Vous traversez une période difficile et rien ne va bien dans votre vie. C’est ainsi vous avez décidé de prendre un parti et vous mettre en état de commencer quelque chose d’autre, puis vous dites…
「心機一転」chinki itten
いろいろありましたけど、心機一転頑張ろうと思います。
iroiro arimachita kedo, chinki itten gambaro to omoimasu.
Je suis tous passé par là, mais je suis résolu à prendre un nouveau départ.
En apprenant quelque chose de nouveau, vous atteignez un palier en chemin. Vous vous sentez frustré. Vous vous attendiez à faire des progrès au début parce que vous ne saviez pas ce que vous alliez à apprendre. Mais vous sentez que vous ne faites plus progrès. Vous vous enlisez dans les toiles d’araignée. Vous ne reprenez plus le fil de vos idées que sont terriblement emmêlés. Vous ne trouvez pas la sortie.
何か新しいことを学び始めると、あるタイミングで伸び悩みを感じるようになります。何も結果を得られなくて迷い始めるのです。始めたころは、ある程度進歩するのを感じたことでしょう。なぜなら、やってみようと思うまでは、自分がやろうとしていることに関して、ほとんどあるいは全く知識がなかったのですから。しかしやがて、これ以上頑張っても無駄と思ったり、蜘蛛の巣に引っ掛かったような、考えがこんがらがってしまったような気分になったりのです。じたばたしてみても、出口も見つからない。
Il paraît opportun de regarder le chemin que vous avez creusé dans la neige de la nouveauté. La situation actuelle prouve que vous avez fait de mouvement progressif d’une étape à l’autre. Ôtez les idées obsédantes. Vous ne voyez pas plus loin que le bout de votre nez. Levez la tête et regardez autour de vous, et alors relativisez les choses. Faites une pause pour un instant pour se ressaisir, et puis trouvez-vous sur un plan. Vous ainsi pouvez regarder la réalité en face.
しかしこれこそ、自分の歩んできた道、新鮮に思えることにあふれていた道、それを振りかえるチャンスなのです。今の状態こそが、少しずつ段階を経て来た証拠。もやもやする考えは一旦置いておきましょう。足元ばかり見ていると、広い視野を失ってしまう。顔を上げて見渡してみましょう。違った視点で、新しい景色が目に飛び込んでくるはずです。しばし休息を取り、ひと呼吸置いてから、地図を広げて現在地を確認、そして再び現実に向き合うのです。
In her song called Maman, Louane, a 20-year-old French singer, sings about how we pass dull, tedious days in resignation and desperation. We sometimes feel so trapped in the net of circumstances that we get passive-aggressive. We get to express indirectly our negative feelings of anger, distrust or frustration by procrastinating, showing indifference to what’s going on around us, or distracting our own attention from what really matters. Then we are led into a cul-de-sac, where we are getting weary of reaching out for what we should be.
フランスの若き歌姫ルアンヌは、「ママ」という曲で、あきらめと投げやりな気持ちの中で、ただただ毎日をこなしていってしまうわたしたちの姿を歌っています。あまりにも、身の回りの状況にがんじがらめにされているがために、様々なことに対して、ある意味、逆ギレ気味になってしまうことがあります。怒りや不信や葛藤といった暗い感情を、間接的に表現しようとするのです。それはズルズルと物事を後回しにしてしまったり、身の回りのことに無関心を装ってみたり、大事なことから目を逸らしてみたり。そして、袋小路に陥り、こうしなきゃという気持ちにただただ疲れてしまったりもするのです。
In this song she calls on her mother to help her make sense of what she is. She knows this is not right but has no idea what to do. There is good rhyming throughout the lines, but some of them don’t seem to have as profound meaning as listeners would expect. This disappointment listeners experience, however, is the very emotion we are truly exposed to on a daily basis.
Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve is one of the great songs on bittersweetness of life. This anthem, along with the symbolic music video, brings home to us the inevitable fate of death despite all of our longings.
The Verveの”Bitter Sweet Symphony”は、生きることの甘酸っぱさを歌った９０年代のＵＫロックを代表する一曲ではないでしょうか。このアンセムは、様々な憧れがあるけれども、死という動かしがたい運命へ人は歩いてゆくということを、象徴的なミュージックビデオと共に伝えています。
We hope to follow a path we want, but quite often we have no choice but to follow the path we’ve ever been down because we always have certain constraints. Your employers, organizations, family members, your own physical, financial or social constraints wouldn’t allow you to choose to make a change. You feel all the more frustrated and powerless against circumstances.
Ｌ’irrationnel, la nostalgie humaine et l’absurde qui surgit de leur tête-à-tête, voilà les trois personnages du drame.Le mythe de Sisyphe by Albert Camus
非合理的なこと、人間的郷愁、この両者の対峙により生まれる不条理、これが人間存在という劇の三人の登場人物
The song contrasts our inevitable fate and our human longing. We have no choice but to walk toward “the places where all the veins meet” – death – because it’s ” the only road I’ve ever been down.” It’s inevitable truth. It’s beyond our control. It’s not a matter of your willpower. It leads you to get trapped and confined in a way that you feel “I am here in my mold.” But at the same time, the knowledge and experience you have acquired as you get old encourage you to believe in a possibility that “I’m a million different people from one day to the next.” We want to believe that it is our human intelligence and imagination that make it possible to understand human existence in terms of multifaceted composition and to see things from several points of view.
He walks on. It seems that he doesn’t do anything about avoiding obstacles on his way or changing his speed. Just as loss and separation, trouble and hardship, all comes out of the blue, fate is beyond our control. He just walks on while people raise their eyebrows, he knows he runs into trouble and he has no idea how to avoid it. Some of the stumbling blocks can be anticipated but that will not help us to avoid them. We just walk on.
Between his desire to be different and circumstances that tie him to the present situation, he feels trapped and decides to pray, saying “tonight I’m on my knees.” It’s not what he always does. He desperately needs some solace, someone who recognizes him. “But the airwaves are clean and there’s nobody singing to me now.” Fate doesn’t allow you to run away from tormenting truth. Then he walks on, occasionally bumping into obstacles, at a regular pace. Time passes precisely and mercilessly – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – till the end.
Albert Camus is considered to be a philosopher of absurdity. But it seems that the concept of absurdity is pretty much misunderstood. Absurdity does not mean that life is meaningless, pointless or hopeless. It’s not just a philosophical concept. Rather, it gives us an explanation to our flesh and blood feel of struggling through life.
Mais ce qui est absurde, c’est la confrontation de cet irratiionnel et de ce désir éperdu de clarté dont l’appel résonne au plus profond de l’homme. Albert Camus – Le mythe de Sisyphe
しかし、不条理なるもの、それは対立のことなのだ。理屈や法則で割り切れないのに、明晰性を求めるどうしようもない気持ちが人の心には響いてくるのだ。
Absurdity, as Camus defines it, does not refer to the irrational itself but to a contradicting human desire. We know too well that many things in life come up in a random way but we are obsessed with finding meaning, logic or reason behind them. Our life revolves around a certain circle of supportive and beloved people, some of whom will be gone sooner or later. Even when we want to and make some efforts to follow a certain path of life, life gets an unexpected turn. Nonetheless, we desperately seek the value and meaning in those practices and events in life. That is what Camus calls absurdity.
Our day-to-day challenges are really exhausting such as feeling disappointed at the results after all the efforts you made, another problem coming up right after you solved one, tragic incidents happening all around. Our life and efforts sometimes seem to be a meaningless run on the running-wheel. In exploring the topics around “In The Attempt”, or ubiquitous human efforts to reach for something that is out of sight, this sense of meaninglessness starts to loom over our prospects. Let’s consider this problem by looking at the key concept in “Le mythe de Sisyphe” by Albert Camus.
がんばっているのに結果が出ない。できたと思ったらさらに別の問題が発生する。世界のあちらこちらで悲劇が繰り返される。私たちは日々の生活や学習、仕事に向き合っているわけですが、こうしたつらい営みが、知らず知らずのうちに心を疲弊させることもあります。いつまでも終わりのないような、繰り返される、無駄にも思える自分自身の努力や生活。「手の届かないものに手を伸ばす」という本シリーズのテーマで考えていくと、この種の無益さがひとつの壁になります。アルベール・カミュの『シーシュポスの神話』を素材にこの問題を考えてみましょう。
Les dieux avaient condamné Sisyphe à rouler sans cesse un rocher jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne d’où la pierre retombait par son propre poids. Ils avaient pensé avec quelque raison qu’il n’est pas de punition plus terrible que le travail inutile et sans espoir.Le mythe de Sisyphe by Albert Camus
シーシュポスが神から命じられた罰は、山の頂上まで休まず岩を運び上げるというものだったが、頂上に達すると岩はその重みで自ずと転がり落ちてしまうのだった。このような無益で絶望的な作業ほど厳しい罰はないと神々は考えたのだが、それはある意味理に適っていた。
The biggest pain of the punishment can be explained by the fact that although he is well aware of his unrequited effort, he never stops his labor that is of no use. How despairing it is to see the rock rolling down the hill after your reaching the top of the hill. However, Camus made a logical turn. The point is, Sisyphus doesn’t climb the hill only once but endlessly. You would be disappointed to see the rock rolling down once you reached the top, but what is more painful is that you know that tragedy inevitably happens and, nevertheless, you are enforced to perform the duty ceaselessly.
(…) A chacun de ces instants, où il quitte les sommets et s’enfonce peu à peu vers les tanières des dieux, il est supérieur à son destin. Il est plus fort que son rocher. (…) quand l’appel du bonheur se fait trop pesant, il arrive que la tristesse se lève au cœur de l’homme: c’est la victoire du rocher, c’est le rocher lui-même. (…) Mais les vérités écrasantes périssent d’être reconnues.Le mythe de Sisyphe by Albert Camus
(…) 頂上から神々の巣窟まで戻って行く度ごとに、シーシュポスは運命を制圧していた。転がる岩に勝利していたのだ。(…) 幸せの呼び声を重圧と感じるとき、哀しみが人の心に湧き上がる。それは岩の方の勝利だ。岩の重苦しさそのものだ。(…) しかし、この重い真実は、認識されることで消滅してくれるのだ。
Sisyphus is aware of a recurrence of torturing duty, but he makes an intentional decision to face the futile. That’s his triumph over fate. Our everyday life is full of these fertile practices – what you worked hard for bears no fruits, what you created is soon to be crumbled, what you believe you kept in mind is gone. But if you do your best, create and remember something while understanding all will be gone anyhow, you will feel that you are focused and committed and that it is nonetheless meaningful and valuable.
Il y a deux sortes d’hommes, ceux qui subissent le destin, et ceux qui choisissent de le subir.Le Coran
人間には二通りある。運命に耐える者と、運命に耐えることを選ぶ者だ。『コーラン』
This passage tells us the value of resigning yourself to fate and choosing a rough and thorny path, instead of wailing over merciless fate. Through our everyday existence, we could choose a life in which you always stop to think about the consequences of your choices, do conscious decision-making and face an uphill struggle, instead of following a beaten path. We could also follow an unorthodox but ethical lifestyle with little modern convenience of well-commercialized goods and services.
Fate, for Camus, is no doubt our inevitable truth: death. In terms of literal death and loss of something, only after do we resign ourselves to fate, we can say “all is well”. Anything you do care about will be gone sooner or later. Only when are you aware of this truth, caring about something starts to bear true meaning and value. Being aware of the truth is not a tragedy but a euphoric leap.
Another great song called “Si (If)” by Zaz, a French singer, helps us extend the concept of “Home” further. First of all, “Home” exists in relationships. We need others to embody our sense of self. We are not that independent existence. Our existence is like a vessel that carries fragments of other existences, for which we have responsibility in one way and another. It’s a matter of what and who you stand up for, whose shoulder you cry on, whose hand you want to take, what fills your belly. In other word, “Home” can be found where mutuality and interdependence take place.
This song steps further. In a broader sense “Home” lies between reality and possibility. It’s no tangible. It’s something like an imagery. We live our life with a lot of “ifs.” Regrets in retrospect. Anticipations in prospect. On one hand, it could be someone, or some place, whose memories pull you back to a time when you were fully authentic in the presence of, anchored and attached to, that person or that place. On the other hand, it could be a vision that gives you a space and sense of authenticity. Something like a zeal. Some change you want to make in your own life, in human conditions. You build a mental bridge across time and space. What you envisage can be something that helps you stay grounded and tied to the reality. It’s not just something like a hope. It’s something that helps you stay focused on seeing the world honestly and not flee from its harshness while you keep your vision in sight. It’s in-between. It’s in process.
Through interactions with people and with imagery of who we were and will be, we put together puzzle pieces of the whole picture of self, which is also very likely to transform into what we never imagine. That encourages us to look at the concept of “Home” from another different perspective. That will be discussed in the next post.
Zaz, a french singer-songwriter, sings about lost Home in her song, “Si jamais j’oublie”. And what is beautiful about her lyrics is that it says much about the idea that “home is something that is remembered”. Look at the fact that others play a part in the creating of your Home, and you’ll realize you don’t have to carry the world on your shoulders. Crafting and grasping the whole picture of yourself is not a lone job. Look around, and you’ll find a grand body of people you have come across.
ザズは、フランスのシンガーソングライターですが、『Si jamais j’oublie（もしもわたしが忘れてしまったら）』のなかで「Home」について歌っています。歌詞が美しいのは、『「Home」は記憶される』ということについて多くを語っているからです。しっくりくる自分を作るために、ほかの人も役割を果たすと考えると、もう世界の全てを背負いこまなくてもいいのです。自分を作り上げ理解する作業は、一人でできる作業ではありません。見回してみると、これまでに出会った様々な人々が見えてくるのではないでしょうか。
We all struggle to feel right and establish ourselves in this world while trying to stay true to ourselves. It’s a tough job. Much worse, we have no idea who we are at all as long as you try to see yourself without a mirror. You need others to fully embody your identity. You can attain a sense of self in relationship to others. All kinds of interactions help make up who you are. What you said, what you write, what you cried for, who you laughed with, and who you lend your hand to. All that you bring out leave something to others and sink in, more or less. We can only belong and be truly heard in relationship.
Can you think of any metaphor for failure? Here is one of the most striking metaphor for failure, its benefit and its ubiquity. Hélène Grimaud, a French pianist, {Read more…} “Variations Sauvages”
Lorsque votre amie n’est pas sûre à quoi ses efforts soient vraiment utiles et elle a l’air impatiente et désespérée de simplifier les choses au plus vite, vous pouvez dire…
言い訳せず、ズルもせず、とにかくがんばるしかないでしょ。一生懸命やっていれば、いつか報われるから。 iiwake mo sezu, zuru mo sezu, tonikaku gambarushika naidesho. isshokemmei yatteireba, itsuka mukuwarerukara.
Sans excuser, sans tricher, fais ton mieux en croyant que tout le travail que tu as fait finalement sera payant.
「一生懸命」 issho kemmei 一生：une vie 懸命：avec dévouement, désespérément, jouer sa vie
À l’origine, 「一所懸命」 issho kemmei 一所：un endroit, une parcelle de terre 懸命：avec dévouement, désespérément, jouer sa vie
Après avoir installé son système de gouvernement militaire, bakufu, à Kamakura, le premier shogun a institué le régime féodal. Le titre et le domaine étaient décernés en échange du succès des campagnes et leur allégeance au shogun. Avec le temps, l’accent sur assurance du domaine s’est transformé en celui sur la gravité de ce qu’on fait avec effort et ce qui se passe une fois dans la vie. Il y a un relent fort de l’accent sur la loyauté féodale et sur l’intégrité morale même à l’époque moderne.
Lorsque vous savez que vous tout de suite comprenez comment les choses marchent et apprenez le métier, mais vous vous sentez dispersé ou accablé des intérêts multiples et des tâches assignés, vous pouvez dire…
器用貧乏なタイプだから、どんな上司からも重宝がられるけど、このままだと大成しなさそう。 kiyoubinbo na taipu dakara, donna joshi karamo chohogarareru kedo, konomama dato taisei shinasaso Je suis une sorte de touche-à-tout. N’importe quel directeur trouve que je peux toujours servir aux eux, mais je ne crois que mon talent s’épanouisse dans ma carrière.
「器用貧乏」 kiyo bimbo 器用：être plein de ressources, être adroit de ses mains, travailler efficacement 貧乏：pauvre
Si vous êtes tellement adroit que vous pouvez manœuvrer les choses avec souplesse, vous travaillez pour que tout coule de source pour l’équipe et on s’attend à ce que vous travailliez efficacement en équipe, tous en profiteraient. Mais pourtant qui est propre à tout n’est propre à rien. Trop de talent peut nuire dans sa carrière.
