A 100-year war of words

Sep 4 ,2001A 100-year war of wordsIN SOUTH KOREA August 29th is a date of national humiliation. On that day 100 years ago, the nation fell under the cosh of Japanese colonisers whose coercive annexation treaty stated bluntly: “His Majesty the Emperor of Korea makes the com plete and permanent cession to His Majesty the Em peror of Japan of all rights of sovereignty over the whole of Korea.” Japan’s heavy hand was lifted in 1945 and it has since m ade occasional gestures of contrition. Yet it took a century for a Japanese leader to admit that colonial rule was imposed against the will of Koreans.Japan seem s to be trying a bit harder to improve relations with its closest neighbour. Its prime minister, Naoto Kan, offered a “heartfelt apology” for Japan’s actio ns, a few weeks ago, as part of a broad summer effort to show it is both genuinely remorseful and keen on a “future-oriented” relationship. For the first tim e in 45 years, Japan has offered to send some precious imperial loot back to Seoul. And on August 15th none of Mr Kan’s cabinet joined an annual pilgrimage to the Yasukuni shrine honouring Japan’s war dead–the first tim e since the 1980s that there has been such a show of sensitivity about Japan’s war crimes.Som e reports (mostly in South Korea) even sug gest that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a big Japanese firm, may discuss com pensating 300 Koreans who were forced, as girls, to work unpaid in an aircraft factory in Japan during the war. That may go nowhere, but even m ention of individual payouts for forced labour has been taboo since a bilateral reparations treaty in 1965.These gestures have taken place amid strong diplomatic Japanese backing for South Korea’s tough stance towards North Korea over the sinking of the Cheonan, one of its naval frigates, in March. In a rare act of security co-operation in July, Japan also sent m ilitary observers on joint Am erican-South Korean naval exercises.South Korea has reacted cautiously. Its business-minded president, Lee Myung-bak, also wants closer bilateral ties, an d saw Mr Kan’s apology as helpful. But historical grievances still m atter hugely to South Koreans. It was not lost on them that Mr Kan pointedly failed to direct his apology to North Korea, which suggests som e political expediency. Nor has Japan conceded any claim to sovereignty over an islandclaim ed by it and South Korea alike. An editorial in the Korea Herald has urged South Koreans to keep their humiliation “etched in stone”. Yet it also called for m ore co-operation with Japan.The best prospects m ay be over trade. Since 2004 free-trade talks between Japan and South Korea have been blocked by domestic concerns in each country over heavily protected rice industries and car markets. Yet bilateral trade has doubled inthe past decade, and business lobbies a re urging their governments to resum e talks.Cutting a trade deal could eventually help the countries put the tortured past behind them, especially if the governments could include China, which has its own deep historical grievance with Japan. But that would require strong Japanese leaders, able both to defy nationalists and protectionist farm ers at hom e and to offer evidence of repentance abroad. South Korea’s governm ent, too, would have to persuade its people that they should focus on the an enterprising future rather than the past’s tragic victim s.A 100-year war of wordsHumiliation[hju:,mili'eiʃən]n.羞耻cosh[kɔʃ]n.短棒/vt.用短棒打coercive[kəu'ə:siv]adj.强制的，高压的，胁迫的annexation[,ænek'seiʃən]n.合并；附加物blunt[blʌnt]adj.钝的，迟钝的，直率的；vt.使迟钝cession['seʃən]n.割让；转让heavy hand 高压手段1.IN SOUTH KOREA August 29th is a date of national . On that day 100 years ago, the nation fell under the of Japanese colonisers whose treaty stated : “His Majesty the Emperor of Korea makes the com plete and permanent to His Majesty['mædʒisti] the Em peror of Japan of all rights of sovereign ty over the whole of Korea.” Japan’s was lifted in 1945 and it has since m ade occasional gestures of contrition. Yet it took a century for a Japanese leader to admit that colonial rule was imposed against the will of Koreans.Heartfelt['hɑ:tfe lt]真心实意的remorseful[ri'mɔ:sful]adj.悔恨的loot[lu:t]n.战利品vi/vt.洗劫，劫掠pilgrimage['pilɡrimidʒ]adj/n.漫游，朝拜shrine[ʃrain]n.圣地，圣殿vt.把..奉为神灵2. Its prime minister, Naoto Kan, offered a “apology” for Japan’s actions, a few weeks ago, as part of a broad summer effort to show it is both genuinely and keen on a “future-oriented['ɔ:rientid, 'əu-]” relationship. For the first tim e in 45 years, Japan has offered to send som e precious imperial back to Seoul. And on August 15th none of Mr Kan’s cabinet joi ned an annual to the Yasukuni shrine honouring Japan’s war dead–the first tim e since the 1980s that there has been such a show of sensitivity about Japan’s war crimes.com pensate['kɔmpenseit] vt/vi.补偿，赔款，抵消payout['pei,aut]n.指出，花费taboo[tə'bu:, tæ-]adj./n/vt.禁忌bilateral[,bai'lætərəl]adj.双边的reparation[,repə'reiʃən]n.赔偿，赔偿，修理3.Som e reports (m ostly in South Korea) even suggest that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a big Japanese firm, m ay discuss 300 Koreans who were forced, as girls, to work unpaid in an aircraft factory in Japan during the war. That m ay go nowhere, but even m ention of individual for forced labour has been since a treaty in 1965.Stance[stɑ:ns, stæns]n.姿态，立场frigate['friɡit]n.护卫舰，三帆快速战舰grievance ['ɡri:vəns] n.不满，冤情expediency[ik'spi:diənsi,-əns] n.方便，权宜；权利etch[etʃ]vt.蚀刻；鲜明地描述；铭记/vi.蚀刻/n.腐蚀剂4.These gestures have taken place amid strong diplomatic Japanese backing for South Korea’s tough towards North Korea over the sinking of the Cheonan, one of its naval , in March.5.South Korea has reacted cautiously. Its business-minded president, LeeMyung-bak, also wants closer ties, and saw Mr Kan’s apology as helpful. But historical still matter hugely to South Koreans. It was not lost on them t hat Mr Kan pointedly failed to direct his apology to North Korea, which suggests som e political . Nor has Japan conceded any claim to sovereignty over an island claim ed by it and South Korea alike. An editorial in the Korea Herald has urged South Korea ns to keep their humiliation “in stone”. Yet it also called for m ore co-operation with Japan.Domestic[dəu'mestik]adj.国内的，家务的，驯养的n.佣人，国货 torture['tɔ:tʃə]n/vt.拷问，折磨，弯曲defy[di'fai, 'di:-]vt./n.对抗，藐视nationalist['næʃənəlist]adj/n.民族主义的repentance [ri'pentəns]n.悔恨，后悔6.The best prospects m ay be over trade. Since 2004 free-trade talks between Japan and South Korea have been blocked by concerns in each country over heavily protected rice industries and car m arkets. Yet bilateral trade has doubled in the past decade, and business lobbies are urging their governments to resum e talks.7.Cutting a trade deal could eventually help the countries put the past behind them, especially if the governments could include China, which has its own deep historical with Japan. But that would require strong Japanese leaders, able both to and protectionist farm ers at hom e and to offer evidence of abroad. South Korea’s government, too, would have to persuade its people that they should focus on th e an enterprising future rather than the past’s tragic victim s.THE MAN FROM EARTHJEROME BIXBYWe can’t see it , we can’t hear it , we can’t weigh it , we can’t measure it in a laboratory.It’s a subjective sense of becoming what we are instead of what we were a nanosecond ago , being what will be in another nanosecond . The hopis see time as a landscape , existing before and behind us , and we move through it , slice by slice . Clocks measure time. No, they measure themselves. The objective referent['refərənt] of clock is another clock .。