protection racket（回答）

遅くなってしまいすみません！ご指名質問にお答えします。今回の課題は赤字のprotection racketです。
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20121014/1350194566

Justice minister under fire for attending yakuza party 30 years ago

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is facing mounting pressure following his justice minister’s admission to past links with a yakuza gang, just 10 days after he was appointed. Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka on Friday apologized that he had associated with members of an organized crime syndicate 30 years ago, after a tabloid magazine reported that he had been presented as top guest of a yakuza member’s wedding party.
... Like the Italian mafia or Chinese triads, the yakuza engage in activities from gambling, drugs and prostitution to loan-sharking, protection rackets, white-collar crime and business conducted through front companies.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/justice-minister-under-fire-for-attending-yakuza-party-30-years-ago

racketには「（テニスなどの）ラケット」の他に「（脅迫・暴力・地下組織などによる）不法な金もうけ，ゆすり，いんちき」という意味があります（『スーパーアンカー英和辞典』第4版，学研教育出版）。これに「保護」という意味のprotectionと合わさり，protection racket「（暴力団が商店主などに）乱暴を働かない代わりに定期的に金を納めさせるゆすり」という意味になります（『プログレッシブ英和中辞典』小学館）。今回も英検は受検していません。仕事と自己研鑽の両立ができておらず自身の至らなさを感じています。（Koyamamoto）