2018年CRI 日本女子通过音乐传递和平

Ookado Takako was born in Tochigi County in 1945.

Just ten days after she was born, her hometown was bombed by American forces in the lead-up to the end of the war, leaving many dead.

But Takako and her mother survived.

After growing up in post-war Japan, Takako decided¹ to become a music teacher.

"During war time, teachers sent their students to battlefields and encouraged them to fight. Now at a time of peace, I wish something like this would never occur. I don't want children lost their lives at war so I teach them how precious peace is."

At first Takako, like many in Japan, were only vaguely² familiar with certian incidents during the war, including the Tokyo airstrikes and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as conservative elements in post-war Japan still tended to consider Japan a vicitim, rather than an aggressor.

Then, by coincidence, Takako read a story about a Chinese flower and a Japanese soldier in Nanjing.

The flower is named Orychophragmus.

It blossoms in early springs.

In the spring of 1938, in the aftermath of the Nanjing Massacre³, a Japanese soldier arrived in the ruins of what Nanjing had become, only to see these lovely violet flowers blooming.

Stunned⁴ by the beauty of what was growing out of the devastation⁵, the soldier saw in the flower a sense of bravery and peace.

He decided to bring the seeds back to Japan and plant this flower.

Takako was so moved by this story that she sought out the soldier, and then learned the history of Nanjing Massacre.

This prompted her to write a musical ensemble⁶ named The Story of Violet Flowers.

In 1998, Takako co-founded a chorus named after this flower which began putting on concerts across Japan, as well as in a number of Chinese cities, including Nanjing.

She says the people of Japan should not deny and ignore this part of history.

"Every time I saw the pictures of the inhuman⁷ Nanjing Massacre I can't help to cry. Japanese people need to know this history. We can't deny the fact just because we don't know it. Every time I am at Memorial Hall of Nanjing Massacre, I think Japanese should rethink thoroughly⁸. Especially when I saw some youngsters watch our chorus sing, this feeling becomes stronger."

However, there is still a strong sense of denial among certian nationalistic elements in Japan.

History text books still often refer to the Nanjing Massacre only as an "incident".

Takako says the Japanese government, as well as those in charge of education and culture, need to be more accountable for the messages they put out.

"Firstly the Japanese government still holds right wing attitude towards this history. Some scholars and writers also fail to spread the truth. This phenomenon is more common now. Regrettably in textbooks there are increasingly less content regarded to Nanjing Massacre and other historical facts. I really fear that history would happen again."

Takako, aside from spreading her message of peace through music, has also become a leading advocate for using things like music and comic books to create a better understanding of Japan's history.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

3 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

4 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

5 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

7 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

8 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。