妻はある時、男の心と女の心とは何うしてもぴたりと一つになれないものだらうかと云ひました。私はたゞ若い時ならなれるだらうと曖昧な返事をして置きました。妻は自分の過去を振り返つて眺めてゐるやうでしたが、やがて微かな溜息を洩らしました。
translation
My wife once said that the hearts of men and women could never become one. I gave an ambiguous answer, thinking that I would be able to do it when I was younger. My wife seemed to be looking back on her past, and then let out a faint sigh.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 妻: wife (つま), garnish (esp. one served with sashimi), trimmings, accompaniment, side (remark) | 心: mind (こころ), heart, spirit, the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.), heart (しん) | 女: female (うみな), female (おうな), female (おな), female (おみな), female (おんな) | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing |
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 若: youth (わか), child (esp. of the young son of someone of high social standing), young, new, like (こと) | 時: time (とき), hour, moment, occasion, case | 曖昧: vague (あいまい), ambiguous, unclear, shady, disreputable |
| 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself | 過去: the past (かこ), bygone days, one’s past (that one would prefer remained secret), past (tense), preterit | 返: number of times (へん), reply, answer | 微: minuteness (び), one millionth |