「私は今迄伯父任せにして置いた家の財産に就いて、詳しい知識を得なければ、死んだ父母に對して濟まないと云ふ氣を起したのです。伯父は忙がしい身體だと自稱する如く、毎晩同じ所に寐泊はしてゐませんでした。二日家へ歸ると三日は市の方で暮らすといつた風に、兩方の間を往來して、其日其日を落付のない顏で過ごしてゐました。さうして忙がしいといふ言葉を口癖のやうに使ひました。何の疑も起らない時は、私も實際に忙がしいのだらうと思つてゐたのです。それから、忙がしがらなくては當世流ではないのだらうと、皮肉にも解釋してゐたのです。けれども財産の事に就いて、時間の掛る話をしやうといふ目的が出來た眼で、この忙がしがる樣子を見ると、それが單に私を避ける口實としか受取れなくなつて來たのです。私は容易に伯父を捕まへる機會を得ませんでした。
translation
"Until now, I've left my uncle in charge of the family's property, and I've come to the realization that if I don't get a detailed knowledge of it, I won't be able to deal with my dead parents. My uncle is busy. As I called myself, I didn't sleep in the same place every night, but I would come home for two days and spend the next three days in the city. I spent the rest of the day with a straight face, and I used the word "busy" like a habit.When there is no doubt, I am really busy. Then, ironically, I thought that if I wasn't busy, I wouldn't be fashionable. When I saw this busy-looking child with the purpose of doing something, I could only take it as an excuse to avoid me. I didn't get the chance.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 今迄: until now (いままで), so far, up to the present | 家: house (いえ), residence, dwelling, family, household | 財産: property (ざいさん), fortune, assets |
| 得: profit (とく), advantage, benefit, gain, rebirth in paradise, entering nirvana | 死: death (し), death (ﾀﾋ), decease, decease, (an) out | 父母: father and mother (かぞいろ), father and mother (かぞいろは), father and mother (ちちはは), father and mother (ててはは), father and mother (ふぼ) | 對: versus (たい), against, vs., v., to (e.g. score of 4 to 2, ratio of 3 to 1, vote of 320 to 180) |
| 起: source (おこり), origin, cause, beginning, genesis | 伯父: uncle (おじ), uncle (しゅくふ), uncle (はくふ), uncle (one’s father’s older brother) (えおじ) | 身體: body (しんたい), body (しんだい), body (しんてい), physical system, physical system | 如: tathata (the ultimate nature of all things) (にょ), like (こと), like (ごと), like (もころ), similar to |
| 同: the same (どう), the said, likewise | 所: place (とこ), place (ところ), spot, spot, scene | 二日: 2nd day of the month (ふつか), two days | 家: house (いえ), residence, dwelling, family, household |
| 市: market (いち), fair, city (し) | 方: direction (かた), way, person, lady, gentleman | 暮: sunset (くれ), sundown, nightfall, dusk, end | 風: swing (ふり), shake, wave, swinging, appearance |
| 顏: face (かお), face (がん), visage, visage, look | 過: surplus- (か), excess-, over-, per- (chemical with more of a certain element than found in other compounds of the same constituents) | 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word | 口癖: pet saying (くちぐせ), favorite phrase, stock phrase, catchphrase, manner of talking |
| 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing | 疑: doubt (ぎ), distrust, suspicion (of) | 時: time (とき), hour, moment, occasion, case | 皮肉: irony (ひにく), sarcasm, cynicism, satire, unexpected |
| 時間: time (じかん), hour, period, class, lesson | 掛: credit (かけ), money owed on an account, bill, hanger, holder | 話: talk (はなし), speech, chat, conversation, topic | 目的: purpose (もくてき), goal, aim, objective, intention |
| 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 受取: receiving (うけとり), receipt | 容易: easy (ようい), simple, plain |