WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

Getting fresh start
　Public offices in Kagoshima Prefecture on January 4 held ceremonies to mark the start day of work in 2012. Chiefs of each municipality expressed their wish for revival from disasters including the Great East Japan Earthquake, and urged the staff members to meet any challeges towards the promotion of resident-oriented politics.
　At an auditorium in the prefectural office building, Kagoshima Governor Mr. Ito Yuichiro gave instructions to some 700 staff members. In his speech, Ito reviewed last year when large natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and the flood in Amami area occurred. In light of this he stressed, in conjunction with this year’s zodiac sign of the Dragon, that he hoped it would be a year of “Hiryu Kou-un,” or “Just like dragons fly up through the clouds,” which is an old Chinese idiom meaning “Take a chance and realise one’s potential to the fullest.”
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新たなスタートを切る
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Public offices：官公庁　　　held…：・・・を開催した　　　mark ~ work：仕事始めを記念して　　　Chiefs：首長　　　municipality：自治体；市町村　　　expressed ~ revival：復興への願いを表明した　　　including…：・・・を含めて　　　the ~ Earthquake：東日本大震災　　　urged…：・・・に促した（called for）　　　meet ~ towards…：・・・に向けて果敢に挑戦する　　　promotion：推進　　　resident-oriented politics：住民主体の行政
＜第２パラグラフ＞
Auditorium：講堂　　　the ~ building：県庁舎　　　gave instructions：訓示した　　　reviewed：振り返った（looked back）　　　such as…：・・・のような　　　In ~ this：これを踏まえて　　　stressed：強調した（emphasised）　　　in ~ with…：・・・と連結して　　　zodiac sign：干支　　　“”Just ~ clouds”：「雲間を昇り行く竜の如く」（筆者による“飛竜行雲”の英訳）　　　an ~ idiom：中国の古い熟語（筆者による追加説明）　　　Take ~ chance：時宜を得る；いちかばちかやってみる　　　realise ~ potential：可能性を実現する　　　to ~ fullest：最大限に