今日の英語ニュース☆2023.09.06☆時事英語・ニュース英語を極める
このnoteの目的は、アメリカのニュース番組が理解出来るようになる方法を伝えることです。その方法とは、英語字幕を読みながら英語ニュースを毎日見続けること。 こんな感じです（サンプルのスクリーンショット）。
使う教材は、上のリンクの動画です。
アメリカの公共放送PBSのニュース番組で、質の高い報道に定評がありますが、残念なことに、字幕に誤りがかなり含まれていることがあります。番組がアメリカで放送されてから約２時間で最終版の字幕がアップロードされますので、時間的制約を考えれば誤りは仕方がないことかもしれません。
しかし、英語学習者の場合、字幕に誤りがあると、変だと思っても、それが本当に間違いなのか分からないことがあると思います。あるいは、間違いに気付かないこともあるかもしれません。ですから、正確な字幕が必要です。
そこで、約１時間の番組ですが、英語音声をすべて聞いて、字幕の明らかな誤りを訂正したものをダウンロードできるようにしています（少し下にあります）。この字幕ファイルと動画をダウンロードして再生ソフトで使ってください（上のスクリーンショット動画のように再生できます。英語が速すぎる場合は、あまりおすすめしませんが、再生速度の調節もできます）。
また、このnoteや字幕ファイルでは、辞書を調べても分からないような英語表現を説明しています（辞書を引けば分かる言葉は、自分で調べてください）。辞書に載ってないような表現、辞書にあっても意味がたくさんありすぎてどれなのか分からない言葉、文脈の中で特殊な使われ方をしている言葉、背景の知識がないと分からない部分、ニュース英語や時事英語の独特な表現、知っていると訳に立ちそうな表現などを説明しています（書き加えた説明は[* ……] ）。
それでは、今日も一緒に英語のニュースを見ていきましょう！
■ 英語字幕ファイルのダウンロード
[PBS NewsHour Sept. 5, 2023] の字幕ファイルのダウンロード
（この字幕ファイルはテキストエディタ（windowsの「メモ帳」など）で開くことも出来ますが、下の「字幕ファイルの使い方」のように再生ソフト（無料）で使うことをおすすめします。こんな感じに表示されます。）ブラウザーによってダウンロードがブロックされる場合ば、下のテキストファイルをダウンロードして拡張子.txtを .lrcに変更して使ってください(例えば、Chromeは、.lrcのようなあまり使われない拡張子のファイルを危険と判断することがあるようです)。
■ 動画サイトへのリンク
・直接動画サイトを見る場合のリンクです(リンク先字幕の誤りは元のまま)
・分からない言葉はこの２つの辞書でたいてい見つかると思います
・上の字幕ファイルには、約１時間の番組の全字幕と語句説明があります
・以下はサンプル程度です
[00:00] Introduction
[02:20] Congress returns to work in Washington facing deadline to keep government funded
The Senate is back to work in Washington after a month-long recess. The return sets up the start of a high-stakes showdown to prevent a government shutdown by the end of the month. That will be a tough task as the Democratic-led Senate and Republicans in the House don’t see eye to eye on spending priorities. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Leigh Ann Caldwell of The Washington Post.
《 Leigh Ann Caldwell, The Washington Post; funding the government before September 30 deadline, or face a government shutdown; Tommy Tuberville; 》
[02:58] SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Now, one particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week, but I assure you, August was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the commonwealth.
[** commonwealth = Used to refer to some US states, namely, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (thefreedictionary). // この文脈では、McConnell議員の地元のケンタッキー州のこと。]
[03:20] So, Leigh Ann, let's start with concerns about Senator McConnell's health. His office released a letter today from the Capitol's attending physician.
[** = Attending Physician of the United States Congress. 先日の番組に出てきました。// attending physicianという言葉は主治医を意味することが多いが、この文脈では違う。]
[03:48] What the letter said is that there is no evidence of a seizure disorder, that there's no evidence of a movement disorder, such as Parkinson's or of a stroke.
[** = A seizure disorder is a medical condition (one of about 40) characterized by episodes of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, thus producing symptoms that include two or more seizures...
https://www.medicinenet.com/seizure_vs_seizure_disorders_whats_the_difference/article.htm ]
[05:51] GEOFF BENNETT: Well, shifting our focus back to the Upper Chamber, Senator Tommy Tuberville, the Republican from Alabama, he's facing new pressure to release his holds on military promotions.
[** 関連ニュース ]
[07:16] News Wrap
A panel of three federal judges struck down Alabama's second try at a congressional map after Republican lawmakers refused to create a second majority-Black district, prosecutors in Atlanta charged 61 people with racketeering after two years of protests against a police and fire training facility and the UN is cutting food aid in Afghanistan amid a funding shortfall.
《Alabama's second try at a congressional map struck down; special master will be designated to draw up districts; Prosecutors in Atlanta charged 61 people with racketeering; they are against a police and fire training facility (Cop City); First lady Jill Biden with mild symptoms of COVID-19; World Food Program cutting off aid to another two million people, on top of eight million Afghans who lost food assistance in April and May; Spain's Soccer Federation fired Jorge Vilda from his job as coach of the women's World Cup champions; Vilda applauded Luis Rubiales, the Spanish Soccer Federation president, who refused to resign after kissing a player without her consent; Retired Army Captain Larry Taylor, awarded the Medal of Honor; 》
[07:16] AMNA NAWAZ: In the day's other headlines: A panel of three federal judges struck down Alabama's second try at a congressional map. That's after Republican lawmakers refused to create a second majority-Black district, despite a Supreme Court mandate. Now a special master will be designated to draw up districts.
[** a special master is generally a subordinate official appointed by a judge to ensure judicial orders are followed...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_master ]
[07:41] Prosecutors in Atlanta charged 61 people with racketeering today after two years of protests against a police and fire training facility. Activists call it Cop City and say it would militarize the police. Prosecutors call them militant anarchists who burned equipment and threatened officials. Republican Attorney General Chris Carr said it amounted to a criminal enterprise.
[** < to racketeer = to carry out illegal business activities or criminal schemes; to commit crimes systematically as part of a criminal organization ]
[** criminal enterprise (= organized crime) = According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a criminal enterprise is defined "as a group of individuals with an identified hierarchy, or comparable structure, engaged in significant criminal activity." https://www.muscalaw.com/criminal-defense/federal-crimes/criminal-enterprises ]
[12:32]★今日のおすすめ★ Far-right violence a growing threat and law enforcement's top domestic terrorism concern
The Proud Boys played a critical part in carrying out the Jan. 6 attack, but the group is just one part of a trend of increased white supremacist and far-right violence. Top U.S. law enforcement officials say those extremist movements are the biggest domestic terrorism threat facing the country. Laura Barron-Lopez discussed the rise of far-right extremism with Kathleen Belew and Seamus Hughes.
《former leader of the extremist Proud Boys group, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison; extremist movements posing the biggest domestic terrorism
threat; Kathleen Belew, a historian at Northwestern University; Seamus Hughes of the University of Nebraska Omaha's National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center; Oath Keepers; seditious conspiracy; Two Percenters; Atomwaffen; The Base; 》
[13:50] What's the significance of this 22-year sentence and the domestic terrorism enhancement that was applied to it?
[** enhancement < sentencing enhancement = Sentencing enhancements bump up the possible penalty the judge can impose for a crime. For instance, a misdemeanor offense might increase to a felony if it's a repeat offense or it involved a weapon. Or a five-year felony could increase to a ten-year felony if committed as a hate crime... https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/criminal-law-basics/sentence-enhancements-mean-harder-punishments.html //
terrorism enhancementは、テロ犯罪の場合に適用されるsentencing enhancement(量刑加重) ]
[16:09] If you look at the trend lines of people who have been arrested for -- arrests against -- threats against public officials, that's going much, much higher. And so, no, I don't think necessarily arrests are going to stop this. It's going to be a larger issue on how to address this, but it's important for us as society to put a finger on the scale and say, this is unacceptable. We can't allow this happening.
[** to put a finger on the scale この部分はto put one's finger on somethingという表現とthumb on the scale が混じっているのかもしれない。あるいは、この人は、こういう言い方を普段からしているのかもしれない。文脈を考えると、この部分の意味は… to recognize, identify, or determine the fundamental aspects of the problemくらいの意味だと思われる ]
[16:29] And so, of course, some people will say, you can't arrest your way out of this problem, but it is a first start for it.
[** 逮捕しまくっても問題の解決にはならない。いくら逮捕しても問題が解決するわけではない ]
[17:42] So, if you look at threats against Barron Trump, against Congressman Santos, against a number of the federal judges covering the Trump trial, this is, unfortunately, kind of pervasive throughout, and federal officials are starting to sit up and take notice of it.
[** to sit up = to suddenly take notice of something or become very alert ]
[18:13] We are talking about a broad groundswell of white power activity, militant right activity. The Proud Boys have to be considered alongside other public-facing groups like the Oath Keepers [* Oath Keepers. see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_Keepers ] and Two Percenters [* Three Percentersのことか？ see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Percenters ] and similar groups like this, other January 6 groups, and also alongside the violent underground of this movement, which includes groups like Atomwaffen [* = Atomwaffen Division. see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomwaffen_Division ] and The Base [* see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Base_(hate_group) ] , may or may not eventually turn out to include other sorts of underground activity and other sorts of attack,
[** この文脈では、public-facingは、少しあとに出て来るviolent undergroundと対になっている表現。暴力的な地下活動に対して、一般向けの表の顔としての組織 ]
[20:39]★今日のおすすめ★ How normalized relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel could change the Middle East
Israel and Saudi Arabia have never had diplomatic relations. But both countries’ leaders appear to want normalization, and the U.S. is actively negotiating its details. It would create a tectonic shift in the Middle East, but critics argue it could come at too high a price for not enough gain. Nick Schifrin discussed the possible deal with Robert Satloff, Bernard Haykel and Dalia Dassa Kaye.
《normalized relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel?; Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University; Dalia Dassa Kaye, senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations》
[21:37] JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. National Security Adviser: Peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a big deal. It would help create a circumstance in which the countries of the region could collaborate on everything from economics to technology to regional security. And that would benefit the United States of America in a fundamental way, because we have an interest in a more integrated, more stable Middle East, where de-escalation, as opposed to escalation, is the order of the day.
[** order of the day = Something that is a priority in a certain situation or at a given time.]
[22:37] Why is this important for Riyadh? And, as you understand it, what are their most important asks?
[** ask (名詞) = 求めるもの。要求 ]
[23:37] ROBERT SATLOFF, Executive Director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Well, Nick, so far, it looks like President Biden wants to go big. He doesn't want to nickel-and-dime on what each side is asking the other. He's trying to make a big deal, that each side makes big concessions to each other.
[** to go big = to do something to its fullest extent or largest degree < go big or go home ]
[24:45] DALIA DASSA KAYE, University of California, Los Angeles: Well, look, normalization is, of course, positive, and the U.S. should welcome it. But as the setup piece suggested, it will be a high price and mostly paid from Washington.
[** setup piece = 本題や討論に入る前の説明ビデオ ]
[27:09] I don't see how, though, a purely value -- values-based [* = 価値観に基づく ] foreign policy is going to advance peace in the Middle East or, for that matter, make the Saudis behave better. If you link the Saudis to a normalization agreement with Israel, I think you have a better chance of gaining leverage on that and many other files.
[** file = a group of problems or responsibilities, esp in government, associated with a particular topic (thefreedictionary)]
[29:01] When it comes to China, this notion that this agreement can kind of help move the Saudis back into the U.S. camp, move it further from the Chinese orbit, it's just not in touch with the regional realities today, that countries like Saudi Arabia and others, other partners in the region, don't want to take sides. They are playing all sides, and they're playing them well.
[** orbit = a sphere of influence ]
[29:21] When it comes to Iran, we're not going to have some unified pro-American axis confronting the Iranians, as much as we might like it.
[** axis = an alliance or coalition ]
[29:35] And then, finally, when it comes to these expectations of big wins on the Palestinian front, what Israeli government are we talking about? We are 30 years from Oslo, and we are as far as we ever have been from a two-state solution.
[** = Oslo Accords. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords ]
[32:43] The accusations that led to Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial
The Texas State Senate transformed into a court of impeachment for the first time in nearly 50 years. Suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton pleaded not guilty to 16 charges including bribery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and abuse of the public’s trust. Amna Nawaz discussed the trial with Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman.
《Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial has started; Tony Plohetski, reporter for The Austin-American Statesman; Nate Paul, Austin investor, allegedly bribed Paxton; Paxton has been a staunch ally of former President Trump for a long time; 》
[34:00] AMNA NAWAZ: Let's begin with what exactly Mr. Paxton is being accused of here. What are these charges related to?
[** 関連ニュース ]
TONY PLOHETSKI: So, Amna, this all dates back to 2020. And during the pandemic, a number of Ken Paxton's top aides -- we're talking about his first assistant and other people who worked in the executive offices of the attorney general's office. They went to the FBI. And they said, we believe our boss, the attorney general of Texas, is committing a number of federal offenses, including bribery and abuse of office. The allegations relate to Ken Paxton's alleged actions to aid a well-known Austin investor by the name of Nate Paul, who himself was under FBI investigation. And, according to the allegations, Ken Paxton took a number of steps in his official capacity as attorney general to assist Nate Paul and then received benefits, allegedly, from doing so.
[35:33] And, Amna, they're also contending that this is a weaponization of the impeachment process, that Ken Paxton was duly elected last fall in November to a third term to serve as Texas' top attorney. And they say that this effort is an effort to undermine the electorate and the voters of Texas.
[** weaponization = 以前の番組に出てきました ]
[38:18]★今日のおすすめ★ 'The Last Politician' provides inside look at Biden's first 2 years in White House
When Joe Biden stepped into the Oval Office as president on January 20th, 2021, he was possibly better prepared and more equipped to deal with the ways of Washington and his fellow world leaders than other presidents in recent history. The Atlantic's Franklin Foer examined Biden's first two years in office and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss his new book, "The Last Politician."
《新刊本; "The Last Politician"; Franklin Foer; The Atlantic; 》
[41:03] He was so intent, to some extent, on winning the bureaucratic wars over Afghanistan and so intent on focusing on the strategic redirection of American foreign policy, that he lost a bit of track of the humanitarian questions that ultimately came to the fore and were so vivid in those weeks in August of the withdrawal.
[** to lose track of = to forget about, or neglect to pay close attention to something ]
[43:40] Biden has this supreme sense of self-confidence, based on all of his many years in Washington. And I think it was harder for him to see the space for Kamala Harris in the vice presidency. And so, while the relationship formally, emotionally, is a very healthy one, as a practical matter, I think it made it harder for Harris to find her legs.
[** to find one's legs = to get used to something, or develop competence ]
[45:17] But we're navigating a proxy war with a major nuclear power.
[** この文脈のproxy warの意味は… アメリカは直接戦っていないが、ウクライナ戦争は米露の代理戦争のようになっているということだと思われる。 ]
[45:52] GEOFF BENNETT: The book is "The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future." Its author is Franklin Foer. It is a triumph of reporting. Congratulations,
[** triumph = a noteworthy achievement; a work of art, cuisine, etc. of very high quality ]
[46:19] Billie Jean King on her legendary career and fight for equal pay in women's sports
Today, some women’s tennis players are among the highest-paid athletes in the world. But that wasn’t always the case. Equal pay was a long battle fought by the same women playing the game, including the legendary Billie Jean King. Amna Nawaz spoke with King at the U.S. Open as the tournament marked 50 years since it became the first U.S. sporting event to offer equal prize money for men and women.
《Billie Jean King; fight for equal pay in women's sports; Original 9; Battle of the Sexes; Bobby Riggs; King herself lost endorsements when she was outed as gay in 1981 and has been a champion of LGBTQ+ rights; transgender athletes; 》
[47:44] I don't know what came over me, but inside my heart and soul said, I don't think we will be back next year unless we have equal prize money. And I said it very quietly. I'm not ranting and raving. And the media goes, what? And I said, I haven't talked to the women yet about it, but I'm pretty sure that they will go along with it. And, of course, inside, I'm going, what have I done? Because what if the women don't get behind ? I'm like, I thought they would.
[** to get behind (someone or something) = to support someone or something ]
[48:32] AMNA NAWAZ: It was King and the so-called Original 9 who laid the foundation three years earlier, at a time when some men earned as much as eight times as the women.
[** = The Original 9 were a group of nine women's professional tennis players who broke away from the governing bodies of tennis in 1970 to launch their own professional tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit, which later evolved into the modern WTA Tour... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_9 ]
[49:33] AMNA NAWAZ: On the court, a very public, so-called Battle of the Sexes, taking on and beating Bobby Riggs in 1973. An estimated 90 million people tuned in, tennis' most watched match to this day.
[** see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Sexes_(tennis) ]