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2008年05月29日
Japanese Mountains: Two Sounds
There are two sounds that I can hear when I go rock climbing at Mt. Makio that I cannot ever hear while I am at home here in the New Town.
The first sound is the sound that a swift (Japanese: Ama Tsubame) makes as it cuts through the still air. Near our church we daily see many barn swallows and they seem to fly so fast and yet they make no sound. A swift looks like a large swallow but it flies so fast that there is actually a "swish" sound as it passes by. The first time I heard this sound I did not know what it was but now I look forward to seeing and hearing the swifts as they fly over the cliffs and rocks of the climbing area.
The second sound is a more sinister sound and I have only heard it only once. It is the sound that a rock or stone makes as it comes down the mountain at tremendous speed. It is a "whine" and a "buzz". Actually, it sounds like a wasp or a bee. However, when you look around to find the insect, instead you hear the sound of a rock shattering on the valley floor. And then you know that you were in the right place at the right time as that particular rock did not hit you-that it was close enough to hear but that was all. As I said at the beginning I have only heard this sound once and I hope not to hear it again-at least for a long while. But it is a unique sound and I am glad that I at least know what it sounds like.
Needless to say, I will continue to enjoy the sound of the swifts and continue to dread hearing the other sound. And I will certainly be careful to not drop any loose stones or rocks down the mountain and be myself the cause of that awful "buzzing" sound to be heard by others who might be on the mountain that day!
投稿者 bethany : 2008年05月29日 19:23
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