A year like no other for Scotland －スコットランドにとって、唯一無二の一年－

At New Year it is customary to look back over the year which has just passed.  People remind themselves of the good things and the bad things which have happened, perhaps try to learn from their mistakes or just make sense of the year gone by so that they can fix it in their memory.

And how will most Scots like me remember 2014?

I listen to BBC Radio Scotland through the internet.  They often use an audio clip before the news which says, “In a year like no other, a station like no other.”  Thinking about 2014, I remembered this audio clip.

So why was 2014 a year like no other for Scotland?

I am sure that you will all remember the independence referendum held in Scotland in 2014.  It dominated the news in Scotland for almost the entire year.  Every week there were fresh stories and controversies.  Could Scotland use the pound after independence?  Could it join the European Union automatically?  Had the amount of oil around Scotland been under-estimated or over-estimated?  Every week another politician or public figure stepped forward to give their opinions, for others to argue over.  The Scottish people felt very powerful.  People often say that elections aren’t important.  No matter how you vote, nothing really changes.  But in 2014, especially because the opinion polls were so tight, the voters in Scotland had the chance to make a real difference, and this is how a great many Scots will remember the year.

But 2014 was a year like no other for more than just the referendum.  There were also two great sporting events held in Scotland.  These were the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.

For readers in Japan and other countries without a connection to Britain, the Commonwealth Games may be something you have never heard of.  Basically, it is like the Olympic Games but it is only for countries in the Commonwealth.  That is a collection of most of the countries which used to be in the British Empire.  So this includes countries like India and Pakistan, Australia and Canada.  Supporters from many parts of the world – from Africa and Asia, from North America and tiny island nations – came to Glasgow to celebrate the event.  And you know we Scots like a party...

If you like golf, I’m sure you know what the Ryder Cup is.  It is an event held every two years, with the best golfers from America playing against the best golfers from all over Europe.  The event was held in Gleneagles, which is in the north-east of Scotland, in Perthshire.  Golf was first played in Scotland so, in a way, the sport was coming home.  I am pleased to say that Europe beat the Americans by 16.5 to 11.5 points.

So if 2014 was a special year for Scotland, perhaps this year, 2015, will seem quiet and boring by comparison.  I don’t mind.  After the party, the plates have to be cleared away.  The empty cans and bottles are put in the recycling bin.  We vacuum the floor and open the windows to let in a little air.

And after sighing in relief and relaxing on the couch for a moment, we will get up refreshed and ready to carry on into 2015.

Happy New Year.

 

Vocabulary:

to be customary – To be something done by many people in society; to be done as a tradition or habit.

an opinion poll – In an opinion poll, many people (usually around 1,000) are asked what they think, how they will vote etc. in order to judge the general or average opinions of a group.

to be tight – If an opinion poll or result is tight, it means that both sides are close.

a recycling bin – a place to put things which will be recycled.

a couch – a sofa

to sigh – to take and then let out a long deep breath that can be heard, to show that you are sad, tired, etc.