Celebrity File Japan by Lint


英文		重要語句
■ A squalid, disease-filled camp for displaced persons in Herat, Afghanistan is probably the last place you would expect to see a glamorous, elegant actress. Yet that is where Tetsuko Kuroyanagi was in the summer of 2001 as part of her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. So who is this internationally famous actress, author and TV personality who devotes so much of her time to helping children?		squalid みすぼらしい disease 病気 displaced person 難民 goodwill 親善 ambassador 大使 devote ... to ～ …を～にささげる
■■ She was born in Tokyo in 1933 the daughter of a famous violinist. She wanted to be an opera singer but after graduating from Tokyo College of Music she devoted her energies to acting and eventually became the first actress contracted with NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Her career really took off in 1976 when she began hosting her hit daily talk show, Tetsuko's Room. She has been voted Japan's favorite television personality 14 times and also appears on the musical program Show Time. Despite her busy schedule, she has still found time for her acting and has received many awards for her performances. An accomplished English speaker, she is also one of the few Japanese celebrities to appear on The Tonight Show in America.		eventually 最終的には contract with ... …と契約を結ぶ take off 始まる host …の司会をする vote …に投票する accomplished 熟練した
■■■ She expanded her career even further in 1981 when her book Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, was published. An autobiographical account of her childhood, it became an instant best seller in Japan and was later translated into English, German, Russian, Chinese and etc. With the money she received from the book, Ms. Kuroyanagi set up several charities to aid children in Japan and around the world.		expand …を発展させる autobiographical 自伝的な childhood 幼年時代 instant 即時の set up ... …を設立する charity 慈善団体
■■■■ She is also known for her work with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Like Audrey Hepburn before her, she was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1984 to bring attention to the plight of children around the world. In October of 2000, she received the Leadership for Children award for her unsurpassed record of fundraising and work on behalf of children. She visits health centers, orphanages and schools. Since her appointment in 1984 she has raised nearly 30 million dollars, more than any other UNICEF celebrity advocate. Her book Totto-chan's Children, which describes her work experiences with UNICEF, was published in 1997. The hills of Afghanistan are just one destination for Ms. Kuroyanagi as she has also made visits to such hot spots as Rwanda, Iraq, Haiti and Kosovo.		known for ... …で有名な attention to ... …への注目 plight 窮状 unsurpassed 卓越した fundraising 募金 on behalf of ... …のために orphanage 孤児院 describe …を記述する
■■■■■ Today she is as popular as ever and even though she will turn 70 in 2003, she is still active in television and UNICEF. Some in the press have nicknamed her "Tamanegi Oba-san (Ms. Onion)" because of her unique hairstyle.

－written by Brock Spore

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