Must Read: Asahi Shinbun "Trap of Prometheus" Series Part 1 - Men in Protective Clothing (1) "Why Are You Here? Flee!"

(Installment 1, Installments 2 and 3, Installments 4 and 5, Installment 6, Installments 7 and 8, Installments 9 and 10, Installments 11 and 12)

Asahi Shinbun print version (including digital print) has started a series called "Trap of Prometheus (プロメテウスの罠)" - comparing nuclear energy to the mythical fire that the Greek god gave to humans. The first installment of Part 1 "Men in Protective Clothing" was published on October 3, 2011. The series is written by the Asahi Shinbun journalist Motoyuki Maeda.

It is an astonishing read. Part 1 "Men in Protective Clothing" deals with 25 people in Namie-machi in Fukushima Prefecture, where no information about the seriousness of the plant accident reached, and where many evacuees from within 10 kilometers radius from the plant sheltered. There are 12 installments for the Part 1 so far.

Tsushima District of Namie-machi in the article is about 30 kilometers northwest of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, considered very safe from radiation. The government and the experts who appeared on TV right after the accident were all saying "The further you evacuate from the plant the safer it gets, and there is no worry for people outside the 10 kilometer radius".

It looks Asahi, after nearly 7 months after the accident, finally feels guilty enough to report the truth for a change.

The following is my quick private translation of the 1st installment of Part 1, as it appeared in Asahi Shinbun digital version on October 3, 2011. It deals with March 12 night in Tsushima District in Namie-machi.

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防護服の男（１）

Men in Protective Clothing (1)

　福島県浪江町の津島地区。東京電力福島第一原発から約３０キロ北西の山あいにある。

Tsushima District in Namie-machi, Fukushima Prefecture lies in the mountains about 30 kilometers northwest of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.

　原発事故から一夜明けた３月１２日、原発１０キロ圏内の海沿いの地域から、１万人の人たちが津島地区に逃れてきた。小中学校や公民館、寺だけでは足りず、人々は民家にも泊めてもらった。

On March 12, one day after the nuclear accident, 10,000 people fled from the coastal area within the 10 kilometer radius from the plant to Tsushima District. Elementary school, middle school, community center, temples were used to house them, but there were not enough public shelters. People were housed in private residences in the district.

　菅野（かんの）みずえ（５９）の家にも朝から次々と人がやってきて、夜には２５人になった。多くが親戚や知人だったが、見知らぬ人もいた。

Mizue Kanno (age 59) welcomed these evacuees at her home all day. By nightfall there were 25 people. Most of them were her relatives and acquaintances, but some were total strangers.

　築１８０年の古民家を壊して新築した家だ。門構えが立派で、敷地は広い。２０畳の大部屋もある。避難者を受け入れるにはちょうどよかった。門の中は人々の車でいっぱいになった。

Her home is a newly built home after demolishing the 180-year-old house. It has a large gate, and the compound is large. It has a big room with 20 tatami mats [32.4 square meters, or 349 square feet]. Quite ideal for accepting evacuees. Soon, inside the gate, the yard was full of evacuees' cars.

　「原発で何が起きたのか知らないが、ここまで来れば大丈夫だろう」。人々はとりあえずほっとした表情だった。

"I don't know what happened at the nuke plant, but we should be OK here". People looked relieved, at least for now.

　みずえは２台の圧力鍋で米を７合ずつ炊き、晩飯は握り飯と豚汁だった。着の身着のままの避難者たちは大部屋に集まり、握り飯にかぶりついた。

Mizue cooked 7 cups of rice in each of the two pressure cooker she had. The supper for the evacuees was rice balls and miso soup with pork and vegetables. The evacuees, with only the clothes they happened to wear when they fled, gathered in the big room and ate supper.

　夕食の後、人々は自己紹介しあい、共同生活のルールを決めた。

After supper, people introduced themselves, and decided on the community rule.

　一、便器が詰まるのを避けるため、トイレットペーパーは横の段ボール箱に捨てる。

- To avoid clogging up the toilet, toilet paper should be discarded in the paper box next to the toilet.

　一、炊事や配膳はみんなで手伝う。

- Everyone helps in cooking and laying out the dishes

　一、お互い遠慮するのはやめよう……。

- Let's not be too shy.

　人々は菅野家の２部屋に分かれて寝ることになった。みずえは家にあるだけの布団を出した。

The evacuees were to sleep in two rooms in the house. Mizue rounded up all the futons there were in the house for the evacuees.

　そのころ、外に出たみずえは、家の前に白いワゴン車が止まっていることに気づいた。中には白の防護服を着た男が２人乗っており、みずえに向かって何か叫んだ。しかしよく聞き取れない。

Then, Mizue stepped outside and noticed there was a white wagon parked in front of her house. There were two men in white protective gear in the wagon, and they shouted at her. But she couldn't hear well.

　「何？　どうしたの？」

"What? What is it?"

　みずえが尋ねた。

Mizue asked.

　「なんでこんな所にいるんだ！　頼む、逃げてくれ」

"Why do you remain here? Please, we beg, flee."

　みずえはびっくりした。

Mizue was shocked.

　「逃げろといっても……、ここは避難所ですから」

"Flee? But this is a shelter."

　車の２人がおりてきた。２人ともガスマスクを着けていた。

Two men came out of the wagon. Both were wearing gas masks.

　「放射性物質が拡散しているんだ」。真剣な物言いで、切迫した雰囲気だ。

"Radioactive materials are spreading." They spoke seriously and urgently.

　家の前の道路は国道１１４号で、避難所に入りきれない人たちの車がびっしりと停車している。２人の男は、車から外に出た人たちにも「早く車の中に戻れ」と叫んでいた。

In front of her house was the Route 114, lined with cars of people who couldn't find shelters. Two men shouted at people who were stepping out of their cars, "Get back inside the car quick!"

　２人の男は、そのまま福島市方面に走り去った。役場の支所に行くでもなく、掲示板に警告を張り出すでもなかった。

Two men then drove away toward Fukushima City. They didn't go to the town office branch or post a warning on the message board.

　政府は１０キロ圏外は安全だと言っていた。なのになぜ、あの２人は防護服を着て、ガスマスクまでしていたのだろう。だいたいあの人たちは誰なのか。

The national government said it was safe outside the 10-kilometer radius. Then why were these two men wearing the protective clothes and gas masks? Who were they anyway?

　みずえは疑問に思ったが、とにかく急いで家に戻り、避難者たちにそれを伝えた。（前田基行）

Mizue didn't know the answers. But she hurried back inside the house, and told the evacuees what the men just told her. (Reported by Motoyuki Maeda)

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ギリシャ神話によると、人類に火を与えたのはプロメテウスだった。

According to the Greek mythology, Prometheus gave fire to humans.

　火を得たことで人類は文明を発達させた。化石燃料の火は生産力をさらに伸ばし、やがて人類は原子の火を獲得する。それは「夢のエネルギー」とも形容された。しかし、落とし穴があった。

By obtaining fire, humans developed civilizations. Fire from fossil fuel increased the productivity. Then, humans obtained fire from nuclear energy. It was dubbed as "dream energy". But there was a pitfall.

　プロメテウスによって文明を得た人類が、いま原子の火に悩んでいる。福島第一原発の破綻（はたん）を背景に、国、民、電力を考える。

Humans, who obtained civilization by Prometheus fire, are troubled by the nuclear fire. This series will consider the nation, the people, and the electricity in the backdrop of the failure of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.

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　「プロメテウスの罠（わな）」は、数カ月にわたり長期連載します。第１シリーズ「防護服の男」は十数回の予定です。文中はすべて敬称を略します。

"Trap of Prometheus" series will be written over the next several months. The 1st in the series "Men in Protective Clothes" will have over 10 installments. In the series, names will be listed without honorifics.

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(Translation for the 2nd and 3rd installments are on this post.)

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