Tomates Farcies

昨日のディナーは夫Ｅが腕をふるい、Tomates Farciesを作りました☆トマットゥ・ファルシーとはトマトの挽肉詰めですが、挽肉にはパセリ、クミン等のスパイスを入れます。これがトマトのジューシーさとマッチして本当に美味しい！Ｅは両親が共働きということもあり、小さい時から料理をしていて、私より遥かに料理が上手です。しかもお義母さん（お義父さんの再婚相手）がプロ級に料理が上手で、彼女の料理で育ったためかなり舌が肥えています・・・なので私はこの元お坊ちゃんの舌に合う料理が作れるか毎回不安に思いながら料理に奮闘しています（＾＾；

Last night my husband E rolled up his sleeves and made Tomates Farcies! Tomates Farcies are stuffed tomatoes but spices such as cumin, parsley, etc are mixed in the minced meat. This goes really well with the juicy tomatoes and are so delicious! E's parents both work so he's been cooking since he was little and is a much better cook than I am. On top of that, his step mother cooks like a professional chef so he is accustomed to great food... That's why I'm always worried when I cook wondering if this former rich kid will like what I'm making... :|

髪を切りました！ I cut my hair!

５ヶ月ぶりに髪を切りました！パリに着いて間もなくの頃、近所のヘアサロンで切ったのですが、コミュニケーションの問題とカットの技術にがっかりし、私はそれ以降は日本人美容師さんに自宅まで来てもらっています。ちなみにパリの美容院ではあまりトリートメントという概念がなく、ダメージに対してもあまりこだわっていない感じです（＾＾；そして昨日は一番合う美容師さんにやっと出会い、本当嬉しいです！

It's been 5 months since I got a haircut! When I just arrived to Paris, I went to a hair salon in the neighborhood but was really disappointed by the communication problem and their cutting technique so since then I have Japanese hair stylists come to my house to get a hair cut. By the way, Parisian hair salons don't have a real concept about hair treatment and not so concerned about damaged hair... :| But yesterday I finally met a hair stylist that suits me!

母の言葉 Words from my Mother

数日前は母の誕生日で、誕生日の前日ぐらいに以下の言葉を頂きました：

この年になるとなんにでも感謝したいね。生きていることに、食べていけることに、健康であることに、朝のすがすがしさに、小鳥の声に、、、、、、

母は宮城県の小さな町で生まれ育ち、結婚を機に外国で生活をすることに。計２５年、８ヶ国、４ヶ国語。異国の地で娘３人を育て、父を支えてきました。私が世の中で最も尊敬する女性です。そんな母からの言葉をしっかりと受け止め、大事にしたいと思います。

A few days ago, it was my mother's birthday and a day before that she gave me these words:

At this age, I want to appreciate everything. Being alive, being able to eat, being healthy, the morning freshness, the chirping of the birds... 

My mom was born and raised in a small town from Miyagi Prefecture and moved overseas when she got married. Total of 25 years, 8 countries, and 4 languages. She raised 3 daughters and supported my father in foreign countries through out the years. She is the woman I respect the most and I want to really take in her words and treasure them.

いろはまなみさん Manami Iroha

先日、なんと｢Prayer from Japan: A 10 Day Diary of the Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake｣（本の翻訳デビュー作）の著者であるいろはさんより素敵なプレゼントが届きました！｢Prayer from Japan｣は電子書籍なので、いろはさんが自ら印刷され、製本したものを送って頂きました！パッケージが思ったより大きいので、不思議に思っていたら、私にはもったいないゴージャスなスカーフも入っていました！！実はいろはさんとはメール上のやりとりのみなので、私のフェイスブック写真を見て、選んで頂いたとのこと。さりげない大人の気配りができる素敵な女性で憧れてしまいます☆いろはさん、どうもありがとうございます！一生大切にします！！

The other day, I received a beautiful gift from the writer of "Prayer from Japan: A 10 Day Diary of the Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake"( my first translated book), Iroha Manami. "Prayer from Japan" is an e-book so Ms. Iroha printed and bounded the book herself! When I received the package, I found it odd since it was larger than expected and when I opened it, found a gorgeous scarf (I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!)! As we have not met in person and only have been exchanging emails, Ms. Iroha checked my facebook picture and chose the scarf. She is generous and considerate with such ease, I really admire that! Thank you so much Ms. Iroha! I will treasure these for the rest of my life!

親友Ｋ My Friend K

先日、スカイプで最近イギリスに引っ越した親友Ｋと話しました。Ｋとは大学に知り合い、１０年も仲良くしてもらっている友人です。周りからは性格が正反対なので仲良いのが不思議に思われがちですが、私はＫの可愛いけど、根はとっても強いとこが大好き。そして何より寛大さ！彼女と出会ってから私は人を批判するだけではなく、受け入れる大切さを学びました。
さて、Ｋはイギリスの元帰国子女ですが、私と同じく海外生活を新婚でスタートしました。彼女曰く、やはり最初は少しホームシックになり、家事を上手くこなすのが大変と話していて、｢分かる～！｣と思いました！新しい環境に慣れるのに精いっぱいなのに、更にパートナーとの新しい生活。だけど、打たれ強く、実はしっかりしているＫ。彼女がそのうち全てを難なくこなし、イギリス生活を楽しむでしょう。彼女とも話したけど、こうやって海外生活を経験できる私たちはとてもラッキーなので、私も引き続きパリ生活を楽しみながら頑張っていきたいと思います☆

Yesterday I spoke on Skype with my good friend K who moved to London recently. I met K in university and she has been a good friend to me for 10 years. People around us have always been surprised that we are close since our personalities are the complete opposite but I love K's cuteness yet her deep down strength. And above all her generosity! After having met K, I learned the importance of accepting people and not just judging them.
Well, K is actually a former returnee of London but she has started her marriage overseas like myself. She said that at first she got a bit home sick and it was hard to manage the house work and I said "I totally understand!!". It's hard to get used to a new environment, and on top of that a living a new life with your partner! But K is tough and is actually very responsible. I am sure that soon she will be able to manage everything easily and enjoy her life in London. As I said to her, we are very lucky to experience life abroad and so I would like to keep enjoying and doing my best in Paris. :)

チキンスープ Chicken Soup

風邪も咳だけとなりましたが、油断大敵なので、今日は野菜たっぷりのチキンスープを作りました。パリはマルシェ（市場）だけではなく、スーパーでも野菜を量り売りで買えるので、一人分のスープが楽々と作れます☆身体の免疫を強化するズッキーニをたっぷり入れ、じっくり煮込みました。Voila!

There's only a cough left from the cold but I should still be cautious so today I made some chicken soup with plenty of vegetables. In Paris, not only in marches (market) but super markets also sell vegetables by the kilo so it's easy to make soup for one person. I put in lots of zucchini which helps strengthens the immune system and boiled thoroughly. Voila! 

バイリンガル Bilingual

夫の姪が２才半で、私の甥が２才。年齢が近いので二人を比べると色んな違いに気づき大変面白いです。そこで、最近思ったのが言語。甥は日本人とメキシコ人のハーフですが、アメリカに住んでいるので日本語・スペイン語・英語を同時に覚えないといけません。そして夫の姪はフランス語のみ。一つの物に対して３つの単語を覚えていっている甥と比べ、夫の姪は一つの単語を覚えるので、話すのが確実に甥より上手。いずれは甥も流暢に話せるようになるとは思いますが、それも並みならぬ努力が必要になります。完璧なバイリンガルは難しく、どうしてもどっちかが勝ることが多いです。私の周りもやはり親の言葉や環境の言葉、どちらかの方が得意となり、上手くバランスを保つバイリンガルは少ないです。私自信もそうですが、常に英語と日本語、バランス良く話したり、聞いたり、読んだりしないとどっちが劣っていきます。でも、同時に様々な世界を知ることができるので、これからも勉強したいと思います。

My husband's niece is 2 and a half years old and my nephew is 2 years old. It's interesting to see the differences when comparing the two as they are close in age. And recently, what I thought was difference in language. My nephew is half Japanese and half Mexican and lives in the U.S. so he needs to learn Japanese, Spanish, and English at the same time. On the other hand, my husband's niece only learns French. Compared to my nephew who needs to learn 3 words for 1 thing, the niece speaks much more fluently. I do believe that in time my nephew will be able to speak fluently as well but in order to do so, he will need to work very hard. To be completely bilingual is very difficult and in many cases one language will be more fluent than the other. Bilinguals around me also are better either in the language of their parents or their environment and cannot maintain a good balance. I myself have to always keep a good balance between Japanese and English by talking, listening, and reading or one will start to drag behind the other. However by doing so, it opens you to many worlds and so I hope to keep on studying.

エイミー・ワインハウス Amy Whinehouse

昨日、ジャズシンガーのエイミー・ワインハウスさんが中毒死しました。度々、薬物を乱用し、せっかくの才能が・・・と無念に思います。しかも２７才という若さ！私は彼女自身のファンではないですが、独特の歌声には魅了され、デビューシングルの｢Rehab｣や｢Tears Dry On Their Own｣は大好きです。彼女は何に悩み、何故そのような道を歩んだのかは分かりませんが、御冥福を祈ります。

Yesterday, jazz singer Amy Whinehouse has passed away due to an overdose of drugs. She kept abusing drugs, and wasted her talent... such great sorrow. I wasn't a fan of her, herself, but I was allured by her unique voice and love her debut single "Rehab", and "Tears Dry On Their Own". I don't know what troubled her and why she took that path but I hope she rests in peace. 

風邪 Cold

風邪をひきました・・・（＾＾；今回の風邪はしつこく、２～３日は３９度まで熱が上がり、その後２～３日良くなったと思いきや、またここ数日微熱と咳がひどくなってしまった。そこでフランス語の先生に勧められ、ハーバル・ティーを本日購入。咳で寝つきが悪くなっているので、睡眠を促すものを選択。さて、日本では少し高めのハーバル・ティーですが、フランスでは種類も多く、安い！２５袋入って２.２０ユーロ（２４８円）。先生曰く、ダイエットにも良く、食後に飲むと消化を促すとのこと。今年の夏は寒いパリ、ハーバル・ティーで乗り切ろうと思います！

I caught a cold... :| This cold has been quite stubborn. I had a fever up to 39 degrees for 2-3 days, after I thought I was feeling better for 2-3 days, and then again have been suffering a slight fever and coughing. My French teacher recommended some herbal tea so I went to buy some today. Since I haven't been sleeping well due to the coughing, I chose one that would help me sleep. Anyways, herbal tea can be a bit on the expensive side in Japan but there are a huge variety of herbal teas in France and really cheap! 25 packs for 2.20 euros (248 yen). According to my teacher when drinking after a meal, it helps the digestion and good for your diet. This year's summer is quite cold so I guess I will try to get through with some herbal tea!

ゴードン・ラムゼイ Gordon Ramsay

活字も大事ですが、生きた英語に触れることも重要と思っており、私はなるべく人気のあるテレビ番組を観ます。そして私が最も好きなジャンルはリアリティ番組！もちろんやらせもあるとは思いますが、一般人の生の感情を観るのが好きです。そんな中、私の個人的意見ですが、最も人を感情的にさせる人物、ゴードン・ラムゼイ！料理人を次から次、罵倒する一流シェフ！才能はもちろん、彼のののしり方は半端なく、またドライなユーモアで人々を魅了します。私は彼のユニークな辛口評価が面白くついつい彼が司会する｢ヘルズ・キッチン｣、｢マスター・シェフ｣、｢キッチン・ナイトメア｣を延々と観てしまいます（＾＾）

Printed words are important, but I think that it's important to listen to everyday English as well. So I watch popular TV shows as much as possible. And what I love most is reality TV! I believe some of it is fake but I enjoy watching the emotions of the public. My personal opinion, the person who makes people the most emotional is Gordon Ramsay! A first class chef who cuts off cooks left and right! He charms people with of course his talent, dry sense of humor, and the incredible way he humiliates people. I find his unique and rigorous criticism amusing and watch "Hell's Kitchen", "MasterChef", and "Kitchen Nightmares" for hours and hours :)

ミレニアムシリーズ Millenium Series ２

さて、昨日話したミレニアムシリーズですが、原文がスウェーデン語。私は英訳を読んだのですが、この英訳がたまに｢ん？｣と思う時があります。そこで色々と調べたところ、翻訳家のレグ・キーランドがアメリカ英語に翻訳したのだが、出版社がだいぶ修正し、書き直してしまったとのこと！翻訳家としてショックですよね・・・でも、いずれにしても、内容の濃い本には変わりないので是非読んでみてください！

ちなみに、映画はあの｢ファイト・クラブ｣、｢セブン｣、 ｢ソーシャル・ネットワーク｣等で有名なデヴィット・フィンチャーがアメリカ版を監督！待ち遠しいです！

The Millennium series I spoke about yesterday is originally in Swedish and I read the English translation but this translation made me go "hmmm?" at times. And so I dug around and found out that the translator, Reg Keeland had translated it into American English yet was edited heavily and re-written by the publisher! This is quite upsetting for a translator. But either way, it doesn't change the fact that the book has content so I highly recommend reading it!

By the way, David Fincher, famous for "Fight Club", "Seven", "Social Network", etc will be directing the American version! Can't wait!

ミレニアムシリーズ Millenium Series

翻訳家として、やはり活字を常に読むのが大事と再認識し、最近読書に明け暮れています。そこで今月読んだのがこれ！スティーグ・ラーソン作のミレニアムシリーズ、｢ドラゴンタトゥーの女｣、「火と戯れる女」、「眠れる女と狂卓の騎士」。天才ハッカーで変わった正義感を持つリスベットとニュースを巧みにかぎつけるジャーナリストのミカエル。この二人が関わっていく事件はもう寝るのが惜しいくらい面白く、いっきに３冊読みました！ダン・ブラウン（ダ・ヴィンチ・コードの作家）とどこか似ているけど、もっとドロドロとしていて、主人公が女性ということもあって私はこちらの方が気に入りました☆

As a translator, I reacknowledged the importance of reading printed words and have been recently reading all the time. This month I read this! Steig Larson's Millennium series, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". Lisbeth, a genius hacker with a different sense of justice and Mikael, a journalist who has a keen eye for news. The incidents they get involved with are so intriguing that I couldn't put the book down and read all 3 books at once! There is a similarity with Dan Brown (the writer of "The Da Vinci Code") but the Millennium series are much more gruesome and I really enjoyed it much more as the main character was a woman.   

マッセー Massay

週末はお義父さん、お義母さんの新しい家に遊びに行きました（＾＾）パリより南に１時間半、マッセーはウィキペディアによると人口１４００人の小さな町。
This weekend we went to the in-law's new house. An hour and a half south from Paris, Massay is a small town of 1400 inhabitants. 

そんな田舎に４００㎡の豪邸（１５，０００㎡の土地！！）をご購入。夫の弟夫婦と娘さんで７人で泊まったけど、それでも全然余裕！
And in that countryside, they bought their 4305 square foot mansion (and 161458 square foot land!!). We stayed with my husband's brother, his wife, and his daughter. We were 7 in total but still enough space!

なんともまぁ優雅な週末でした。
What a luxurious weekend...

Game of Thrones

最近見始めた、HBOの新しいドラマ｢Game of Thrones｣。ドラマなのに壮大で、なんとも言えない世界に引き込まれそう！さて、このタイトルは直訳すると｢王座ゲーム｣ですが、日本ではなんと呼ばれるようになるんだろう？カタカナ表記（ゲーム・オブ・スローン）も今いちだし・・・そこでネット検索したら｢七王国の王座｣と一回出たけど、それもなんだかな・・・と思ってしまい、私は勝手に｢王座を狙え｣と呼んでいます(笑)

I started watching HBO's new series "Game of Thrones". It's a TV series but so majestic and sucks me into their world which I can't quite explain! The title of this series is "Throne Games" when directly translated into Japanese. I wonder what it will be called in Japan? It sounds a bit off when written in Katakana... So I searched the internet and once found the title "Throne of 7 Kingdoms" which I wasn't that into either... and personally, now I just call it "Seek the Throne". :)

パリ祭 Bastille Day

今日はパリ祭、フランスではQuatorze Juillet（７月１４日）と呼ばれています。建国記念日なので一日中、花火が上げられ、消防士たちがダンスを披露してくれます（＾＾）うちの近所からも朝６：００からドン！っと聞こえてきました。

Today is Bastille Day, known as Quatorze Juillet (July 14th) in France. It's the French National Day and celebrated with fireworks all day and dancing fire fighters ;) I heard a BOOM! in our neighborhood as well at 6:00 this morning.  

CAT

ＣＡＴとはComputer Assisted Translation（翻訳支援ツール）の略。翻訳活動を広めようと最近TradosというＣＡＴツールの試用版をダウンロードしてみた。しかし翻訳家の掲示板で読んだ通り、使いこなすのがなかなか大変！これからどうなるのやら・・・

CAT is short for Computer Assisted Translation. I recently downloaded a trial version of Trados to widen my activities as a translator. But as I read on the translator forums, it's really hard to use! I wonder how I'm going to manage...