Celebrity File Japan by Lint


英文		重要語句
■ When the 2003 Major League Baseball season began, it seemed that all eyes were on a 28-year-old rookie from the New York Yankees. The New York media had rarely seen anything like it before. For New York fans, it seemed that Hideki Matsui came from nowhere and suddenly was the most famous player in the world. But baseball fans in Japan have known about "Godzilla" for a long time.		rarely　たまにしか…しない nowhere　どことも分からぬ所
■■ As a high school player, Matsui was 186 centimeters tall and weighed 90 kilograms. Although he was quiet and modest, his impressive size and hitting skills earned him the nickname "Godzilla." In one game in Japan's National High School Baseball Tournament, the pitchers walked him five times in row when he came to the plate. That strategy was ineffective as Matsui led Seiryo High School to the championship four summers in a row.		modest　控えめな plate　ホームプレート ineffective　効果のない
■■■ Although he would have preferred to play for the Hanshin Tigers after high school, the Yomiuri Giants drafted him as the number one pick. In his fourth season as a professional, Matsui began to put up the numbers baseball fans had expected and won his first Central League MVP. Since then, he has won the MVP two more times as well as three home run titles and a batting title. The Giants were champions three times during his tenure.		prefer to do…することを望む draft　…〈新人選手〉をドラフトで取る number one pick　1位指名 put up ...　 …〈記録〉を出す batting title　首位打者 tenure　在籍期間
■■■■ Hitting cleanup in the batting order for "Japan's most popular team" made Matsui the most famous baseball player in Japan. But there was always the question of "what if?" Could Japan's best power hitter compete successfully with the world's best in the Major Leagues? Matsui agonized over this question because although he wanted to play in the majors, he had strong ties to the Giants and his fans.		cleanup　4番打者 batting order　打順 What if ...?　もし…だったらどうなるか。 power hitter　強打者 agonize over ...　…について思い悩む
■■■■■ In the mid-1990s, a handful of Japanese pitchers made the successful transition to the Major Leagues and in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki electrified the baseball world with an MVP-winning performance. Ichiro, though, is a player who relies on contact hitting and speed. Feeling the time was right, the New York Yankees took a chance after the 2002 season and signed Matsui to a three-year, 21-million-dollar contract. Although many baseball fans in Japan were saddened by having to say goodbye to their favorite player (some even labeled him a traitor), they were also very excited about watching Japan's best power hitter compete with the world's best. In a tearful farewell press conference, Matsui promised the fans that he would honor them and his country when he played in America.		a handful of ...　ほんのひと握りの… transition　移籍 electrify　…をびっくりさせる contact hitting　コツコツ当てていくバッティング sadden　…を悲しませる traitor　裏切り者 tearful　涙ながらの
■■■■■■ And honor them he did. In the Yankees home opener, playing in front of the notoriously fickle Yankee fans for the first time during the regular season, "Godzilla" lived up to his reputation by hitting a grand slam home run in the fifth inning. The four-run homer proved to be the difference as the home team beat the visiting Minnesota Twins 7-4. Adding to Matsui's special day was his parents and brother's presence at Yankee Stadium to witness his tremendous first home appearance. After the game, Matsui said, "I never dreamed of anything like this."		opener　開幕試合 notoriously　悪名高い fickle　移り気な live up to ...　…〈期待〉に答える grand slam　満塁ホームラン four-run homer　満塁ホームラン tremendous　ひじょうに素晴らしい

－written by Brock Spore

Go back to Celebrity File Japan frontpage