Hello, オンライン英会話Ling.en[リンギン]管理チームのTomokoです。
熊本・大分で大地震が起こってから約一ヶ月が経ちましたが熊本では未だ震度３クラスの地震が頻発しており、一万人以上もの避難者がいます。
Ling.enの講師の一人、オーストラリア出身のElle先生は10年以上住んでいる福岡で今回の熊本地震を経験しました。福岡は震源ではありませんでしたがそれでも震度４以上の大きな揺れを観測しました。
Elle先生もご友人などが被災されて大変な状況にあったりと話すのが難しい話題ですと仰っていましたが、今回お願いしてご自身がどのように感じられたかを書いていただきました。
日本人が外国人と話すときに話題になりやすい地震のことを英語でどう話せば良いかの参考になると思います。ぜひご一読ください。
Hello everyone,
My name is Elle. I live on the beautiful island of Kyushu.
Our beautiful island was struck by tragedy recently when a series of earthquakes devastated Kumamoto and surrounding areas. It was a very unwelcome and unexpected surprise.
I am in Fukuoka and therefore a fair distance from the epicentre. The damage here was minimal but the fear was fierce. I found myself wondering what to do if there was another large quake. Could I get to my children in time? Where was the nearest evacuation centre? Did I even have a fire extinguisher? I was constantly feeling earthquakes that were almost always only in my mind. Noises at night became louder and going to bed became a scary experience.
I can't even imagine the fear that the people of Kumamoto felt and continue to feel. For them the fear is a reality. People have lost their homes, their loved ones, their everything....
In times of crisis Japan does as amazing job of coming together to support those in need. This time was no different but we must remember that support is still needed. We can only do so much, but we have to do all that we can.
Life is so unpredictable. Every day is a blessing. We need to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us and hug our kids as tight as we can, as much as we can.
For those who would like to donate to the victims of the earthquakes here are some sites that you can check. Please consult the organisations' FAQs carefully before donating.
Association for Aid and Relief, Japan
Civic Force (Japanese language)
Global Giving
Japanese Red Cross donation (Japanese language)
Kumamoto Japan Earthquake Bitcoin Relief Fund
The Nippon Foundation (Japanese language)
Support Peace Winds America
Yahoo Japan donation (Japanese language)
被災された方々が一日も早く元の生活に戻れるようお祈り申し上げます。
