二人は市の外れから電車に乘つたが、車内では殆んど口を聞かなかつた。電車を降りると間もなく別れなければならなかつた。別れる時の先生は、又變つてゐた。常よりは晴やかな調子で、「是から六月迄は一番氣樂な時ですね。ことによると生涯で一番氣樂かも知れない。精出して遊び玉へ」と云つた。私は笑つて帽子を脱つた。其時私は先生の顏を見て、先生は果して心の何處で、一般の人間を憎んでゐるのだらうかと疑つた。その眼、その口、何處にも厭世的の影は射してゐなかつた。
translation
The two got on the train from the outskirts of the city, but they barely spoke to each other on the train. As soon as I got off the train, I had to say goodbye. When we parted, the teacher had changed again. In a more cheerful tone than usual, he said, "From now until June is the happiest time of my life. It may be the happiest time of my life. I'll do my best to play." I laughed and took off my hat. At that time, when I saw Sensei's face, I wondered what was in his heart that he hated ordinary people. In his eyes, in his mouth, no shadow of misanthropy was cast.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 二人: two persons (ににん), two persons (ふたり), two people, two people, pair | 市: market (いち), fair, city (し) | 外: outside (そと), outside (と), exterior, exterior, the open (air) | 電車: train (でんしゃ), electric train |
| 殆: quite (ほとほと), utterly, really, completely | 口: mouth (くち), opening, hole, gap, orifice | 間: space (between) (あいだ), space (between) (あわい), gap, gap, interval | 別: distinction (べち), distinction (べつ), difference, difference, discrimination |
| 先生: teacher (せんせい), instructor, master, sensei, title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc. | 常: constant (とこ), unchanging, eternal, ordinary (ただ), ordinary (タダ) | 晴: clear weather (はれ), fine weather, formal, ceremonial, public | 調子: tune (ちょうし), tone, key, pitch, time |
| 六月: June (ろくがつ), sixth month of the lunar calendar | 迄: until (a time) (まで), till, to, up to, to (a place or person) | 一番: number one (いちばん), first, first place, best, most | 生涯: life (しょうがい), lifetime, career, for life, all one’s life |
| 玉: ball (たま), sphere, globe, orb, bead (of sweat, dew, etc.) | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 笑: laugh (わらい), laughter, smile, sneer, sex aids (e.g. dildos, pornographic books, erotic woodblock prints, etc.) | 帽子: hat (ぼうし), cap |
| 顏: face (かお), face (がん), visage, visage, look | 見: looking (み), viewing, (please) try (to), view (of life, etc.) (けん), outlook | 果: phala (attained state, result) (か), enlightenment (as the fruits of one’s Buddhist practice), fruit, counter for pieces of fruit, end (はたて) | 心: mind (こころ), heart, spirit, the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.), heart (しん) |
| 一般: general (いっぱん), universal, ordinary, average, common | 人間: human being (にんげん), human, person, man, mankind | 疑: doubt (ぎ), distrust, suspicion (of) | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision |
| 厭世的: sick of life (えんせいてき), world-weary, pessimistic | 影: shadow (かげ), silhouette, figure, shape, reflection | 射: archery (しゃ), mapping, map, morphism, arrow |