無料食堂の物語 / a story of the restaurant without charges

今朝、テレビで無料食堂のニュースを見ました。日本の古都、奈良のトンカツ屋さんで、店長はお金がなく、食べるものがなかったら来てください、お代は出世払いで結構ですという呼びかけをしています。

This morning, I watched the TV news about the restaurant which serves food without any charge. It is a pork cutlet restaurant located at ancient Nara city in Japan. The restaurant owner publicly announced that anyone could come to eat who has no money, and money can be paid when they can afford to do so.

ついにこういう方が現れたのかと、驚きました。普通のお店で、決してボランティア団体が運営している全て無料のお店ではないのです。

I was astonished by the fact that such a person after all appeared. It is just an ordinary restaurant, not a kind of soup kitchen run by a voluntary organization.

店長も困っているふりをして来る人ばかりだったらお店がつぶれてしまうのではないか、と今でも時々不安になることがあるそうです。

The restaurant owner sometimes becomes anxious if his restaurant goes bankruptcy with many visitors who pretend to be poor.

きっかけは前に勤めていたqお店の店長さんがお金に困っている人が来ると時々無料で好きなものを食べさせていたのを見て、自分もいつかそういう人助けがしたいと思ったそうです。

His motivation exists in the fact that he wanted to help people someday in a similar way in which his former boss did in offering food to someone who doesn’t have enough money.

とても勇気のいる決断だったと思います。実際始めてみると、この、身を捨てた善意に多くの方が共鳴し、わざわざ遠くから交通費をかけて、食べにきてくれるそうです。そうなのです。食べて応援をしてくれる人がたくさんで現れたのです。

I am sure that it was a courageous decision for him. Once he started this service, many people from afar who feel empathy come to eat by spending transportation money. Yes, there emerge so many people who support his idea by eating at his restaurant.

実際に困ってお世話になった方もたくさんいらっしゃるそうです。

I learned so many people who are suffering had been taken care of by this service.

コロンブスの卵、のように、はじめの一歩を踏み出すことは大変です。反対もあったでしょう。計算を度外視した優しさ、思いやりが生んだ奇跡の善意の物語は今も続いています。

Taking the first step is deceptively tricky. I assume he received much opposition. The remarkable goodwill story which was born with unlimited generosity and compassion still goes on now.

店長の言葉が胸に響いています。「なにかささやかでもいいから人の役に立てればいいと思っています。喜んでくださる方がいてとても嬉しく思います」

The words of the owner touch my heart. “I think I want to be helpful for others even in a tiny way. I am pleased to know that many people are pleased.”

たった一人の思いやりと勇気が世界を少しずつ変えて行っている、そんなことを感じた瞬間でした。

It was a moment I felt that compassion and courage of one person are changing the world little by little.

さて、自分にはなにができるでしょうか？

Well, what can I do?