大きなシャクナゲ a bigger rhododendron tree

Rhododenderon 001 resized for web.jpg

この写真[しゃしん]のピンクの花[はな]は日本語[にほんご]で何[なん]と言[]うか知[]っていますか。これは石楠花[しゃくなげ]です。カタカナでシャクナゲと書[]くことが多[おお]いと思[おも]います。ニュージーランドのシャクナゲはとても大[おお]きく育[そだ]ちます。車[くるま]と一緒[いっしょ]に写真[しゃしん]を撮[]ったので、その大[おお]きさが分[]かると思[おも]います。もっと大[おお]きく、高[たか]いシャクナゲもたくさんありますよ。
 
英語[えいご]では、Rhododendron。この花[はな]はとてもきれいで私[わたし]も好[]きですが、英語[えいご]で言[]う時[とき]は大変[たいへん]です。名前[なまえ]が長[なが]いし、日本人[にほんじん]が苦手[にがて]なRの発音[はつおん]が2つもありますから!
 
今、ハミルトンではこのシャクナゲがとてもきれいに咲[]いています。
 
The pink flower in the photo above is as you know, rhododendron and it is called as shakunage in Japanese. Rhododendron trees in this country seem a lot bigger and taller than those in Japan. I took a photo of the tree with a parked car, so you can see how big it is. This is not particularly a big one – there are much bigger and taller rhododendron trees everywhere in this country.
 
I like this pretty flower but do not like to mention it in English. Why? – it is because this is such a long name and it contains “R” pronunciation which was NOT a favourite with us, Japanese people. In Japanese language, there is no distinctive difference between “L” and “R” pronunciations and we often struggle to utter the words having “R” in it. And the name of this flower has even two “R”!!
 
You can see full bloom of rhododendron trees in Hamilton now.

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