藤原さんより、『オリンピアン幻想』の英語版の「まえがき」6㌻のうち、最初の一㌻目を公開いただきました。
残りは本が出てからのお楽しみということになりますが、「オリンピック精神、公正さ、紳士道」というテーマを
議論する場として、スレッド“Once upon an Olympian time”を設けますのでよろしくお願いします。
＜、『オリンピアン幻想』の英語版「まえがき」の一㌻目の貼り付け＞
Preface
**
It is said that a traveler goes abroad to discover himself, and that he discovers wisdom after making many journeys through wilderness and frontier territory that no one else can make for him. In this sense, my experience of studying abroad in my mid-twenties at the University of Grenoble in France blessed my life with fortune colored by rich substance.
When I got very tired after long days in the classroom, the best books to recreate my stressed brain were always books of Goethe’s poetry and Greek mythology. Since I was a young boy, I loved to read travel accounts and old legends from around the world, and I felt very excited whenever I saw a first chapter begin with “Once upon a time…” When I was growing up, my most admired hero was Apollo, who is the god of the sun, light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and truth.
Half a century later, it is a great pleasure to write a book preface with the sentence “Once upon an Olympian time, there was a group of twelve gods including Zeus, his wife Hera, and their family and relatives, who were said to live half way up Mount Olympus…”
After millions of years of cosmic time, the Greek people started the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. at the small village of Olympia. Originally, the Games were a religious festival to honor both Zeus, who is king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky, thunder, and justice, and his wife Hera and the other gods of Mount Olympus. The sanctuary of Zeus is Olympia, where there is the Olympic stadium and the temple of Zeus. The temple of Zeus once housed a gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The ancient Olympic Games were only for male participants who spoke Greek and were held at Olympia from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. The Olympic Games were hosted at four year intervals and used the term ‘Olympiad’ for the period between the Games.
Fifteen-hundred years later, the tradition of Olympic Games was revived in 1896 by the French nobleman Baron de Coubertin, who conceived of an international sport competition to promote athletes. Coubertin adopted the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which means “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” This wonderful sentiment inspires athletes from all over the world to achieve.
The current Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event comprised of the Summer and Winter Games. A celebration known as the cultural Olympiad was also established to include cultural events such as art, music, architecture in the modern Olympic movement. Thus the Olympic Games are much more than the world’s largest sporting event. They are also an international political and cultural colossus.
**
It is said that a traveler goes abroad to discover himself, and discovers wisdom, after making many journeys through wilderness and frontier territory, that no one else can make for him. In this sense, my experience of studying abroad in my mid-twenties at the University of Grenoble in France blessed my life with fortune colored by rich experience.
When I got very tired after long days in the classroom, the best books to recreate my stressed brain were always books of Goethe’s poetry and Greek mythology. Since I was a young boy, I loved to read travel accounts and old legends from around the world. I felt very excited whenever I saw a first chapter begin with “Once upon a time…” When I was growing up, my most admired hero was Apollo, who is the god of the sun, light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and truth.
Half a century later, it is a great pleasure to write a book preface with the sentence “Once upon an Olympian time. There was a group of twelve gods including Zeus, his wife Hera, and their family and relatives, who were said to live half way up Mount Olympus…”
After millions of years of cosmic time, the Greek people started the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. at the small village of Olympia. Originally, the Games were a religious festival to honor both Zeus, king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky, thunder, and justice and his wife Hera and the other gods of Mount Olympus. The sanctuary of Zeus is Olympia, where there is the Olympic stadium and the temple of Zeus. The temple of Zeus once housed a gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The ancient Olympic Games were only for male participants who spoke Greek. The Games were held at Olympia from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. The Olympic Games were hosted at four year intervals and used the term ‘Olympiad’ for the period between the Games. The Ancient Olympics were a great contribution by the Greek people and perhaps their most important invention.
The Olympics transformed humanity’s combative instinct into a sports competition. The Greeks changed the Olympic Games from wild fighting to regulated competition. The Olympics thereby replaced war.
Fifteen-hundred years later, the tradition of Olympic Games was revived in 1896 by the French nobleman Baron de Coubertin. He conceived an international sport competition to promote athletes. Coubertin adopted the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which means “Swifter, Higher, Stronger,” This wonderful sentiment inspires athletes from all over the world.
The current Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event comprised of the Summer and Winter Games. A celebration known as the cultural Olympiad was also established to include cultural events such as art, music, architecture in the modern Olympic movement. Thus the Olympic Games are much more than the world’s largest sporting event. They are also an international political and cultural events.
＜このスレッドのほうが適当なので、この記事を『藤原絶版本オンデマンド』のスレッドから移しました＞
『オリンピアン幻想』の英語版の題名についてですが、プロの作家や編集者などに参考までに意見を聞いて審査した結果、副題がA Quest the Olympic Spirit として確定していることを前提にした場合は、スコットさんが提案したMountains of Dreamsが最良ということになりました。
そこでスコットさんの提案した題を使うということで、皮装版の『山岳誌』はスコットさんに贈呈することになったことについて、謹んで選定結果を皆様に報告すると共に、協力していただたことを感謝して、どうも有難う御座いしましたと厚くお礼申し上げます。
日本語に較べて格段に劣る読解能力の私が、英語のゲラの校正で丹念に一行ずつ読んで、三百ページ以上の原稿をチェックするのは、実に苦痛な仕事だが著者はそれをやらざるを得ません。しかも、視力がめっきり減退した目に目薬をさして、ダウンロード出来ないためにモニターでゲラを読み、誤植や文章の訂正をするのは地獄の苦しみでしたが、目はショボショボでものを見るのも苦痛だとはいえ、やっと数週間の地獄の苦難から開放されました。後は最後の編集作業が残っているだけで、図版なども外国人読者向けに大幅に付け加えたりして、寿命の長い本にする工夫をしているので、おそらくは一ヶ月か二ヶ月そこらで「Mountains of Dreams」は出版になるだろうと期待しています。
**
It is said that a traveler goes abroad to discover himself, and discovers
wisdom, after making many journeys through wilderness and frontier
territory, that no one else can make for him. In this sense, my experience
of studying abroad in my mid-twenties at the University of Grenoble in
France blessed my life with fortune colored by rich experience.
When I got very tired after long days in the classroom, the best books
to recreate my stressed brain were always books of Goethe’s poetry and
Greek mythology. Since I was a young boy, I loved to read travel accounts
and old legends from around the world. I felt very excited whenever I saw
a first chapter begin with “Once upon a time…” When I was growing
up, my most admired hero was Apollo, who is the god of the sun, light,
healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and truth.
Half a century later, it is a great pleasure to write a book preface with
the sentence “Once upon an Olympian time. There was a group of twelve
gods including Zeus, his wife Hera, and their family and relatives, who
were said to live half way up Mount Olympus…”
After millions of years of cosmic time, the Greek people started the first
Olympic Games in 776 B.C. at the small village of Olympia. Originally,
the Games were a religious festival to honor both Zeus, king of the gods,
the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky, thunder, and justice
and his wife Hera and the other gods of Mount Olympus. The sanctuary
of Zeus is Olympia, where there is the Olympic stadium and the temple of
Zeus. The temple of Zeus once housed a gigantic ivory and gold statue of
Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The ancient Olympic Games were only for male participants who spoke
Greek. The Games were held at Olympia from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. The
Olympic Games were hosted at four year intervals and used the term
‘Olympiad’ for the period between the Games.
The Ancient Olympics were a great contribution by the Greek people
and perhaps their most important invention. The Olympics transformed
humanity’s combative instinct into a sports competition. The Greeks
changed the Olympic Games from wild fighting to regulated competition.
The Olympics thereby replaced war.
Fifteen-hundred years later, the tradition of Olympic Games was
revived in 1896 by the French nobleman Baron de Coubertin. He
conceived an international sport competition to promote athletes.
Coubertin adopted the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which means
“Swifter, Higher, Stronger,” This wonderful sentiment inspires athletes
from all over the world.
The current Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event
comprised of the Summer and Winter Games. A celebration known as
the cultural Olympiad was also established to include cultural events such
as art, music, architecture in the modern Olympic movement. Thus the
Olympic Games are much more than the world’s largest sporting event.
They are also an international political and cultural events.
**
It was an unexpected, strange, yet excellent opportunity for me to
participate in the 1967 Pre-Olympics as an athlete for the Japanese luge
team and then become an Olympic official. I later become Olympic
attaché for the city of Grenoble in 1968 Winter Games. My observations
and experiences in these two different roles enriched me with behind-thescenes
knowledge of the Olympic movement. They also affected my view
of the politics in the Olympics. Most people believe that the Olympic
Games are an athletic competition and cultural festivity for youth.
However, the untold secret is that the Olympics are a time when special
salons are held behind closed doors for aristocrats and noble families as an
Olympian reunion.
There is an important rule of thumb that prohibits the disclosure of
any information about the kinds of private parties and salons that go on
Pat the Olympics. Consequently, the reader should look between two lines
of this book without missing its tacit knowledge. However, I would like
to suggest a hint: one secret of the aristocratic salons lies in the book cover
designs use the Olympic rings with crowns. Many princes and noblemen
disguised themselves as leaders, managerial advisors, and patrons of each
team during the Olympic competition, and they were also elegant hosts
and guests at the Olympics’ private evening parties.
This book is not Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s epic of the romantic
and stormy life of Wilhelm Meister, but just the story of my modest and
short apprenticeship years, along with an Olympic rhapsody in Grenoble,
during the late 1960’s.
The 1960’s were a wonderful period for the original Olympic vision of
Baron de Coubertin, who proclaimed that athletes should be gentlemen
who considered only amateurs as a qualified participants. At this time
sport professionals were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.
Professional athletes were deemed to have an unfair advantage over those
whose training was merely a pleasure and hobby. It was also a time when
Coubertin’s Olympic spirit was still respected and supported by the
majority of athletes. Coubertin’s belief was that the most important thing
in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part. It signifies life is less
about triumph than the struggle in life itself.
Commercial and media saturation were also less predominant than
today. The degrees of financial involvement and commercialism were far
more modest. I was very lucky to be an eye-witness at this turning point of
Olympic character and behavior.
The stories about the Winter Olympics described in this book are
gathered from my diary and records I wrote on memo pads during my
stay at the University of Grenoble. I arranged these stories in the style of a
semi-documentary novel from 1970 until the spring of 1971, and aimed to
have this book published before the start of the Sapporo Winter Olympics
in February 1972.
**
By fall of 1971, my publisher had nearly completed the preparations for
making the book. But when the book was going to press and being bound,
an emergency notice calling for cancellation of the book｡ｦs publication
came to me in Calgary, Canada, where I was living at the time.
In his explanation for the publication｡ｦs sudden discontinuation, the
chief editor said that because a potentially problematic detail within
the text had been discovered at the last minute, he had first tried to cut
the part in question to resolve his issue. Yet the publisher｡ｦs president got
wind of this trouble and read the book. It was because the president said
that the book｡ｦs publication could not be allowed, that determined the
publication had to be stopped. The president thought if a terrorist attack
harmed the Japanese imperial family and the culprit confessed that he
had read this book and picked up its suggestions, the publisher would be
unable to sufficiently apologize, even after bankruptcy. So, despite the
effort of a half-year of editing work and the money already invested, the
publisher｡ｦs president decided that he would rather avoid being entangled
in possible trouble.
The text did discuss both the prospect that revolt could occur as the
result of the athletes｡ｦ dissatisfaction, and the possibility of terrorism.
Nonetheless, the sudden suspension of the book｡ｦs publication was a
distressing experience for a young man who was in the midst of his own
spiritual evolution. My virgin work had been visited with a fate that was
tantamount to abortion. Its life was cut off before it could be born. It was
tucked away in the corner of my closet.
As it turned out, a boycott by athletes did occur at the Sapporo Games,
and there was an incident in which one country｡ｦs athletes returned home
after another country｡ｦs athletes imposed their flag on them. However, a
worse event took place six months later at the Munich Summer Olympic
Games. In September 1972, Israeli athletes were massacred by terrorists in
the Olympic Village.
It surprised me that terrorism materialized in Munich and not Sapporo.
It also made me wonder if my virgin work had been published as scheduled
before the Sapporo Winter Games, if its warning about terrorism had seen
the light of day, the tragedy in Munich might have been avoided.
I totally abandoned this book｡ｦs publication because I was preoccupied
with the premonition that Japan would be struck with an oil crisis. In
1970, I penned an article entitled ｡ｧOil is Japan｡ｦs Achilles｡ｦ Heel｡ｨ. This was
targeted by general magazines. But no editor believed that an oil crisis
would come. The manuscript was finally printed a year later in 1971.
Around the time the Sapporo Winter Games ended in February 1972, I
completed the manuscript of a book called The Oil Crisis and Japan｡ｦs Fate.
I conducted publishing negotiations with more than ten publishers, yet I
was continually refused. This book became another virgin work, and came
out in April 1973. Because no one anticipated an oil crisis, this book sold
less than 1,000 copies during its first six months. But under the influence
of the oil crisis that broke out with the war in the Middle East in October
that year, the book quickly became a bestseller and sold close to 100,000
copies. I learned that a moment｡ｦs insight, coupled with a bewildered
premonition for a future shock, can sometimes be worth a life｡ｦs experience.
Twenty-six years after the Sapporo Games, it was decided that Nagano,
a mountain town in the so-called Japanese Alps, would host the Winter
Olympics in 1998. But these Olympic Games that were the first in Japan
for quite some time became an undertaking for national policy. Because
corruption was rampant in the large-scale construction for the Olympic
preparations and many projects turned into interests of grafters, Nagano｡ｦs
citizens grew increasingly discontent. Citizens｡ｦ movements appeared that
refused these Olympics.
In the presence of this situation I wanted to dig up the spirit of
Grenoble. I searched my closet for the manuscript of this book and tried
viii negotiations again, with the goal of having the book published before
the Nagano Winter Games. Every publisher said that the book｡ｦs subject
was too old, or that there was no interest in talk about a foreign country.
More than ten publishers turned down the book, while only time itself
progressed. Even so, one year before the opening in February 1998 of the
Nagano Games, a mere one thousand copies were printed. Thirty years
later, this book had gained back its vitality and finally come to life.
A considerable amount of work was involved before the book was
eventually published. The most publishing companies I have ever been
declined by for one work is 39. Even famous works that are read by many
readers in posterity have been refused for various reasons.
-The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck ｡V No Americans are interested in a Chinese story.
-The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells ｡V The story is a terrible nightmare that no one will accept.
-Animal Farm by George Orwell ｡V In America it is impossible to sell an animal story.
What is more interesting is the case of Friedrich Nietzsche. There was no publisher that would accept the fourth part of his masterpiece Thus Spoke Zarathustra. So Nietzsche printed only forty copies as private
editions and gave these to seven people. Compared to Nietzsche｡ｦs situation,
I was fortunate to have 1,000 copies of my work published. Even though
the number of copies was small, the book was published commercially, not
privately.
