Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

1 Article：

Remember the Lessons of Tokyo Sarin Attack as Russia Further Threatens
UkraineDirections: Read the following article aloud.
As the only nation that has suffered an atomic bomb attack and chemical terrorism, Japan must not view
Ukraine as just a distant conflict.
It has been 27 years since the sarin gas attack on subways in the heart of Tokyo.
During rush hour on the morning of March 20, 1995, domestic terrorists dispersed the extremely toxic
liquid nerve agent sarin in five cars on three subway lines running through the Kasumigaseki district, where
the headquarters of several central government ministries and agencies were concentrated. As a result of
the chemical attack, 14 people died and more than 6,000 others suffered physical problems, some serious.
This attack on the center of Japan’s capital was an unprecedented case of indiscriminate terror. The aim of
the cult that perpetrated the atrocity was nothing less than the overthrow of the Japanese government, asshown by the fact that it had purchased a military-use helicopter and automatic small arms from Russia.
The name of the cult was Aum Shinrikyo. In the wake of a series of deadly crimes carried out by its
members on orders from its leader Shoko Asahara, born Chizuo Matsumoto, Asahara and 12 of his
disciples were later sentenced to death. Their executions were carried out in July 2018.
Although 27 years have passed since that fatal March morning, the sorrow and pain of family members of
those killed in the attack and surviving victims continues unabated, with many survivors still suffering from
impaired vision and other after-effects. For them, that terror attack never ended.
On March 20, Shizue Takahashi, the widow of a subway employee who died in the attack, could be seen
laying an offering of flowers at the Kasumigaseki Station on the Tokyo Metro.
She said she was afraid that the public would forget the horror of that day. “What I most hope to achievethrough my activism is to tell young people [about the incident]. I hope to do so one step at a time.”

Source：Remember the Lessons of Tokyo Sarin Attack as Russia Further Threatens Ukraine
https://japan-forward.com/editorial-remember-the-lessons-of-tokyo-sarin-attack-as-russia-further-threatens-ukraine/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。

Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

1 Article：

Remember the Lessons of Tokyo Sarin Attack as Russia Further Threatens
UkraineDirections: Read the following article aloud.
The government and related organizations too need to let the world know what happened in the subway
attack, which was an exceptional case in which the nerve center of a nation was subjected to chemicalterrorism.
After all, at this very moment Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, with the chances rising of an attack
with biological or chemical weapons on the capital of Kyiv or the port city of Mariupol in the southeast
region of the country.
Russia has been spreading false reports alleging that the United States and Ukraine have been jointly
developing biological and chemical weapons. US President Joe Biden says that these reports are a clear
sign that Russia is itself considering using such inhumane weapons.
If biological and chemical weapons like sarin are employed even once, it will cause enormous suffering
among the civilian population and stymie relief efforts. It would also constrain the efforts of Ukrainian
authorities to maintain operation of transportation systems and other vital infrastructure, and prolong thehorrendous conditions their people are enduring.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is obviously incensed about how his war on Ukraine is not proceeding as
he had expected. There is therefore growing concern that he might resort to the use of tactical nuclear
weapons in addition to biological and chemical weapons.
Japan is the only nation that has suffered an atomic bomb attack. And its capital has also experienced
chemical terrorism. The unfolding tragedy in Ukraine should not be viewed as just a conflict on the distantcontinent of Europe. Japan must give deep thought to the situation and then do the things that we areable to do.
Keeping the memory of the sarin subway attack alive is certainly one of those things.

Source：Remember the Lessons of Tokyo Sarin Attack as Russia Further Threatens Ukraine
https://japan-forward.com/editorial-remember-the-lessons-of-tokyo-sarin-attack-as-russia-further-threatens-ukraine/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。

Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

2Key phrases and vocabulary

Directions: First repeat after your tutor and then read aloud by yourself.
1. nothing less than ～に他ならない、まさしく～そのもの、～に等しい、～としか言いようのない

・ His careless remarks were nothing less than sexual harassment.
2. in the wake of ～を受けて、～の結果として、～にすぐ続いて、～の後を追って・ United Nations was created in the wake of World War Ⅱ.

3. one step at a time 一歩一歩、少しずつ着実に、二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず(忍耐強く一つひとつこなしていこう、という表現)
・ We have to take one step at a time in that diplomatic effort.
4. be subjected to ～にさらされる、～を受ける、～を受ける・ According to new analysis by WHO, one in three women are subjected to violence.
5. give thought to ～について考える、～を思いやる、～に関心を持つ・ We haven’t given much thought to the problem, but it is time to take it seriously.

3

Questions
Directions: Read the questions aloud and answer them.

1. What incident happened on three subway lines in the center of Tokyo on March
20th,1995?
2. What have the survivors of the crime still been dealing with?
3. How did you hear about this sarin attack?
4. Any thoughts about how we can help victims and survivors of such incidents?

本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。

Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話
ニュースディスカッション教材

4

日本語関連記事：
地下鉄サリン２７年

その残虐性を広く伝えよオウム真理教による地下鉄サリン事件から、２７年となった。
平成７年３月２０日朝、通勤時間帯に中央官庁が集まる都心の霞が関を通る地下鉄３路線の５車両に猛毒の神経ガス「サリン」がまかれ、１４人が死亡、６千人以上が重軽傷を負った。
首都の中心部を襲った未曽有の無差別テロ事件である。教団の目的が国家転覆にあり、ロシアから軍用ヘリコプターや自動小銃を購入していたことも分かっている。
一連の事件では、松本智津夫元死刑囚＝教祖名・麻原彰晃＝ら１３人の死刑が確定し、３０年７月に執行された。
だが２７年を経た今も、遺族や被害者の悲しみ、苦しみは癒えることなく、多くの人が視覚障害などの後遺症に苦しめられている。事件は終わっていない。
今月２０日、地下鉄職員の夫を亡くした高橋シズヱさんは東京メトロの霞ケ関駅で献花し、事件が風化することを懸念して「若い人たちに（事件を）伝えることが一番の活動の目的。目標を一つ一つ達成していきたい」と話した。

政府や関係機関も、国の中枢部を化学テロに襲われた世界でも稀有（けう）で残虐な事件の記憶を、広く世界に伝えるべきである。
折しも、ウクライナ侵略を続けるロシアが首都キエフや南東部のマリウポリで生物・化学兵器を使用する可能性が高まっている。
米国やウクライナが生物・化学兵器を開発しているとの偽情報をロシアが拡散していることについて、バイデン米大統領はロシアが使用を検討している「明確な兆候だ」と述べた。
一たびサリンなどの生物・化学兵器が使用されれば、一般市民の被害は甚大なものとなり、救助活動もままならない。交通などインフラの担い手も行動が制約され、悲惨な状況は長時間続く。
思うようにならない戦況にロシアのプーチン大統領はいらだちをみせているとされ、生物・化学兵器のみならず、戦術核兵器の使用も懸念されている。
日本は世界で唯一の被爆国であるとともに、首都での化学テロも経験した。今、ウクライナで起きている悲劇は遠い
欧州の戦争ではなく、我（わ）がことと考え、やれることをやらなくてはならない。地下鉄サリン事件を語り継ぐことも、その一つとなる。

出典：地下鉄サリン２７年 その残虐性を広く伝えよhttps://japan-forward.com/japanese/97725/
本教材は、一般社団法人ジャパンフォワード推進機構、株式会社産経デジタルより許諾を得て、産経ヒューマンラーニング株式会社が編集しています。
テキストの無断転載・無断使用を固く禁じます。