英語検定ライティング準１級（第103回）

返納「上級国民という言葉を知った話」

以前ほどではないが、高齢者ドライバーが道ではないところを走って大惨事が起きる報道は頻繁だ。ブレーキとアクセルを間違える前に免許返納が望ましいわけだ。
We frequently hear the reports that elderly drivers cause various catastrophes, where they break into the space except the right traffic lane, so that they ran over pedestrians, not on purpose.
Such a traffic accident makes us uneasy or irritated.
By mistake, a traffic criminal steps on an accelerator on the lane for a pedestrian or a cyclist instead of pressing a brake pedal.
Our government recommends that elderly drivers should return their drivers’ licenses before they result in such a terrible and critical traffic accident.

自主返納者の数が少しずつ減っているという統計がある。デメリットが多いから。車ほど交通手段として便利なのはない。免許証もたまに必要な時があるからね。
The number of voluntary returnees has become smaller and smaller little by little, an online statistics says.
Perhaps disadvantages couldn’t outweigh benefits.
It seems because an automobile should be the most convenient traffic transportation, we believe firmly.
Sometimes we are required to show our drivers’ license to a reception staff at a shop, not every day.

メリットもないわけではない。事故を起こして加害者になる確率は格段に減る。タクシー券をくれる地域もある。給付金をくれる地域もあるけど電子マネーなのか。
Naturally, there are several advantages : the percentage of being a traffic criminal dramatically should be small, and we are offered several taxi tickets, which is the case of specific areas or districts.
Several neighborhoods provide returnees with special allowances, but they are paid with digital money.

メリットとデメリットを比べると、明らかにメリットの方が大きい。気をつけて運転するとか、スピードを出し過ぎなければいい。車内であれこれすることもある。
When we compare benefits with disadvantages, the former is much larger than the latter : we have only to be careful when we drive, or all that we must do is to drive slowly, not speedily.
Sometimes we tend to do this and that inside our car.

返納で思い出すのは５年前の池袋の事件なのだ。加害者が真実を裁判で認めなかったために長引いた胸糞悪さは今でも忘れられない。身体が硬直する病気だったとか。
When it comes to returning a license, we cannon forget the grave or disgusting traffic accident in Ikebukuro in 2019, the trial of which lasted too long a time until the murder suspect was sentenced as guilty because the criminal denied admitting the truth, his own guilt.
He had been suffering from a specific disease, which made his muscles stiff during his driving, we heard.

なかなか投獄されなかったのは、東大出身の国家公務員、つまり上級国民だったという噂も炎上した。裁判では事件を車のせいにしてトヨタを怒らせた。
It took him too a long time to be prisoned into the jail because he was an upper-class official, which is called “joukyukokumin” in Japanese, who had graduated from a prestigious university.
This fact of his exploded in social media in those days.
In the crucial trial, he forced his heavy responsibility on the automobile maker, which naturally made Toyota be in a passion, who became furious at the liar.

An ordinary citizen, naturally, becomes angry at him.
A victim’s family members are still being slandered.