自民党 = Liberal Democratic party = LDP 民主党 = Democratic Party of Japan = DPJ
, with many Japanese seeing the party asout of touchand lacking direction. = 最近のことに疎くワカってない、見えてない、という意味。
He has outraged doctors by accusing them of "lacking common sense"; alienated Japan's large elderly population who he said "just eat and drink and make no effort"; and he has gained a reputation, a little like George Bush, the former US president, of mangling his language. まとめが上手い。この後、「漢字読めない」「泥酔でお友達を庇った」というエピソードが続く。
For those still employed, 日本経済の停滞と、失業者・非正規雇用の増大のネタ。still を入れてくるあたりが絶妙。
The DPJ thinks two policies of the LDP (略), are counterproductive. 1つは天下り、1つは地方のインフラ投資。これらは1990年代までは機能したが、その後は・・・。民主党は、それらに向けられた税金を家庭に使うと言う。
そして、 Japan's voters seem to think the DPJ's alternative worth trying. だ。こういうのを、すら~っと書けるようになりたいな。
The problem is Japan's government debt, which the International Monetary Fund expects to reach 217pc of GDP by the end of 2009. That's a level close to the highest ever successfully handled - Britain's debts in 1815 and 1945. もし日本が国の借金を始末できたら、世界最高%に成功した、ということになりそうですね。これは挑戦しがいのある課題だ。