Ｋは中學にゐた頃から、宗教とか哲學とかいふ六づかしい問題で、私を困らせました。是は彼の父の感化なのか、又は自分の生れた家、即ち寺といふ一種特別な建物に屬する空氣の影響なのか、解りません。ともかくも彼は普通の坊さんよりは遙かに坊さんらしい性格を有つてゐたやうに見受けられます。元來Ｋの養家では彼を醫者にする積で東京へ出したのです。然るに頑固な彼は醫者にはならない決心をもつて、東京へ出て來たのです。私は彼に向つて、それでは養父母を欺むくと同じ事ではないかと詰りました。大膽な彼は左右だと答へるのです。道のためなら、其位の事をしても構はないと云ふのです。其時彼の用ひた道といふ言葉は、恐らく彼にも能く解つてゐなかつたでせう。私は無論解つたとは云へません。然し年の若い私達には、この漠然とした言葉が尊とく響いたのです。よし解らないにしても氣高い心持に支配されて、そちらの方へ動いて行かうとする意氣組に卑しい所の見える筈はありません。私はＫの説に贊成しました。私の同意がＫに取つて何の位有力であつたか、それは私も知りません。一圖な彼は、たとひ私がいくら反對しやうとも、矢張自分の思ひ通りを貫ぬいたに違なからうとは察せられます。然し萬一の場合、贊成の聲援を與へた私に、多少の責任が出來てくる位の事は、子供ながら私はよく承知してゐた積です。よし其時にそれ丈の覺悟がないにしても、成人した眼で、過去を振り廻る必要が起つた場合には、私に割り當てられただけの責任は、私の方で帶びるのが至當になる位な語氣で私は贊成したのです。
translation
Since K was in junior high school, he has been bothering me with difficult questions such as religion and philosophy. I don't know if it was his father's influence, or if it was the house where he was born, that is, the atmosphere of a special building called a temple. At any rate, he seems to have had a much more monk-like personality than the average monk. Originally, K's foster family sent him to Tokyo with the intention of making him a doctor. However, he was stubborn and decided not to become a doctor, so he came to Tokyo. I asked him if that was the same as deceiving his adoptive parents. He boldly answers left and right. He said that if it was for the sake of the path, he would do whatever it took. He probably didn't quite understand the word "way" that he used at the time. Of course I can't say I understand. But to us, who were young, those vague words resonated with us. Whether you understand it or not, there is no way you can see a lowly place in the spirited group that tries to move in your direction, dominated by noble feelings. I agree with K's theory. I don't even know how strong my consent was for K. No matter how much I oppose him, I can infer that he must have gone through with what he had in mind. However, in Manichi's case, even as a child, I was well aware of the fact that I was somewhat responsible for giving him the support. Alright, even if I don't have that level of enlightenment at that time, when the need arises to turn around the past with an adult eye, I'll take the responsibility that's been assigned to me. I made it through with the perfect amount of eloquence.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 頃: (approximate) time (ころ), (approximate) time (ごろ), around, around, about | 宗教: religion (しゅうきょう), religious affiliation, belief, faith, creed | 六: six (む), six (むう), six (ろく), 6, 6 |
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 是: here (ここ), this place, this point, here, now | 彼: that (あ), that (あれ), that (アレ), that thing, that thing | 父: father (あて), father (かそ), father (かぞ), father (しし), father (ちち) |
| 又: again (また), once more, once again, another time, some other time | 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself | 生: pure (き), undiluted, raw, crude, raw (なま) | 寺: temple (Buddhist) (てら), counter for temples (じ) |
| 特別: special (とくべつ), particular, extraordinary, exceptional, especial | 特別: special (とくべつ), particular, extraordinary, exceptional, especial | 建物: building (たてもの) | 影響: influence (えいきょう), effect, impact |
| 普通: normal (ふつう), ordinary, regular, usual, common | 坊: bonze (ぼう), bonze (ぼん), monk, monk, monk’s dwelling | 性格: character (of a person) (せいかく), personality, disposition, nature, characteristics | 有: existence (ゆう), possession, having, limited company, bhava (becoming, existence) (う) |
| 醫者: doctor (いしゃ), physician | 積: product (せき), volume, area | 東京: Tokyo (とうきょう), Tokyo (とうけい) | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) |
| 頑固: stubborn (がんこ), obstinate, pigheaded | 決心: determination (けっしん), resolution | 養父母: adoptive parents (ようふぼ) | 同: the same (どう), the said, likewise |
| 詰: stuffing (つめ), stuffing (づめ), packing, packing, end (esp. the foot of a bridge) | 左右: left and right (さう), left and right (さゆう), left and right (そう), right and left, right and left | 答: answer (こたえ), reply, response, answer, solution | 道: road (みち), path, street, lane, passage |
| 用: business (よう), task, errand, engagement, use | 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word | 恐: frightening (こわ), terrifying, yours sincerely (かしく), yours sincerely (かしこ), respectfully yours | 能: talent (のう), gift, function, noh (theatre) |
| 解: solution (of an equation, inequality, etc.) (かい), root (e.g. of a polynomial), solution (to a given problem), answer, explanation | 年: year (とし), age, years, past one’s prime, old age | 若: youth (わか), child (esp. of the young son of someone of high social standing), young, new, like (こと) | 私達: we (わたくしたち), we (わたしたち), us, us |
| 尊: zun (ancient Chinese wine vessel, usu. made of bronze) (そん), honorific prefix referring to the listener, counter for buddhas, Lord (みこと), Highness | 響: echo (ひびき), reverberation, sound (esp. the distinctive sound of an object or activity, e.g. rain, gun, gallop, drum), noise, quality of a sound (e.g. a fine phrase, clear voice, resonant bell) | 心持: feeling (こころもち), mood, sensation, disposition, mental attitude | 支配: rule (しはい), domination, control, direction, management |
| 動: motion (どう) | 行: line (of text) (ぎょう), row, verse, carya (austerities), samskara (formations) | 意氣: spirit (いき), heart, disposition | 組: class (of students) (くみ), group (of people), party, team, crew |
| 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 筈: should (be) (はず), bound (to be), expected (to be), must (be), nock (of a bow) | 説: theory (せつ), doctrine, opinion, view, rumour | 同意: agreement (どうい), consent, approval, assent, same opinion |
| 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 有力: influential (ゆうりょく), prominent, strong, likely, plausible | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 矢張: as expected (やはり), sure enough, just as one thought, after all (is said and done), in the end |
| 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself | 通: authority (つう), expert, connoisseur, well-informed person, counter for messages, letters, notes, documents, etc. | 貫: kan (obs. unit of weight, approx. 3.75 kg, 8.3 lb) (かん), kan (obs. unit of currency, equiv. to 1000 mon in the Edo period; col. 10 mon in the Meiji period), counter for pieces of sushi, 10 points, 12 points | 察: cops (さつ), cops (サツ), police, police |
| 多少: a little (たしょう), some, somewhat, slightly, to some degree | 責任: duty (せきにん), responsibility (incl. supervision of staff), liability, onus | 位: throne (くらい), crown, (nobleman’s) seat, government position, court rank | 子供: child (こども), children |
| 丈: only (だけ), just, merely, simply, no more than | 成人: adult (せいじん), grownup, becoming an adult, coming of age, growing up (to be a man, woman) | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 過去: the past (かこ), bygone days, one’s past (that one would prefer remained secret), past (tense), preterit |
| 起: source (おこり), origin, cause, beginning, genesis | 場合: case (ばあい), occasion, situation, circumstances, case (ばやい) | 割: rate (わり), ratio, proportion, one tenth, ten percent | 帶: obi (kimono sash) (おび), obi (strip of paper looped around a book, CD, etc. containing information about the product), band, belt, strip |