Two Japanese Correspondents Learning the Resignation of Nguyen Van Thieu

1975年４月21日、グエン・バン・チュー（Nguyen Van Thieu）大統領の辞任会見。牧久は「サイゴンの火焔樹：もうひとつのベトナム戦争」で「（日本経済新聞）支局内では真ん中にテレビを置き、タイプライターを前にした（支局助手兼通訳の）トアン氏がその前に座り、大統領演説を英文で逐語訳をしていく体制を整える」と書いている（79ページ）。

当然、会見は通訳や翻訳者を無視して進む。ベトナム語の会見を聞きながら、その内容をその場で英訳してタイプできたとしたら、それは「逐語訳」ではなく、同時翻訳タイプ。ちょっと信じがたい。日経新聞と同じビルに支局があった産経新聞の近藤紘一は「サイゴンのいちばん長い日」で、この会見を「ミセス・フンが次々とよこす要点翻訳」で確認したと書いている（87ページ）。

「サイゴンの火焔樹」はまた、トアン氏が「支局のソファでウィスキーをなめている私に、彼はギターを取り出すと、声を抑えてチン・コン・ソンの『美しい昔』を歌ってくれた。かつては、開高健氏の前でも何度も歌ったことがあるという。……いつも一番は日本語で歌った。だれが日本語に訳したのかは知らない。その歌声はいつも寂しそうだった」（348ページ）

「誰が日本語に訳したのは知らない」って、調べればすぐわかるだろ。

Japanese Journalists Nowhere To Be Seen - Again

Tonight, I finished reading The Spy Who Loved Us by Thomas A. Bass. Again, there is absolutely no mention about any of Japanese journalists stationed in Sai Gon. And Kondo never mentioned, in his writings as far as I know, the coffee shop which was an information exchange place of reporters, Givral, or Pham Xuan An. It seems that Japanese correspondents were spending their time, while doing their jobs, quite apart from those from the U.S.

My work schedule roller-coastered today. This morning, I was supposed to attend a meeting between the procurement manager and CEO. When I arrived at the office, I was told that there would be a “pre-board meeting” where the board members would prepare what to say and how to say it to the chairman and president of the parent company at the board meeting scheduled tomorrow. The original meeting was pushed down to 4:30 pm and then cancelled. It was rescheduled to tomorrow morning and then pushed down to 3:30 pm. I also was requested to be at the Senai factory tomorrow and the day after. Eventually we settled for me to leave Singapore at 11:00 am for Senai tomorrow. Forget about the meeting between the manager and CEO.