピタゴラスイッチ」などを担当プロデュース。NHKエデュケーショナルを経て現在NHKインターナショナル勤務。海外向け番組提供やCPO10、APEC、IMF世銀総会などの国際会議のホストブロードキャスター業務に携わる。

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