今回の震災から、人生にとり本当に大事なのは、と気付いた人々がいる、ということだろうか。
ところで、タイトルの「toll」、震災の「犠牲者」の意味でなく、「鐘の音」だとわかって、ほっとした。
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/27/japan.quake.weddings/index.html?iref=allsearch
Wedding bells toll in post-quake Japan
震災後の日本で、ウェディングベルが鳴る
STORY HIGHLIGHTS ハイライト
Marriage industry is rare bright spot in Japan 結婚産業は日本でめったにないブライトスポットだ
30% more people call matchmaker after disasters 災害の後いつもより３０％以上の人々が結婚斡旋所に
Importance of family highlighted, woman says 家族の重要性が大事と、女性が語る
Tokyo (CNN) -- In her cramped downtown office where wedding dress displays fight for space with file cabinets, Miyuki Uekusa has been busy answering the phone for the past month.
cramped:
ウェディングドレスの展示がファイルキャビネットとスペースを競い合う狭苦しいダウンダウンの事務所で、ミユキ・上村は過去１ヶ月間電話の応対で忙しかった。
"Before the quake, many of our members were just thinking about marriage vaguely," said the professional matchmaker, whose agency Marry Me has sent 30 couples to the altar since it launched two years ago.
「地震の前、私たちのメンバーの多くは結婚を漠然とただ考えていた。」と、２年前の創業以来３０組を教会の祭壇に送り出していたエージェントであるMarry meのプロの結婚斡旋家が語った。
altar：（教会の）祭壇
"After experiencing the tremors and repeatedly seeing the tragic images on TV, they felt the fear of being alone and wanted to find a partner in life."
tremor：身の震え
As existing members turn more serious about going on dates, Uekusa says phone inquiries about joining her club have gone up 30% since the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck northeastern Japan on March 11, killing more than 14,000 people.
On this Wednesday afternoon, a 49-year-old makeup artist -- who wants to be known simply as Yoko -- showed up at the Marry Me office to sign up as a new member.
Despite the hefty price tag of a $1,200 sign-up fee and a $120 monthly charge, Yoko says the natural disasters and the subsequent nuclear crisis have jolted her into adjusting priorities in life.
"I need to act now, before another massive disaster strikes," she said.
Experts are not surprised by the seemingly sudden change of heart on marriage, especially among women.
"In Japan, women take the initiative to get married -- and the trend for them had been to focus on their career and enjoy single life," explained Ritsuko Matsui, a prominent psychiatrist who counseled survivors of Japan's last devastating quake around Kobe in 1995, which left more than 6,000 people dead.
"Seeing heartwarming scenes of couples and families staying together in the face of recent tragedies has made many single women realize the importance of relationships."
This new appreciation has turned the wedding industry into an unlikely bright spot in the gloomy Japanese economy, as other sectors ranging from manufacturing to tourism struggle to recover.
Jewelers -- big and small -- have reported strong sales of engagement and wedding rings, in sharp contrast to slumping demand for other luxury items.
Koji Fujimoto owns Concept Jewelry Works, a Tokyo boutique that specializes in custom jewelry. He has seen a 20% jump in ring buyers since the disasters.
"After the quake, couples want to create something that commemorates their relationship and that they can hold forever," he said.
At the Aldobrandini bridal shop a few blocks away, Maki Maruta echoes such sentiment. Trying on her Italian-made silk wedding gown for the first time, the bride says she will walk down the aisle on May 28 with a new sense of purpose.
"The disasters reminded me the importance of family," Maruta said. "It's so important to have someone who is precious to you."