#39 深沢七郎「月のアペニン山」
午後一時までに、そこへ行かなければならないのであった。まだ十時である。このアパートのどの部屋の人達もみんな出勤してしまったのだろう、空家のような物静かさである。そこへ行くことは半年も前から覚悟をきめていたのだけれども、今これから行くのだと思うとおちついていることが出来なく、いっそのこと早く家を出掛けてしまう方がよいだろうと支度をすませたところだった。
Vocabulary:
深沢七郎 ふかざわしちろう Fukazawa Shichiro (author, 1914-1987)
午後 ごご afternoon, p.m.
部屋 へや room
出勤する しゅっきんする to go to/leave for work
空家 あきや vacant house
物静か ものしずか quiet
半年 はんとし half a year
覚悟をきめる かくごをきめる to prepare oneself, to make up one’s mind
支度をすませる したくをすませる to get ready
Grammar:
いっそ(のこと)~方がよい
The いっそのこと at the beginning emphasizes the 方がよい at the end, and in its entirety means ‘it is better to…’ or ‘it is preferable to…’.
~たところ
ところ following a simple past tense indicates that the action was just finished or that something just now occurred.
Translation:
I had to go there by 1 o’clock in the afternoon. It is still 10 o’clock. All the people from the rooms in this apartment have probably left for work, because it’s as quiet as a vacant house. I had made up my mind to go there half a year ago, but now that I am about to go I cannot find my calm, and because it’s probably better to leave the house early I've already finished getting ready.
Amazon.jp link for the book I used:
Hi, I'm a little confused on parts of the last sentence. When I see 行くのだと思うと, I think something along the lines of "when I think of going (I'm not able to stay calm...)" but that's not quite the same as "about to go." A native friend of mine said that they just kinda ignored 思うと and arrived at a similar translation to yours, but I don't think I see how. Does the presence of の perhaps make a difference? I'm also confused about だろうと支度. Is it just the quotative particle with 思う、など omitted? Any clarity is appreciated!