“You also remember (that) ten years ago you were just a salesman. Now you are the sales manager, and your income has been increased ten times since then, because of my help.”
“On the top of that, you know Janet, our friend, her husband Dick bought her a gorgeous mink coat for a Christmas present last year. But all you bought for me was a cheap dress.”
奥さん「おまけに、あんたさ、セックス弱いでしょう。だから子供が出来ないのよ?!」 “Furthermore, you are not good at sex. That’s why we don’t have any children yet, isn’t it?!"
“So, I’m obliged to come to the conclusion that you do not love me anymore. This has been a torture for me. I want a divorced. I want you to see my lawyer.”
これで一巻の終わり。
筆者は何度もこんな場面に立ち会わされたので「セリフ」をみんな覚えてしまった。
当時は「三下り半」は男が出すものと思っていた筆者は、女が男に「三下り半」 を出すなんてタマげた。
こんな状態なので、アメリカのエリートで40歳代になっても独身でいるヤツは多い。
ところが、最近は、アメリカ人ジャーナリストの表現によると、
“Japanese women, young and old, seem to be becoming more American than Americans.”