harnessing と clincher

The Guardianには、先日天に召されたニール・アームストロング氏がヒーロー(hero)であるか否かについて議論をしている記者のブログがありました(こちら)。その記事で、面白い表現がありました。赤字で示したharnessing(harness)は、「馬具をつける」という意味ですが、ここでは「利用する」という意味で使われています。この単語はしばしばブログの記事に登場しています。

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20100602/1275479052

もう一つ、clincherについて。こちらは口語で「議論の決定打」「決め手」という意味があります。以前、先生からspeechやpresentationでは「最後の締め」という意味でこの単語が使われると教わりました。さて、アームストロング氏はアキレスやホメロスと並ぶヒーローなのか？あなたはどう思いますか？(Othello)

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20120719/1342683319

(前略)
Does that fact deny him heroic status in terms that fail the Achilles test or – in our own times – by comparison to a Mandela, a monstrous Mao or even Churchill, individuals who by sheer force of will, ability and character diverted the course of history? Gerard DeGroot is happy to call Armstrong "a genuine Homeric hero", and on reflection I must conclude he's right, for three reasons.

One is that many – not all – heroic achievements depend on harnessing the talents of others. Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay did not reach the summit of Everest in 1953 without a lot of help. Even the intrepid action man Sir Ranulph Fiennes, whose exploits often strike me as being as barmy as a box of badgers, is not quite a one-man band. Horatio had a couple of mates at his elbows when defending the gates of Rome from Lars Porsena's troops, though he usually gets solo credit.

Secondly, the weekend's retelling of the 1969 moon landing reminded us just how risky it was and how Armstrong's quick wits and calmness saved the day. The Eagle landing craft contained no more computer power than a modern washing machine, and was heading slightly off course for the rocks when Armstrong took over the controls manually. He landed with 20 seconds' worth of fuel, and got the Eagle back up again to rendezvous with Apollo 11. There was no backup plan, no way of rescuing the crew.

Sitting in the co-pilot's seat with his spear (well, you never know, do you?), even Achilles might have been grudgingly impressed, though Armstrong's lack of melodrama would have annoyed him. And therein perhaps lies the clincher for Armstrong's heroic status. No boasting, no bullying, just a soft-spoken man who insisted he was only doing his job. They're the heroes we like best, yes?