私が夕飯に呼び出されたのは、それから三十分ばかり經つた後の事でしたが、まだ奥さんと御孃さんの晴着が脱ぎ棄てられた儘、次の室を亂雜に彩どつてゐました。二人は遲くなると私達に濟まないといふので、飯の支度に間に合ふやうに、急いで歸つて來たのださうです。然し奥さんの親切はＫと私とに取つて殆んど無效も同じ事でした。私は食卓に坐りながら、言葉を惜しがる人のやうに、素氣ない挨拶ばかりしてゐました。Ｋは私よりも猶寡言でした。たまに親子連で外出した女二人の氣分が、また平生よりは勝れて晴やかだつたので、我々の態度は猶の事眼に付きます。奥さんは私に何うかしたのかと聞きました。私は少し心持が惡いと答へました。實際私は心持が惡かつたのです。すると今度は御孃さんがＫに同じ問を掛けました。Ｋは私のやうに心持が惡いとは答へません。たゞ口が利きたくないからだと云ひました。御孃さんは何故口が利きたくないのかと追窮しました。私は其時ふと重たい瞼を上げてＫの顏を見ました。私にはＫが何と答へるだらうかといふ好奇心があつたのです。Ｋの唇は例のやうに少し顫へてゐました。それが知らない人から見ると、丸で返事に迷つてゐるとしか思はれないのです。御孃さんは笑ひながら又何か六づかしい事を考へてゐるのだらうと云ひました。Ｋの顏は心持薄赤くなりました。
translation
About 30 minutes later, when I was summoned to dinner, the next room was still lit up with the festive clothes of Okusan and her daughter still discarded. I was. They said they wouldn't bother us if it was too late, so they hurried back in time to prepare dinner. However, Okusan's kindness was almost ineffective for both K and me. As I sat at the dining table, I could only offer curt greetings, like someone who is afraid to say anything. K was a taciturnist than I was. The moods of the two women who occasionally went out with their mother and daughter were brighter than usual, and we could see that our attitudes were somewhat miserable. Okusan asked me what happened. I replied that I was a little out of sorts. Actually, I was in a bad mood. Then the daughter asked K the same question. K didn't say he was as bad as I was. I said it was just because I didn't want to speak. The daughter asked why she didn't want to speak. At that moment, I lifted my heavy eyelids and saw K's face. I was curious as to what K would say. K's lips were slightly trembling, as usual. For those who don't know about it, all they can do is think that I'm at a loss for an answer in circles. The daughter laughed and said that she must be thinking about something embarrassing again. K's face turned slightly red.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 夕飯: evening meal (ゆうはん), evening meal (ゆうめし), dinner, dinner, supper | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 三十: thirty (さんじゅう), thirty (みそ), 30, 30 |
| 十分: 10 minutes (じっぷん), 10 minutes (じゅっぷん), enough (じゅうぶん), sufficient, plenty | 後: behind (あと), rear, after, later, remainder | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident | 奥: inner part (おく), interior, back (of a drawer, one’s throat, etc.), depths (e.g. of a forest), recesses (e.g. of a cave) |
| 脱: de- (indicating reversal, removal, etc.) (だつ), post- | 室: room (しつ), wife (of someone of high rank), scabbard, Chinese “Encampment” constellation (one of the 28 mansions), greenhouse (むろ) | 二人: two persons (ににん), two persons (ふたり), two people, two people, pair | 私達: we (わたくしたち), we (わたしたち), us, us |
| 支度: preparation (したく), arrangements | 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval | 合: between-season wear (あい), spring and autumn clothing, spring and fall clothing, together, condition | 急: sudden (きゅう), abrupt, unexpected, urgent, pressing |
| 親切: kind (しんせつ), gentle, considerate, generous, friendly | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 取: taking (とり), taker, collecting, collector, remover | 殆: quite (ほとほと), utterly, really, completely |
| 食卓: dining table (しょくたく) | 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word | 惜: alas (あたら), alas (あったら), regrettably, regrettably, to my great regret | 人: -ian (e.g. Italian) (じん), -ite (e.g. Tokyoite), -er (e.g. performer, etc.), person working with …, man |
| 寡言: reticence (かげん), taciturnity | 親子: parent and child (おやこ), parent and child (しんし) | 連: two reams (of paper) (れん), 1000 sheets (of paper), stanza, verse, tribe (in taxonomy) | 外出: going out (がいしゅつ), going out (そとで), outing, outing, leaving (one’s home, office, etc.) |
| 平生: usual (へいぜい), ordinary | 勝: win (しょう), victory, beautiful scenery, scenic spot, counter for wins | 晴: clear weather (はれ), fine weather, formal, ceremonial, public | 我々: we (われわれ) |
| 猶: still (なお), yet, more, still more, greater | 付: furnished with (つき), furnished with (づき), furnished with (ツキ), including, including | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 少: small (しょう), little, few |
| 惡: evil (あく), wickedness, (role of) the villain (in theatre, etc.), the bad guy | 答: answer (こたえ), reply, response, answer, solution | 今度: this time (こんど), now, next time, another time, shortly | 問: question (とい), query, counter for questions (もん) |
| 口: mouth (くち), opening, hole, gap, orifice | 利: advantage (り), benefit, profit, interest | 何故: why (なぜ), why (なにゆえ), how, how | 口: mouth (くち), opening, hole, gap, orifice |
| 重: chief (おも), main, principal, important, main secondary or supporting role (in kyogen) | 瞼: eyelid (まなぶた), eyelid (まぶた) | 上: above (うえ), over, up, top, summit | 顏: face (かお), face (がん), visage, visage, look |
| 好奇心: curiosity (こうきしん), inquisitiveness | 唇: lip (くちびる), lips | 例: example (れい), instance, illustration, case, precedent | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) |
| 返事: reply (へんじ), answer, response | 笑: laugh (わらい), laughter, smile, sneer, sex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.) | 六: six (む), six (むう), six (ろく), 6, 6 | 考: thought (こう), report on one’s investigation into …, deceased father |