My feeling about SMAP (SMAPについての私の考え）
/Sep 8, 2017
ｽﾗｯｼｭﾘｰﾃﾞｨﾝｸﾞ・訳・解説
/Jun 20, 2017/ Nikkei Asia Review
/Dec 27, 2016/ Nikkei Asian Review
/Aug 25, 2016/ Nikkei Asia Review
POWER STRUGGLE/権力争い
DRIVING FANS AWAY/ファンを追い払うこと
My feeling about SMAP, written on Sep 8, 2017
I am a big fan of SMAP and I check their information on the web every day even now. (Is it stupid?) Am I stupid?
Last year was so severe for SMAP’s fans like me, and recently very disgusting thing happened again. My favorite blogger, writing about SMAP every day, was ordered to eliminate many pages by J&A(ジャニーズ事務所) because of infringing the copyright. The blog is very popular among SMAP’s fans but really private one. They say it is so unusual that such a thing happened.
SMAP broke up at the end of last year. Each member had their own radio program whose title included the name of SMAP. But every title except Takuya Kimura’s has changed (has been forced to change) since the beginning of this year. For example, Masahiro Nakai’s program titled “Some Girl SMAP” became “On and on Air”. But Kimura’s program titled “What’s up SMAP?” still exists. Their fans know that each member of SMAP loves SMAP very much. Most of fans believe that SMAP’s disband was caused by the executives of J&A, especially Vice-President Merry Kitagawa & her daughter.
SMAP was formed in 1988 and made its debut on September 9, 1991. So it is the very special day for SMAP’s fans. But it is said that three members are to leave J&A on that day (→Three members left J&A on September 8) and Shingo Katori’s popular TV program called “Sma Station” is to be closed within this month. SMAP’s fans' hardships seem to continue.
I’m sorry if you are not interested in SMAP at all, but the articles here are written from a totally different point of view from the ones written in Japanese by Japanese mass media.
Johnny's disdain for internet could leave room for upstarts to flourish
NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW
TOKYO -- Three former members of SMAP, the venerable and beloved Japanese pop group that disbanded late last year, will leave powerhouse talent agency Johnny & Associates in what could prove a wise move amid a fast-changing media market.
Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori will depart after their contracts expire in September, it was reported Monday.
The agency, also known as Johnny's, tightly restricts the online activities of its stars. Artists are barred from using social media or video-sharing sites to win fans. Johnny's also refuses to license music to subscription streaming services, which are exploding in popularity worldwide. The agency has stuck with its model of focusing on television appearances and making money from concerts and CD sales. SMAP was no exception.
But change is afoot in the music industry. Japanese residents in their 20s have a higher daily media consumption online than by live TV since 2013. The average gap on weekdays reached about 18 minutes in 2015.
Even as production of music CDs and DVDs has slumped, Japan's market for streaming-music services surged 60% to 20 billion yen ($179 million) last year.
Trends driven by the internet generation can spread worldwide in a flash through social media. Metal-pop trio Babymetal's global fame owes to video-sharing websites. With minimal TV exposure, the group gained fans by actively posting video of live performances.
The departing ex-SMAP members could provide an opportunity for less-favored media companies to leap into the limelight.
"We cannot comment at this time" on any involvement with the three former SMAP members, said CyberAgent , co-owner of internet broadcaster AbemaTV.
SMAP fans mourn as Japan pop idols leave 'final stage'
December 27, 2016 /NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW (a passage of the article)
Group spans boy band to TV stars in decades-long career
TOKYO -- Japan's beloved pop idol group SMAP bowed out Monday with the final episode of the long-running television program "SMAPxSMAP," disheartening many fans.
Positioned as the group's "final stage" of public appearances together, the program featured videos from the past two decades as well as a clip of the five members clad in black tuxedos singing hit song "Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana" ("A Flower Unlike Any Other in the World") last month.
Members with stern expressions bowed deeply before a white curtain closed in the prerecorded video. It showed the back of group leader Masahiro Nakai as he wiped tears. But the group gave no live farewell message, since none of the members was present at the studio as the last episode aired.
**********
The Japanese public was shocked when moves toward the group's breakup surfaced in January as all but one member, Takuya Kimura, reportedly sought to work independently of the group. Then the members apologized on "SMAPxSMAP" for causing the turmoil. The situation seemed to have calmed. But the group's talent agency, Johnny & Associates, announced SMAP's dissolution in August.
Saddened fans protested the move, hoping for a miracle. A campaign to buy the CD single of "Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana" went viral via Twitter. The CD sold about 400,000 copies since January, industry statistics provider Oricon said. Cumulative sales of the 2003 single topped 3 million this month.
On Dec. 11, fans delivered 373,515 signatures to the talent agency demanding a continuation of SMAP. A 29-year-old fan involved in the signature and CD purchase efforts said she cannot accept the dissolution without understanding the reason. SMAP "gave a moral boost to various people," including those affected by the country's major earthquakes and tsunami in 2011, she said. She still holds out hope that the group will come back together.
**********
SMAP, formed in 1988, released its first CD in 1991. The program "SMAPxSMAP" first aired in 1996.
Breakup of beloved band SMAP highlights the state of J-pop
August 25, 2016 Nikkei Asia Review, / a passage of the article
SINGAPORE The recent announcement of the breakup of SMAP, Japan's most enduring boy band and a beloved cultural icon, is highlighting the declining state of J-pop. The industry has been hurt by the rise of K-pop from South Korea, as well as by the failure of the Japanese entertainment companies to adapt to changing times.
On Aug. 14, the news that SMAP was breaking up after nearly three decades sent fans in Japan and the rest of Asia into a tizzy. SMAP's management company, Johnny & Associates, said the five-member group - will call it quits at the end of the year.
**********
For many J-pop fans in Asia who grew up in the 1990s, SMAP was their first taste of Japanese entertainment. The group rose to fame in the late 1990s, thanks to overseas broadcasts of popular TV dramas featuring its members. "Part of the collective memory of our generation is gone," said 41-year-old Taiwan resident Janet Hsieh.
With sales of their singles and albums exceeding 35 million units in Japan alone and their TV programs attracting high viewership, SMAP's breakup comes at a high cost. Kansai University Professor Emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto estimates the economic loss from SMAP's disbandment to be 63.6 billion yen ($634 million) per year.
POWER STRUGGLE Not only are fans disappointed, they are also disillusioned over the way the breakup was handled.
It seems to have started with a power struggle inside J&A, one of Japan's most influential talent agencies. In January, SMAP was reportedly on the verge of disbanding after the group's manager, Michi Iijima -- who was embroiled in a lengthy conflict with J&A's founding family -- attempted to leave J&A with the band members in tow. The group later went on TV to apologize for the mess and assure the world that they were not in fact breaking up. But the appearance had a staged feel to it, with the members' black suits and glum expressions leading some viewers to question whether they were acting of their own volition.
"These incidents made overseas fans understand how much control agencies have over their pop stars," said Rob Schwartz, Asia bureau chief of Billboard Magazine.
Since Japan's biggest talent companies hold sway over TV casting decisions, any conflict with agency bosses can hurt a performer's career. "In the past, when big stars have tried to leave their agency, the industry would band together and blacklist them," Schwartz said.
If SMAP had successfully left J&A in January, "it would have been earthshaking for the Japanese music industry," he added. "If SMAP can leave J&A, then it's easier for anyone to leave J&A."
DRIVING FANS AWAY Although J-pop groups have loyal followings across Asia, Japan's agencies have not been very adept at cultivating those fans. Now, the SMAP mess could drive some international fans away.
J&A, in particular, has stuck to its own way of doing business, much to the chagrin of overseas devotees. Generally, fans outside Japan cannot book tickets to its concerts online, and its fan clubs only allow people with valid Japanese addresses to register. Artists' use of social media is prohibited, giving overseas fans little opportunity to interact with their favorites online. J&A artists seldom perform abroad -- in stark contrast to South Korean groups like Big Bang, which perform frequently in East and Southeast Asian countries.
**********
Still, in Southeast Asian cities, K-pop is far more prevalent. Walk around any mall in Bangkok and you are bound to see a South Korean cosmetics store plastered with faces of K-pop stars, and K-pop playing in the background. By contrast, J-pop CDs can be hard to find in stores.
Yet J-pop does have its charms. "Fans of J-pop tend to value the narrative surrounding their favorite idols over their performance skills," said Kazumi Nagaike, a professor at Oita University and an expert on Japanese pop culture.
Narratives that include failure and perseverance can inspire fans to stick by their idols -- if all goes according to plan. "Perhaps J&A was writing out a narrative that SMAP members' ties would be stronger than ever, after their crisis" earlier in the year, Nagaike suggested.
Of course, some fans may still be hoping for an epilogue to the tale of SMAP -- one in which their idols make a surprise comeback.
スラッシュリーディング・訳・解説My feeling about SMAP,/ written on Sep 8, 2017
スマップについての私の気持ち/2017年9月8日に書かれた。
I am a big fan of SMAP/ and I check their information on the web/ every day even now. //Is it stupid? Am I stupid?
私は、SMAPの大ファンです/そして、私はウェブサイトで、彼らの情報をチェックしています。/今でさえ毎日。//馬鹿げていますか？
Last year was so severe/ for SMAP’s fans like me,/ and recently/ very disgusting thing happened again.
去年は、とても厳しかったです。/私のようなSMAPのファンにとって/そして最近/とてもガッカリさせることが再び起きました。
My favorite blogger,/ writing about SMAP every day,/ was ordered to eliminate many pages/ by J&A(ジャニーズ事務所)/ because of infringing the copyright.//
The blog is very popular among SMAP’s fans/ but really private one.// They say/ it is so unusual/ that such a thing happened.
infringe=ｲﾝふﾘﾝｼﾞ=～を侵害する
copyright=ｺﾋﾟｰﾗｲﾄｩ=著作権（の）、～の著作権〔版権〕をとる
私の好きなブログ管理人が/毎日SMAPについてかいている（管理人）/多くのページを削除するように命令されました。/ジャニーズ事務所によって/著作権を侵害しているために。//そのブログは、SMAPファンの間ではとても人気があります/が、本当に個人的なものです。//人々は言っています/(次のことは）とても異常であると。/そのようなことが起こったことは。
SMAP broke up/ at the end of last year.//Each member had their own radio program/ whose title included the name of SMAP.// But every title except Takuya Kimura’s has changed (was forced to change)/ since(at) the beginning of this year.//For example, /Masahiro Nakai’s program titled “Some Girl SMAP”/ became “On and on Air”. //But/ Kimura’s program titled “What’s up SMAP?”/ still exists.
スマップは解散しました。/去年の終わりに。//それぞれのメンバーは彼ら自身のラジオ番組を持っていました/その番組名にSMAPの名前を含んだ（番組を）。//しかし、木村拓哉の（番組）を除くすべての番組名は、変わることを強いられまっした。/今年の初めに。//例えば、/中居正広の「サムガールSMAP」と題名をつけられた番組は/「オン・アンド・オン・エア」になりました。//しかし、「ワッツアップSMAP」と表題を付けられた木村の番組は/まだ存在しています。
Their fans know/ that each member of SMAP loves SMAP very much.// Most of fans believe/ that SMAP’s disband was caused by the executives of J&A,/ especially Vice-President Merry Kitagawa & her daughter.
彼らのファンは知っています。/SMAPのそれぞれのメンバーはとてもSMAPを愛していることを。//ファンのほとんどは信じています（→思っています）。/SMAPの解散は、ジャニーズ事務所の幹部によって引き起こされたと/特に副社長のメリー喜多川と彼女の娘。
SMAP was formed in 1988/ and made its debut on September 9, 1991. //So/ it is the very special day for SMAP’s fans.
SMAPは1988年に形成されました/そして、1991年9月9日にデビューしました。//だから/ファンにとっては特別な日なのです。
But it is said/ that three members are to leave J&A on that day (→But/three members left J&A on September 8)/ and Shingo Katori’s popular TV program called “Sma Station”/ is to be closed within this month. //SMAP’s fans' hardships seem to continue.
しかし、3人のメンバーが9月8日にジャニーズ事務所を去りました/そして香取慎吾の「スマステーション」と呼ばれる人気のテレビ番組は/今月いないに終えられる予定です。//SMAPのファンの苦難は続くように見えます。
I’m sorry/if you are not interested in SMAP at all,/ but/ the articles here/ are written from a totally different point of view/ from the ones one written in Japanese/ by Japanese mass media. //
すみません。/もしあなたが、全くSMAPに興味がなかたっら/しかし/ここの記事は/全く違った視点から書かれています。/日本語で書かれたものとは/日本のマスメディアによる。//だから、どうぞ、確認してみてください。
Johnny's disdain for internet/ could leave room for upstarts to flourish
NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW
disdain=ﾃﾞｨｽﾃﾞｲﾝﾇ=軽蔑（感）(=scorn,contempt)、高慢（な態度）、～を軽蔑する（=feel contempt for)
upstart=ｱｯﾌﾟｽﾀｰﾄｩ=成金、横柄な人、成り上がり者の
ジャニーズのインターネットに対する軽蔑感は、成金が栄える余地を残しているかもしれない。
TOKYO /-- Three former members of SMAP,/ the venerable and beloved Japanese pop group/ that disbanded late last year,/ will leave powerhouse talent agency Johnny & Associates/ in what could prove a wise move/ amid a fast-changing media market.
venerable=べﾈﾗﾌﾞる=尊敬すべき、尊い
beloved=最愛の、愛しい
powerhouse=ﾊﾟｳｱﾊｳｽ=最強チーム・国、発電所
東京/SMAPの3人の元メンバーは/尊敬すべき、最愛の日本のポップグループ（SMAPの）/昨年の終わりに解散した（グループ）（…ここまでが長い主語）/最強のタレント事務所・ジャニーズを去る予定です。/賢い動き動きとなり得るかもしれない（？）/速く変わるメディア市場の中で。
Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori/ will depart/ after their contracts expire in September,/ it was reported Monday.
depart=ﾃﾞｨﾊﾟｰﾄｩ=出発する、辞める
expire=ｴｸｽﾊﾟｲｱ=終了する、満期になる
稲垣吾郎、草彅剛、香取慎吾は/辞める予定です/彼らの契約が、9月に満期になる後に/それは、月曜日に報じられました。
The agency,/ also known as Johnny's, /tightly restricts the online activities of its stars. //Artists are barred from using social media or video/-sharing sites to win fans. //Johnny's also refuses to license music to subscription streaming services, /which are exploding in popularity worldwide. //The agency has stuck with its model of focusing on television appearances/ and making money from concerts and CD sales. //SMAP was no exception.
restrict=ﾘｽﾄﾘｸﾄｩ=～を制限する
bar O from doing=Oが～するのを妨げる bar=prevent
license=らｲｾﾝｽｩ～に許可を与える、許可、免許
subscription=ｻﾌﾞｽｸﾘﾌﾟｼｮﾝﾇ=（予約）購読（料）
explode=ｴｸｽﾌﾟろｳﾄﾞｩ =爆発する、突然～になる・～しだす
stick with＝～を続ける、（考え・方針など）を守り続ける
代理店（事務所）は/ジャニーズとしても知られていますが/厳しく、そのスターのオンラインでの活動を制限しています。//アーティストは、ソーシャルメディアやビデオを使うことを禁じられています。/つまり、ファンを勝ち取るために、サイトを共有することを（禁じられています）。//ジャニーズはまた、？音楽がストリーミングサービスを利用することに許可を与えることを拒否しています。/そしてそれは（そのサービスは）、
世界中で突然人気になっています（が）。//事務所は、テレビ出演に集中する原型を守り続けています。/そして、コンサートとCDの売れ上げからお金を稼ぐ（原型を）。//SMAPも例外ではありません。
But/ change is afoot in the music industry. //Japanese residents in their 20s/ have a higher daily media consumption online/ than by live TV /since 2013. //The average gap on weekdays// reached about 18 minutes in 2015.
afoot=ｱふｯﾄｩ=《文》起きて、進行して
consumption=消費、消耗
しかし/変化は音楽業界で起きています。//20代の日本の居住者は/ネット利用でより高い日々のメディア消費を持っています（→より頻繁に日々ネットを活用していますuse internet more frequently）。/テレビの生放送よりも/2013年から。//平日の平均的な隔たりは/2015年に18分くらいに達しました。（音楽を、ネットで聞く方がテレビで聞くより18分長くなったということ？）
Even as production of music CDs and DVDs has slumped,/ Japan's market for streaming-music services/ surged 60% to 20 billion yen ($179 million) last year.
slump=ｽらﾝﾌﾟｩ=暴落（する）、衰える、不振
surge=ｻｰｼﾞ=急騰する、急増する
音楽CDとDVDの生産が暴落さえしている一方/日本のストリーミング音楽サービスに対する市場は/昨年、60%、200億円（1億7千9百万ドル）まで急増しました。
Trends driven by the internet generation/ can spread worldwide in a flash/ through social media.// Metal-pop trio Babymetal's global fame/ owes to video-sharing websites. //With minimal TV exposure,/ the group gained fans/ by actively posting video of live performances.
in a flash=あっという間に
owing to O=Oのために、Oによる
(普通oweは他動詞、owe A to B=Aに対してBのお陰である）
minimal=ﾐﾆﾏる=最小限度の、最小（の）
post=ﾎﾟｳｽﾄｩ=～掲示する、（データ）をアップデートする、柱
（電子メール）を送る、（データ）を入力する、郵便 / 地位
インターネっと世代によって引き起こされた傾向は/あっという間に世界中に広がり得ます。/ソーシャルメディアを通して。//メタルポップの3人グループ、ベイビーメタルの世界的な名声は/ビデオ共有のウェッブサイトのお陰です。//最小限のテレビへの露出で/グループはファンを得ました/生のパフォーマンスのビデオを活発に投稿することによって。
The departing ex-SMAP members/ could provide an opportunity/ for less-favored media companies/ to leap into the limelight.
favored=気に入られている、恵まれた
旅立つ元SMAPメンバーは/機会を与えるかもしれません。/より恵まれないメディア会社にとって/スポットライトの中に飛び込む（→脚光を浴びる）（機会を）。
"We cannot comment at this time"/ on any involvement with the three former SMAP members,/ said CyberAgent ,/ co-owner of internet broadcaster AbemaTV.
involvement =かかわり合い、参加
「私達は、今回、コメントできません。」/元SMAPメンバーとのいかなるかかわり合いに関しても/と、サイバーエイジェントは言いました。/インターネット放送Abema TVの共同所有者（は）。
SMAP fans mourn /as Japan pop idols leave 'final stage'
mourn=ﾓｰﾝﾇ=嘆き悲しむ、（～の）喪に服す
SMAPファンは嘆き悲しんでいます/日本のポップアイドルが「最後のステージ」を去るので
December 27, 2016 /NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW (a passage of the article)
Group spans boy band to TV stars in decades-long career
span=《他》～に及ぶ、広がる、期間、長さ
グループは、ボーイバンドからテレビのスターに及ぶ//何十年もの長さの経歴で。
TOKYO -- /Japan's beloved pop idol group SMAP/ bowed out Monday/ with the final episode of the long-running television program "SMAPxSMAP,"/ disheartening many fans.
dishearten=ﾃﾞｨｽﾊｰﾄﾝﾇ=～を落胆させる、～の希望を失わせる
episode=ｴﾋﾟｿｰﾄﾞｩ=挿話、1つの話、1つの出来事
東京/日本の愛されているポップアイドル グループのSMAPは/月曜日にお辞儀をして去りましたbowed and went out?/長く続いたテレビ番組「SMAPxSMAP」の最終話とともに/そしてそれは、多くのファンを落胆させました。（分詞構文）
Positioned as the group's "final stage" of public appearances together, /the program featured videos from the past two decades/ as well as a clip of the five members clad in black tuxedos /singing hit song "Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana" ("A Flower Unlike Any Other in the World") last month.
clad=《文》（～を）着た=clothed、（～に）覆われた=covered
tuxedo=ﾀｷｽｨｰﾄﾞｳ=タキシード
Members with stern expressions/ bowed deeply/ before a white curtain closed in the prerecorded video. //It showed the back of group leader Masahiro Nakai/ as he wiped tears. //But the group gave no live farewell message, /since none of the members was present at the studio/ as the last episode aired.
air(ed)=broadcast
**********
The Japanese public was shocked/ when moves toward the group's breakup/ surfaced in January/ as all but one member, Takuya Kimura,/ reportedly sought to work independently of the group. //Then the members apologized on "SMAPxSMAP" /for causing the turmoil. //The situation seemed to have calmed. //But the group's talent agency, Johnny & Associates, /announced SMAP's dissolution in August.
surface=ｻｰふｪｽ=表面、《自》（問題が）明るみに出る
turmoil=ﾄｩｧｰﾓｲる=騒動、混乱
Saddened fans protested the move, /hoping for a miracle.// A campaign to buy the CD single of "Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana"/ went viral via Twitter. //The CD sold about 400,000 copies since January, /industry statistics provider Oricon said. //Cumulative sales of the 2003 single topped 3 million this month.
On Dec. 11, /fans delivered 373,515 signatures to the talent agency/ demanding a continuation of SMAP. //A 29-year-old fan involved in the signature and CD purchase efforts/ said she cannot accept the dissolution without understanding the reason. //SMAP "gave a moral boost to various people,"/ including those affected by the country's major earthquakes and tsunami in 2011, /she said.// She still holds out hope/ that the group will come back together.
Concerning this episode, the group who gathered sinatures was rejected to hand in papers of signatures by J&A at first, because the reception desk was closed before moving, and told to mail them instead of handing in. The episode spread through internet rapidly and many fans got angry again. Finally…
Masahiro Nakai asks us, fans to make a donation to the Red Cross of Japan, etc. through his Radio Program once a month even now.
hand in=手渡す
**********
SMAP, /formed in 1988, /released its first CD in 1991.// The program "SMAPxSMAP" first aired in 1996.
Breakup of beloved band SMAP highlights the state of J-pop
August 25, 2016 Nikkei Asia Review, / a passage of the article
SINGAPORE/ The recent announcement of the breakup of SMAP, /Japan's most enduring boy band and a beloved cultural icon, /is highlighting the declining state of J-pop. //The industry has been hurt by the rise of K-pop from South Korea,/ as well as by the failure of the Japanese entertainment companies/ to adapt to changing times.
On Aug. 14, /the news/ that SMAP was breaking up/ after nearly three decades sent fans in Japan and the rest of Asia into a tizzy. SMAP's management company, Johnny & Associates, said the five-member group - will call it quits at the end of the year.
**********
For many J-pop fans in Asia/ who grew up in the 1990s,/ SMAP was their first taste of Japanese entertainment. //The group rose to fame in the late 1990s, /thanks to overseas broadcasts of popular TV dramas/ featuring its members. //"Part of the collective memory of our generation/ is gone," /said 41-year-old Taiwan resident/ Janet Hsieh.
With sales of their singles and albums/ exceeding 35 million units in Japan alone/ and their TV programs attracting high viewership,/ SMAP's breakup comes at a high cost. //Kansai University Professor Emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto/ estimates the economic loss from SMAP's disbandment/ to be 63.6 billion yen ($634 million) per year.
Not only are fans disappointed,/ they are also disillusioned/ over the way/ the breakup was handled.
di
disillusion=ﾃﾞｨｽるｰｼﾞｮﾝﾇ=幻滅、～に幻滅を感じさせる
ファン達はがっかりさせられただけでなく/彼女達は幻滅させられています。/過程〔方法〕に対しても/解散が処理された（過程）。
It seems to have started/ with a power struggle inside J&A,/ one of Japan's most influential talent agencies.
それは始まったように見えます。/ジャニーズ事務所内部の権力争いで〔から〕/日本の最も影響力のあるタレント事務所の一つである（ジャニーズ事務所）。.
In January, /SMAP was reportedly on the verge of disbanding/ after the group's manager, Michi Iijima /-- who was embroiled in a lengthy conflict with J&A's founding family -- /attempted to leave J&A/ with the band members in tow.
embroil=ｴﾝﾌﾞﾛｲる=～を巻きこむ
lengthy=大変長い
with O in tow=～ﾄｳ=Oを引き連れて
1月/SMAPは、伝えられるところによると、解散寸前にありました。/グループのマネージャーの飯島美智（が次の事をした事）の後で/そして彼女は、ジャニーズ事務所の創業家との大変長い闘争に巻き込まれていたが（…ダッシュで囲まれているところは説明なので、文が読み取れない場合は省略して読んでみるとわかりやすいです）/事務所を去ることを企てました。/グループのメンバーを引き連れて。
The group later went on TV/ to apologize for the mess/ and assure the world/ that they were not in fact breaking up.
後にグループは、テレビに出演しました。/混乱を詫びるために/そして、（次のことを）世間に保証するために。/彼らが本当には解散しないつもりだということを。
But/ the appearance had a staged feel to it,/ with the members' black suits and glum expressions/ leading some viewers to question /whether they were acting of their own volition.
stage=～を上演する、設定する
feel=印象
glum=ｸﾞらﾑ=憂鬱な
volition=ぼｳりｯｼｮﾝﾇ= 意思決定
しかし/その外見は、to itそれに対して演出された印象がありました。/メンバーの、黒いスーツと憂鬱な表情で/一部の視聴者を（次の）疑問に導くような（表情）/彼らは彼ら自身の意思決定から行動しているのかどうか（という疑問）。
"These incidents made overseas fans understand/ how much control agencies have/ over their pop stars," /said Rob Schwartz, Asia bureau chief of Billboard Magazine.
「これらの出来事は、海外のファンにわからせました。/どれだけの統制力を事務所は持っているのかを/彼女達のポップ・スターに対して。」/と、ビルボードマガジンのアジア局長のロブ・シュワルツは述べました。
Since Japan's biggest talent companies hold sway over TV casting decisions,/ any conflict with agency bosses can hurt a performer's career. // "In the past, /when big stars have tried to leave their agency, /the industry would band together/ and blacklist them," Schwartz said.
sway=ｽｩｴｲ=揺れ、《文》支配、影響力=control
performer=ﾊﾟふｫｰﾏｰ=演奏者、役者、俳優、芸人、歌手（→タレント）
band together=団結する
blacklist=ﾌﾞらｯｸりｽﾄｩ=～を（要注意人物として）ブラックリストに載せる
日本の最大規模のタレント会社は、テレビのキャスティングの決定に対して影響力を持っているので、/事務所のボスとのどんな争いも、タレントの経歴に傷をつける可能性があります。// 「過去に/大スター達が彼らの事務所を去ろうとした時/業界は団結したものです。(would=used to)/そして、彼らをブラックリストに載せたものです。」とシュワルツは述べました
If SMAP had successfully left J&A in January, /"it would have been earthshaking for the Japanese music industry," /he added. // "If SMAP can leave J&A,/ then it's easier for anyone to leave J&A."
earthshaking=ｱｰｽｼｪｲｷﾝｸﾞｩ=全世界を揺るがす、非常に重大な
もしSMAPが、1月にうまくジャニーズ事務所を出ることができていたら、/「それは、日本の音楽業界にとって、業界を揺るがすことになっていたでしょう。（仮定法過去完了）」と、彼は付け加えました。// 「もし、SMAPがジャニーズ事務所を去ることができれば、/それならば、誰にとってもジャニーズ事務所を去ることが、より簡単になってしまいます。（it-toの構文）」
DRIVING FANS AWAY/ファンを追い払うこと
Although J-pop groups have loyal followings across Asia, /Japan's agencies have not been very adept at cultivating those fans. // Now, the SMAP mess could drive some international fans away.
loyal=忠実な、誠実な
following=信奉者、支持者
be adept at=ｱﾃﾞﾌﾟﾄｩ=～に精通している=be good at
Jポップ・グループは、アジアじゅうに誠実な支持者を持っていますが、/日本の事務所は、これらのファンを開拓することに、あまり精通してきませんでした。//今、SMAPの騒動は、一部の国際的なファンを引き離すかもしれません。
J&A, /in particular,/ has stuck to its own way of doing business, /much to the chagrin of overseas devotees. // Generally, /fans outside Japan/ cannot book tickets to its concerts online, /and its fan clubs/ only allow people with valid Japanese addresses to register.
chagrin=ｼｬｸﾞﾘﾝﾇ=無念、くやしさ（=disappointment)
devotee=ﾃﾞぼﾃｨｰ=愛好者（=fan)、信者
allow O to do=ｱらｳ～=Oが～することを許す
valid＝ばりｯﾄﾞｩ=正当な、有効な、合法的な
register=ﾚｼﾞｽﾀｰ=登録、～を登録する
ジャニーズ事務所は/とりわけ/自身のビジネスをする方法に固執してきました。// 一般的に/日本の外のファンは/オンラインで（ネットを通して）そのコンサートへのチケットを予約することができません。/そして、そのファンクラブは/
Artists' use of social media/ is prohibited,/ giving overseas fans little opportunity to interact with their favorites online. / J&A artists seldom perform abroad /-- in stark contrast to South Korean groups like Big Bang, which perform frequently in East and Southeast Asian countries.
**********
Still, in Southeast Asian cities, /K-pop is far more prevalent. //Walk around any mall in Bangkok/ and you are bound to see a South Korean cosmetics store/ plastered with faces of K-pop stars, /and K-pop playing in the background. //By contrast, /J-pop CDs can be hard to find in stores.
prevalent=《形》流行している
be bound to do=きっと～する
plaster=～をべたべた貼る、塗る
Yet/ J-pop does have its charms.// "Fans of J-pop tend to value the narrative surrounding their favorite idols/ over their performance skills,"/ said Kazumi Nagaike,/ a professor at Oita University/ and an expert on Japanese pop culture.
narrative=ﾅﾗﾃｨぶ=物語、地の文（←文章の会話部分に対し、作者が説明する）、《形》物語の、物語形式の
Narratives/ that include failure and perseverance/ can inspire fans to stick by their idols/ -- if all goes according to plan. //"Perhaps/ J&A was writing out a narrative/ that SMAP members' ties would be stronger than ever,/ after their crisis" earlier in the year, /Nagaike suggested.
Of course,/ some fans may still be hoping for an epilogue/ to the tale of SMAP /-- one in which/ their idols make a surprise comeback.
