「私の座敷には控えの間といふやうな四疊が付屬してゐました。玄關を上つて私のゐる所へ通らうとするには、是非此四疊を横切らなければならないのだから、實用の點から見ると、至極不便な室でした。私は此所へＫを入れたのです。尤も最初は同じ八疊に二つ机を竝べて、次の間を共有にして置く考へだつたのですが、Ｋは狹苦しくつても一人で居る方が好いと云つて、自分で其方のはうを擇んだのです。
translation
"My tatami room had four quarters, something like an antechamber. If you want to go up the front door and get to where I am, you have to cross these four quarters. From that point of view, it was an extremely inconvenient room, and this is where I put K. Of course, at first I thought of putting two desks in the same eight rooms and sharing the next room. However, K insisted that it would be better for him to be alone, even if it was difficult, and he tried to persuade you.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 座敷: tatami room (ざしき), tatami mat room, formal Japanese room, dinner party in a tatami room (esp. when a geisha or maiko attends) | 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval | 玄關: entrance (げんかん), front door, entryway, entranceway, entry hall |
| 所: place (とこ), place (ところ), spot, spot, scene | 通: authority (つう), expert, connoisseur, well-informed person, counter for messages, letters, notes, documents, etc. | 是非: certainly (ぜひ), without fail, right and wrong, pros and cons | 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook |
| 不便: inconvenience (ふべん), inexpediency, unhandiness, poor (ふびん), pitiful | 不便: inconvenience (ふべん), inexpediency, unhandiness, poor (ふびん), pitiful | 室: room (しつ), wife (of someone of high rank), scabbard, Chinese “Encampment” constellation (one of the 28 mansions), greenhouse (むろ) | 此所: here (ここ), this place, this point, here, now |
| 入: entering (いり), setting (of the Sun), containing, content, audience | 尤: superb (ゆう), outstanding | 最初: beginning (さいしょ), outset, first, onset | 同: the same (どう), the said, likewise |
| 机: desk (つき), desk (つくえ) | 次: next (つぎ), following, subsequent, stage, station | 共有: joint ownership (きょうゆう), co-ownership, sharing (e.g. a viewpoint), sharing (files, devices on a network, posts on social media, etc.) | 考: thought (こう), report on one’s investigation into …, deceased father |
| 居: residence (きょ), being (somewhere) (い), sitting | 方: direction (かた), way, person, lady, gentleman | 好: friendship (ぎ), friendship (よしび), friendship (よしみ), friendly relations, friendly relations | 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself |