植物も兄弟は瓜二つ

【写真をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】

　写真の三本の樹木は、いずれも幼木で植木鉢に植えてあり、しかも、前の道からよく見えるように高さ１mほどの台の上に載せてあります。小さな植物を台の上に載せる利点は、私にとって、もう一つ大きな利点があります。それは、水を遣ったり世話するのに、しゃがむ必要がなく、仕事が大変しやすいからです。実はこれは植物を世話する上で最も大切なことです。足腰を痛めません。

　ところで、上の二つの幼木は庭に種が零れて自然に生えた兄弟です。大きさが少し異なるのは年齢が一歳違いだからです。写真を拡大すると姿かたちが相似形のように瓜二つです。同じ親から生まれると人間同様、植物も兄弟は似るのですね。下の写真は昨年咲いたら花はピンクでした。この三本はいずれもサルスベリで私は成長を期待してます。

　庭には、この他に明後日【２６日】で文字通り１００日間咲き続けるサルスベリ【百日紅】の巨樹かあります。幼木たちがこのまま成長すると、庭には４本のサルスベリがあちこちで咲くことになり、そんなに咲いたらどうしましょう。近未来はそれぞれが花を１００日間咲かせれば、見事な光景でしょう。その暁には友人たちを招いて「花見の会」でしょうか。

Dear my friends who are crazy about the flowers of crepe myrtle and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

　All three trees in the photo are young plants in flowerpots, placed on stands about one meter high so they can be seen easily from the path in front. For me, setting small plants on stands has another major advantage. I don't have to bend down to water or care for them, so that the job is much easier. This is actually an important aspect of caring for plants, it doesn't hurt my legs or back.

　By the way, the two young trees above are siblings that grew naturally from seeds spilled in the garden. They're slightly different sizes because they're only one year different in age. If you enlarge the photo, you'll see that they look exactly alike. Just like human, plants can look alike when born from the same parents. The flowers in the photo below were pink when she bloomed last year. All three are crape myrtles, and I look forward to seeing them grow.

　As you know, in the garden, there's a giant crape myrtle (100 days red Crape Myrtle) that will bloom for literally 100 days, the day after tomorrow (the 26th October). If the young plants continue to grow at this rate, there will be four Crape Myrtles blooming all over the garden, and what will happen if they bloom so much? In the near future, if each one blooms for 100 days, it will be a magnificent sight beyond description. When that day comes, perhaps I will invite my Facebook friends over for crepe myrtle blossoms viewing party.

　

いよいよ１００日間に近づいた紅いサルスベリ

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると大きさと臨場感が出ます。】

　７月中旬の私の誕生日に咲き出した百日紅は、その名の通り、もうすぐ１００日間、紅く咲き続ける気配です。今は最後の力を振り絞り、私に対し「何事も最後までしっかり継続せよ。」と戒めてるように見え、意志の弱い私には目標でもあります。

　私たちの生活でも１００という数字は分かりやすく、％がよく使われます。例えば、学生時代のテストは１００点満点で、何点取れたかで目標に近づいたり、不足の程が確認できました。最近は「人生１００年時代」という言葉がよく聞かれます。そうすると、人生もあと何年と思ったりします。また、今年は丁度、昭和１００年でもあります。

　私が日々取り組んでる日英対照「天声人語」も一冊におよそ１００日分のコラムが掲載されており、後９日分になり、今週末には読み終わる目安が出てきました。果たして、最後を集中できるでしょうか。でも、やったというだけではダメで、その中身や、表現法を吸収し、やがてアウトプットに結びつけたいものです。

　ところで、肝心のサルスベリには昨日も根元に水をたっぷり与え、成長に無くてはならない水分補給しました。満開のときは花や蕾が重たくて地上から１５０cmほどまでに垂れ下がり、私が下を通る度に頭にぶつかったので、可哀そうですが、小枝をちょっと剪定し、人や車が通れるようにしました。満開は過ぎましたが、大きなサルスベリを見たい方はお待ちしています。

Dear my friends who are crazy about the appreciation of crape myrtle and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

......................................................

　The crape myrtle in my garden, which began to bloom on my birthday in mid-July, looks to continue blooming red for nearly 100 days, indicating its name. It seems as though it's mustering its last bit of strength, admonishing me to "persevere through everything to the end," that seems almost like a purpose for me who is a weak-willed person.

　The number 100 is easy to understand in our daily lives, so percentages are often used. For example, when we were students, tests were scored out of 100, and the number of points I got indicated how close I was to my goal or how far I fell short. Recently, the phrase "the 100-year lifespan" has become popular. This makes me how many years I have left to live. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Showa era.

　The Japanese-English comparison magazine "Tensei Jingo," which I read daily, contains approximately 100 days' worth of columns of Asahi Newspaper in one issue. With only nine days left now, I'm aiming to finish reading it by this weekend. I wonder if I'll be able to concentrate until the end. But it's not enough to just say I've read it, I want to absorb the content and the expressions, and eventually I must use them into output.

　By the way, I gave the root of the crape myrtle plenty of water yesterday, providing it with the moisture that needs to grow. When it was in full bloom, the flowers and buds were so heavy that they hung down to about 150cm from the ground, so that I would bump into my heads every time I walked underneath, so I felt bad for her, but I pruned the branches a little to make it easier for people and cars to pass through. It's past full bloom, but if you want to see the giant crape myrtle, please visit and see. I am waiting for you.

　

未だ満開が続く百日紅

　今夏が特別に暑かったためでしょう。私の誕生日に咲き始めた庭のサルスベリは未だ満開の状況です。原生地は中国南部と言われる通り南国の植物なので、今夏は過ごしやすかったのでしょう。倉賀野町の中でもサルスベリとして巨樹の様相を呈してきてます。私の使命は余り枝を剪定せず、自然に育てつつ井戸水をたっぷり与えることです。

　一方、鷹など天敵から見つけられ難いのでしょう。また、私が用意してる水があるからでしょう。キジバトの番が度々来て休んでいます。彼らも安心して過ごせる場所を求めているのでしょう。サルスベリは未だしばらく咲いてますので倉賀野を通過するときは、お立ち寄り戴き、ぜひサルスベリの情熱を観賞してください。郵便局の近くです。このサルスベリを山小屋風の三階から眺めると一味違います。

　Because this summer has been especially hot. The crape myrtle in my garden which began blooming on my birthday, is still in full bloom. As you know, it's a tropical plant, as her native habitat is said to be southern China, so perhaps this summer has been pleasant. Even within Kuragano-Town, she is becoming the appearance of a giant crape myrtle. My mission is to not prune the branches too much, so as to grow naturally while providing her with plenty of well water.

　On the other hand, it may be difficult for natural predators like hawks to find them. Perhaps it's also because of the water I provide. Turtle doves often come here to rest. Here is a place where they can feel safe. The crape myrtle will still be in bloom for a while, so if you're passing through Kuragano by car, please stop by without hesitation and enjoy the view. It's near the Kuragano post office. Viewing this crape myrtle from the third-floor which is mountain-hut-style room is quite fantastic.

頑張れ！・・・あと１週間だ

【画像をクリックし、拡大するとピントが合います。】

　私の誕生日に咲き始めたサルスベリ【百日紅】です。このため、今日で９３日間、咲き続けています。後７日間、咲き続ければ、文字通り、百日紅です。果たして１００日間咲くでしょうか。それにしても、何事も積み重ねが大切で「継続は力なり」を教わります。

　今日は角度を変えて東側から撮りました。幹や枝がよく写ってます。また、問題の害虫「カメムシ」は這ってません。この間、お伝えしました通り、花が咲きつつ、一方で、葉が紅葉を始めてるいわば二重奏です。もし、１００日間咲いたら一杯お祝いします。心ではあなたと一緒にです。

Dear my friends

　This Crape Myrtle (one hundred days red written in Kanji) started blooming on my birthday. As a result, it has been blooming for 93 days until today. If it continues to bloom for another 7 days, it will literally be a real Crape Myrtle. I wonder if it will bloom for 100 days? Even so, it is important for humans to make progress in everything, so that it teaches me "persistence is power."

　Today I changed the angle of taking the photo from the east. It can be seen the trunk and branches well. Also, there are no stinkbugs which is the pest crawling around in trouble,. As I told you the other day, the flowers are blooming while the leaves are starting to turn red, creating a duet like counterpoint. If it blooms for 100 days, I will celebrate with a lot of joy with thinking of you.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

いよいよ本格的に咲き出したサルスベリ・・・現在、八分咲き

　写真は今朝開花したての「サルスベリ」の花で、樹木全体の東の端で咲き、下を通る私の頭に接するほど低く垂れ下がってます。ですから、蕾や花にも重さがあることが分かります。まるで「枝垂れサルスベリ」の様相で、人間に対し、広い木陰を作ってくれます。

　サルスベリの花は最初に梢から南に向かって咲き始め、写真の花は幹から４mも離れてます。それにしても、咲きたては色彩が若々しいです。暑いと言って人間だけが水分補給では申し訳なく、先程も水を根元に与えました。人間が飲む数十倍の量の冷たい水が必要です。同時に、野鳥の飲水器にもたっぷり補充しました。

　植物も野鳥も、こちらが世話すれば必ず応えてくれます。自然と人間もお互い様です。ましてや人間対人間ではこの「お互い様の精神」こそ関係が密になり、相乗効果が生じて住みやすい地域社会になると感じてます。今後も小さなことの積み重ねを実践します。

Dear my friends as earthlings

　The photo shows the flowers of a Crape Myrtle in my yard that have just bloomed this morning. They bloomed at the eastern end of the trunk and hung so low that they touched my head as I passed underneath. This shows that the buds and flowers have weight. They look like weeping Crape Myrtle trees and providing a wide shade for people like an Indian park.

　Crape Myrtle flowers first bloom from the treetop to the southern branch, and this flower in the photo is 4m away from the trunk. Even so, the colors of the newly bloomed flowers are youthful like you. It's a shame that only humans need to hydrate when it's hot, so I just watered the roots and base of the plants. They need several dozen times more cold water than humans drink. At the same time, I also refilled the wild bird's water bowl.

　Both plants and birds will respond if I take care of them everyday. Nature and humans are mutually beneficial. Therefore, especially when it comes to humans, this "spirit of mutual benefit" is what creates closer relationships each other, creates synergistic effect, and makes for a more livable local community. I will continue to practice making small things one after another from now on.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

ゆったりした「サルスベリ」に諭される日々

　日本列島に停滞していた梅雨前線が少々北の方へ移動してる気配です。今後、益々北へ離れて行くと、日本列島は太平洋高気圧にすっぽり覆われて梅雨明けとなり、本格的な夏になります。今朝の日の出は４時３９分【群馬県】で、私はウォーキングに、ラジオ体操と朝を有効に使ってます。

　写真は数日前に撮った庭先の大きなサルスベリです。【拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】枝が広がっているためその重みで、恰も枝垂れサルスベリのようです。枝から枝まで８mほどあり、広い日陰を作り、すべてを大きく包み込むような風貌です。これを見ると一人暮らしを余儀なくされてる私の悩みなど大したことはない。「もっとゆったり生きなさい」と説諭されてる感じです。

　実は、気候変動のために、このサルスベリが今年は未だ咲き始めていないと思いました。ところが、今朝、よく観察したら１本の小枝に少し咲いていました。つまり、昨日の私の誕生日を祝福するかのようにすでに一輪開花してたのです。樹木全体には、花の小枝が数百も生じており、梅雨明けと共に一気に咲き出す気配です。

　物事に、早い遅いはあっても、目的になかなか到達できず遠回りがあっても、私たちはゆったり、伸び伸びと生きたいものです。それには成果をすぐに期待せず、日々着実にコツコツ継続する「積み重ねだけは怠らず」前進することが生きてる証と感じています。今日の群馬は暑くなります。お互いに水分補給を心掛けましょう。

Dear my Facebook friends abroad

　The rainy season front which had been stagnant in the Japanese archipelago, seems to be moving a little northward. If it moves further north, the Japanese archipelago will be completely covered by the Pacific high pressure system, the rainy season will end, and summer will begin in earnest. The sunrise this morning was at 4:39 [Gumma Prefecture], so that I made good use of my morning by walking and radio gymnastics in the nearby park.

　The photo indicates a large crepe myrtle in my garden, taken a few days ago. The branches are spreading out, so the weight makes it look like a weeping crepe myrtle. It is about 8m from branch to branch, creating a wide shade like the Indian Park and the appearance seems to embrace everything. When I see this, I realize that my worries about being forced to live alone during 20 years are not so big. It feels like I am being lectured to "live more leisurely."

　Actually, I thought that this crepe myrtle had not yet started to bloom this year due to climate change. However, when I looked closely this early morning, I saw a few blooms on one branch. In other words, yesterday, one flower had already bloomed, as if to celebrate my birthday. There are hundreds of flowering twigs all over the tree, therefore it looks like they will all bloom at once as soon as the rainy season ends.

　Even if things happen sooner or later, and even if we don't reach our purpose or have to take a detour, we should live relaxed and unrestrained daily life. To do this, we are not to expect immediate results, but to continue to make steady. I feel that the proof of alive is hard work every day without neglecting to move forward. It's going to be hot in Gumma today. Rehydration is indispensable for our health.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 【上の英文をネイティヴの発音で聴けます。英文をコピーし、このアドレスに貼り付けてください。尚、右上の言語をアメリカ、又はイギリスにしてください。】

暑いので、今宵だけはお許しください。

　この暑さで燃える如くよく咲いてる庭のサルスベリです。現在、八分咲きです。年々巨樹になりつつあり、枝から枝まで８mの幅に成長してます。

　後方には未だ蕾がたくさんあり、やはり、南側からよく咲いてます。流石に原生地は中国南部だけあって、樹木は広く木陰を作り、他の樹木も生い茂り、地面の殆どは木漏れ日になってます。

　しかも、人の背の高さより下には枝がないので、樹木がたくさんあっても空気は東から西へよく抜け、涼しさがあります。

　生活については、できるだけ自然の力により、例えば、無尽蔵な井戸水を植物に与えたり、道に撒いたり、風呂に使ったりします。井戸水は使うとまた地下水が溜まり、しかも、水道水より冷たく、再生可能の模範です。その上、ただです。

　なお、今日は友人と生ビールを飲むことになってます。誕生日が過ぎてから初めて会うので、誕生会になります。皆さんに、また飲むのかと叱られそうですが、暑いので今宵だけはお許しください。

Dear my overseas friends who want to drink draft beer with me in dream

　The photo indicates a crape myrtle in the garden that is blooming like fire in this heat in Japan. Currently, it is in 80 percentage blossom now. It is becoming a huge tree year by year, and it became 8m width from branch to branch.

　There are still many buds in the back, and as expected, she is blooming well from the southern side. As expected, the origin of place is in the southern part of China so that the tree creates a wide shade. And other trees grow thickly, so that most of the ground is sunshine filtering through the foliage.

　What's more, there are no branches below the height of a person, so even if there are many trees, the air flows well from east to west, making it cool.

　In terms of living, I try to rely on the power of nature as much as possible, for example, I give the inexhaustible well water to the plants, sprinkle it on the road, and use it in the bath. Well water is an example of regenerative renewable water that replenishes groundwater and it is colder than tap water in Summer. Besides, it's free.

　By the way, I'm going to drink draft beer with my friend today. We meet for the first time after my birthday has passed, so it will be a birthday party. Everyone is going to scold me for drinking again, but it's hot, so please forgive me for tonight.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/

サルスベリ 今夏の開花 百日咲かず

　例年に比べ、庭のサルスベリの勢いが今一です。写真は８月中旬に撮ったもので、９月上旬の現在、花はあまり咲いてません。

　サルスベリは百日紅とも書くように、例年は７月１０日頃より１０月上旬まで咲いてましたが、葉の勢いは普通でも、今年は花の付きがよくありません。

　考えられる理由は二つあり、小さな赤い蟻により内部が蝕まれてる可能性があります。黒蟻は地中に巣を作りますが、小さな赤い蟻は樹木の中にも巣を作ります。時々、早朝にすごい数の赤い蟻が行列を作り幹を登って行く光景が見られました。

　一方、サルスベリはあまり水を必要としない樹木ですが、大きく育てようと私が水を遣り過ぎたことも考えられます。庭木としては、すでに巨樹の風格を持ってるので、今後は自然の雨に任せ、成長を見守りたいと思います。

Dear my friends abroad

　The crape myrtle in the garden is not so healthy as usual. The photo was taken in mid-August, and in early September, there are not many flowers.

　As you know, crape myrtle is named as "one hundred days blooming red" in our tongue, so that it usually blooms from around July 10th to early October, though the leaves are normal, the flowers are not well this year.

　"There are two possible reasons. The inside may have been eaten away by small red ants." Black ants build their nests in the ground, but small red ants build their nests in trees. Occasionally, in the early morning, I saw huge numbers of red ants forming a procession and climbing up the trunk.

　On the other hand, the crape myrtle doesn't need much water, but it's possible that I gave it too much water to make it grow bigger. As a garden tree, it already has the appearance of a giant tree, so from now on, I will leave it to the natural rain and watch it grow.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

巨樹として 年々威厳を 醸し出す

　誕生日に咲き出した巨樹サルスベリが、いよいよ本格的な開花の季節を迎えました。それでも、未だ三分咲でしょう。サルスベリは江戸時代以前に日本に入って来たと伝えられてます。
　
 　近年は、枝先が四方八方に３～4ｍほど長く伸び、その重量で垂れ下がってる傾向で、私の頭の高さほどになってます。広く日陰を作る枝の姿が、いかにも南国的で、のんびりした雰囲気を、更に、巨樹として威厳を醸し出してます。
　
　サルスベリを育てるには原産地である東南アジアや中国南部の熱帯雨林気候に近づければよいと考え、年間を通じてほぼ毎日水を遣ってます。このため樹勢は大変良く、私の青春時代のようです。
　
　それにしても、サルスベリとはユニークな名前であり、これは樹皮がつるつるで如何にも猿でさえ滑るという印象から昔の人が命名したのでしょう。その樹皮は今の開花の季節に剥け始め、新たな皮に着替えてます。
　
Dear my friends who like a shade under a big tree
　The giant crape myrtle that bloomed on my birthday has gradually full-scale flowering. Still, it will be 30 percent bloom. It is said that crape myrtle came to Japan before the Edo period.
　
　In recent years, the tip of a branch has grown 3-4m long in all directions and tends to hang down due to its weight, which is about the height of my head. The appearance of the branches that make the shade wide creates a laid-back atmosphere that is truly tropical.
　
　To grow crape myrtle, I think that it is effective to bring it closer to the tropical rainforest climate of Southeast Asia and southern China, which is the place of origin of this tree, therefore I water it almost every day throughout the year. Because of this, the tree vigor is very good, like my adolescence.
　
　Even so, crape myrtle has a unique name which was probably named by an old man from the impression that the bark is so slippery that even monkey slips. The bark begins to peel off during the current flowering season and is changing into new bark.

※For the Japanese people 　　上の英文をネイティヴの発音で聴くには、英文をドラッグして、コピーし、左サイドの「英文をネイティヴの発音で聴く」に貼り付けてください。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。
　　

大きな蕾が無数・・・未だ不具合なブログです。

　

　あちこちでは早くもサルスベリが咲き始めてますが、私の庭のサルスベリには現在やっと無数の蕾が出てきました。私と同じで奥手なのでしょう。今週末の誕生日に開花を合わせてくれそうです。

　このサルスベリは近年、巨樹の様相を呈し、広い日陰を作ってくれます。南アジアなど原産国である南国特有の横に広がる枝ぶりを表現してます。

　もしかして、すでに倉賀野一大きなサルスベリかもしれません。枝から枝まで７～８mほどあり、私の住まいがすっぽり隠れてます。
　　
　毎日、決まった作業として根元にたっぷり水を遣り、私とは相互依存にあります。それは光合成して新鮮な酸素をプレゼントしてくれます。花が咲いたら大きな枝の下に竹製のリクライニングを置き、寝てみたいです。果たして夢のような夢が見られるでしょうか。
　
※【日本文と英文に多少の差異がございます。】
　　　
Dear my friend who likes giant tree
　Crape myrtles have already begun to bloom here and there, but now there are countless buds on the crape myrtle in my garden. Probably the same as me. This crape myrtle seems a late bloomer. It will bloom on this weekend's birthday.
　　　
　In recent years, this crape myrtle has become the appearance of a giant tree and creates a wide shade. It expresses the branching that spreads horizontally, which is peculiar to the southern country of origin such as South Asia.
　　　
　Maybe it's already the biggest crape myrtle in Kuragano-town. It's about 7-8m from branch to branch, and my house is completely hidden, as you see in the photo.
　　　
　Every day, as a routine work, I watered plenty of water at her root, and we are interdependent relationship each other. She photosynthesizes and presents me fresh oxygen. When the flowers bloom, I would like to put a bamboo reclining under wide branches and sleep. Can I really have a marvelous dream which you will appear.
　　　
※For the Japanese people 　　
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