オバマ慰安婦発言の実際

２５日、オバマが韓米首脳会談後の記者会見で、オバマが従軍慰安婦について「極めて下劣で、恐るべき人権侵害の行為」であり、「たとえ戦争中のできことであっても、女性たちが受けた仕打ちは非常にショッキングなこと」と述べたということが、報道されている。
ホワイトハウスのホームページに早速、記者会見のときの発言が全て紹介されているので紹介したい。
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/25/press-conference-president-obama-and-president-park-republic-korea
この発言は、ある記者からの質問に答えてのものだ。この記者は何点かを質問しているが、その中で「日本の政治家の歴史認識についてのオバマの意見を聞きたい」と尋ねている。
And in regards to Prime Minister Abe's statement at the press conference yesterday, he has made statements justifying the visit to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese political leaders. I'd like to hear your views over the historical views held by Japanese politicians.
これに対するオバマの回答がこれだ。
Finally, with respect to the historical tensions between South Korea and Japan, I think that any of us who look back on the history of what happened to the comfort women here in South Korea, for example, have to recognize that this was a terrible, egregious violation of human rights. Those women were violated in ways that, even in the midst of war, was shocking. And they deserve to be heard; they deserve to be respected; and there should be an accurate and clear account of what happened.I think Prime Minister Abe recognizes, and certainly the Japanese people recognize, that the past is something that has to be recognized honestly and fairly. But I also think that it is in the interest of both Japan and the Korean people to look forward as well as backwards and to find ways in which the heartache and the pain of the past can be resolved, because, as has been said before, the interests today of the Korean and Japanese people so clearly converge. They’re both democracies. You both have thriving free markets. Both are cornerstones of a booming economic region. Both are strong allies and friends of the United States. And so when you think about the young people of the Republic of Korea and Japan, my hope would be that we can honestly resolve some of these past tensions, but also keep our eye on the future and the possibilities of peace and prosperity for all people.
That’s one of the most important lessons I think from the horrors of war, is being able to look back and learn lessons that allow people to avoid war in the future.
　オバマは「Sex Slave」を避け「comfort women＝慰安婦」と表現してはいるが。慰安婦に対する扱いについて「a terrible, egregious violation of human rights」と評した。
　このegregiousという単語は「実にひどい、言語道断な、とてつもない」という意味だ。 an egregious assは「どうしようもないバカ」となるし、egregious blunderは「とんでもない失策」ということになる。こういった公の場で、こういった感情的な表現で、日本が罵られたことに、衝撃を受ける。