# | eng | mlg |
---|
1 | Japan: A Nuclear Gypsy’s Tale | Japana: Tantaran'ny “Gypsy” Nokleary |
2 | Before the Fukushima accident brought to light the parlous state of the Japanese nuclear industry, for years temporary workers have jumped in and out of remunerative short-term jobs at the power plants ignoring the risk of their profession. | Talohan'ny nampibaribarian'ny lozan'i Fukushima ny toetra manaitran'ny indostria nokleary Japoney, efa taona maro izao no nanao asa anaty fotoana fohy tao anatin'io toby io ireo mpiasa an-tselika nefa tsy nahalala akory ny risika amin'ny asany. |
3 | Takeshi Kawakami (川上武志) was one of the so-called ‘nuclear gypsies' and just like many other colleagues of his, for about 30 years he made a livelihood working at the different nuclear plants of the country for short periods. | Takeshi Kawakami (川上武志) dia iray amin'ireo antsoina hoe (gypsy) mpandehandeha nokleary ary tahaka ireo mpiara-miasa aminy maro, izay efa 30 taona izao no nanaovany asa fivelomana tany amin'ireo toby noklearin'ny firenena mandritra ny fotoana fohy. |
4 | For years he earned money helping repair or replace malfunctioning parts of nuclear reactors and carrying out dangerous operations, with a high-risk of radiation exposure. | Efa an-taona maro izay no nahazoany vola amin'ny fanampiana ny fanamboarana na fanoloana ireo ampahany tsy miasa tsara amin'ireo toby nokleary sy ny fanaraha-maso ireo raharaha mety hampidi-doza noho ny fisian'ny risika fivoahan'ny taratra mahery vaika. |
5 | In his blog, Kawakami denounced the corruption and collusion between the government and the nuclear industry, focusing his coverage on the Hamaoka nuclear power plant. | Anatin'ny bilaoginy, nampahafantatra ny kolikoly sy ny fanaovana fifanarahana miafina nisy teo amin'ny governemanta sy ny indostria nokleary i Kawakami, mampifantoka ny fandrakofany ao amin'ny toby noklearin'i Hamaoka. |
6 | This power plant was recently shut down at the request of the Japanese government for remedial work after it was deemed dangerous to continue operating in light of its position on one of the major seismic faults lines in the Japanese archipelago. | Vao haingana io toby nokleary io no nakatona noho ny fangatahan'ny governemanta Japoney noho ny fanaovana asa fanamboarana taorian'ny fiheverana hoe mampidi-doza ny fanohizana ny fanaovan-draharaha anaty taratra nefa izy dia ao anatin'ny faritr'ireo tany lalovan'ny triatra vokatry ny horohoron-tany any amin'ireo nosy Japoney. |
7 | In the post partly translated here, he tells of his experiences as a temporary worker when he worked for the first time inside a steam generator at the Genkai nuclear power plant in southern Japan. | Ao amin'ilay lahatsoratra izay voadika amin'ny ampahany eto, milaza ny zava-niainany amin'ny maha-mpiasa an-tselika azy izy rehefa niasa voalohany indrindra tao anatina mpamokatra enton-drano tao amin'ny Toby noklearin'i Genkai any atsimon'i Japana. |
8 | Hamaoka nuclear power plant, by Hiroaki Sakuma. | Toby noklearin'i Hamaoka, sarin'i Hiroaki Sakuma. |
9 | CC BY-SA license. | CC BY-SA license. |
10 | I worked at Hamaoka nuclear plant for a little over 5 years, but it was not the only time I'd worked at a power plant. | Efa mihoatra kely ny 5 taona aho no niasa tao amin'ny Toby noklearin'i Hamaoka, nefa tsy voalohany izao no niasako tanatina Toby nokleary. |
11 | Before Hamaoka, I spent my 30s working at a nearby nuclear plant for about 10 years in the 1980's. | Talohan'i Hamaoka, nandany ny faha-30 taonako niasa tanatina toby nokleary teo amin'ny manodidina ihany aho nandritra ny 10 taona teo ho eo tamin'ny taona 1980. |
12 | At that time, I did not work at just one site but was moving from one plant to another to do regular maintenance work. | Tamin'izany fotoana izany, tsy niasa tanatina toerana iray monja aho fa nifindrafindra tamina toby maro mba hanao asa fikojakojana mitohy. |
13 | Recently, that kind of people are called “Nuclear gypsies” with a bit of contempt and in that period I was living as one of those. | Tato ho ato, izany sokajin'olona izany dia antsoina hoe “mpifindrafindra toerana (gypsy) nokleary” miaraka amina somary fanambaniana kely ary tamin'izany vanim-potoana izany aho dia niaina tahaka ny iray amin'ireo. |
14 | Two years after I began the wandering life of a gypsy, I entered for the first time the core container of a steam generator. | Roa taona taorian'ny nanombohako ny fiainana mirenirenin'ny mpifindrafindra toerana, Voalohany indrindra no nidirako tao anatin'ny fon'ny mpamokatra entona. |
15 | At the time I was working at the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant in Saga Prefecture. | Tamin'izany fotoana izany aho dia niasa tao anatin'ny Foibe Noklearin'i Genkai tany amin'ny Prefektioran'i Saga aho. |
16 | [Editor's note: In brief, there is a containment building within the plant. | [Fanamarihan'ny mpamoaka: Raha tsorina, misy tranobe fitahirizana ao anatin'ilay foibe. |
17 | This houses the core and the steam generator.] The core is the part of the reactor where uranium fuel undergoes nuclear fission. | Io tranobe io no fon'ny toby nokleary sy misy ny mpamokatra entona.] …… Ny fony dia ampahany amin'ny vondrom-pihary izay amotehana ny uranium nokleary. |
18 | It generates heat which is then passed to The steam generator which produces the steam to power the turbines which turn the generators elsewhere in the plant . | Mamokatra hafanana ka avy eo dia lasa any amin'ny Mpamokatra entona izay mamokatra ny entona mba hamatsiana angovo ireo turbines izay manodina ireo mpamokatra any amin'ny toeran-kafa ao anatin'ny foibe nokleary . |
19 | The level of radioactivity in the containment building is very high compared to elsewhere [in the plant]. | Raha ampitahana dia mbola avo lavitra noho ny an'ireo hafa [ao anatin'ny foibe] ny haavon'ny fielezan'ny taratra ao anatin'ilay tranobe fitahirizana. |
20 | My job involved entering [the generator] and installing a robot monitor that would enable examination of whether there was any damage in the steam generator. | Ny anjara asako dia ny miditra ao anatin'ny [mpamokatra] ary mametraka robot mpanara-maso izay afaka manara-maso raha misy fahasimbana ao anatin'ny mpamokatra entona….. . |
21 | Actually what happened on the day was that another person replaced me and entered the steam generator to install the robot. | Ny zava-nitranga marina tamin'iny andro iny dia nisy olona nisolo ahy ary niditra tao anatin'ny mpamokatra entona mba hametraka ilay robot. |
22 | After the installation was completed, there was a problem in that the robot wouldn't respond and thus could not be operated from outside. | Taorian'ny fahavitan'ny fametrahana, nisy olana satria dia tsy nety namaly ilay robot ary tsy afaka nobaikoana avy aty ivelany. |
23 | There are many small holes in the walls of the central part of the steam generator and the six (I believe there were six) ‘legs' of a robot, operated via a remote control, should be able to survey it through those holes. | Nisy loaka kely be dia be tamin'ny rindrin'ny foiben'ny mpamokatra entona ary ireo “tongotra” enin'ilay robot (enina izy ireo raha tsy diso aho), nampiasaina avy amin'ny alalan'ny fibaikoana alavitra, dia tokony ho afaka nanaraha-maso izany avy amin'ny alalan'ireo loadoaka ireo. |
24 | The employees in charge of supervising the installation concluded that there had been a problem in properly positioning the robot's legs. | Ireo mpiasa tompon'andraikitra amin'ny fanaraha-maso ny fametrahana dia nihevitra araka izany fa nisy olana ny fametrahana araka ny tokony ho izy ny tongotr'ilay robot. |
25 | If the ‘legs' are not completely inserted and the robot is left in that position, it could fall down at any time. | Raha tsy mipetaka tsara ireo ‘tongotra' ka avela amin'izany toerana izany ilay robot, dia mety hijanona tsy handeha amin'ny fotoana rehetra izany. |
26 | If that happens, it spells the loss of a precision machine that's said to be worth several hundred million yen. | Raha izany no mitranga, midika fahaverezana milina manana fahamarinana avo (de precision) izany, izay voalaza fa mitentina eo amin'ny yen zato tapitrisa maro eo. |
27 | That's why I was sent in to enter the generator, on very short notice, to replace the robot back to its correct operating position before that happened. | Izany no nahatonga ahy nalefa niditra tany anatin'ilay mpamokatra, tsy nanam-potoana hiomanako akory, mba hamerina ilay robot amin'ny toerana mety hampiasaina azy talohan'ny nitrangan'ny loza. |
28 | I started putting on the gear to enter the housing at a spot near the steam generator. | Nanomboka nanao ny fitaovana sy akanjo ilaiko aho hidirako ao anatin'ilay trano, teo amina toerana manakaiky ilay mpamokatra entona. |
29 | Two workers helped me put it on. | Nisy mpiara-miasa amiko roa nanampy ahy niakanjo. |
30 | I was already wearing two layers of work clothes, and on top of those, I put on Tyvek protective gear made of paper and vinyl, and an airline respirator. | Efa nanao akanjo roa sosona aho, ary teo ambonin'izany, nanao akanjo fiarovana Tyvek izay vita avy amin'ny taratasy sy vinyl, ary nanao saron-tava misy rivotra alefa aminà fantsona aho. |
31 | Plus, I wrapped a lot of vinyl tape around my neck, my wrists and my ankles, to block even the slightest opening. | Ho fanampin'izay, nanarona ny tendako, ireo hato-tanako sy ny kitrokeliko tamin'ny vinyl maro aho mba tsy hisy na dia fisokafana bitika aza. |
32 | Once I finished putting on the protective gear - which honestly looks like an astronaut suit - I headed toward the housing. | Vao vita ny fanaovako ilay akanjo fiarovana - izay raha tsorina dia ohatra ny akanjona mpoandeha sambondanitra- nizotra nankany amin'ilay tranobe aho. |
33 | When I arrived at the area near the housing, two workers were waiting. | Rehefa tonga tany amin'ny faritr'ilay tranobe aho, nisy mpiasa roa niandry. |
34 | They were employees of a company called the Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection [JSNDI] and, to my surprise, despite the area being highly radioactive, they were wearing nothing but plain working clothes. | Mpiasa anatina orisana iray antsoina hoe Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection [JSNDI] izy ireo ary, ny nahatalanjona ahy, na dia avo dia avo aza ny fielezan'ny taratra ao amin'io faritra io, tsy niakanjo afa- tsy ny akanjo fiasana tsotra izy ireo. |
35 | They weren't even wearing masks. | Tsy nanao saron-tava akory izy ireo. |
36 | The person who appeared to be in charge invited me over and, after a look at my eyes inside the mask, nodded his head a few times. | Nanasa ahy ilay olona tompon'andraikitra ary, taorian'ny nandinihany ny masoko tanatin'ilay saron-tava, dia nanondrika ny lohany nandritry ny fotoana fohy. |
37 | I guess just looking into my eyes he was able to determine that I'd be able to handle working in the core. | Heveriko fa ny fandinihany ny masoko fotsiny ihany dia efa nahafahany hamantatra fa afaka miasa ao anatin'ilay fony aho. |
38 | He and I went to the steam generator together. | Niaraka nankany amin'ny mpamokatra entona izahay. |
39 | That was the first time I saw the generator with my own eyes. | Izay no nahitako maso ny mpamokatra entona voalohany indrindra. |
40 | It was I guess a spherical or oval shape, maybe 3 meters in diameter (I might not be remembering the size correctly), and was located at a position higher than the grating we were standing on. | Boribory na somary lavalava ny bikany, mety eo amin'ny 3 ny savaivony (mety tsy tadidiko tsara ny habeny), ary nipetraka tamina toerana mbola avo noho ilay makarakara nitsangananay. |
41 | The base of the steam generator more or less reached my shoulder, at slightly less than 1.5m. | Ny fototr'ilay mpamokatra entona dia toa nahatakatra ny soroko, teo amin'ny latsaky ny 1.5m teo. |
42 | At the bottom, there was a manhole. | Any amin'ny farany, nisy zohindriaka. |
43 | The manhole was open, and I immediately realized I would have to climb up into it. | Nivoha izy io, ary tonga dia fantatro fa tsy maintsy hiditra ao anatiny aho. |
44 | The JSNDI employee in charge put his arm around me and together we approached the manhole. | Nalefany manodidina ahy ny tanan'ilay tompon'andraikitra avy amin'ny JSNDI ary niara-nanatona ny zohindriaka izahay. |
45 | We looked over the edge and peered in. | Nanatona ny sisiny izahay ary nijery ny tao anatiny. |
46 | Inside was dark, and the air was dense and stagnant. | Maizina tao anatiny, ary mavesatra sy tsy azo iainana ny rivotra. |
47 | It felt as though something sinister was living inside. | Tahaka ny nisy zavatra mampiahiahy niaina ao anatiny. |
48 | My expression glazed over. | Lasa matroka ny endriko. |
49 | A slight sensation of dread came over me. | Nisy fahatsapana tahotra nisoko miadana tato amiko. |
50 | As I approached the manhole, I noticed a ringing in my ears and felt reluctant to go in. | Raha nanakaiky ny zohindriaka aho, nahamarika fimonomononana tanatin'ny sofiko sy nahatsapa ho niahotra aho hiditra ao anatiny. |
51 | When I looked inside, I saw that the robot was attached to the wall indicated by the [JSNDI] employee. | Rehefa nijery tao anatiny aho, hitako fa nifatotra tamin'ilay rindrina natoron'ilay mpiasan'ny [JSNDI] ilay robot. |
52 | It was not properly attached, which is why I had been sent in. | Tsy nifatotra tsara izany, izay no nahatonga ny fandefasana ahy tany. |
53 | The atmosphere inside was ghastly and I had to desperately fight off the urge to flee. | Nampihorohoro ny tontolo tao anatiny ary tsy maintsy niady tamin'ny faniriako hitsoaka aho. |
54 | I might not have wanted to enter, but I was in no position to refuse. | Mety tsy te-hiditra tao anatiny aho, nefa tsy afaka nandà. |
55 | The robot was square-shaped, 40 cm on each side and 20 cm deep. It was called a ‘spider robot'. | Nanana bika efamira ilay robot, 40 cm isaky ny lafiny ary 20 cm ny hateviny. |
56 | The JSNDI employee put his face at the edge of the manhole, a third of his face peering in, and diligently explained what I had to do. There was little awareness at the time of the dangers to workers of radiation exposure, but even so I was concerned about the bold act of the employee, who looked inside the housing with me. | Nantsoina hoe ‘robot hàla' izany. nanatohaka ny tarehiny tamin'ny sisin'ny zohindriaka ilay mpiasan'ny JSNDI, ny ampahatelon'ny tarehiny dia ntodika tany anatiny, ary nanazava tamim-pahatoniana tamiko ny zavatra tokony hataoko. Nisy fahamalinana kely tamin'izany fotoana izany ny amin'ny loza ateraky ny fielezan'ny taratra ho an'ireo mpiasa, nefa na izany aza dia lasa saina tamin'ny hetsika feno faharisihan'ilay mpiasa, izay nijery tao anatin'ilay tranobe niaraka tamiko aho. |
57 | He continued looking inside, unfazed, and I remember wondering why he wasn't scared. | Nanohy nijery tao anatiny izy, tsy tqitrq qkory, ary tadidiko ho nanontany tena aho hoe maninona izy no tsy natahotra. |
58 | I was almost completely covered while he wasn't even wearing a mask. […] | Izaho efa saika rakotra tanteraka raha izy kosa tsy nanao na dia saron-tava fotsiny ihany aza. […] |
59 | After receiving a very detailed explanation of the work that I was to do inside, it was time. I crouched beneath the manhole next to a stepping ladder that had been brought in, and the JSNDI employee gave me a deep nod. | Taorian'ny nahazoako ny fanazavana amin'ny antsipiriany ny asa tsy maintsy ataoko ao anatiny, tonga ny fotoana andehanana. nanatona ny zohindriaka teo akaikina tohatra miankina izay nentina tany aho, ary nanao famantarana tamin'ny loha taty amiko ilay mpiasan'ny JSNDI. |
60 | I stood up, climbed the ladder, and pushed my upper body through the manhole. | Nitsangana aho, nianika ilay tohatra, ary nanosika ny vatako ambony miankina amin'ilay zohindriaka. |
61 | In that second, something grabbed at my head and squeezed hard. | Tamin'izany segondra izany indrindra, nisy zavatra nitazona ny lohako ary nanery mafy ny lohako. |
62 | A pounding in my ear started right away. | Tonga dia nigobona ny sofoko avy eo. |
63 | Battling fear, I placed my hands around the rim of the manhole and used the momentum to launched my whole body inside. | Miady amin'ny tahotra, nametraka ireo tanako tamin'ny sisin'ilay zohindriaka aho ary nampiasa ny elanelana mba hanosehiko ny vatako rehetra any anatiny. |
64 | The pounding sound got bigger. | Mbola nitombo ihany ilay feo migobona. |
65 | One worker said that right after he entered a nuclear reactor he heard a noise like a moving crab. | Nisy mpiasa iray niteny fa vantany vao nitsofoka ny toby nokleary izy dia naheno feo tahaka ny drakaka mikisakisaka. |
66 | “zawa,zawa,zawa…” He said that he could still hear this noise after he finished the work. | “zawa,zawa,zawa…” Niteny izy fa mbola henony ihany izany feo izany taorian'ny nahavitany ny asa. |
67 | Even after the inspection work, when he went back home, he couldn't forget that noise. | Na taorian'ny asa fanaraha-maso aza, rehefa niverina tany an-tranony izy, tsy mbola afaka tao an-tsofiny ilay feo. |
68 | The man ended up having a nervous breakdown. | Niafara tamin'ny fahakiviany izany. |
69 | A writer who heard this story spoke to this man and wrote a mystery novel based on that experience. | Ny mpanoratra iray izay naheno ity tantara ity dia niresaka tamin'io lehilahy io ary nanoratra asa soratra feno mistery momba ny zava-niainany. |
70 | The title of the book is “The crab of the nuclear reactor”. | Ny lohatenin'ilay boky dia “The Crab of the Nuclear Reactor” (Ny drakaky ny toby nokleary). |
71 | It was published in 1981 and was very popular among us. | Nivoaka tamin'ny taona 1981 ary nalaza dia nalaza teo aminay. |
72 | In my case, I never heard such a crab-like noise but I had the feeling that my head was being tightly constricted and deep in my ears I heard very high-tempo echoes like a sutra “gan, gan, gan”. | Raha ny momba ahy, tsy mbola naheno feo tahaka ny drakaka aho fa nahatsapa fa voatery mafy ny lohako ary naheno lalina tany anatin'ny sofiko, ako maranitra tahaka ny sutra “gan, gan, gan”. |
73 | When I entered the steam generator I stood up all of a sudden and my helmet hit the ceiling. | Rehefa niditra ny mpamokatra entona aho dia nitsangana tampoka ary nikasoka ny valindrihana ny arolohako. |
74 | So I had to bend my neck and hold both the arms of the robot in the darkish room. | Noho izany dia tsy maintsy niforitra aho ary nitazona ny sandry ankiroan'ilay robot tanatin'ny efitra maizina. |
75 | “OK” I screamed. | “OK” hoy aho nihiaka. |
76 | So the robot was unlocked and its feet jumped out of the hole. | Tsy voabahana intsony ilay robot ary nivoaka ny lavaka ny tongony. |
77 | The entire robot was not as heavy as I had thought. | Tsy dia mavesatra noho izay noeritreretiko ilay robot. |
78 | After I matched its feet position in the holes I gave them another OK sign and so it was positioned in the hole. | Taorian'ny nametrahako tamin'ny laoniny ireo tongony tao anatin'ireo lavaka dia niteny OK indray aho ary nipetraka tao anatin'ilay lavaka izy araka izany. |
79 | In the dark, when I verified that all the feet had entered into the holes I gave them another OK and jumped out of the manhole. […] | Tanatin'ny aizina, rehefa namerina nijery aho raha tafapetraka tao anatin'ireo lavaka daholo ny tongony dia nanao OK indray aho ary nivoaka ny zohindriaka. […] |
80 | [Once outside,] I was almost in shock but looked at the alarm meter and saw that it had recorded a value equal to 180, when the maximum it can record is 200. | [Vantany vao tafavoaka,] Mbola somary tohina kely ihany aho nefa nijery ny fitaovam-pandrefesana ary nahita fa nanamarika 180 izany, raha 200 kosa ny sanda lehibe indrindra afaka tahiriziny. |
81 | In only 15 seconds, I was exposed to an unbelievably high level of radiation, 180 millirem. | Tanatina 15 segondra monja, nilona tamina taratra avo dia avo aho, 180 millirem. |
82 | At that time the unit ‘millirem' was used while now it's different. | Tamin'izany fotoana izany dia nampiasaina ny mari-drefy ‘millirem' raha hafa kosa izany ankehitriny. |
83 | Now everybody uses sievert. | Ankehitriny dia mampiasa ny sievert avokoa ny olon-drehetra. |
84 | That time I was in charge of an inspection work that lasted about 1 month. | Tamin'ity fotoana ity dia niandraikitra ny asa fanaraha-maso izay naharitra teo amin'ny 1 volana teo aho. |
85 | After that I worked in another nuclear reactor but even on the second time I couldn't get through the fear and experienced the same creepy noise. | Taorian'izay dia niasa tanatina toby nokleary iray hafa aho nefa fanindroany izao fa mbola tsy afaka tato amiko ny tahotra ary mbola niatrika indray ilay feo mampatahotra. |