佐々木：10月から横浜国立大学で教えることになりました。
山田：山口大学の方では、文句が出ませんでしたか。授業が途中になるでしょう？
佐々木：ええ、でも集中講義をすることで、丸く収まりました。
山田：それは良かったですね。
Maruku-osameru
Sasaki: Juui gatsu kara Yokohama Kokuritsu Daigaku de oshieru koto ni narimashita.
Yamada: Yamaguchi Daigaku no hoo de wa, monku ga demasen deshita ka. Juyoo ga tochuu ni naru deshoo?
Sasaki: Ee, demo shuuchuu koogi wo suru koto de, maruku-osamarimashita.
Yamada: Sore wa yofeatta desu ne.
Sasaki: I'll be teaching at Yokohama National University from October.
Yamada: Didn't anyone raise a fuss at Yamaguchi National University? You're leaving halfway through the year.
Sasaki: Well, I'm going to teach some intensive classes and so everything has worked out smoothly.
Yamada: That's good to hear.
* * *
Maruku-osameru means to 'work out peacefully, smoothly, amicably. ' It's been five years since I began teaching at Yamaguchi National University. I remember writing here about the expression tonbogaeri (to make a quick round trip) ; about spending the weekdays alone in Yamaguchi and then flying back to Tokyo to be with my family for the weekends.
Japanese have a proverb which says that "You can be happy wherever you live" (Sumeba Miyako). Yamaguchi was just that for me. Though at first I felt lonely in the small city surrounded by mountains, now I can't imagine a more beautiful place to experience nature's beauty. But five years seems to be my limit for living apart from my family.
A request from Yokohama National University has led me to begin teaching there from October. But Japanese universities begin in April and end in March, you say? Weren't some teachers opposed to my leaving in the middle of the school year? Actually, I hadwondered, "If things don't work out peacefully, what shall I do (Moshi, maruku-osamaranakattara, do shiyo)?" I had no desire to see four and half happy years end in controversy and bad feelings.
I thought of asking Yokohama National University to wait. But there are 380 foreign students there whose classes begin in October. "We want you here from the start so you can plan the curriculum," they'd said. It would have been a bit irresponsible to then have said, "No. I'll begin in April." I worried to myself, "What should I do to settle things amicably without causing any hard feelings (Kado wo tatezu ni maruku-osameru ni wa doo shitara yoi daroo)?" My colleagues in Yamaguchi, thankfully, realized the position I was in and were cooperative and helpful from the start. Mr. K. volunteered to take over my Japanese class. And the students agreed to attend intensive classes with me during winter vacation. Kon-na ni maruku-osamaru to wa, omottemo mimasen deshita (I never dreamed things would work out so smoothly).
My research stipend at Yamaguchi National University has been about \700,000 a year and so my office has become full. So many books, a large table and sofa, mahogany bookshelves, a 29-inch television with a satellite tuner, a refrigerator, gas range, slide projector, video deck, word processor...everything you could ask for.
There's nothing yet in Yokohama. I'll have to start all over again. How I'd like to take everything with me. But that would be wrong. Sonna koto wo sureba totemo maruku wa osamaranai daroo kara (This is because were I to do that, it's unlikely that I'd be able to settle everything smoothly).