關於介紹日本的英語文章

　　日本多火山,多地震,是自然災害頻發的國家。在這種環境中生活的日本人形成了纖細敏感的性格,他們時感人間萬物變化無常。下面是小編帶來的，歡迎閱讀!

　　篇一

　　11個震驚外國遊客的日本習俗

　　Japan has a unique culture with a very strict code of etiquette.

　　日本有著獨特的文化和嚴格的禮儀。

　　]There are specific ways to eat noodles, good practices for accepting gifts, and certain rules to follow to avoid insulting a host.

　　吃麵條也有著特殊的方法，收禮物也要有好的方式，更別說要遵守一些規則避免侮辱招待你的人了。

　　This complex web of social rules and traditions can be overwhelming for those traveling to Japan, so we compiled a list of some of the things foreigners find most shocking when visiting the country.

　　這個複雜的社會規則和傳統網可能會讓一些剛來日本的人覺得倍受打擊，所以我們製作了一個的表單囊括了那些會讓外國人震驚的規則。

　　Here are 11 customs you should know before traveling to Japan.

　　這裡是你去日本旅行之前需要知道的11項習俗。

　　1. No. 4 is avoided at all cost.

　　儘量避免數字4。

　　In Japan, the number "four" is avoided because it sounds very similar to the word for death. In the same vein as No. 13 in Western culture, No. 4 is extremely unlucky and is used as little as possible. You must always avoid giving anyone something in fours because it can be seen as a very ominous gift.

　　在日本，數字"4"因為聽起來像"死"字所以被儘量避免。就像西方文化避免數字"13"一樣，"4"代表著極端的不幸。你必須避免給別人"4"樣的東西，因為它是不詳的禮物，

　　Elevator labels will often be missing a fourth floor — and in extreme cases, they will not have floors 40 to 49. No. 49 is especially unlucky, as it sounds similar to the phrase that means "pain until death."

　　電梯標籤經常會刻意忽略第4層，在極端的情況下，樓內不會有40到49的樓層。而49被認為是特別不幸運的，因為它聽起來像"痛苦至死"。

　　The practice of avoiding No. 4 is called "Tetraphobia," and it is common in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions.

　　避免"4"的習俗被稱為"四的禁忌"，這在很多東亞和東南亞地區十分常見。

　　2. Blowing your nose in public is considered rude.

　　在公共場所擤鼻子是十分粗魯的行為。

　　Blowing your nose in public is seen as not only rude, but simply disgusting. Instead people will general ly sniffle until they find somewhere private. If you simply must blow your nose, it is recommended that y ou do so as discreetly as possible.

　　在公共場所擤鼻子不但會被認為十分粗魯,還會讓人覺得十分噁心。通常人們會吸著鼻涕直到找到一個私密的地方。如果你必須要擤鼻子，建議你做得越小心越好。

　　The Japanese are also repelled by the idea of a handkerchief.

　　曰本人也很抗拒手帕這種東西。

　　3. Tipping can be seen as insulting.

　　給小費會被認為是侮辱。

　　Tipping is considered rude 8imdash; and can even be seen as degrading. Tipping will oftencause confusion ,and many people will chase after you to give you back your money.

　　給小費是很粗昔的，也會被認為是故意侮辱人。給小費通常會令人感到糊塗，而很多人會追著你把錢還給你。

　　If someone has been particularly helpful and you feel absolutely compelled to leave a tip. RoughGuides suggests leaving a small present instead

　　如果你真的對某些幫了你大忙的人特別感激而一定要給他小費,我們建議你留下一份小禮物吧。

　　4. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy.

　　邊走邊吃會被認為很邋遢

　　Although walking and eating is often convenient and widely accepted in many Westerncultures, the practice is looked down upon in Japan. Many also consider it rude to eat in publicor on the trains.

　　雖然邊走邊吃在很多西方國家都是方便且可以接受的行為，日本人卻瞧不起這些行為。很多人認為這同樣是粗魯的表現，特別是在公共場合或者火車裡吃東西的時候。

　　There are just a few exceptions to this rule, including the fact that it is OK to eat an ice-creamcone on the street.

　　但這個規則也有幾個例外，包括在街上吃冰淇淋甜筒是沒問題的。

　　5. There are designated people who will push you into a crowded subway car.

　　有特定的人會把你推進擁擠的地鐵裡。

　　Oshiya, or "pushers," wear uniforms, white gloves, and hats and literally push people into crowded subway cars during rush hour.

　　Oshiya或者是“助推員”，他們穿著制服，白手套還有帽子，如字面的意思會在繁忙時段把人推進擁擠的地鐵裡。

　　They are paid to make sure everybody gets in and doesn't get caught in the doors.

　　他們被請來確保所有人都能上車而不被車門夾到。

　　6. People will sleep on the trains with their head on your shoulder.

　　其他人會把頭靠著你的肩膀睡覺。

　　If someone in Japan falls asleep with his or her head on you shoulder, it is common practice to just tolerate it. People have very long commutes and work dreadfully long hours, so many will often fall asleep on the train.

　　在日本如果有人把頭靠著你的肩膀睡覺，這是很常見的事情，而你最好學會忍受它。日本人從工作地點回家要很長的時間，而他們已經很累了，在火車上經常有人睡著。

　　"There is a tolerance that if the person next to you falls asleep and their head kind of lands on your shoulder, people just put up with it," Sandra Barron told CNN. "That happens a lot."

　　“如果有人在你旁邊睡著而且把頭靠在你的肩膀上，大家通常都會忍受這種為。”Sandra Barron告訴CNN。“這經常發生。”

　　7. There are toilet slippers for the bathrooms.

　　有廁所專用的拖鞋。

　　It is customary to change into slippers when entering a Japanese home, a traditional restaurant, temples, and sometimes museums and art galleries, according to Rough Guides. Basically any time you come across of row of slippers in Japan, you should just put them on.

　　進日本屋子、傳統餐廳、廟宇和一些博物館藝術館之前換拖鞋是慣例。基本上你只要看見拖鞋，穿上它就對了。

　　There are even special toilet slippers kept inside the bathroom, so you'll take off your house slippers and put on the toilet slippers.

　　甚至於廁所也有專用的拖鞋，所以你需要脫下家居拖鞋換上廁所拖鞋。

　　8. You must always bring a host a gift.

　　你需要經常預備禮物給招待你的人。

　　It is an honor in Japan to be invited to someone's home, and if this happens, you must always bring a gift. The gift should also be wrapped in the most elaborate way possible, and lots of fancy ribbons are suggested.

　　在日本被請進別人家裡是個榮耀，如果這真的發生了，你需要帶個禮物。禮物應該被精心包裹，最好再加上飾帶。

　　You should also never refuse a gift once offered — but it is good practice to strongly protest the gift at first.

　　你也不應該拒絕一份禮物，但在收下之前推辭一番也是必要的。

　　9. Pouring you own glass is considered rude.

　　給自己的杯子倒酒被認為是粗魯的。

　　It is customary in the US ***and many other countries in the world*** to serve others before you serve yourself, but in Japan you are never supposed to pour yourself a drink. If you have poured for others, another guest will hopefully see that your drink is empty and pour for you.

　　在美國和很多國家你應該先給別人倒酒再給自己倒酒，但在日本你不應該給自己倒酒。如果你給別人倒了，其他人會希望你的杯子是空的，以便他們給你倒酒。

　　You must also always wait for someone to say "Kanpai" ***cheers*** before drinking.

　　你也必須要等到別人說“Kanpai”***乾杯***後才能喝酒。

　　10. Slurping noodles is not only seen as polite — but it also means you have enjoyed your meal.

　　吸溜麵條時發出聲音是禮貌的，而且還表示你很享受你的食物。

　　Slurping is considered polite in Japan because it shows that you are enjoying your delicious noodles — in fact, if you don't eat loudly enough, it can be mistaken as you not enjoying your food.

　　吸溜麵條時發出聲音是禮貌的，因為這代表你享受這碗美味的麵條——事實上，如果你不大聲的吃，你會讓人誤會你並不享受你的食物。

　　Slurping noodles is not entirely for the sake of politeness, but also to avoid having a burnt tongue. Japanese soup and noodles are generally served steaming hot — hot enough to burn — and slurping helps to cool down the food.

　　吸溜麵條不但是為禮貌，而且還為了避免燙傷舌頭。日本的湯麵在端上來的時候是非常熱的——熱得足以燙傷你——而吸溜麵條有助於冷卻食物。

　　But unlike in some other Asian nations, it is still considered rude to belch at the table.

　　但不像其他亞洲國家，在飯桌上打嗝還是很粗魯的。

　　11. Sleeping in capsule hotels in rooms barely bigger than a coffin is very common.

　　在僅比棺材大一點點的膠囊旅店睡覺是很常見的。

　　Capsule hotels are used as cheap accommodations for guests who purely want a place to sleep. They are used most often by businessmen working or by those who have partied too late and have missed the last train home.

　　膠囊旅店為那些只想隨便找地方睡一晚的客人提供便宜的住宿。通常那些生意人和開派對太晚錯過火車的人會住在這種地方。

　　The sleeping quarters are small capsules that are not much bigger than a coffin, and the beds are stacked side by side and on top of one another. The concept has been around in Japan since the 1970s, but it has begun to spread to a few other countries around the world.

　　睡覺的地方就像一個膠囊，只比棺材大一點點，而這些膠囊上下左右的擠在一起。這個概念在1970年代的日本已經有了，但最近已經開始傳播到世界上的某些國家了。

　　The setup is a cheap alternative to a hotel, as a bed costs only $65 a night, but it should be avoided for anyone who suffers from even slight claustrophobia.

　　這是旅店的一種便宜替代品，一張床只要$65一晚，但任何有有閉恐懼症的人都應該避免住在這裡。

　　篇二

　　你不好奇嗎?為什麼日本上空有如此多的高壓電線

　　OKYO —Something many visitors to Japan notice is the abundance of overhead powerlines.Whether you're in the suburbs, city center, or even rural communities,it's rare to look up atthe sky or towards the horizon without the view being criss crossed by thick, black cables.

　　東京——來日本旅遊的遊客可能會注意到日本天空中有大量的高壓電線。不管是在郊區，還是在市中心，甚至在農村地區，當你抬頭看天空或者遙望遠處時總會看到這些厚黑的電線。

　　So why does Japan have so many above-ground power grids when so many other countrieshave gone subterranean? The easy answer is cost, but there're also somepurportedadvantages to stringing cables up on poles, and the country hasn'tquite reached a consensuson which is the better option.

　　在其他國家都把電線藏到地底的情況下，為什麼日本的地表上面會有這麼多的電網呢?簡單的答案就是成本，但據說把電線綁在電線杆上還有其他的好處，而且日本還沒達成共識到底那種方式更好。

　　Starting with the budgetary side of things, subterranean systems are a lot more expensive.With the added expenses of digging the ditches and properly installing thelines and conduits,the cost can balloon to ten times that of a comparablysized network of above-ground poles.

　　先從預算角度來說，將電網埋藏在地下成本更高。首先要挖溝，然後將電線和導線埋在裡面，所以其成本甚至可以是地表電網成本的十倍。

　　Still, some contend that, economic advantages aside, this isn't the place to cutcorners. Sincethe mid-1980s, the Japanese government has been enacting initiatives to replace existingpoles with underground lines. Not only do suchmoves please those who're tired of power linesmarring the scenery, there areeven safety and durability benefits, as below-ground powergrids are less exposed to the elements, making them resilient against wind and snow thatcandamage above-ground equipment.

　　然而有些人認為如果不考慮成本，埋在地底下其實更好。自80年代中期以來，日本政府採取措施用地下線路替代地表的電線杆。這樣做不僅滿足了某些人的審美需求***美麗的風景不再被這些電線所破壞***，還有安全和耐用上的優勢，因為地底線纜更少的暴露在惡劣天氣中，所以風雪不會對其造成影響。

　　A further safety benefit has been observed during earthquakes, according to the NPONon-PoleCommunity. The organization says that during the Hanshin Earthquakethat struck Kobe in1995, neighborhoods with above-ground power lines were muchmore extensively damaged.Non-Pole Community's Secretary Toshikazu Inoue alsoreferred to toppled poles blocking roadsand preventing emergency vehicles fromswiftly reaching victims in the disaster's aftermath.

　　根據非營利性組織“不要電線杆社群”的看法，另外一個安全方面的好處是在發生地震時顯露出來的。該組織稱在1995年襲擊神戶的阪神大地震中，那些擁有地表電線的社群被破壞的程度更甚。這些倒地的電線杆阻礙了道路，並阻止了緊急車輛在地震後對災民進行救援。

　　Still,the majority of Japan's power grid remains above ground. One argument againstsubterranean systems has been put forward by the Tokyo Electric Power Company,or TEPCO.While the company itself has publicized the superior aesthetics anddurability against windand snow mentioned above, it also acknowledges certainadvantages to the more commonabove-ground system. “In the events of floodingor landslides, it's harder to isolate damagedareas of a subterranean system,”the company points out. “That can increase the amount oftime necessary torestore power to damaged areas.”

　　然而，如今日本大部分的電網還是位於地面上空。日本東京電力公司也反對在地底建電網。該公司也承認說地底線纜不會對風景造成破會，也有利於抵禦風雪，但是又稱更加普遍的地上電網所具有的某些優勢。“在發生洪水或者泥石流時，很難區分地底電纜系統的哪些部分遭到破壞，”該公司稱。“這增加了搶救電力所需要的時間。”

　　TEPCO also mentions other, simpler roles performed by power poles, such as providing housingfor street lights and posting space for maps or address markers, whichcan be extremelyhelpful in navigating towns in Japan, where only a minusculefraction of streets have names.

　　該公司還指出了電線杆所扮演的其他簡單的角色，比如可以用來佈置街燈，為地圖和地址標記提供定位空間，這對於日本的村鎮導航來說非常有幫助，因為在這些小地方只有一小部分街道有名字。

　　篇三

　　日本人不瞭解自己的軟實力

　　The more Japan's global relevance in economic, political and military terms seems to decline,the more it cares about projecting soft power. The government's "Cool Japan" projectsubsidizes "attractive products or services" that, according to the Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry, "make full use of the unique characteristics of Japanese culture and lifestyle."These include decorative washi paper, a cosplay-inspired clothing brand and a bonsai plantgrown with renewable energy.

　　日本在全球經濟、政治和軍事領域的重要性看似下滑得越厲害，它就越關心如何展示自己的軟實力。政府推出了“酷日本”***Cool Japan***計劃。經濟產業省表示，該計劃資助那些“充分利用了日本文化和生活方式獨特性的誘人產品或服務”。其中包括裝飾和紙、角色扮演風格的服裝品牌，以及使用可再生能源的盆栽。

　　Despite this concern, both the Japanese government and the Japanese people seem unawareof the global impact of Japan's most successful cultural export to date: the so-called SuzukiMethod of music instruction.

　　儘管存在這種擔憂，但日本政府和公眾似乎都不知道，迄今為止，日本最成功的文化輸出——名為“鈴木教學法”***Suzuki Method***的一種音樂教學方式——具有怎樣的全球影響力。

　　Originally conceived in the 1930s by the violinist Shinichi Suzuki, the Suzuki Method proposesthat all children can learn to play an instrument as naturally as they learn to speak their nativelanguage. According to the Talent Education Research Institute, an educational organizationfounded by Mr. Suzuki, about 400,000 children in 46 countries are now learning to play musicalinstruments the Suzuki way. But just 20,000 of them are Japanese. As the institute puts it,the method "has earned high acclaim overseas, more so than at home."

　　這個方法最初由小提琴家鈴木鎮一***Shinichi Suzuki***在20世紀30年代提出。它主張，所有小孩都能學會演奏樂器，就像他們學會講自己的母語一樣。鈴木鎮一創辦了才能教育研究會***Talent Education ResearchInstitute***。該教育機構的資料顯示，目前在46個國家有40萬兒童正在鈴木教學法的幫助下學習演奏樂器，其中僅有2萬兒童是日本人。研究會指出，和在日本國內相比，該方法“在海外贏得了很高的評價”。

　　It's not the first time the Japanese seem to miss what of theirs is worth celebrating and need tobe told by outsiders. Ukiyo-e woodblock prints were used as wrapping paper for export wareswhen Japan began trading with the Western world in the second half of the 19th century. Theywere soon "discovered" by European Impressionist painters, who hailed them as a distinct artform. Modern Japan has repeatedly overlooked the merits of its own artistic and culturalproduction out of a blinding insecurity about its international standing.

　　日本似乎不知道自己的哪些方面值得珍視，反而需要外界來告知他們。這種情況已經不是第一次出現了。19世紀下半葉，日本開始與西方世界進行貿易往來時，浮世繪木版畫被用來包裝出口商品。歐洲的印象派畫家很快就“發現”了它們，將其譽為一種獨特的藝術形式。由於對自身的國際聲譽存在一種盲目的不安全感，日本在近現代一再忽視自己的藝術和文化成就。

　　The Suzuki pedagogy was misunderstood from its very beginnings in the 1930s. Uponreturning to Tokyo from Berlin, where he had spent most of his twenties, Mr. Suzuki foundhimself in high demand as a teacher. His first young pupils were conspicuously more skilled thanothers at the time — when classical musicians of any age were rare in Japan — and were soonheralded by the Japanese media as prodigies and geniuses.

　　從20世紀30年代誕生開始，鈴木教學法就遭到誤解。鈴木鎮一20到30歲之間的大部分時間都在柏林度過，返回東京之後，有很多人想聘請他為師。他最初培養的一批年輕學生，明顯比其他人更嫻熟——當時在日本，任何年齡段的古典音樂演奏者都很罕見——而且很快就被日本媒體譽為神童和天才。

　　Mr. Suzuki abhorred such terms. He believed that the sheer joy of making music or learningjust about anything was accessible to all children. There was a pastoral element to hisapproach: Its main goal was not to mass-produce professional musicians but rather tomold individuals into sensitive and thoughtful human beings with "noble hearts."

　　鈴木鎮一討厭這樣的說法。他認為，搞音樂或學習任何東西都會帶來純粹的快樂感，也是所有孩子都可以享受到的。他的教學方式具有一種田園風格：主要目的不是為了批量培養專業音樂人，而是把個人塑造成敏感周到、有“高貴心靈”的人。

　　In "Powerful Education," published in September 1941, Mr. Suzuki called for reforming Japan'seducational system; he argued that teachers were too quick to give up on children who laggedbehind. He stressed the importance while, say, learning to play the violin of goal-setting,encouragement and repetition.

　　鈴木鎮一1941年9月發表《強大的教育》***Powerful Education***一文，呼籲改革日本的教育體系;他表示，老師們太急於放棄功課落後的孩子。他強調，在學習演奏小提琴等技能的過程中，設定目標、鼓勵和反覆練習很重要。

　　But this was too bold a proposal for the time. The Japanese empire had already embarked onits ill-conceived expansionist path, having started a war with China in 1937. Some of Mr.Suzuki's young students were called unpatriotic for playing music during a national emergency.

　　但是這個建議太超前了。當時日本帝國已經開始進行惡意擴張，在1937年與中國開了戰。由於在國家處於非常時刻之際演奏音樂，鈴木鎮一的一些年輕學生被說成不愛國。

　　In this oppressive atmosphere, the kind of sweeping change Mr. Suzuki envisioned, whichrequired re-educating the educators, did not go down well. As Japan was beginning to lose yetanother war it had started, this one against the United States and its allies, he wrote anotherbook urging elementary school reform. The authorities prevented its publication.

　　在這種壓抑的氛圍下，鈴木鎮一設想中需要對教育者進行再教育的徹底改革沒有被眾人接受。日本也對美國及其盟友開了戰，當它在這場戰爭中露出敗象時，鈴木鎮一寫了另一本書，呼籲對小學進行改革。當局阻止了該書的出版。

　　The war eventually ended and then, in March 1955, less than 10 years after Japan's utterdefeat, Mr. Suzuki gathered some 1,200 children in a gymnasium in Tokyo. Black-and-whitefootage shows the 56-year-old Suzuki doing some lithe footwork on a makeshift podium andwaving his bow like a wizard's wand as he conducts the young violinists through difficult pieces,including Bach's Double Concerto.

　　戰爭終於結束了。在1955年3月，距離日本戰敗不到10年的時間，鈴木鎮一把1200名兒童聚集在東京的一座體育館內。黑白畫面顯示，56歲的鈴木站在一個臨時搭建的講臺上，當年輕的小提琴學生演奏一個又一個困難曲目時，比如巴赫的二重協奏曲，他會一邊步履輕盈地走動，一邊揮舞著琴弓，就像揮舞魔杖一樣，指導學生們演奏。

　　News of this group concert, the first Suzuki performance to attract national attention,reached the United States. American instructors traveled to Mr. Suzuki's music school inMatsumoto, a scenic mountain town, hoping to discover the secrets of this Japanese miracle.

　　通過這次團體演奏，鈴木鎮一首次吸引了全日本的關注，並讓訊息傳到了美國。美國教師前往鈴木鎮一音樂學校的所在地——風景秀麗的山地城市松本——希望能發現這個日本奇蹟的祕密。

　　That concert was deemed all the more remarkable in the United States for seemingincongruous, because it featured Japanese children playing Western instruments. What'smore, had those young Japanese been born a few years earlier, they could easily have beenamong the soldiers American forces had fought. The Suzuki children represented the rebirth ofa softer, gentler kind of Japan.

　　這場演奏會在美國引起的反響甚至比在日本更加強烈，因為它給人的感覺似乎不太協調，首先這是日本孩子在演奏西洋樂器，而更重要的是，如果這些年輕的日本人早幾年出生，就很可能會和美國軍隊交火。鈴木鎮一學校的這些兒童，代表了更溫和、更文雅的那部分日本精神的重生。

　　The rest of the world eventually took to the method because it worked. Starting in 1963, Mr.Suzuki regularly toured the United States with his Japanese students, stopping at the UnitedNations headquarters and Carnegie Hall. The Japanese government had little to do with thiscross-cultural dissemination: Much of it was the work of Mr. Suzuki and his supporters,including Masaru Ibuka, Sony's co-founder and himself a great early-childhood educationadvocate. By the 1970s, the Suzuki Method had become a worldwide phenomenon. Even inremote areas of India and Indonesia, places with no properly trained music teachers, peoplewere learning to play instruments on their own, thanks to Suzuki-compiled repertoires ofincremental difficulty.

　　世界上的其他地方最終採用了鈴木教學法，因為它效果很好。從1963年開始，鈴木鎮一多次帶著日本學生到美國交流，還去過聯合國總部和卡內基音樂廳。對於這種跨文化傳播活動，日本政府幾乎沒有參與，大部分工作都是鈴木鎮一及其支持者開展的。其中包括索尼公司聯合創始人井深大***Masaru Ibuka***，他本人就是著名的兒童早期教育倡導者。到了20世紀70年代，鈴木教學法已經在全球遍地開花。就連在印度和印度尼西亞的一些偏遠地區，雖然缺乏訓練有素的音樂教師，人們也可以使用鈴木鎮一編排的難度遞增的曲譜，自學樂器演奏。

　　In June 1979, when President Jimmy Carter visited Japan with his family, his daughter Amy hada group lesson with Mr. Suzuki's niece, Hiroko Suzuki ***the current president of the TalentEducation Research Institute***. At a time of heightening U.S.-Japanese trade friction, theepisode marked a diplomatic success. Yet Mr. Suzuki was unsuccessful in his attempts toconvince successive Japanese prime ministers to incorporate his approach in publiceducation. In Japan, his method continued to be seen as a program for the exceptionallygifted.

　　1979年6月，時任美國總統吉米·卡特***Jimmy Carter***攜家人訪問日本。他的女兒埃米***Amy***和鈴木鎮一的侄女鈴木裕子***Hiroko Suzuki，才能教育研究會的現任會長***一起參加了一堂集體課。在美日貿易摩擦不斷加劇的時期，這件事標誌著一個外交勝利。然而，鈴木鎮一卻未能說服日本歷屆首相，把自己的方法納入公共教育。日本人仍然認為，鈴木教學法適合培養天賦秉異的學生。

　　Japan's long failure to claim as its own a globally attractive philosophy like Mr. Suzuki's revealsits chronic inability to see what is “cool” about itself.

　　長久以來，日本都未能宣揚本國具有全球吸引力的理念，鈴木鎮一的教學法就是一個例子。這暴露了日本在看清自己究竟哪些地方“酷”方面的長期無能。

　　This stands in stark contrast to Venezuela's publicly funded music education program ElSistema. That method also celebrates the idea that music can change the lives of children fromdiverse backgrounds. The parallel is not surprising since Takeshi Kobayashi brought theSuzuki Method to Venezuela in the late 1970s, teaching a group of underprivileged children toplay in an orchestra. But unlike the Japanese government, the Venezuelan government hasconsistently funded this cultural endeavor since the mid-1970s.

　　這與委內瑞拉政府資助的音樂教育計劃“El Sistema”形成了鮮明的對比。該方法也主張，音樂可以改變孩子們的生活，無論他們的背景如何。它與鈴木鎮一的理念相類似。這並不奇怪，因為上世紀70年代末，小林武史***Takeshi Kobayashi***把鈴木教學法帶到了委內瑞拉，幫助那裡的弱勢兒童組成樂隊，演奏音樂。但與日本政府不同的是，委內瑞拉政府自70年代中期開始，就一直在為這種文化事業提供資助。

　　The El Sistema movement is even making inroads in Japan. The Soma Children's Orchestra andChorus was established after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami ravaged the northeasternpart of Japan, to encourage children there to make music communally. Now Japanese aretaking up El Sistema: They recognize the merits of the method because it is dressed in exoticgarb, unaware that it has long been in their midst.

　　El Sistema運動甚至開始進駐日本了。2011年日本東北部遭遇地震和海嘯災難之後，為了鼓勵孩子們一起演奏音樂，El Sistema推動成立了相馬市兒童管絃樂與合唱團***Soma Children's Orchestra and Chorus***。現在，日本正在擁抱El Sistema的理念：他們之所以認識到這個方法的優點，是因為它具有異域風情，卻不知道它早就在自己身邊。