15/04 近事片々：世界に「ありがとう」

　サンキュー。シエシエ。カムサハムニダ。スパシーバ。メルシー。シュクラン。グラシアス……。声に出してみる。どの国の「ありがとう」の言葉にもぬくもりがある。

　人と物資と心を届けてくれた世界へ、ありがとう。

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　「希望新聞」も心の十字路。昨日の伝言板には「１日くらい外に出て一緒にリフレッシュしませんか」と福島の登山愛好者がハイキングの呼びかけ。「うつくしま」の風光を思う。

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　＜わたくしたちは、氷砂糖をほしいくらいもたないでも、きれいにすきとおった風をたべ、桃いろのうつくしい朝の日光をのむことができます＞

　童話集の序文より、宮沢賢治

毎日新聞　2011年4月15日　12時51分

12/04 Kan's thank-you message placed in world's major papers

Yomiuri Shimbun New York Bureau

NEW YORK--The Japanese government placed an ad bearing a thank-you message from Prime Minister Naoto Kan in some of the world's major newspapers on Monday, a month after the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake.

Part of the message reads, "At that desperate time people from around the world rallied to our side, bringing hope and inspiring courage."

It also says, "We deeply appreciate the Kizuna [bonds of friendship] our friends around the world have shown."

The English version includes a large kanji character for "kizuna" and the heading "Thank you for the Kizuna," under which Kan's message appears in English with the prime minister's signature printed at the end.

The message also refers to the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, explaining, "We are putting every effort into stabilizing the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi [No. 1] Nuclear Power Plant."

According to the Foreign Ministry, the message was carried in The Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, Britain's Financial Times, France's Le Figaro, China's People's Daily, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo and Russia's Kommersant.

The message was translated into each country's language.

(Apr. 12, 2011)