中川大臣朦朧会見を報じる中国メディア


 2009年2月14日イタリア・ローマで開催されたG7の財務大臣・中央銀行総裁会議に出席した中川昭一財務大臣が会議中に居眠りをした上、会議後の記者会見でろれつが回らずKYな発言を繰り返し、辞任しました。この朦朧会見は世界中で報道され酷評されたそうです。今回は朦朧会見後の辞任劇の概要を2本の英文スクリプト付き動画で紹介します。


○中川大臣が朦朧会見後辞任

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and the ruling party are in crisis after the sudden resignation of the country’s finance minister. People are now wondering if the prime minister himself will step aside.
The resignation of Japan’s Finance Minister has sparked fresh speculation over whether unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso will be forced to either resign or call an early general election, which his long-ruling party would probably loose.

Japan’s finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa resigned on February 17 after being forced to deny he was drunk at a G7 news conference.

Nakagawa slurred his words at the G7 summit news conference and appeared to fall asleep at one point.

Nakagawa said he had not done more than sip some wine before the news conference and that cold medicine had affected his behaviour.

This newest saga plus data showing Japan’s economy is shrinking at its fastest rate since the 1974 oil crisis, has dealt a huge and perhaps fatal blow to Aso and his party, analysts say.

Aso’s public support has plummeted to less than 10 percent after a string of other gaffes and policy flip-flops.

[Takefumi Maruyama, Retired Businessman]: “I’m not satisfied with the current politics. I was expecting Aso to do well, but I’m not happy because he doesn’t have any solid ideas.”

○中川大臣辞任後に与謝野大臣が後任

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and the ruling party are in crisis after the sudden resignation of the country’s finance minister. People are now wondering if the prime minister himself will step aside.
The resignation of Japan’s Finance Minister has sparked fresh speculation over whether unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso will be forced to either resign or call an early general election, which his long-ruling party would probably loose.

Japan’s finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa resigned on February 17 after being forced to deny he was drunk at a G7 news conference.

Nakagawa slurred his words at the G7 summit news conference and appeared to fall asleep at one point.

Nakagawa said he had not done more than sip some wine before the news conference and that cold medicine had affected his behaviour.

This newest saga plus data showing Japan’s economy is shrinking at its fastest rate since the 1974 oil crisis, has dealt a huge and perhaps fatal blow to Aso and his party, analysts say.

Aso’s public support has plummeted to less than 10 percent after a string of other gaffes and policy flip-flops.

[Takefumi Maruyama, Retired Businessman]: “I’m not satisfied with the current politics. I was expecting Aso to do well, but I’m not happy because he doesn’t have any solid ideas.”