美国国家公共电台 NPR In A Rare Speech, Japan's Emperor Hints At Abdicating

In A Rare Speech, Japan's Emperor Hints At Abdicating¹

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The emperor of Japan was once considered a god. That status ended after World War II. And this next story shows the symbolic² head of state has ordinary human desires. He's hinting he'd like to retire. Here's NPR's Elise Hu.

EMPEROR AKIHITO: (Speaking Japanese).

ELISE HU, BYLINE³: In only his second-ever televised address to the public, Japan's 82-year-old Emperor Akihito reflected on his advancing age, the tough daily schedule of his ceremonial post and the toll⁴ it was taking on his health. Michael Cucek, a political science professor at Tokyo's Temple University, says the emperor's fate is now in the hands of lawmakers.

MICHAEL CUCEK: He's not allowed to ask a very simple thing, which is - I want the law changed that would allow me to retire.

HU: After the emperor's speech, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, quote, "I will think about this with great force." The popularity of the royal family could help the emperor's case. Five years ago, when Japan was hit by an earthquake, tsunami⁵ and nuclear meltdown, the emperor abandoned formality to comfort the Japanese people.

CUCEK: For there to be even a delay of this is an insult to what he has done - the emperor, that is - to make himself close to the people.

HU: At 2,600 years, Japan has the world's longest-running hereditary⁶ monarchy⁷. A Japanese emperor hasn't stepped away from the throne in nearly 200 years. It's clear Emperor Akihito is hoping that will change. Elise Hu, NPR News.

1 abdicating   

放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的现在分词 )； 退位，逊位

参考例句：

• It is merely claimed that this is abdicating to save itself. 他仅仅把这称之为是人的高傲为了自我救赎而退出了王座。
• A complete hands-off approach is abdicating your business responsibility. 彻底的不闻不问意味着你对自己事业责任的放弃。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

6 hereditary   

adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的

参考例句：

• The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
• In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。

7 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。