横滨英语 第 2 课：Japan and Japanese

Japan , or Nippon, is made up of 6,800 islands including Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku ,and Kyushu. Mountains cover 67 percent of the land, while only 13 percent is flat.日本由北海道、本州、四国和九州等6800个岛屿组成。日本67%的国土都是山地，平原只占13%。

The entire landmass of the country is 378,000 sq. kilometers, an area smaller than that of California. As for population density, in Japan there are 324 people for every sq. kilometer, compared to 25 people per sq. kilometer in the United States. 日本土地总面积为37.8万平方公里，比美国加利福尼亚州的面积还小。就人口密度来说，每平方公里上约有324人，和美国每平方公里上只有25人相比简直是人口过密。

According to Japanese myths, Emperor Jimmu was enthroned in 660 B.C., and from him, the current Emperor descended, becoming the 125th ruler of Japan.根据日本神话，公元前660年神武天皇即位，其后他的直系子孙代代继任，现在的天皇是第125代。

Under the ancient Constitution of Japan, the Emperor had authority, but the current Constitution, which took effect in 1947, gave authority to the people, and the Emperor became a figurehead. 古代日本的宪法规定，天皇掌握国家主权，1947年公布了新宪法，规定主权归人民所有，天皇只是国家的象征。

How can the Japanese people best be described in simple terms?
怎样概括日本人的特征呢？

From ancient times, the Japanese have worshiped the Sun, appreciated its blessings, and strived to live round and bright lives. Even today, as in ancient times, people will travel to places where they can worship the first Sunrise of the year. In the past, it was even customary to worship the Sunrise each day. 日本人自古就有崇拜太阳、感激太阳的恩惠，努力活得像太阳一样圆满、明亮。所以自古以来就有在元旦那天祭拜太阳（第一次日出）的习俗。过去日本还有每天早晨祭朝日的习惯。

The word Nippon refers to “Sun” and “source.” A father is sometimes called totosama, which refers to a man who is respected like the sun. And a mother is sometimes called, kakasama, referring to someone who shines brightly like the Sun. 日本的意思就是“日之本源”。日本称父亲为“totosama”，意思就是“像太阳一样尊贵的人”；称母亲为“kakasama”，意思是像太阳一亲明亮地燃烧着的人。