さつき迄傍にゐて、あんまりだわとか何とか云つて笑つた御孃さんは、何時の間にか向ふの隅に行つて、脊中を此方へ向けてゐました。私は立たうとして振り返つた時、其後姿を見たのです。後姿だけで人間の心が讀める筈はありません。御孃さんが此問題について何う考へてゐるか、私には見當が付きませんでした。御孃さんは戸棚を前にして坐つてゐました。其戸棚の一尺ばかり開いてゐる隙間から、御孃さんは何か引き出して膝の上へ置いて眺めてゐるらしかつたのです。私の眼はその隙間の端に、一昨日買つた反物を見付け出しました。私の着物も御孃さんのも同じ戸棚の隅に重ねてあつたのです。
translation
Before I knew it, the daughter, who had been by my side until the end of the day and laughed at me saying things like, "That's too much", went to the opposite corner and turned her back in this direction. As I turned around to stand, I saw him. There is no way you can read the human mind just by looking at the back. I had no idea what the daughter was thinking about this matter. The daughter was sitting in front of the cupboard. It seemed that the young lady had pulled out something from the one-foot gap in the cupboard, placed it on her lap, and was looking at it. At the edge of that gap, my eyes found the piece of cloth I had bought the day before yesterday. My kimono and the daughter's were piled up in the corner of the same cupboard.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 笑: laugh (わらい), laughter, smile, sneer, sex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.) | 何時: when (いつ), at what time, how soon, normal times, ordinary days | 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval |
| 行: line (of text) (ぎょう), row, verse, carya (austerities), samskara (formations) | 此方: this way (こち), this way (こちら), this way (こっち), this direction, this direction | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer |
| 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 後姿: (a person’s) appearance from behind (うしろすがた), person as seen from behind, back view, retreating figure | 人間: human being (にんげん), human, person, man, mankind | 心: mind (こころ), heart, spirit, the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.), heart (しん) |
| 問題: question (e.g. on a test) (もんだい), problem, problem (e.g. societal, political), question, issue | 考: thought (こう), report on one’s investigation into …, deceased father | 付: furnished with (つき), furnished with (づき), furnished with (ツキ), including, including | 戸棚: cupboard (とだな), locker, closet, wardrobe, cabinet |
| 戸棚: cupboard (とだな), locker, closet, wardrobe, cabinet | 一尺: approx. 30 cm (いっしゃく) | 隙間: crevice (すきま), crack, gap, opening, clearance | 引: -off (price reduction) (びき), discount, -coated, -plated |
| 膝: knee (ひざ), knee (ヒザ), lap, lap, knee and thigh (while sitting) | 上: above (うえ), over, up, top, summit | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 端: near (そく), near (そば), near (はた), close, close |
| 一昨日: day before yesterday (いっさくじつ), day before yesterday (おとつい), day before yesterday (おととい) | 反物: fabric (たんもの), cloth, textiles, drapery, dry-goods | 見付: approach (to a castle gate) (みつけ), front of a structural member | 着物: kimono (きもの), Japanese traditional clothing (esp. full-length), clothing, clothes, something to wear (きるもの) |
| 重: chief (おも), main, principal, important, main secondary or supporting role (in kyogen) |