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Podcast #20

“Mother Water”

There is one large river that flows through the city of Bangkok.
Actually, it’s the most important river in the whole country.
It begins 372 kilometers to the north, and ends at the Gulf of Thailand.

Originally this river was called “Meinam”. Mother Water.
“Mei” means “mother”, and “Nam”means water, in the Thai language.
From the Meinam, water flows to all the rice fields of central Thailand.

Today the river is called the “Chao Praya” meaning “River of Kings”.
I like the old name, “Mother River”.
A river gives and supports “LIFE”.
The problem is that today the Chao Praya River is a “DEAD” river.
Almost nothing can live in its smelly black waters.
All the fish are dead or toxic. There is almost no plant life.

The water is filled with tons of city waste, and industrial pollution.
It’s much too dirty to be called “Mother Water”.

Maybe one day the Thai people will stop killing their “mother” river.
Maybe one day all people will stop killing “mother” nature.

That will be a great day!

WORD HELP
flows through ～を流れる, most important もっとも重要な, the Gulf of Thailand タイ湾, Originally もともとは, water flows to 水は～へ流れる, the river is called その川は～と呼ばれている, gives and supports “LIFE” 生命を与え、育てている, The problem is 問題は～だ, Almost nothing can live in ほとんど何も～では生きることができない, dead or toxic 死んだり毒に犯された, tons of city waste 大量の生活ごみ, industrial pollution 産業公害, much too dirty 汚すぎる, Maybe one day たぶんいつかは, will stop killing 命を奪うことを止めるだろう, That will be a great day すばらしい日になるだろう