media horde 復習
Actress Takahata apologizes over son’s arrest on rape charge
Japanese actress Atsuko Takahata, 61, held a press conference on Friday morning, making an official apology on behalf of her 22-year-old son Yuta Takahata who was arrested Tuesday for allegedly raping a woman at a hotel in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.
A teary Takahata appeared in front of a media horde at 9 a.m. at a hotel in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward, apologizing for her son’s crime and describing her brief meeting with him on Thursday at the Maebashi Police Station, where he is currently detained.
“My son has done something grave,” Takahata, dressed all in black, said as she opened the press conference, bowing deeply. “I cannot find words to express my deepest apology to the woman who had suffered in this crime; to the staff who have been affected (by the arrest) and who have had to cancel the film that my son had been working on,” she continued.
The press conference lasted for 70 minutes.
Takahata is accused for allegedly raping a woman in her 40s, an employee at the hotel he was staying at for a movie shoot since August 21. According to police, at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Takahata asked the woman to bring him a toothbrush and then pulled her inside his room, raping her.
Asked about the circumstances of learning of her son’s crime, Atsuko said she received a phone call from her management agency at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, asking her to go to the office immediately and informing her that her son has been arrested in Gumma.
“I wasn’t able to meet Yuta or anyone else, and I had to rely on information from the media just like other people for two days,” the actress said. “I finally met him yesterday and I asked him if he realized how serious his crime is,” Takahata said through tears. “He just kept crying and apologizing,” she told the media.
“I wasn’t able to fully process (Yuta’s act) in my head,” the actress said, referring to the initial shock she experienced when she learned the details of the crime.
“It will take a lifetime to continue apologizing for what he did. I told him that he must realize what a grave act he has conducted, but I also told him that whatever happens I will always be his mother,” the actress said breaking out crying, apologizing once again.
“I hoped and wished so many times that this was some sort of a mistake. As a parent I would like to stand behind my son and back him up, but I know that I cannot do this,” Takahata said. “I should think from the victim’s perspective, imagining if she had been my precious daughter.”
Asked about her own schedule, Takahata replied that she will go ahead with her scheduled theater production from September.
For a full video of the press conference, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkfTvLkSHEk
今回取り上げるのは “media horde” です。hordeを『ライトハウス英和辞典』（第5版 研究社）で調べてみますと、「（しばしば複数形で）（ときに軽べつ的）群衆、大群（of）」とありました。人の群衆というとcrowdがパッと浮かびますが、記事の中ではhordeが用いられています。この辞書の意味だけではhordeの具体的なイメージがわかりませんでしたので、電子辞書に内蔵されている『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第4版 大修館書店）でも調べますと、「（騒々しい人などの）群れ、群衆（crowd）、（動物などの）大群」という意味が載っておりました。群衆をhordeで表すと「騒々しい」というニュアンスが含まれるようです。LDOCEには “a large crowd moving in a noisy uncontrolled way” と説明されており、感情が制御されていない、もしくは法律などで規制されていない状態が騒がしさの原因となっていることわかります。今回の記事内での“media horde” は、日本語では「報道陣」ということばで表すことができるのではないかと思われました。
この表現は過去に先生が取り上げていらっしゃいました。（aqua）
the hordes - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
