話が本筋をはづれると、分り惡くなりますからまたあとへ引き返しませう。是でも私は此長い手紙を書くのに、私を同じ地位に置かれた他の人と比べたら、或は多少落ち付いてゐやしないかと思つてゐるのです。世の中が眠ると聞こえだすあの電車の響ももう途絶えました。雨戸の外にはいつの間にか憐れな虫の聲が、露の秋をまた忍びやかに思ひ出させるやうな調子で微かに鳴いてゐます。何も知らない妻は次の室で無邪氣にすや／＼寐入つてゐます。私が筆を執ると、一字一劃が出來上りつゝペンの先で鳴つてゐます。私は寧ろ落付いた氣分で紙に向つてゐるのです。不馴のためにペンが横へ外れるかも知れませんが、頭が惱亂して筆がしどろに走るのではないやうに思ひます。
translation
"If you stray from the main topic, it will be difficult to understand, so let's turn back." Even so, as I write this long letter, I feel that if I compare myself to others who have been placed in the same position, I might be a little more calm. The sound of the train that you hear when the world is asleep has already stopped. Before I knew it, outside the shutters, the pitiful voice of an insect was humming faintly in a tone that reminded me of autumn with dew. My wife, who knows nothing, is sleeping innocently in the next room. When I pick up my pen, each letter is completed and the tip of the pen is ringing. Rather, I turn to paper in a calm mood. The pen may slip sideways due to unfamiliarity, but I don't think the brush runs sluggishly because of headaches.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 話: talk (はなし), speech, chat, conversation, topic | 本筋: main thread (of a story) (ほんすじ) | 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) | 惡: evil (あく), wickedness, (role of) the villain (in theatre, etc.), the bad guy |
| 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer | 是: here (ここ), this place, this point, here, now | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 手紙: letter (てがみ), missive, note, mail |
| 同: the same (どう), the said, likewise | 地位: (social) position (ちい), status, standing, position (in a company, organization, etc.), post | 他: another place (ほか), some other place, somewhere else, outside, another (person or thing) | 人: -ian (e.g. Italian) (じん), -ite (e.g. Tokyoite), -er (e.g. performer, etc.), person working with …, man |
| 或: a certain … (ある), some … | 多少: a little (たしょう), some, somewhat, slightly, to some degree | 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 |
| 中: inside (なか), interior, among, within, middle | 電車: train (でんしゃ), electric train | 響: echo (ひびき), reverberation, sound (esp. the distinctive sound of an object or activity, e.g. rain, gun, gallop, drum), noise, quality of a sound (e.g. a fine phrase, clear voice, resonant bell) | 途絶: stoppage (とぜつ), interruption, cessation, suspension |
| 外: outside (そと), outside (と), exterior, exterior, the open (air) | 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval | 虫: insect (むし), bug, cricket, moth, worm | 聲: voice (こえ), singing (of a bird), chirping (of an insect), hoot, voice |
| 秋: time (とき), hour, moment, occasion, case | 忍: endurance (にん), forbearance, patience, self-restraint, squirrel’s foot fern (Davallia mariesii) (しのぶ) | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 調子: tune (ちょうし), tone, key, pitch, time |
| 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 妻: wife (つま), garnish (esp. one served with sashimi), trimmings, accompaniment, side (remark) | 次: next (つぎ), following, subsequent, stage, station |
| 筆: writing brush (ひつ), writing brush (ふで), paintbrush, paintbrush, pen | 執: bow (and arrow; esp. of a noble) (たらし), attachment (しゅう), obsession, persistence | 一字: (one) letter (いちじ), (one) character | 一劃: one plot (of land) (いっかく), one block (i.e. one city block), one area, one lot, one brush stroke |
| 先: a short while ago (さっき), a moment ago, just now, some time ago, point (さき) | 寧: rather (むしろ), better, instead, if anything | 紙: paper (かみ), newspaper (し) | 不馴: inexperienced (ふなれ), unfamiliar (with), unversed, lacking experience |
| 頭: counter for large animals (e.g. head of cattle) (とう), counter for insects in a collection, counter for helmets, masks, etc., head (あたま), head (かしら) | 走: run (そう), race |