三度目の夏は丁度私が永久に父母の墳墓の地を去らうと決心した年です。私は其時Ｋに歸國を勸めましたが、Ｋは應じませんでした。さう毎年家へ歸つて何をするのだと云ふのです。彼はまた踏み留まつて勉強する積らしかつたのです。私は仕方なしに一人で東京を立つ事にしました。私の郷里で暮らした其二ヶ月間が、私の運命にとつて、如何に波瀾に富んだものかは、前に書いた通りですから繰り返しません。私は不平と幽鬱と孤獨の淋しさとを一つ胸に抱いて、九月に入つて又Ｋに逢ひました。すると彼の運命も亦私と同樣に變調を示してゐました。彼は私の知らないうちに、養家先へ手紙を出して、此方から自分の詐を白状してしまつたのです。彼は最初から其覺悟でゐたのださうです。今更仕方がないから、御前の好きなものを遣るより外に途はあるまいと、向ふに云はせる積もあつたのでせうか。兎に角大學へ入つて迄も養父母を欺むき通す氣はなかつたらしいのです。又欺むかうとしても、さう長く續くものではないと見拔いたのかも知れません。
translation
The third summer is exactly the year I decided to leave the land of my parents' graves forever. At that time, I asked K to return to Japan, but he refused. So what do you do when you return home every year? He was determined to stay and study again. I had no choice but to leave Tokyo alone. I have already written about how turbulent those two months in my hometown were to my destiny, so I won't repeat myself. In September, I met K again, filled with complaints, melancholy, and the loneliness of loneliness. His fortunes, just like mine, were taking a turn. Without my knowledge, he sent a letter to his adoptive family, confessing his fraud. It seems that he was aware of this from the beginning. I wonder if there was a time when I was able to say to the other side that there was no choice but to use what you liked. It seems that even after entering Kaku University, he had no intention of deceiving his adoptive parents. Even if he tried to deceive me, he may have assumed that it would not last long.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 三度: three times (さんど), thrice, third (interval), three times (みたび), thrice | 目: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 度目: the Nth time (どめ) | 夏: summer (なつ), Xia dynasty (of China; c. 2070-1600 BCE; possibly mythological) (か), Hsia dynasty, summer (on the lunisolar calendar: 16th day of the 4th month to the 15th day of the 7th month) (げ) |
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 永久: eternity (えいきゅう), eternity (とこしえ), eternity (とわ), permanence, permanence | 父母: father and mother (かぞいろ), father and mother (かぞいろは), father and mother (ちちはは), father and mother (ててはは), father and mother (ふぼ) | 墳墓: grave (ふんぼ), tomb |
| 決心: determination (けっしん), resolution | 年: year (とし), age, years, past one’s prime, old age | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- |
| 家: house (いえ), residence, dwelling, family, household | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 彼: that (あ), that (あれ), that (アレ), that thing, that thing | 留: ruble (Russian currency) (ルーブリ), ruble (Russian currency) (ルーブル), rouble, rouble, stationary point (りゅう) |
| 積: product (せき), volume, area | 仕方: way (しかた), method, means, resource, course | 一人: one person (いちにん), one person (ひとり), being alone, being alone, being by oneself | 東京: Tokyo (とうきょう), Tokyo (とうけい) |
| 郷里: hometown (きょうり), birthplace | 暮: sunset (くれ), sundown, nightfall, dusk, end | 月間: month-long period (げっかん), (during) month | 運命: fate (うんめい), destiny, lot |
| 波瀾: disturbance (はらん), trouble, commotion, uproar, turmoil | 富: riches (とみ), wealth, fortune, resources, lottery | 前: point (さき), tip, end, nozzle, head (of a line) | 書: letter (ふみ), writings, book (しょ), document, calligraphy (esp. Chinese) |
| 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer | 不平: discontent (ふへい), dissatisfaction, complaint, grievance | 幽鬱: depression (ゆううつ), melancholy, dejection, gloom, despondency | 一: one (いち), 1, best, first, foremost |
| 九月: September (くがつ), ninth month of the lunar calendar | 入: entering (いり), setting (of the Sun), containing, content, audience | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 養家: adoptive family (ようか) |
| 手紙: letter (てがみ), missive, note, mail | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 此方: this way (こち), this way (こちら), this way (こっち), this direction, this direction | 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself |
| 最初: beginning (さいしょ), outset, first, onset | 今更: now (when it is already much too late) (いまさら), at this stage, afresh, anew, again | 仕方: way (しかた), method, means, resource, course | 仕方: way (しかた), method, means, resource, course |
| 好: friendship (ぎ), friendship (よしび), friendship (よしみ), friendly relations, friendly relations | 外: outside (そと), outside (と), exterior, exterior, the open (air) | 途: road (みち), path, street, lane, passage | 兎: rabbit (う), rabbit (うさぎ), rabbit (ウサギ), hare, hare |
| 迄: until (a time) (まで), till, to, up to, to (a place or person) | 養父母: adoptive parents (ようふぼ) | 氣: spirit (き), mind, heart, nature, disposition | 長: height (たき), height (たけ), stature, stature, length (esp. of clothing) |