我々が首尾よく試驗を濟ましました時、二人とももう後一年だと云つて奥さんは喜こんで呉れました。さう云ふ奥さんの唯一の誇とも見られる御孃さんの卒業も、間もなく來る順になつてゐたのです。Ｋは私に向つて、女といふものは何にも知らないで學校を出るのだと云ひました。Ｋは御孃さんが學問以外に稽古してゐる縫針だの琴だの活花だのを、丸で眼中に置いてゐないやうでした。私は彼の迂濶を笑つてやりました。さうして女の價値はそんな所にあるものでないといふ昔の議論を又彼の前で繰り返しました。彼は別段反駁もしませんでした。其代り成程といふ樣子も見せませんでした。私には其所が愉快でした。彼のふんと云つた調子が、依然として女を輕蔑してゐるやうに見えたからです。女の代表者として私の知つてゐる御孃さんを、物の數とも思つてゐないらしかつたからです。今から囘顧すると、私のＫに對する嫉妬は、其時にもう充分萌してゐたのです。
translation
When we successfully completed the test, the wife was delighted, saying that we were both a year away. The graduation of the daughter, who is said to be the wife's only pride, was also in order of coming soon. K told me that he left school without knowing anything about women. K didn't seem to notice the sewing needles, the koto, or the flowers that the daughter was practicing outside of school. I laughed at his circumvention. And so I repeated before him the old argument that a woman's worth is not in such a place. He made no objections. On the other hand, he did not show any sign of progress. I was happy that way. It was because the way he said that was still making him look down on women. Because she didn't seem to think of the girl I knew as a female representative. Looking back on it now, my jealousy towards K was already welling up at that time.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 我々: we (われわれ) | 首尾: beginning and end (しゅび), from beginning to end, result, outcome, course of events | 二人: two persons (ににん), two persons (ふたり), two people, two people, pair | 一年: one year (いちねん), one year (ひととし), one year (ひととせ), some time ago, some time ago |
| 呉: go (ご), soy beans soaked and mashed to a creamy paste (ingredient of tofu and soy milk), Wu (region in China, south of the lower Yangtze), Wu (kingdom in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era; 902-937 CE), Southern Wu | 唯一: only (ゆいいつ), only (ゆいつ), only (ゆういつ), sole, sole | 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 卒業: graduation (そつぎょう), completion (of a course), moving on (from), outgrowing (something), leaving (a group, company, etc.) |
| 順: order (じゅん), order (ずん), turn, turn, sorting | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 女: female (うみな), female (おうな), female (おな), female (おみな), female (おんな) |
| 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 學校: school (がっこう) | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 以外: with the exception of (いがい), excepting, excluding |
| 縫針: sewing needle (ぬいばり) | 琴: koto (13-stringed Japanese zither) (こと), koto (13-stringed Japanese zither) (そう), stringed instrument, stringed instrument, zheng (Chinese zither) | 活花: ikebana (いけばな), ikebana (せいか), Japanese art of flower arrangement, Japanese art of flower arrangement, fresh flower | 丸: circle (まる), circle (マル), entirety, entirety, whole |
| 彼: that (あ), that (あれ), that (アレ), that thing, that thing | 迂濶: careless (うかつ), thoughtless, stupid, heedless, unobservant | 笑: laugh (わらい), laughter, smile, sneer, sex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.) | 所: place (とこ), place (ところ), spot, spot, scene |
| 議論: argument (ぎろん), discussion, dispute, controversy | 前: point (さき), tip, end, nozzle, head (of a line) | 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer | 別段: particular (べちだん), particular (べつだん), special, special, (not) particularly |
| 反駁: refutation (はんばく), refutation (はんぱく), rebuttal, rebuttal, retort | 成程: I see (なるほど), that’s right, indeed | 其所: there (place relatively near listener) (そこ), there (place just mentioned), that place, then (of some incident just spoken of), that (of point just raised) | 愉快: pleasant (ゆかい), delightful, enjoyable, joyful, cheerful |
| 依然: still (いぜん), as yet, as it has been | 代表者: representative (だいひょうしゃ), delegate | 物: thing (もの), thing (もん), thing (モノ), object, object | 今: now (いま), the present time, just now, soon, immediately |
| 嫉妬: jealousy (しっと), envy | 充分: enough (じゅうぶん), sufficient, plenty, adequate, satisfactory |