📰Today’s article

Title

Hundreds of Thousands Join Protests Across France
フランス各地で数十万人が抗議デモに参加

Article

EnglishJapanese
Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France on Saturday over the cost of living and poor school conditions. The interior ministry said an estimated 410,000 people protested, while unions put the number at about 800,000. After largely peaceful demonstrations, police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in a number of cities including Paris.土曜日、フランス各地で、生活費と劣悪な学校環境をめぐる抗議デモに数十万人が参加した。内務省は約41万人が抗議したと推定したが、労働組合はその数を約80万人としている。おおむね平和的なデモが行われた後、警察はパリを含む複数の都市で、抗議者を解散させるために催涙ガスと放水砲を使用した。
Some 70,000 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country. President Emmanuel Macron had decreed earlier this week that only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions would be permitted. Even so, late clashes erupted in Paris, while street barricades were set alight in Marseille and protesters took boards off a building in the southern city of Bordeaux.混乱を防ぐため、全国で約7万人の警察官が配備された。エマニュエル・マクロン大統領は今週初め、公認の労働組合が組織するデモだけを許可すると布告していた。それでも、パリでは遅い時間に衝突が発生し、マルセイユでは路上のバリケードに火が放たれ、南部の都市ボルドーでは抗議者が建物から板を取り外した。
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that “several thousand radical activists gathered at the rear of the march, including around 500 individuals identified as rioters”. Nuñez said late in the day that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested, a number he said would increase. He also said two people had been “seriously injured” in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand.フランスのローラン・ヌニェス内務大臣は、「数千人の過激な活動家がデモ行進の後方に集まり、その中には暴徒と特定された約500人も含まれていた」と述べた。ヌニェス氏はその日の遅くに、1,000人近くが逮捕されたと述べ、その数は増えるだろうとも述べた。また、トゥールーズとクレルモン=フェランで2人が「重傷を負った」とも述べた。
Earlier, a peaceful protester named Zelie told the BBC people were “really frustrated” since Macron came to office. “Today we are in the streets because it’s been too long, it’s been too much,” the 26-year-old said. A teenage protester added that protests would end “when we have a response to our demands. We really want a change in France”.これに先立ち、ゼリーという名の平和的な抗議者はBBCに対し、マクロン氏が就任して以来、人々は「本当にいら立っている」と語った。「今日私たちが街頭に出ているのは、あまりにも長く、あまりにも耐えてきたからです」と、26歳の彼女は述べた。10代の抗議者は、抗議は「私たちの要求に対する回答が得られたときに終わる。私たちはフランスの変化を心から望んでいる」と付け加えた。
Around 550,000 people took part in last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices, which resulted in more than 2,500 arrests. Damage was estimated “at hundreds of millions euros”, while about 1,000 officers were injured. The continuing protests come ahead of France’s presidential elections in six months’ time, and leading contenders have levelled the blame at Macron and his ministers.先週末の燃料価格の上昇に反対するデモには約55万人が参加し、2,500人を超える逮捕者が出た。被害額は「数億ユーロ」と推定され、約1,000人の警察官が負傷した。抗議が続く中、フランスの大統領選挙は6か月後に迫っており、有力候補たちはマクロン氏とその閣僚たちに責任があると非難している。

📘Vocabulary

  1. disperse – verb
    • Meaning: To make a group of people leave and go in different directions.
    • Example: The police used loud speakers to disperse the crowd after the concert.
    • 意味: 人々の集団を立ち去らせ、さまざまな方向へ散らばらせること。
    • 例文: 警察はコンサートの後、拡声器を使って群衆を解散させた。
  2. decree – verb
    • Meaning: To officially order that something must happen or must be done.
    • Example: The king decreed that every village must build a new school.
    • 意味: あることが起こるべき、または行われるべきだと公式に命じること。
    • 例文: 王は、すべての村が新しい学校を建てなければならないと布告した。
  3. clash – noun
    • Meaning: A fight or serious argument between two groups of people.
    • Example: A clash between two groups of fans started outside the stadium.
    • 意味: 2つの集団の間の争い、または激しい口論。
    • 例文: 2つのファン集団の間の衝突がスタジアムの外で始まった。
  4. barricade – noun
    • Meaning: A line of objects put across a road or entrance to stop people or vehicles from passing.
    • Example: Workers built a barricade across the road to stop cars.
    • 意味: 人や車両が通るのを止めるために、道路や入口をふさぐように置かれた物の列。
    • 例文: 作業員たちは車を止めるために、道路にバリケードを築いた。
  5. come to office – phrase
    • Meaning: To start a job in government, especially as a leader.
    • Example: Many people hoped for change after the new mayor came to office.
    • 意味: 政府での職務、特に指導者としての職務に就くこと。
    • 例文: 新しい市長が就任した後、多くの人々が変化を期待した。

📝Let’s summarize

Summary要約
Hundreds of thousands of people protested across France over living costs and school conditions. Police used tear gas in several cities, and nearly 1,000 people were arrested. The protests follow last weekend’s demonstrations and come before the presidential elections.数十万人がフランス各地で、生活費と学校環境をめぐって抗議した。警察は複数の都市で催涙ガスを使用し、1,000人近くが逮捕された。この抗議は先週末のデモに続くもので、大統領選挙の前に起きている。
Word Count: 39 words

❓Comprehension Questions

Q1: How many police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across France?

A. About 500 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country on Saturday.
B. About 2,500 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country on Saturday.
C. About 70,000 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country on Saturday.
D. About 1,000 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country on Saturday.

問1: 混乱を防ぐために、フランスでは何人の警察官が配備されましたか。
Correct answer: C
正解選択肢: 土曜日、混乱を防ぐために全国で約7万人の警察官が配備された。
該当文: Some 70,000 police officers were deployed to prevent chaos across the country.

Q2: What did Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez say late in the day?

A. He said nearly 1,000 people had been arrested and that the number of arrests would increase.
B. He said around 500 people had been arrested and that the number of arrests would increase.
C. He said more than 2,500 people had been arrested and that the number of arrests would increase.
D. He said nearly 1,000 officers had been injured and that the number of injuries would increase.

問2: ローラン・ヌニェス内務大臣は、その日の遅くに何と述べましたか。
Correct answer: A
正解選択肢: 彼は、1,000人近くが逮捕されたと述べ、逮捕者の数は増えるだろうと述べた。
該当文: Nuñez said late in the day that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested, a number he said would increase.

Q3: What was the result of last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices?

A. Last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests in France.
B. Last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices resulted in more than 500 arrests in France.
C. Last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices resulted in more than 70,000 arrests in France.
D. Last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices resulted in more than 2,500 arrests in France.

問3: 燃料価格の上昇に反対する先週末のデモの結果はどうでしたか。
Correct answer: D
正解選択肢: 燃料価格の上昇に反対する先週末のデモは、フランスで2,500人を超える逮捕者を出す結果となった。
該当文: Around 550,000 people took part in last weekend’s demonstrations against rising fuel prices, which resulted in more than 2,500 arrests.

💬Today’s your thoughts

Question

Do you think large protests are an effective way to change government policies?
大規模な抗議デモは、政府の政策を変えるための効果的な方法だと思いますか。

Model Answer – 1(肯定的立場)

EnglishJapanese
Yes, I think large protests are an effective way to change government policies.はい、大規模な抗議デモは政府の政策を変えるための効果的な方法だと思います。
Firstly, large protests get leaders’ attention. For example, hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France over the cost of living. Because so many people gathered, leaders may find it hard to ignore their demands.まず、大規模な抗議デモは指導者たちの注目を集めます。例えば、フランス各地で生活費をめぐる抗議デモに数十万人が参加しました。非常に多くの人が集まったので、指導者たちは彼らの要求を無視しにくくなるかもしれません。
Moreover, protests give ordinary people a voice. For instance, a teenage protester said that protesters really want a change in France. This shows that protests can give young people a way to join public discussions.さらに、抗議デモは一般の人々に発言の機会を与えます。例えば、10代の抗議者は、抗議者たちはフランスの変化を心から望んでいると述べました。これは、抗議デモが若者に公の議論に参加する方法を与えうることを示しています。
In conclusion, I believe large protests are effective because they attract leaders’ attention and give ordinary people a voice. Governments should listen carefully to peaceful protests.結論として、大規模な抗議デモは指導者たちの注目を集め、一般の人々に発言の機会を与えるので、効果的だと私は信じています。政府は平和的な抗議デモに注意深く耳を傾けるべきです。
Word Count: 110 words

Model Answer – 2(否定的立場)

EnglishJapanese
No, I do not think large protests are always an effective way to change government policies.いいえ、大規模な抗議デモが政府の政策を変えるための効果的な方法であるとは、必ずしも思いません。
Firstly, protests can become violent. For example, police fired tear gas and water cannon in several cities, and nearly 1,000 people were arrested. Because of this, people may focus on the chaos instead of the message.まず、抗議デモは暴力的になることがあります。例えば、警察は複数の都市で催涙ガスと放水砲を使用し、1,000人近くが逮捕されました。このため、人々は主張ではなく混乱に注目してしまうかもしれません。
Moreover, protests do not always bring quick results. For instance, people protested last weekend over rising fuel prices, and hundreds of thousands protested again on Saturday. This shows that protests alone may not solve problems quickly.さらに、抗議デモは必ずしも早い結果をもたらすわけではありません。例えば、人々は先週末に燃料価格の上昇をめぐって抗議し、土曜日にも数十万人が再び抗議しました。これは、抗議デモだけでは問題を素早く解決できないかもしれないことを示しています。
To sum up, I think large protests are not always effective because they can become violent and may not bring quick results. Peaceful talks may work better.まとめると、大規模な抗議デモは暴力的になることがあり、早い結果をもたらさないかもしれないので、必ずしも効果的ではないと私は思います。平和的な話し合いのほうがうまくいくかもしれません。
Word Count: 115 words

News Source: BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c95ynd587ynzo