先生の返事が來た時、私は一寸驚ろかされた。ことにその内容が特別の用件を含んでゐなかつた時、驚ろかされた。先生はたゞ親切づくで、返事を書いてくれたんだと私は思つた。さう思ふと、その簡單な一本の手紙が私には大層な喜びになつた。尤も是は私が先生から受取つた第一の手紙に相違なかつたが。
translation
"I was a little surprised when I got the teacher's reply." I was especially surprised when the contents contained no special business. I thought that Sensei was just being kind enough to write me an answer. When I thought about it, that simple letter brought me great joy. Of course, this was the first letter I received from Sensei.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 先生: teacher (せんせい), instructor, master, sensei, title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc. | 返事: reply (へんじ), answer, response | 一寸: one sun (approx. 3.03 cm) (いっすん), little bit (of time, distance, etc.), a little (ちょいと), a little (ちょっと), a little (ちょと) | 内容: contents (ないよう), content, substance, matter, detail |
| 用件: business (ようけん), thing to be done, something that should be performed, information that should be conveyed | 親切: kind (しんせつ), gentle, considerate, generous, friendly | 書: letter (ふみ), writings, book (しょ), document, calligraphy (esp. Chinese) | 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 | 大層: very (たいそう), extremely, exceedingly, greatly, terribly | 尤: superb (ゆう), outstanding | 是: here (ここ), this place, this point, here, now |
| 第一: first (だいいち), foremost, number one, most important, best | 相違: difference (そうい), discrepancy, variation |