木村：赤ちゃんお誕生おめでとうございます。
佐藤：ありがとうございます。
木村：ところで、もう名前はおつけになったんですか。
佐藤：ええ、知性的な雅子さんにあやかりたくて、雅子とつけました。
Ayakaru
Kimura: Akachan o-tanjoo omedeto gozaimasu.
Sato : Arigatoo gozaimasu.
Kimura: Tokoro de, moo namae wa o-tsuke ni nattan desu ka.
Sato: Ee, chiseiteki na Masako-san ni ayakari takute, Masako to tsukemashita.
Kimura: Congratulations on your new baby.
Sato: Thank you.
Kimura: Incidentally, have you already chosen a name?
Sato: Yes, we called her Masako, hoping that she'll turn out to be a bright girl like the princess.
Ayakaru means to follow someone's example, hoping some of his or her luck and superior attributes rub off on you.
Apparently, many baby girls born in Japan this year have been given the name Masako. I don't seriously imagine that by choosing the same name as the princess, parents think their daughter will grow up to become another future princess. I think most mothers simply want their daughters to be healthy, attractive and intellectual women like Princess Masako.
When I mentioned this to an English friend she told me that igirisu demo Daiana ni ayakaritakute, sunen mae ni wa takusan no Daiana ga tanjoo shimashita. (in England too, there were a lot of Di- anas born several years ago, when people thought it would be lucky to name their child after Princess Diana.) I wonder how those girls have turned out to be. Do they feel happy they were named after Princess Diana? A friend of mine pointed out that it's interesting to refer to the word habakaru (to hesitate, or to be afraid) as opposed to ayakaru. Although there are plenty of Masakos, the Japanese are still afraid of naming their children Hirohito, the name of the Emperor - Showa, because when it comes to the hopes of becoming an emperor or a crown prince, ayakaroo to omotte mo, zettai ni muri na koto da. (no matter how seriously you aspire to follow the same example, it's absolutely impossible. )
The word ayakaru is also used in conversation about gambling. For example, if your friend won \10 million in a public lottery from tick- ets he bought near Shinjuku Station, you might say wataski mo ayakaro to omotte, soko de takara-kuji wo kaimashita. (I also bought lottery tickets at the same place, hoping to have the same luck.) In business situations, you may say, "Even in the midst of the recession, Sega Enterprises is making remarkable profits. Waga-sha mo ayakari tai mono desu ne." (I wish our company could follow their example.) By the way, how many countries hope to follow the example of the Japanes economy?