A：「ずいぶん古いエレベーターを使っていますね」
B：「イギリス人が物を大切にするのには頭が下がりますね」
Atama ga Sagaru
(Rondon de)
A: Zuibun furui erebeetaa wo tsukatte imasu ne.
B: Igirisujin ga mono wo taisetsu ni suru noni wa atama ga sagarimasu ne.
(In London)
A: They certainly use old elevators, don't they?
B: The way British cherish old things really demands one's respect.
Atama ga sagaru means to take one's hat off to someone because they command one's respect and admiration.
While in England this summer I visited a friend's company in one of the many old buildings in London's Green Park area in the center of the city. What a surprise to see the elevator! With two cables grinding away, it looked like a bird in a cage. And though I don't know when the building was built, I do know that because England was the first country to pass through the Industrial Revolution, many old buildings still stand throughout the city. Coming from Japan where the rapid development of society has meant the continuous introduction of new products and technology, it was like going back in time to see the old subways and cash registers. Indeed, with its pulley system, the elevator in my friend's building would make a great spot to bring an elementary school science class! (I'm serious! )
Hoka nimo atama no sagaru koto wa takusan aru (There are lots of other things which command my admiration). For examples, go to a park on any Sunday. Look at all the older couples walking about holding hands or sitting down eating sandwiches together. What if this was Tokyo's Hibiya Park on a holiday. There'd be young couples everywhere and you'd have a hard time finding any older people. Where are Japan's elderly anyway! It must be the gap between the British and Japanese welfare systems. Igirisu no fukushi seisaku no yosa ni wa atama ga sagarimasu (I take my hat off to the high quality of British welfare policies).
I jumped on the last train from London to Cambridge and a number of lengthy station stops later, the train finally reached Cambridge - forty minutes behind schedule! In Japan the conductor would have made some sort of announcement but, as if nothing had happened, the passengers here just quietly got off the train. Is it because it happens all the time or because the British don't get upset over such things? In any case, watashi wa igirisujin no gaman zuyosa ni wa atama ga sagarimasu (I take my hat off to the "long-suffering" of the British).
Even though Japan has been blessed with much economic success, when asked, "Are you happy?" only 64 percent reply positively. In Great Britain the figure is 86 percent. What does this difference mean? Isn't the British disposition of not wanting things tc change much indicated in their answer? As long as Japanese continue looking every which way for whal is missing and lacking, I don't think they'll ever be happy.
Mizue Siasakt is a prof^ss6r at Yalmaguchi National Univetiy
The book "Japanese Naturally" was published by the Kenkyusha Publishing Company in May this year.