「Ｋの葬式の歸り路に、私はその友人の一人から、Ｋが何うして自殺したのだらうといふ質問を受けました。事件があつて以來私はもう何度となく此質問で苦しめられてゐたのです。奥さんも御孃さんも、國から出て來たＫの父兄も、通知を出した知り合ひも、彼とは何の縁故もない新聞記者迄も、必ず同樣の質問を私に掛けない事はなかつたのです。私の良心は其度にちく／＼刺されるやうに痛みました。さうして私は此質問の裏に、早く御前が殺したと白状してしまへといふ聲を聞いたのです。
translation
"On the way home from K's funeral, I was asked by one of his friends why K had committed suicide. His wife, his daughter, K's parents who had left the country, acquaintances who gave notice, even newspaper reporters with whom he had no connection, were all asked the same questions. My conscience was stabbed each time, and behind this question, I quickly confessed that you had killed me. I heard a whoosh.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 葬式: funeral (そうしき) | 路: road (みち), path, street, lane, passage | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) |
| 一人: one person (いちにん), one person (ひとり), being alone, being alone, being by oneself | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 自殺: suicide (じさつ) | 質問: question (しつもん), inquiry, enquiry |
| 事件: event (じけん), affair, incident, case, plot | 何度: how many times (なんど), how many degrees (temperature, angle, etc.) | 質問: question (しつもん), inquiry, enquiry | 苦: pain (く), anguish, suffering, distress, anxiety |
| 國: country (くに), state, region, national government, central government | 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 父兄: guardians (ふけい), parents, father and older brother | 通知: notice (つうち), notification, report, posting, notification (on a smartphone, PC, etc.) |
| 合: between-season wear (あい), spring and autumn clothing, spring and fall clothing, together, condition | 彼: that (あ), that (あれ), that (アレ), that thing, that thing | 縁故: relation (えんこ), connection, affinity | 新聞: newspaper (しんぶん) |
| 迄: until (a time) (まで), till, to, up to, to (a place or person) | 必: definiteness (ひつ), certainty | 掛: credit (かけ), money owed on an account, bill, hanger, holder | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident |
| 痛: ouch (いた), ow, that hurt, pain (つう), ache | 裏: inside (うち), within, while (e.g. one is young), during, within (e.g. a day) | 早: already (はや), now, by this time, quick, early | 御前: you (おまい), you (おまえ), presence (of a god, nobleman, etc.), presence (of a god, nobleman, etc.), presence (of a nobleman, the emperor, etc.) (ごぜ) |
| 聲: voice (こえ), singing (of a bird), chirping (of an insect), hoot, voice |