私：今晩、何をして時間をつぶそうかしら。
友人：それだったら、いい映画をしっていますよ。"ダンス・ウィズ・ウルブズ"、ぜひご覧になったらどうですか。
Jikan-tsubushi
Watashi: Konban, nani wo shite jikan wo tsubusoo kashira.
Yuujin; Sore dattara, ii eiga wo shitte imasu yo. "Dansu Uizu Urubuzu," zehi goran ni nattara doo desu ka.
Me: Now what can I do tonight to while away the time?
Afriend: In that case let me suggest a good movie. Why don't you go see Dances With Wolves'!
* * *
Jikan-tsubushi means to kill time, to idle or while away one's time. Hima-tsubushi has much the same meaning.
I was in Kanazawa recently to give some lectures - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It was 4 o'clock by the time I was finished. Not in the mood to do any sightseeing, yushoku no ato, jikan-tsubushi ni nani wo shiyo ka to kangaete ita (I began to think about what I could do after dinner to pass the time).
Kanazawa is known as the castle town of the Maeda, lords of Kaga. Since a million koku, or 5 million bushels of rice, were produced in the district each year, it was Edo period Japan's wealthiest domain, a fact memorialized each year on June 14 with the Hyakuman-goku Festival. During its 300 years of prosperity, the city paid particular attention to improving its cultural assets. Scholars and craftsmen from all over Japan were invited to the city. With this history (and because the city escaped bombing in World War II) Kanazawa still preserves much of its cultural heritage. Being in such a lovely city, jikan-tsubushi to wa ie, eiga nado miru ki wa shinai (even if only a way to while away the time, I didn't feel like going to see a movie). When I heard the name of the movie, however, I changed my mind. A friend in Canada had recently recommended that I go see Dances With Wolves.
Though the theater wasn't as big as one in Tokyo, half the seats on the Saturday night were empty. It was in this unhurried atmosphere that I was over- whelmed by Kevin Costner's message. The way the Sioux lived together so harmoniously! Such a "human" way to live! And how savage the ("non-native") Americans, always intent on expanding the white man's territory.
I couldn't help admiring the way the Indians lived "together with" and hot "against" nature. Their faces were so alive. Before realizing it, the movie led me to see the world from the Indians' point of view. As a child I'd seen my share of John Wayne movies where the Indians were always ruthless, always the bad guys. I'd been taught to look at the world from the conqueror's point of view, to be partial in my readings of history. Costner's film made me realize that it was time for some soiil-searching.
Jikan-tsubushi ni to omotte eiga wo mita (I'd gone to the moviejust to kill some time). In the end , it was a wonderful evening. When people think of ways to kill time, they think of playing pachinko or reading a magazine. Instead of "killing" time, though, let's find better and more profitable ways to use the precious moments of life.