bulbous bow

広島県呉市は先月、行政機関として初めて戦艦「大和」の撮影に成功し、今月２２日に報道機関に映像を公開しました。

Stunning digital images show sunken Yamato in a new light

KURE, Hiroshima Prefecture--Authorities here released vivid digital footage of the sunken battleship Yamato, pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.

The footage, which runs for three and a half minutes, was taken by an unmanned submersible during a 10-day survey by the Kure city government in May. The media was given a preview June 22.

It captures the imperial crest, the chrysanthemum, on the bow of the massive warship and one of its giant three-bladed propellers, which are 5 meters in diameter.

The ship's bulbous bow designed to reduce drag, in common use today but an innovative feature at the time, is also visible.

“We hope seeing such detailed images of the sunken Yamato will prompt many people to think about peace,” said Hiroshi Shintani, head of the curator department at the city’s Kure Maritime Museum, also known as the Yamato Museum.

Commissioned in 1941 as the most advanced battleship ever built, the Yamato was sunk by U.S. bombers 200 kilometers off Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on April 7, 1945, while en route to Okinawa, then under invasion by U.S. forces. Only some of the 3,000-strong crew survived.

The colossal vessel rests 350 meters below the surface in the East China Sea. The Yamato was surveyed in 1985 and 1999 by private organizations that used analog film to capture images.

Digital technology will allow researchers to study the wreck in much greater detail. There is particular interest in the ship's structure and the damage that led to its sinking. The information gleaned in research will be used to complement the Yamato Museum's exhibits.

A public viewing of the footage will be held from July 23 at the museum. Museum officials said additional footage supplemented by a commentary is due for release in September.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201606230025.html

今回取り上げる表現は、“bulbous /bʌlbəs/ bow”です。『ウィズダム英和辞典』(第３版、三省堂)を引いたところ、「醜くふくれた；球根上の」という意味がありました。

Merriam-Webster.comでは、“big and round often in an unattractive way”と定義されていました。形を表現する際に用いられる単語ですが、ネガティブな印象を与える単語のようです。『ウィズダム英和辞典』には、“a bulbous nose”で「だんご鼻」を意味すると載っていました。

今回の“bulbous bow”は専門用語で「球状船首」という意味で、船の波の抵抗を減らす構造のことを指します。画像を見るとよくわかると思うので、インターネットで検索してみてください。(Blue Sky)