今日の英語ニュース☆2023.08.10☆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 Aug. 9, 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
[02:25] News Wrap
In our news wrap Wednesday, FBI agents shot and killed a Utah man [* = Craig Robertson] accused of making threats against President Biden, wildfires in Hawaii burned thousands of acres and killed at least six people on Maui, days of downpours in Europe caused a partial dam-burst in Norway and a factory explosion in Russia killed one and wounded 56 amid conflicting reports of a Ukrainian drone attack.
《Craig Robertson;Twitter; X; Ohio Issue 1 rejected; Alix Dorsainvil; American nurse and her young daughter; kidnapped in Haiti; released; Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter for the legendary group The Band, has died; 》
[05:45] Voters in Ohio have set the stage for a showdown on abortion rights this fall. On Tuesday, they rejected a proposal making it harder to amend the state Constitution. [** 関連ニュース ] It would have required 60 percent approval, instead of the current simple majority. Turnout was much higher than usual, as the two sides pointed toward November and a ballot question that would enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution.
[06:58] A leading reinsurance company [** reinsurance = Reinsurance is insurance that an insurance company purchases from another insurance company to insulate itself (at least in part) from the risk of a major claims event ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinsurance Wikipediaの右上のlanguagesに日本語のページへのリンクもあります] , Swiss Re, reports thunderstorms alone racked up a record $34 billion in insured losses in the year's first six months.
[07:28] And Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter for the legendary group The Band, has died in Los Angeles. He and The Band's four other members went from backing up [** to back up someone …のバックバンドを務める。関連表現： backup band = A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_band Wikipediaの右上のlanguagesに日本語のページへのリンクもあります] Bob Dylan to their own stardom through the '60s and into the '70s. In the process, they reshaped popular music.
[08:56]★今日のおすすめ★ Why the Biden administration wants to limit U.S. investments in Chinese tech
The Biden administration released a long-awaited executive order aimed at curbing China’s military development. These new rules mark the first step by the U.S. government to clamp down on overseas investments by American firms in three high-tech sectors. Laura Barrón-López discussed the plan with Chris Johnson of China Strategies Group.
《バイデン政権; 大統領令; アメリカ企業の中国への投資制限; 中国の軍事開発を抑える; ハイテク３分野; quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors; Chris Johnson; China Strategies Group; 投資だけでなくアメリカ企業が専門知識の共有するのを防ぐ; knowledge-based economy; 》
[13:37] Some critics argue it's been too judicious and too deliberative, in the sense that the executive order only requires what they call a sort of notice-and-go system [** notice-and-go systemとは何か、この後に説明がある ] for areas that are not prohibited under the executive order. So, that is basically an entity wish -- a U.S. person entity wishing to make an investment has to report to the Treasury Department about what they're doing. But it's not a proper screening mechanism, like had been advanced earlier, especially in some possible congressional legislation, wherein they would have to screen that investment and decide whether it is allowed or prohibited. Instead, it is just a notification process. And some critics have said that is too -- too loose.
[15:01] So, one instance is the banning of sale of the semiconductor, U.S. semiconductor firm Micron's chips to many Chinese customers. We have seen them react with restrictions on certain rare-earth metals that are critical in the semiconductor space [** space = A field, area, or sphere of activity or endeavor. 分野] . So, they have kind of shifted gears. We have seen a step change [** step change = a significant change ] from this sort of largely rhetorical responses to actual retaliation that does matter.
[15:41]★今日のおすすめ★ New details emerge on Trump's alleged plan to use fake electors to overturn election loss
New information is coming to light in a central charge facing former President Trump. Federal prosecutors point to seven states where they allege Trump plotted to subvert the results with false slates of electors poised to cast electoral votes. The indictment says Trump’s goal was to cast doubt and disrupt the final vote certification on Jan 6. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Amy Gardner.
《トランプ; トランプ起訴; ２０２０年大統領選結果転覆計画; ニセの大統領選挙人; false slates of electors; 新情報; Amy Gardner; The Washington Post; トランプが負けた７つの州の別の選挙人団は、裁判の法的救済策を残しておくためではなく、もともと選挙結果転覆が目的だった; 特別検察官Jack Smithはニセの選挙人を起訴しなかったが、ミシガン州やジョージア州では独自に起訴》
[16:30] This indictment charges that Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators were working to overturn that. Now, these are the faces of some people that are believed to be those co-conspirators, including one, Boris Epshteyn, who The New York Times has said is indicated. The others, Rudy Giuliani, these are people clearly close in the Trump orbit [** orbit = A sphere of influence; an area or extent of activity, interest, or control. ] .
[21:29] New fundraising tactics raise campaign finance concerns
The first Republican presidential debate is just two weeks away and at least eight candidates have met the RNC criteria to participate. Some used creative tactics to reach that threshold. One campaign offered $20 gift cards to people who donated at least a dollar, another gave away soccer tickets. Amna Nawaz discussed the methods with Adav Noti of the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center.
《２週間後に大統領選共和党予備選挙の最初の討論会; ８人の候補者が討論会参加基準を満たした; 参加基準の１つは全米の献金者４万人から寄付金を集めること; そのために１ドル献金したら２０ドルの商品券を配った陣営; サッカー観戦チケットが当たるくじを開催した陣営; このような手法に問題はないのか; Adav Noti; Campaign Legal Center; 実態は、大口献金者の影響力を強めるだけで、多くの小口献金者を集めることにならない; 選挙不正を訴えて献金集めをしたトランプ陣営は詐欺の可能性; トランプ陣営とsuper PACが調整; 陣営との調整は違法》
[22:31] But what's happening with some of these debate qualification schemes that are going on is that the campaigns are really taking big money, sort of seed money from major donors, and parceling it out to collect these token [** token = perfunctory or merely symbolic; done or existing for appearance's sake. 形だけの] small contributions, which are not enough to actually run a campaign. So these are not small-dollar-funded campaigns. They're big-money-funded campaigns.
[24:29] AMNA NAWAZ: There's this question about the relationship and coordination between Mr. Trump's PAC and his super PAC [** = Super PACs, officially known as "independent expenditure-only political action committees," are unlike traditional PACs in that they may engage in unlimited political spending (on, for example, ads) independently of the campaigns, and may raise funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups without any legal limit on donation size. However, they are not allowed to either coordinate with or contribute directly to candidate campaigns or party coffers... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_action_committee#Super_PACs ] , one organization requesting a so-called refund of $60 million from the other.
[26:15] But the trend that we have been seeing, including this cycle from the Scott campaign and others, going back to 2020 and the Trump campaign, is campaigns using shell companies [** = ペーパーカンパニー、架空会社、ダミー会社. この文脈では、設立目的は、選挙陣営からの資金の流れを見えなくするため ] to hide their spending. So, the campaign runs all its money through a shell company, and then just reports the payments to the shell company. But the shell company is the one that actually makes the disbursements to the people who are doing the campaign's work. And so it hides from the public where that money is actually going.
[27:35] Government eyes more coal regulations as black lung cases sharply rise among miners
One in five coal miners in central Appalachia with at least 25 years of experience has black lung disease. It is caused by inhaling toxic dust in and around mines and the most severe form is at its highest rate in decades. In June, the federal agency charged with overseeing miners' health and safety proposed cutting the exposure limit to hazardous silica dust in half. William Brangham reports.
《black lung disease; 黒肺塵症; 炭肺; 塵肺症の一種; 連邦政府の新規制; 残り少ない石炭を採掘する採炭法; silica dust; シリカ粉塵が飛散するようになった; complicated black lung; Mine Safety and Health Association, or MSHA; Chris Williamson heads MSHA; a rule to cut the exposure limit for silica dust in half for a work shift; シリカ粉塵暴露を半減する規制; シリカ粉塵が規制されなかった理由は採炭業界の反発; National Mining Association; 今回の新規制にも反対; 規制の施行にはMSHAの財源が必要; 政権が変われば規制が緩和される可能性》
[27:32] AMNA NAWAZ: Well, coal mining has long been known as an arduous and dangerous job. In addition to working in very tough conditions often miles below the earth's surface, coal miners are also susceptible to the respiratory disease known as black lung [** black lung = Black lung disease (BLD), also known as coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or simply black lung, is an occupational type of pneumoconiosis caused by long-term inhalation and deposition of coal dust in the lungs and the consequent lung tissue's reaction to its presence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_lung_disease 黒肺塵症、炭肺] . It currently afflicts one in five veteran miners, and the most severe form of the disease is at the highest it's been in decades.
[29:24] Scientists have long known that breathing coal dust can cause black lung [** = 黒肺塵症の原因を説明している部分] , a disease that got its name as miners' lungs turned the color of coal. But an even more dangerous culprit has been identified, silica dust, which comes out of the rocks that get demolished during mining. That dust is 20 times more toxic to the lungs.
[37:09]★今日のおすすめ★ Asian American students weigh in on end of affirmative action in college admissions
Since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, questions remain over how this will affect students and who will be impacted. The court sided with plaintiffs who argued race-conscious admissions discriminate against Asian Americans. We hear Asian American students' thoughts on the decision and Amna Nawaz discusses their views with Janelle Wong and Susana Liu-Hedberg.
《最高裁判決; affirmative actionは違憲; 積極的差別是正措置; 廃止の影響; affirmative actionアジア系アメリカ人に差別的というのが原告の訴え; アジア系アメリカ人学生の賛否両論; meritocracy; Janelle Wong; director of Asian American studies at the University of Maryland; Susana Liu-Hedberg, the executive director of the education nonprofit The 1990 Institute; Edward Blum recruited Asian American plaintiffs》
[44:51] JANELLE WONG: Well, Susana mentioned the model minority myth [** 以前の番組に説明があります ] . This is the idea that Asian Americans have a special value for education and are uber-competent. Jacqueline Lee and her colleagues show that the internalization and endorsement of this model minority myth is associated with anti-Black attitudes among Asian Americans and associated with skepticism about affirmative action.
[48:16] Montgomery mayor discusses chaotic riverfront brawl and how to move forward
A chaotic brawl on the riverfront in Montgomery, Alabama, has captured the attention of many Americans. It started when a riverboat was returning from a two-hour cruise and a private boat was blocking the dock. Videos of the fight that happened next have gone viral on social media and several people have been charged with assault. John Yang discussed the latest with Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed.
《brawl; Montgomery, Alabama; アラバマ州; riverboat cruise; pontoon blocking the dock; Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed》