2018年05月08日
英語で長崎と天草地方の潜伏キリシタン関連遺産案内（序）
先日のニュースで「長崎と天草地方の潜伏キリシタン関連遺産」が世界遺産登録に内定が出たことを知りました。（～登録の可否を事前審査する国連教育科学文化機関（ユネスコ）の諮問機関、国際記念物遺跡会議（イコモス）が「登録が適当」とユネスコに勧告したと発表した。毎日新聞記事より）
なんだか感慨深いものがあります。
というのも、十数年以上前になりますが何の気なしに通訳案内士を勉強していた頃、長崎県と天草のいわゆる「かくれキリシタン」と縁深い土地を熱心に廻っていたことがあります。なぜそうしたか自分でもはっきりした理由はよくわかりませんが、住んでいるところの近くに歴史的に興味深い場所が点在していたことと、さらに父が天草出身であることも、ひとつの縁だったのかもしれません。
国家資格が取れると今度は、いずれはこれらの地を外国の人に案内できたらいいかもと、長崎県の通訳案内士の資格も取りました。でも、ちょうどそのときから塾を始めて、結局、通訳案内士どころじゃなくなりました。我輩の力量や措かれている環境を考慮に入れても両方やるのは不可能だと考えました。
下記の英文は我輩が所縁の土地土地をめぐりながらいろいろ調べてコツコツとまとめたものの一部です。最終稿はネットで知り合ったカナダ在住のカナダ人英語教師にチェックしてもらいました。
正式に世界遺産登録されれば外国から訪問される方々も増えるだろう。そしてきっと通訳ガイドとしては活躍の場も増えるだろう。ただその性格上、観光というより宗教色のつよい旅行案内（聖地巡礼）となると思うので、ハードルはかなり高そうだ。生半可な知識ではとても対応できないだろう。もし万一やるとしたら塾どころでなくなるだろう、全身全霊の仕事になるだろう・・などとしばらく考えて、やっぱり塾に来てくれる限り塾生を全身全霊でガイドするようにがんばることにしよう、と思いました。
さて、総論的な序文ですが紹介いたします。（各論的な英文はいつか機会があれば・・・。） 良かったら読んでください。
(浅学なため歴史的記述で間違いがあるかもしれません。ご容赦ください。)
Francisco Zabiel is the first missionary to introduce Christianity to Japan in 1549. He came to Hirado Island the following year. Since then, Portuguese vessels travelled to Hirado to trade and missionaries taught Christianity to the people living on Hirado Island. When Oomura Sumitada, the lord of Oumula (present-day Oomura city in Nagasaki prefecture), became a faithful Christian lord, Nagasaki city was made into a port city with the cooperation of the Portuguese and the Oomura Clan. Afterwards, a lot of missions visiting Nagasaki spread Catholic teachings to the people of Nagasaki and built many churches, schools and hospitals. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he outlawed Christianity in 1587. Missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. But some missionaries continued carrying out their missions. A remarkable event occurred in 1596; 26 Catholic people (4 missionaries and 22 Japanese believers) were executed in Nagasaki. The Tokugawa Shogunate also followed the precedent set by Hideyoshi’s policy. Even though most foreign missionaries were expelled from Japan, some missionaries hid while others never stopped coming to Japan in order to continue spreading Christianity. Tokugawa ruthlessly cracked down on efforts to spread Christianity. On October 15th, 1635, the Amakusa-Shimabara insurgency occurred. Both areas had a lot of Christians because the former lords of these areas were Christians. Almost all of the residents; no less than 37,000 people including kids, women, and the elderly; were killed by troops dispatched from various alliances of clans by order of Tokugawa. After this event, the Tokugawa Shogunate continued to severely persecute Christians. Officers had the huge responsibility of eradicating Christians within their territories. Officers forced them to abandon their Christian beliefs through acts of brutal torture. Some people were hanged upside down in a hole until they renounced their Christian beliefs.(called Ana Zuri in Japanese term) Authorities forced them to step on an icon of Jesus or Mary. ( called Fumie in Japanese term) Some of them refused to do so in observance of their beliefs. As a result, they were executed. For example, some were crucified and left for dead in the shallow sea.(called Suitaku in japanese term) Waves gradually washed over their bodies and faces…The authorities tried to show the local residents the fate of the Christians. Others chose to step on the images to prove that they were non-Christians. But they didn’t abandon their Christian beliefs in fact.
平戸 生月島
Christians in Hiding or Kakure Kirishitan in Japanese
Many Christians had no choice but to become Christians in hiding to survive or protect their family and community. If one was revealed to be a Christian, his/her family and community would be regarded as Christians , which led to extinction of whole comunities. (called Kuzure in a Japanese term)They pretended to be Buddhists and practiced Shintoism, having a Buddhist altar and a shelf of gods in their houses to mask their true beliefs. But they secretly continued chantting “Orasho” or prayers. “Orasho” is derived from “Oratio” in Portuguese. Orasho were uttered in the same manner as Buddhist sutras. They had been secretly keeping crosses, figures of Mary and Jesus, rosaries, and other secret Christian objects. Images of Kanon were substituted for images of Mary. When almost all of the missionaries in Japan had died, they established organizations (called “Konpanya” derived from “Compania” in Portuguese) to maintain their beliefs. Oji-sama and Oyaji-sama are leaders who conduct their own Christian services. Actually, they had developed their own form of religion, blending Christianity, Buddhism, Shintoism, and indigenous religions in no less than 250 years. They had to prove annually that they were not Christians by stepping on an icon of Jesus. It is said that in some areas, they wore new sandals on that day, and after stepping on the Fumie, they boiled their sandals and drunk the soup of their sandals.
長崎 外海町
天草 崎津港
Even after the end of Tokugawa regime in 1867, the newly established Meiji government didn’t permit Christianity to flourish in the early Meiji period. One of the principles of the new government was to revere the Emperor, so Shintoism was regarded as the national religion. As a result, Buddhism was separated from Shintoism. When it comes to Christianity, needless to say, there was no room for Christianity in Japan at that time. But due to pressure from western countries, the Meiji government finally lifted the ban on Christianity in 1873. As a result, a lot of churches were built and rebuilt. Many Christians came out of hiding and became “true Christians” in a sense. But in some areas such as Ikitsuki, Najishi on Hirado, the Goto Islands, Sotomicho in northern Nagasaki, and the Nobosaki Peninsula in Nagasaki for example, they had their own way unique way of worshipping God. They persistently observed Christianity in their own way as Kakure Christians. Catholic authorities made unsuccessful attempts to persuade the Kakure Christians to adopt standard forms of Catholic worship in exchange for their admission into the Catholic Church. Their attempts at persuasion failed because Kakure Krishitan beliefs had completely changed from their original state. In fact, Kakure Christians worshiped their ancestor spirits rather than God like other Japanese Buddhists. As of today, most of the Kakure Kirishitan organizations have been dissolved. Only on Ikitsuki, do the residents of a small mountain community still observe their own religion. About 1000 of the 8500 residents on Ikitsuki Island are Kakure Kirishitan. It sounds ironic to learn that most of the Kakure Kirishitan converted themselves from Christians to Buddhists. Actually, many of the Christian martyrs have been worshiped as deities in a Shinto way for reasons other than to mask the religious beliefs of the Kakure Krishitan….
島原 原城跡
読んでくださりありがとうございます。
いつか五島の教会群写真撮りに行きたいです。
コチラ見やすい。
なんだか感慨深いものがあります。
というのも、十数年以上前になりますが何の気なしに通訳案内士を勉強していた頃、長崎県と天草のいわゆる「かくれキリシタン」と縁深い土地を熱心に廻っていたことがあります。なぜそうしたか自分でもはっきりした理由はよくわかりませんが、住んでいるところの近くに歴史的に興味深い場所が点在していたことと、さらに父が天草出身であることも、ひとつの縁だったのかもしれません。
国家資格が取れると今度は、いずれはこれらの地を外国の人に案内できたらいいかもと、長崎県の通訳案内士の資格も取りました。でも、ちょうどそのときから塾を始めて、結局、通訳案内士どころじゃなくなりました。我輩の力量や措かれている環境を考慮に入れても両方やるのは不可能だと考えました。
下記の英文は我輩が所縁の土地土地をめぐりながらいろいろ調べてコツコツとまとめたものの一部です。最終稿はネットで知り合ったカナダ在住のカナダ人英語教師にチェックしてもらいました。
正式に世界遺産登録されれば外国から訪問される方々も増えるだろう。そしてきっと通訳ガイドとしては活躍の場も増えるだろう。ただその性格上、観光というより宗教色のつよい旅行案内（聖地巡礼）となると思うので、ハードルはかなり高そうだ。生半可な知識ではとても対応できないだろう。もし万一やるとしたら塾どころでなくなるだろう、全身全霊の仕事になるだろう・・などとしばらく考えて、やっぱり塾に来てくれる限り塾生を全身全霊でガイドするようにがんばることにしよう、と思いました。
さて、総論的な序文ですが紹介いたします。（各論的な英文はいつか機会があれば・・・。） 良かったら読んでください。
(浅学なため歴史的記述で間違いがあるかもしれません。ご容赦ください。)
Francisco Zabiel is the first missionary to introduce Christianity to Japan in 1549. He came to Hirado Island the following year. Since then, Portuguese vessels travelled to Hirado to trade and missionaries taught Christianity to the people living on Hirado Island. When Oomura Sumitada, the lord of Oumula (present-day Oomura city in Nagasaki prefecture), became a faithful Christian lord, Nagasaki city was made into a port city with the cooperation of the Portuguese and the Oomura Clan. Afterwards, a lot of missions visiting Nagasaki spread Catholic teachings to the people of Nagasaki and built many churches, schools and hospitals. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan, he outlawed Christianity in 1587. Missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. But some missionaries continued carrying out their missions. A remarkable event occurred in 1596; 26 Catholic people (4 missionaries and 22 Japanese believers) were executed in Nagasaki. The Tokugawa Shogunate also followed the precedent set by Hideyoshi’s policy. Even though most foreign missionaries were expelled from Japan, some missionaries hid while others never stopped coming to Japan in order to continue spreading Christianity. Tokugawa ruthlessly cracked down on efforts to spread Christianity. On October 15th, 1635, the Amakusa-Shimabara insurgency occurred. Both areas had a lot of Christians because the former lords of these areas were Christians. Almost all of the residents; no less than 37,000 people including kids, women, and the elderly; were killed by troops dispatched from various alliances of clans by order of Tokugawa. After this event, the Tokugawa Shogunate continued to severely persecute Christians. Officers had the huge responsibility of eradicating Christians within their territories. Officers forced them to abandon their Christian beliefs through acts of brutal torture. Some people were hanged upside down in a hole until they renounced their Christian beliefs.(called Ana Zuri in Japanese term) Authorities forced them to step on an icon of Jesus or Mary. ( called Fumie in Japanese term) Some of them refused to do so in observance of their beliefs. As a result, they were executed. For example, some were crucified and left for dead in the shallow sea.(called Suitaku in japanese term) Waves gradually washed over their bodies and faces…The authorities tried to show the local residents the fate of the Christians. Others chose to step on the images to prove that they were non-Christians. But they didn’t abandon their Christian beliefs in fact.
平戸 生月島
Christians in Hiding or Kakure Kirishitan in Japanese
Many Christians had no choice but to become Christians in hiding to survive or protect their family and community. If one was revealed to be a Christian, his/her family and community would be regarded as Christians , which led to extinction of whole comunities. (called Kuzure in a Japanese term)They pretended to be Buddhists and practiced Shintoism, having a Buddhist altar and a shelf of gods in their houses to mask their true beliefs. But they secretly continued chantting “Orasho” or prayers. “Orasho” is derived from “Oratio” in Portuguese. Orasho were uttered in the same manner as Buddhist sutras. They had been secretly keeping crosses, figures of Mary and Jesus, rosaries, and other secret Christian objects. Images of Kanon were substituted for images of Mary. When almost all of the missionaries in Japan had died, they established organizations (called “Konpanya” derived from “Compania” in Portuguese) to maintain their beliefs. Oji-sama and Oyaji-sama are leaders who conduct their own Christian services. Actually, they had developed their own form of religion, blending Christianity, Buddhism, Shintoism, and indigenous religions in no less than 250 years. They had to prove annually that they were not Christians by stepping on an icon of Jesus. It is said that in some areas, they wore new sandals on that day, and after stepping on the Fumie, they boiled their sandals and drunk the soup of their sandals.
長崎 外海町
天草 崎津港
Even after the end of Tokugawa regime in 1867, the newly established Meiji government didn’t permit Christianity to flourish in the early Meiji period. One of the principles of the new government was to revere the Emperor, so Shintoism was regarded as the national religion. As a result, Buddhism was separated from Shintoism. When it comes to Christianity, needless to say, there was no room for Christianity in Japan at that time. But due to pressure from western countries, the Meiji government finally lifted the ban on Christianity in 1873. As a result, a lot of churches were built and rebuilt. Many Christians came out of hiding and became “true Christians” in a sense. But in some areas such as Ikitsuki, Najishi on Hirado, the Goto Islands, Sotomicho in northern Nagasaki, and the Nobosaki Peninsula in Nagasaki for example, they had their own way unique way of worshipping God. They persistently observed Christianity in their own way as Kakure Christians. Catholic authorities made unsuccessful attempts to persuade the Kakure Christians to adopt standard forms of Catholic worship in exchange for their admission into the Catholic Church. Their attempts at persuasion failed because Kakure Krishitan beliefs had completely changed from their original state. In fact, Kakure Christians worshiped their ancestor spirits rather than God like other Japanese Buddhists. As of today, most of the Kakure Kirishitan organizations have been dissolved. Only on Ikitsuki, do the residents of a small mountain community still observe their own religion. About 1000 of the 8500 residents on Ikitsuki Island are Kakure Kirishitan. It sounds ironic to learn that most of the Kakure Kirishitan converted themselves from Christians to Buddhists. Actually, many of the Christian martyrs have been worshiped as deities in a Shinto way for reasons other than to mask the religious beliefs of the Kakure Krishitan….
島原 原城跡
読んでくださりありがとうございます。
いつか五島の教会群写真撮りに行きたいです。
コチラ見やすい。
