be mooted #2
今や「未来の首相候補」とも呼ばれている小泉進次郎衆院議員は、農林部会長としてTPPや農協改革に反発を強める農家の説得のために、全国7道県で意見聴取会を行っています。
Potential future Japan leader Koizumi Jr. needs to sell TPP to fuming farmers
Diet member Shinjiro Koizumi faced a dilemma when a group of farmers angry over the government’s trade policy and aware of his dislike of tomatoes handed him a bag of them to try.
“Actually, I don’t like raw tomatoes but I’m trying to overcome this,” said the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the meeting in the city of Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture. “But I’ll try them later, and let you know what I think.” For the farmers present it was an important moment of honesty.
Getting the agricultural community on board is the first big political test for the 34 year-old who has spent most of his six years as a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker in low-key roles, focused on recovery work after the 2011 tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. Now he is being mooted as a potential future leader.
今回取り上げるのは、“be mooted”という表現です。LDOCEで調べてみると、“to be suggested for people to consider”という定義が見つかりました。さらに『ジーニアス英和辞典G4 大修館書店』で確認してみると、「｟正式｠〜を課題にのせる、討論する〈通例受身で用いる〉」といった意味が載っていました。またこの語は、“meet（会う）”と同じ語源から来ており、「議論のために会う」というところから「未決の、議論の余地のある」といった形容詞の意味になっていったようです。(ninetails)
