Cities debate replacing castle towers with original wooden versions 日本城市討論以原始木造建築取代天守閣

Municipalities hosting ancient castles around Japan are under siege as aging castle towers restored in the post-World War II economic boom are in desperate need of replacement or refurbishment.

隨著在二次世界大戰後的經濟繁榮之際所修復的老舊（日式城堡的）天守閣（譯註：日式城堡塔樓）如今亟需更新或整修，有古代城堡坐落於當地的日本各地城市當局，形同面臨危城困境。

While some localities are ready to renovate existing concrete castle towers, others are hoping to fund the much pricier recreation of the wooden structures that originally stood long ago.

儘管有部分地方政府準備翻新現有的混凝土天守閣，其他城市卻希望能把錢用在費用較高、讓多年前矗立於此的木造結構天守閣原地再現。

During his campaign for Nagoya mayor in 2009, Mayor Takashi Kawamura vowed to replace the concrete main tower of the city’s landmark Nagoya Castle with a more authentic wooden structure.

名古屋市長河村隆之在2009年競選時曾誓言，要以更具美感的木造結構，取代該市地標名古屋城的混凝土造天守閣。

"We should replace the tower with something we will be proud of," Kawamura said.

「我們應該以能讓我們引以為傲的東西來取代（現有的）天守閣，」河村隆之說。

Nagoya Castle, originally built in the early Edo Period （1603-1867）, was restored in 1959 after being destroyed by fire in an air raid by U.S. bombers in May 1945.

名古屋城原本建於江戶時代（1603-1867）早期，1945年5月在美軍轟炸機空襲引發的大火中被焚毀，1959年修復。

新聞辭典

under siege：慣用語，圍城，敵軍攻到城下，形容大軍壓境，形勢危急。例句：The city was under siege in World War II.（這座城市在二次大戰時遭敵軍包圍。）

replace with：慣用語，取代。例句：The boss replaced two workers by a machine.（老闆以一台機器取代兩名員工。）

proud of：慣用語，值得驕傲，引以為傲。