あなたの手紙、――あなたから來た最後の手紙――を讀んだ時、私は惡い事をしたと思ひました。それで其意味の返事を出さうかと考へて、筆を執りかけましたが、一行も書かずに已めました。何うせ書くなら、此手紙を書いて上げたかつたから、さうして此手紙を書くにはまだ時機が少し早過ぎたから、已めにしたのです。私がたゞ來るに及ばないといふ簡單な電報を再び打つたのは、それが爲です。
translation
When I read your letter--the last letter that came from you--I thought I had done something wrong. So I thought about giving a meaningful reply, and started writing, but I gave up without writing a single line. If I had to write anything, I wanted to write this letter to you, and it was a little too early for me to write this letter, so I gave up. That is why I sent you a simple telegram again saying that I should not come back.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 手紙: letter (てがみ), missive, note, mail | 最後: end (さいご), conclusion, last, final, latest | 惡: evil (あく), wickedness, (role of) the villain (in theatre, etc.), the bad guy | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident |
| 返事: reply (へんじ), answer, response | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 考: thought (こう), report on one’s investigation into …, deceased father | 筆: writing brush (ひつ), writing brush (ふで), paintbrush, paintbrush, pen |
| 一行: (one) line (いちぎょう), (one) row, party (いっこう), group, troop | 書: letter (ふみ), writings, book (しょ), document, calligraphy (esp. Chinese) | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 手紙: letter (てがみ), missive, note, mail |
| 時機: opportunity (じき), chance, time, occasion | 少: small (しょう), little, few | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 及: and (および), as well as |
| 再: re- (さい), again, repeated, deutero-, deuto- | 打: dozen (ダース), hitting a ball (with a bat, golf club, etc.) (だ), batting, stroke | 爲: good (ため), advantage, benefit, welfare, sake |