自叙伝(4) Tanaka Shozo Autobiography

1879年　3７歳

十二年、上都賀郡入栗野村斎藤清澄、山田勇、中田良夫等と、県庁下栃木町に新聞を発行し、自ら編集長の名を出し、社務の行政を専らとす。

In the 12th year of Meiji I started to publish a newspaper in Tochigi Town where the headquaters of Tochigi Prefecture  was situated.My name is printed on the paper as editor in chief.My job is to oversee the management.Saitoh Kiyosumi,Yamada Isamu ,Nakata Yoshio and others joined with me.

さて中田は経済を蝶々するも其術に暗く、斎藤はもと神職にて理財を知らず。

Nakata can freely talk about economics but doesn't know how to make money.Saitoh was a Shinto priest and has no knowledge of finance.

山田は法律学校教頭と自称するも、また新聞事業を知らず。中田は文章詩歌は当時少し珍しく、書も菱湖風など一寸書けども、生れは越後で、性質は神田そだち、宵越しの銭嫌ひ。

Yamada says he was the vice principle of a law school,but he knows nothing about newspaper publishing.You can say Nakata is good at writing essays and poems.He is also good at using a brush to write a few Kanji letters.But he was born in the deep rural area of Echigo or Niigata.He was raised in Kanda in downtown Tokyo,where people prefer spending money to saving it.

孰れを見るも金儲けにかけては、下手の下手の馬鹿と云う外なし。

None of these my friends has no idea how to make money.

この天狗小天狗連、心と意気と相投じ、財をほふりて国家の為に民権拡張し、新聞を起さんとは、実に実に大胆もまた限りなきものなり。

These colorful and self-important men including myself found each other as comrade and decided to publish a newspaper in order to expand the peoples' rights.They freely offered their savings.Against the backdrop of their lack of experience in running a newspaper publishing,you can say this is a bold venture with no comparison.

この大小天狗連中が新聞を発行せり。先づその第一号は如何なるか。第一号は立派に出来ました。出来たけれど買ふ人は来ない。来ない筈よ。広告もせず、売捌きの法も立てず、配達人も無し。唯だ新聞社の門口に「栃木新聞第一号発行」と大書したるのみ。

This group of mavericks and dreamers actually published a newspaper.How the first edition came out?Yes,we had the copies of the fine first edition.But nobody came to buy them.No wonder nobody came.We did not advertise,did not prepare beforehand the means of distribution nor did not have paperboys.The only thing we did was to put up a poster in front of the office with big letters:The first issue of the Tochigi Newspaper published.

栃木裁判所春木判事の家は新聞社の隣なれば、春木の家より新聞を買ひに来た。また町内のものより三四十枚買ひに来た。

Judge Haruki of Tochigi Court of Law who lived next to our office sent a man to buy a copy.Also people from this town  came to buy thirty or forty copies.

第一号発行の日、僅か五六十枚すら売れ申さず。但し開店祝宴は、球燈、芸妓、代言、教師、医師一百人余の盛会でした。

After all only fifty or sixty copies were sold on the day when the first issue was published.More than a hundred guests,however,attended at the party including lawyers,teachers and docotors to celebrate the start of our business.The party was festive with bright lamps and geisha girls.

偖てそこで重役会議を起し、何故この如く買人の来ない原理を講究すべしとの原案に対し、忽ち大喝発言するものは田中なり。凡そ経済の原理に供給需要と云ふことあり。未だ需要者の数を図らずして発行せしは、我々の誤なり、今より配達売捌の道を図るべしと。皆な名論なりとて、これを賞賛したるもをかし。

Then  I summoned a meeting of board of directors in order to discuss the reasons why so few people came to buy the newspaper.In answer to the agenda Tanaka raised his voice and said that there was a principle called supply and demand in economics.He said that it was our mistake that we published without first investigating how many potential readers might be out there.He continued we should develop the ways and means how to distribute and sell our newspaper.I found it funny that all the people present praised him saying his opinion was excellent.

正造は自分の動議の行はれたことを喜び、翌日より各郡長に説きて曰く、今日は文明開化なり、新聞は社会の耳目なり、人にして耳目なければ盲なり聾なり、国家にして耳目なければ国家盲なり聾なり、貴下は一郡の耳目たり、宜しく先づ一二月分の月給を擲ち、郡民に恵与的に見すべしと。安蘇、足利、那須、塩谷、上津賀等の郡長皆なこれに応ず。

I was glad that my motion had been adopted.From the following day I began to visit the heads of counties  to persuade them and told them that now was the age of "Bunmei Kaika" or the new civilization.I also told them that newspapers were the eyes and ears of the society.A man without them is blind and deaf.A state without eyes and ears is blind and deaf.I urged them to sacrifice one or two months' salary to purchase enough copies and give them free to their residents.All the heads of Aso,Ashikaga,Nasu,Shioya and Kamitsuga Counties complied with my request.

之より正造新聞事業の困難事。やれ活字が無い、やれ味噌が無い、炭が無い、紙が無い、紙屋すらも新聞紙を買ふを知らず。百方困難したけれども、当時は今から見ると面白いので、郡長が新聞の配達をして、新聞代価を集めたのさ。

Here are some of the difficulties I experienced in running the newspaper business.We faced all kinds of troubles:I can't find the movable metal type piece,I need miso,I need charcoal or I need paper.Even the paper shop nearby did not know where to get the paper for newspaper.Although we faced the walls on  all directions,we found the newspaper publishing so exciting that the heads of counties themselves delivered newspaper  and collected the newspaper bills.

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田中正造 1841年12月15日 - 1913年（大正2年）9月4日Tanaka Shozo dedicated his life for the farmers who were victimized by the pollution of Ashio Copper Mine. He is one of the pioneers of environmental movement in Japan.

ODONTA PRESS

発売中のKindle本
アメリカ大学講座古典聖書ギリシャ語入門I,II,III,IV
古典ギリシャ語最初の教本　I,II,III,IV
ドリル式マルコ伝読解　I,II,III,IV
初級脱出シリーズ　分詞
玉川直重新約聖書ギリシャ語入門解答
土岐健治新約聖書ギリシャ語初歩解答
ギリシャ語新約聖書口語訳付き
対訳洋画台本　オズの魔法使い
対訳洋画台本　カサブランカ
対訳洋画台本　知り過ぎていた男
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