兄と床を竝べて寐る私は、斯んな寐物語りをした。兄の頭にも私の胸にも、父は何うせ助からないといふ考があつた。何うせ助からないものならばといふ考もあつた。我々は子として親の死ぬのを待つてゐるやうなものであつた。然し子としての我々はそれを言葉の上に表はすのを憚かつた。さうして御互に御互が何んな事を思つてゐるかをよく理解し合つてゐた。
translation
My brother and I shared the same bedside story. Both my brother's mind and my heart had the idea that my father would never be saved. There was also the idea that it would be of no help at all. As children, it was as if we were waiting for our parents to die. As children, however, we were hesitant to put it into words. In this way, we had a good understanding of what each other was thinking.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 兄: older brother (あに), elder brother, you (けい), Mr, Mister | 床: bed (とこ), bedding, sickbed, alcove, riverbed | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 物語: story (ものがたり), tale, narrative, account, fable |
| 胸: chest (むな), chest (むね), breast, breast, breasts | 父: father (あて), father (かそ), father (かぞ), father (しし), father (ちち) | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 助: help (じょ), rescue, assistant, assistance (すけ), help |
| 我々: we (われわれ) | 子: child (こ), kid, teenager, youngster, young (non-adult) person | 親: parent (おや), parents, mother and father, dealer, banker | 死: death (し), death (ﾀﾋ), decease, decease, (an) out |
| 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word | 上: above (うえ), over, up, top, summit | 表: surface (おもて), face (i.e. the visible side of an object), front (of a building, etc.), obverse side (i.e. “head”) of a coin, outside | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident |
| 合: between-season wear (あい), spring and autumn clothing, spring and fall clothing, together, condition |