Invisible Enemies Give Us  Sci-Fi Like Predictions for  the Future

Close Up Japan | 「見えない敵」にSF 的な 未来予測 も

Invisible Enemies Give Us Sci-Fi Like Predictions for the Future

The world is now in the throes of fighting Covid-19 infections. The fight between humankind and an invisible enemy seems like something happening in the world of sci-fi, but it is a reality. March, this year, marks the 10th year since the catastrophe of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition to the disaster of the earthquake and tsunami, there was an accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and the whole area was affected by unseen radioactive contamination. Unable to return to their homes because of concerns about contamination, many people are still fighting an invisible enemy. While this fight against an invisible enemy continues, an argument about whether the Tokyo Olympics should be held or not has begun. There are various views concerning how Covid-19 will be resolved at a global level. Even if the situation calms down, many people say that just as those evacuated after the nuclear accident cannot return home, we cannot go back to our pre-corona lives. In Japan, after being defeated in WWII, people’ s values and lifestyles changed drastically. The post war period is perceived as being a new era and subsequent events are often referred to as “the biggest in the post war years,” and “after the war...” Covid-19 might not be completely eradicated. Just as with the start of the post war period, a new corona era in which we must learn to live with the virus may have already begun. Some predict that a host of invisible enemies, including ever evolving viruses, radioactivity and abnormal weather, will someday wipe out humankind.

世界せかい
sekai ha
(the) world
いま
ima,
now
新型しんがたコロナウイルスころなういるす
shinngata korona uirusu
Covid-nineteen
との
tono
of
たたか
tatakai
fighting
ni
to
われています。
owarete i masu.
is in the throes
人類じんるい
jinnrui
humankind
えない
mie nai
(an) invisible
てき
teki
enemy
との
tono
between
たたかいは
tatakai ha
(the) fight
SFえすえふ
SF
(in the world of) sci-fi
のようです
no you desu
seems like something happening
が、
ga,
but
現実げんじつ
gennjitsu
(a) reality
です。
desu.
it is
今年ことし
kotoshi
this year
3月さんがつ
sann gatsu de
March
東日本ひがしにほん大震災だいしんさい
higashi nihonn daishinnsai
(the) catastrophe of the Great East Japan Earthquake
から
kara
since
10じゅうねん
juu nenn me wo
(the) 10th year
迎えむかます。
mukae masu.
marks
地震じしん
jishinn
(the) earthquake
to
and
津波つなみ
tsunami
tsunami
による
ni yoru
to
大災害だいさいがい
daisaigai ni
(the) disaster of
くわえ、
kuwae,
in addition
福島ふくしま原発げんぱつ事故じこ
fukushima gennpatsu jiko ga
(an) accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant
こり、
okori,
there was and
一帯いったい
ittai ha
the whole area
えない
me ni mienai
unseen
放射能ほうしゃのう汚染おせん
houshanou osenn ni
radioactive contamination
くるしめられました。
kurushime rare mashita.
was affected by
汚染おせん
osenn no
contamination
懸念けねん
kenenn
concerns about
により
ni yori
because of
自宅じたく
jitaku
(their) homes
ni
to
かえれない
kaere nai
unable to return
ひと
hito ga
people
いまでも
ima demo
are still
たくさんいて、
takusann ite,
many [and]
みいえない
mie nai
(an) invisible
てき
teki to
enemy
たたかっています。
tatakatte i masu.
fighting
このように
kono youni
[thus]
えない
mie nai
(an) invisible
てきとの
teki to no
enemy
たたかいが
tatakai ga
(this) fight (against)
つづいている
tsuduite iru
continues
状況じょうきょうで、
joukyouka de,
while
東京とうきょうオリンピックおりんぴっく
toukyou orinnpikku wo
(the) Tokyo Olympics
開催かいさいすべきか、
kaisai subeki ka,
should be held (or not) whether
議論ぎろん
gironn ga
(an) argument about
こりました。
okori mashita.
has begun
コロナころな
korona no
Covid-nineteen
世界的せかいてき収束しゅうそく
sekaiteki shuusoku
at a global level will be resolved
については
ni tsuite ha
concerning how
さまざまな
samazama na
various
見方みかた
mikata ga
views
あります。
ari masu.
there are
仮にかりに収束しゅうそくしても、
kari ni shuusoku shite mo,
even if the situation calms down
原発げんぱつ事故じこ
gennpatsu jiko
(the) nuclear accident
de
after
疎開そかいしたひと
sokai shita hito ga
that those evacuated
自宅じたく
jitaku ni
home
もどれない
modore nai
cannot return
ように、
you ni,
just as
コロナころな以前いぜん
korona izenn no
our pre-corona
生活せいかつ
seikatsu
lives
には
ni ha
to
もどれない
modore nai
we cannot go back
という
to iu
that
こえ
koe mo
people <voice>
おお
ooku
many
きかかれます。
kikare masu.
say
日本にほん
nihonn ha
in Japan
第二次だいにじ世界せかい大戦たいせん
dainiji sekai taisenn de
World War Two
やぶれた
yabureta
being defeated in
あと
ato,
after
国民こくみん
kokuminn no
people’ s
価値観かちかん
kachikann
values
ya
and
ライフスタイルらいふすたいる
raifu sutairu ga
lifestyles
一変いっぺんしました。
ippenn shi mashita.
changed drastically
戦後せんご
senngo wa
(the) post war period
あたらしい
atarashii
(a) new
時代じだい
jidai
era
no
as
はじまりと
hajimari to
being
認識にんしきされ、
ninnshiki sare,
is perceived and
その
sono go no
subsequent
出来事できごと
dekigoto ha
events
戦後せんご最大さいだい
“senngo saidai”
(the) biggest in the post war years
のように
no you ni
as
戦後せんご○○まるまる」と
“senngo maru maru” to
(and) after the war
表現ひょうげんされる
hyougenn sareru
referred to
ことが
koto ga
[that]
おおくなりました。
ooku nari mashita.
are often
コロナころなは、
korona ha,
Covid-nineteen
完全かんぜんには
kannzenn niha
completely
根絶こんぜつ
konnzetsu
eradicated
できない
deki nai
not be
かもしれません。
kamo shire masenn.
might
ちょうど
choudo
just
戦後せんご
senngo no
the post war
時代じだい
the post war
period
はじまった
hajimatta
(the) start of
ように、
you ni,
as with
ウイルスういるす
uirusu
(the) virus
との
tono
with
共存きょうぞん
kyouzonn wo
to live
まなばなければならない
manaba nakereba naranai
(in which) we must learn
新しいあたら
atarashii
(a) new
時代じだい
jidai ga
(corna) era
すでに
sude ni
already
はじまっている
hajimatte iru
have begun
のかもしれません。
no kamo shiremasenn.
may
進化しんか
shinnka wo
evolving
つづける
tsudukeru
ever
ウイルスういるす
uirusu
viruses
ya
and
放射能ほうしゃのう
houshanou,
radioactivity
異常いじょう気象きしょう
ijou kishou
abnormal weather
など、
nado,
including
みえないえない
mie nai
invisible
てき
teki
enemies
おおくが、
no ooku ga,
(that) a host of
いつか
itsuka
someday
人間にんげん
ninngenn wo
humankind
全滅ぜんめつさせる
zennmetsu saseru
wipe out
だろうと
wipe out
will
予測よそくする
yosoku suru
predict
こえもあります。
koe mo ari masu.
some

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