其時Ｋはもう寐たのかと聞きました。Ｋは何時でも遲く迄起きてゐる男でした。私は黒い影法師のやうなＫに向つて、何か用かと聞き返しました。Ｋは大した用でもない、たゞもう寐たか、まだ起きてゐるかと思つて、便所へ行つた序に聞いて見た丈だと答へました。Ｋは洋燈の灯を脊中に受けてゐるので、彼の顏色や眼つきは、全く私には分りませんでした。けれども彼の聲は不斷よりも却つて落ち付いてゐた位でした。
translation
"At that time, I asked if K had already fallen asleep." K was a man who stayed up late at any time. I turned to K, who looked like a black shadow artist, and asked him if he wanted anything. K thought it was no big deal, just that he was sleeping or still awake. K had the light of the lantern running down his spine, so I couldn't make out his complexion or the look in his eyes. His voice, however, was more calm than uninterrupted.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 何時: when (いつ), at what time, how soon, normal times, ordinary days | 男: man (おっこ), man (おとこ), male, male, fellow | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) |
| 影法師: shadow figure (かげぼうし), silhouette | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 用: business (よう), task, errand, engagement, use | 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer |
| 起: source (おこり), origin, cause, beginning, genesis | 便所: toilet (べんじょ), lavatory, water closet, restroom, bathroom | 行: line (of text) (ぎょう), row, verse, carya (austerities), samskara (formations) | 序: opportunity (ついで), occasion, chance, order, sequence |
| 丈: only (だけ), just, merely, simply, no more than | 答: answer (こたえ), reply, response, answer, solution | 洋燈: lamp (ようとう), lamp (ランプ) | 灯: light (ひ), lamp, light (あかり), illumination, glow |
| 彼: that (あ), that (あれ), that (アレ), that thing, that thing | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 全: all (ぜん), whole, entire, complete, total | 分: minute (unit of time) (ふん), fun (one tenth of a monme, 5.787 grains), one-tenth (ぶ), one percent (one-tenth of a wari), 3 mm (one-tenth of a sun) |
| 落: slip (おち), slip (オチ), omission, omission, upshot | 付: furnished with (つき), furnished with (づき), furnished with (ツキ), including, including | 位: throne (くらい), crown, (nobleman’s) seat, government position, court rank |