Congrats to all for making it to the end! Please post your responses and questions to Ranpo’s “Hitori futayaku” pp. 114-116 below.
What did you think of the ending? Was this what you were expecting to occur, or were you anticipating a different ending? I was quite surprised, but I’ll wait to share my expectations until everyone has posted their responses.
You’ve all been great. Many thanks to all who participated in the project, especially to those of you who have posted your responses to actively throughout the week. I also want to thank those of you who have made generous financial contributions to the platform, both in the past and the present, and throughout this week. It means a lot to me, and it allows me to keep shipping my work for free. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed the process of reading together. My intention was to show you that reading Japanese literature in the original is not as scary as we sometimes build it up to be. As long as you have the right group of people to motivate you, you can achieve a lot more than you think. Just keep repeating the process for a year, and you’ll make huge strides.
Let me know in the comments whether you’d be up for another immersion reading project in the future.
Now that the immersion project has finished, I would like to thank you for all the effort, passion and dedication you once more have put into organising these kind of events. Thanks to people like you, I dare to say that the Japanese language learning community may proudly stand as one of the richest we have online.
With regards to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Coming from the profuse atmosphere of 生血 to this (In my opinion) more direct, psychological scheme was very rewarding from a literary point of view. I must say the end left me gobsmacked. I managed to read a bit about Edogawa´s life and work before starting to read, and halfway through I was expecting some kind of wacky, macabre murder plan, but it turned about to be the complete opposite. I also loved how, even with T committed to his transformation, the story keeps the psychological tension up until the very end.
Of course, may my gratefulness go as well to all the fellow language learners who have contributed to the wonderful atmosphere surrounding this project. Needless to say, I´d love to have more of these!
Hi Daniel, thanks so much for the generous compliment. I'm always happy to help and I really enjoy reading with everybody in this way. So I'll definitely organize more of these events. Are there any authors you'd like to read? What are some of the things you're missing in the language communities online?
With regards to author preferences, I´m more than a newborn to Japanese literature, so I´m still in the sponge process of absorbing anything I can, but since I really like romantic tragic novels, I´d love to read something by 広津 柳浪. I remember we had a small fragment from him in the daily newsletter and I then read he was one of the masters in the genre.
And with regards to language communities, I think with Japanese there is this kind of unique prism in which there is a specific and ideal resource for everyone, no matter one´s preferences or interests (anime-manga, literature, history, daily life, etc.). Moreover, the passion with which all the language learners live their daily study and with which creators make and share contents (and are continuously involved in thinking new ways of "living"and "teaching" the language out of the classic "study-grammar-textbook" path) is something which I have never seen in other language communities. It is indeed probably a very subjective reason, but that´s my honest feeling!
He's quite difficult to read, but I'll have a look around to see if there is anything suitable for a reading project here. Thanks again :) And I'll keep putting out content that helps people gain reading fluency so they can read on their own! :D
What a lovely comment. And I would also like to thank you and all the fellow language learners for contributing. It is indeed a wonderful atmosphere. The encouragement and advice and support here is simply amazing. So thank you very much.
I'm more suprised that T had the resolve to follow through with becoming 'another person' than the fact that his wife knew all along. I thought there had to be more to her! I think what struck me most is that it turned out to be quite a love story...T actually had surgery for a double eyelid and went through a fake breakup with his wife all to become a better husband to her. He's definitely convoluted and weird in his methods...but I think his wife must have been touched by his wanting to start over with her from scratch.
Although I kept thinking that a normal person would just talk it out with his wife and change for the better...in a way, T's crazy approach to healing their relationship actually said more to his wife than words would. She probably fell in love with him again while watching his awkward plan unfold.
All in all, I'll sleep well tonight! This was my first Japanese literature story!!! Thank you Bunsuke and thanks to all who posted. This is so much more rewarding than studying textbook language and I look forward to reading more stories together :-D
I was only on page 111 at the start of today so I had to hoof it to catch up, but desperately trying to finish tonight gave me the push I needed to stop trying to read for complete understanding and just get what I could. T is really crazy! He really went all the way and had his eyelid shape changed? And then the whole time his wife hadn't been fooled at all? I guess in the end she managed trick him into turning himself into a more dutiful and attentive husband.
Near the end, is "配慮には及びませんよ" T joking with the narrator that the narrator is a nobody?
Like the narrator I'm not entirely surprised that the wife knew all along but I guess T was a very good sport about it all.
Hahah yeah T has a complex but very human personality, but that's what makes the story so enjoyable. Congrats on making it to the end! Hope you'll join next time :)
いや、その御配慮には及びませんよ is T telling the narrator that there is no need to hold back (as he thought it would be inappropriate to address T when he saw him out and about with his wife).
this time I will not ask for explanations - I think I have understood the last part good enough. And this has built up my self-confidence. One week ago I was sure I will not manage to read and understand the story. So thanks to Bunsuke for the unique idea, thanks for your support and patience. Nowadays, reading literature is not a common aim in learning languages.
The ending was surprising indeed! But I had a chance to read Edogawa's other stories (for the first time translated recently into my native language, Polish), so I was prepared to expect something surprising.
I will definitely join next events - if only there will be not more than 2 pages a day to read, as my job is more than a full time...
Hi Dana, thanks for joining, despite your busy job! I'm really glad you found the experience enjoyable. I'll make sure to keep this pace next time as well.
About the ending: I would have thought the wife would lose interest in the mysterious man after the separation from her husband as the love would no longer be forbidden, but an ending less tragic like this is probably for the best.
I was definitely surprised by the ending. However, looking back at the first night, the wife's actions make more sense. Great story and great happy ending after all.
Thanks Bunsuke for bringing us this project and thanks to everyone who participated too. I really feel like everyone helping each other out really helps with this kind of endeavor. お疲れ様
I used weblio this time, so it might be a bit different and a bit long, but seeing this is the last day, we will all have to time to read and re-read all the comments. I will continue doing this, because I feel like I have already learnt a lot, but to understand fully I need more time and work at a slower pace. I would like a future immersion project. A suggestion maybe just one or two pages for people like me at a lower level, to be able to process the story, the grammar, the vocabulary, the kanji and the sentence structure an above all the story. Thank all and thank you Bunsuke for this lovely project, it has been fun and you are right reading Japanese literature is less scary, now back to my Murakami book Kafka on de shore, somehow it seems much easier now.P114-115-116 Reading project
しまう
house in
今も
still
仮想の
virtual
としての
as
いわば
as it were, so to speak
初恋
first love
発見した
discovered
どうにも
simply
第一
foremost, first off, firstly, first of all, first
第二の
second; secondary
道
path; tractus; tract; meatus; road; way
選ぶ
select, choose, pick out, take
気
mind; will; life energy; gas; air; active energy; ki; vital energy
なかった
did not
そこで
thereat
非常に
considerably, well, substantially
第三の
tertiary, third, 3rd
方法
method; technique; procedure; approach
ことに
peculiarly, specially, especially, particularly
決心した
decided
つまり
plugging
二役
double role
勤め
service of process, serving, service
それから
therefrom, thence, thereof
今
scarce, scarcely, just, barely, hardly
まるで
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
違った
unlike, dissimilar, different
化け
camouflage, disguise
てしまう
cannot stop …
かつて
earlier, before
この世に
beneath the sun
存在
existence; presence
なかった
did not
ひとりの
solitary
こしらえる
fashion out of
決心する
resolve
称して
on [under] the plea [pretext] of
その間に
meanwhile
できるだけ
as much [far] as one can
顔形
face form
変え
changing; change
髪
hair
刈
cut; clip; shear; reap; trim; prune
方
shift; way
口ヒゲ
mustache
はやし
Hayashi Co.,Ltd.
めがね
glasses; spectacles; spectacle; eyeglasses
医者
doctor; physician
手術
operation; surgery
を受けて
In response to；in response to；Following；As a result
きってしまうこと。 → What it is under.
今もいうとおり、仮想の人物としての、細君との、いわば初恋を発見したかれは、どうにも、第一第二の道を選ぶ気にはなれなかった。 →As still say, with the wife as the virtual person, so to speak, discover first love and is cooked, and just choose a way of the first second; was not able to be worried.
そこで、非常にむずかしいことだとは思ったが、ついに、第三の方法をとることに決心した。 → Therefore I thought that it was very difficult, but decided it in taking the third method at last.
つまり、Tという男が、ABの二役を勤め、それから今度は、はじめのAをすてて、まるで違ったBのほうに化けてしまうのだ。 → In other words, as for the work and this time, a man called T throws away A of the beginning in the part of two of AB and disguises myself toward B different at all.
かつてこの世に存在しなかったひとりの人間をこしらえるのだ。 →I get one human being who did not ever exist in the world.
そう決心すると、Tはまず旅行と称して、一ヵ月ばかり家をあけ、その間に、できるだけ顔形を変えようとした。 → At first T was away from home under the pretense of a trip for approximately one month when I decided so it and, in the meantime, was going to change face form as much as possible.
髪の刈り方を違え、口ヒゲをはやし、めがねをかけ、医者の手術を受けて、 → You change a way of cutting hair and grow a mustache, and, for judgment, be operated on for the doctor,
細君は途方にくれた。 → The wife was at a loss.
相談を持ち込むしんせきとてもないのだ。 → There is not at all a relative bringing in consultation.
さいわい、夫が多額の金を残していったので、そのほうの不自由は感じなかったが、そうかといって、じっとしているわけにはいかぬ。 → Fortunately, as a husband left a large amount of money, the inconvenience of the did not feel, but still I keep still and do not go.
こんなとき、あのかたが来てくだすったらと、きっと彼女はそう思ったに相違ない。 → At such time, that person came, and, てくだすったらと, she must have surely thought so.
ちょうどそこへ、仮想の男になりすましたTが、ヒョッコリやってきた。 → T which just pretended to be a virtual man there came over unexpectedly.
これが、何かそうする理由でもあったのなら、いくらなんでも、だまされはしないだろどうせい → No matter how you look at it, it is だまされはしないだろどうせい that this was some reason to do so
自身の
own
心持ち
a trifle, a bit, a little
ほかに
in addition；besides
まるで
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
こんな
(about something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or about ideas expressed by the speaker) this sort of; this kind of; like this; such
バカ
Baca； Vaca
たって
even if; even though
思いもよらない
unexpected; unforeseen; inconceivable
案外
contrary to expectation
やすやす
easy, easily
だまされた
was cheated
無理はない
natural; understandable; reasonable; no wonder
まもなく
soon, presently, shortly, before long
同棲する
live together
ことになった
became
ではなく
but not
なった
became
おかげで
thanks to；owing to
友人
companion; friend; company
出入り
haunt, frequent
ものだ
thing
聞くところによると
I hear
その後
thenceforth, thereafter
ふっつり
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
遊
recreation, diversion
なくなった
died
そうだ
you go girl
そして
and; then
喜劇
comedy
案外
contrary to expectation
効
plus, asset
果
malleolus; ankle
仲
relationship; relation
引き続き
continuance, duration
非常に
considerably, well, substantially
むつまじく
harmoniously
うわさだ
rumor has it that
世の中
society; world; life
変わった男
rum fellow
ところで
incidentally, apropos, by the bye, by the way
お話
Story
少し
mildly
それは
very; extremely
つい最近
fresh, new, newly, freshly
あるところ
where there is
あった
There it is, there it was
出会った
met
見ると
looking
例の
the usual; as it always is
同伴
associated
している
labor under
かけては
when it comes to…
だろう
seems; I think; I guess; I wonder; I hope
おって
later, after, subsequently, later on, afterward, afterwards
通り
passage
過ぎ
past; after
すると
hereupon
意外にも
surprisingly
呼びかけ
apostrophe
そして
and; then
配慮
consideration; care
及び
and
昔から
from way back
見ると
looking
ずっと
always
快活な
cheerful
あった
There it is, there it was
イス
Yisü
腰かけ
chair
役
role; part; duty
語り
yarn, narration, recital
合った
appropriate
もうすっかり
already completed (arrived, happened, etc.)
手品
magic trick
種
Sp.; form; seed; species; kind; stirps; stock; Species
のです
the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ...
うまく
o.k., alright, all right, okay
実は
as it is
すっかり
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
あべこべに
the other way around, vice versa, contrariwise
のです
the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ...
いたずら
fruitless, vain, bootless, futile, sleeveless
最初から
from scratch
気づいて
alive to
だそうです
it seems
別に
in particular, particularly
害のある
harmful
事柄
matter
それで
therewith
家庭
household; family; home
円満に
smoothly
なれば
because ...; since ...
これに
hereunto
越し
across; over; beyond; through; crossing
だまされた
was cheated
ような
such as；like
ところで、お話はまだ少しあるんだよ。 → By the way, there is still the story a little.
それは、つい最近のことだが、あるところで、ぼくはふと、昔Tであった男に出会った。 → It was just these days, but, in a certain place, I met the man who was T in old days incidentally.
見ると、かれは例の細君を同伴している。 → He is accompanied by the wife in question when he sees it.
そして、「いや、そのご配慮には及びませんよ」と、昔から見ると、ずっと快活な声でTがいった。 → And, judging from old days, T said, "no, it does not extend to the consideration" in a much livelier voice.
ぼくたちはそこにあったイスに腰かけて、役久しぶりで語り合った。 → We sat on a chair over there and a position was after a long absence and talked.
「なにね、もうすっかり手品の種がわかっているのですよ。 → "What has the magic trick completely already understood?
家内をうまくかついだつもりでいた人わたしのほうが、実はすっかり、あべこべにかつがれていたのです。 → In fact, person I who intended to deceive my wife well was completely deceived inversely.
家内はわたしのいたずらを、最初から気づいていたんだそうです。 → My wife seemed to notice by my mischief from a beginning.
だといい
I wish
道理で
indeed; it's no wonder
運び
transportation, conveyance, transport, transferral, transfer
すぎる
too for
なんて
(expresses disdain, dislike, astonishment, etc.) things like; something like; someone like; such a thing as; (the fact) that; to think that
聞く
inquire, enquire, ask
かたわらに
aside from
相変わらず
as usual
恥ずかしそうに
bashfully
最初から
from scratch
そんなこと
stuff like that
まいか
(used to make a request, etc.) won't you
いくらか
any
疑い
uncertainty, uncertainness, precariousness
驚
amazement, astonishment
それが
(subject of sentence) that; it
自慢
boast
らしく
seems
幾度も
many times
繰り返して
repeatedly
自分で
personally
調子
tone; pitch; tune
やっぱり
sure enough
仲
relationship; relation
むつまじく
harmoniously
そこで
thereat
両人
both of them
祝福
blessing
したこと
something one has done
あった
There it is, there it was
新小説
Sinsoseol
大正
Taisho
道理でうまく運びすぎると思いましたよ。 → That explains why I thought that I carried it well too much.
女なんて魔物ですそれを聞くと、かたわらに立っていた相変わらず美しいTの細君は、恥ずかしそうにほほえんだ。 → When a woman heard it which was a demon, the wife of T beautiful as ever which stood by the side smiled bashfully.
ぼくも、最初からそんなことではあるまいかと、いくらか疑いをいだいていたので、さして驚きはしなかったが、Tにはそれが自慢であるらしく、幾度も同じことを繰り返して、自分でいてみせていた。 → As I had some doubt from a beginning whether it would not be such a thing, I let you do it and was not surprised, but I seemed to be proud of it and repeated the many times same thing and was in T by oneself.
との調子なら、先生やっぱり仲むつまじくやっているな。 → After all last life is happy, and do not do condition called this.
そこで、ぼくはひそかに、ど両人を祝福したことであった。 → Therefore I was to have blessed ど two people secretly.
Hi Koppa, thanks for making this comprehensive list! I'm glad you enjoyed the project, you did so well! Perhaps you can revisit the story in a few weeks, you'll see how much more you'll get out of it the second time around, simply because you went through the experience of reading it like this once before. I definitely hope you'll join again next time :D
I'm glad I could contribute in my own way, and I'm definitely going the re-read the story, and re-read all the comments. It has been a fun project and I'm glad I joined and yes I will join in the future. I'm now trying the memory Palace method for Kanji as someone here suggested in earlier post and it is amazing. It really works, so I hope next time I join I don't have to look up so much. I'm have also started with Genki 2 and have decided to write the vocabulary from your daily posts down and continue to learn more vocabulary in context from your posts.
Anything with that kind of "heart" is great for me. And that level of difficulty is really what I'm looking for at the moment. I'm sadly not at all knowledgeable about Japanese authors... some of the biggest value your newsletter hold for me is discovering new authors, and "daring" to read literature, even if it's just one or two pages at a time.
I'll start with my final(!!) Things That Confused Me list, then finish on a good note with my thoughts on this book and the project.
1: 一ヵ月ばかり家をあけ (he left his house for just a month?)
2: 相談を持ち込む親戚とてもないのだ (there weren't any relatives [of T's, I'm guessing] to talk with? Why is it ない and not いない if that's the case?)
3: じっとしているわけにいかぬ (she couldn't stay, even though she wanted to? That doesn't make any sense though, right?)
4: 細君、その男をTだといって聞かなんだが ([at first], the wife asked the man about T?)
5: 何かそうする理由でもあったのなら (if there was a reason to do so?)
6: かたくお出入りを差し止められたものだ ([as friends of T, we] should stop calling him as such [because he changed his name]? But then 江戸川 just keeps on calling him T so)
7: つい (it appears a lot in the last few pages and I'm never sure which つい it is. Is it the (just) now/unintentionally つい？ The 遂に (finally) つい？ Either depending on context?)
8: この遊民って言った奴にはその馬鹿馬鹿しく多い金が一体何処から来るか？（笑）(where the hell is this so-called unemployed dude getting this ridiculous amount of money? Lol. Or at least, I think that's what it says. I'm not great with Japanese xD)
I really enjoyed these last 5 pages. Watching T realise he messed up, going through with the 3rd choice, and the final scene in the bar or restaurant, were all actually fun to read. I feel as if, if it had been in English, I would have been fairly unimpressed with this short story, although I probably would've gotten a lot more of the comedy. However, my yet-imperfect Japanese adds an extra layer of feel-good to any enjoyment from media, probably because of the sheer exhilaration that I'm understanding what's going on. (I once laughed uproariously at a joke in Japanese for a minute straight whereas I probably might not have even huffed had it been in English.)
I'll admit, I wasn't actually thinking about how this story would end at all, while reading it. I was moreso just focused on the current line, the current page, etc., But I certainly wasn't expecting T to just up and pick option 3, and hadn't seriously entertained the wife knowing all along. It makes some sort of sense, actually. Even if nothing in this short story really makes that much sense. Honestly, in the first half, I wasn't expecting this to get comedic—or at least, supposed to be, for native readers—at all; I was expecting this to devolve into gaslighting and eventual divorce/murder. I think I like this ending better. It's easier to read.
Sidenote: I really liked the line
ところで、お話はまだ少しあるんだよ。
It's just really cool. Even if I've seen it countless times. And I didn't have to look up any words
And as for another immersion project? Yes. Absolutely. I'd probably only participate if it's during a holiday, but this was definitely a fun (if time-consuming) endeavour. Maybe 1 page a day next time? It'd be longer, but it would be much more forgiving and less daunting, I think.
And in the end, as much as I've learnt some new words and expressions, my biggest step forward was probably starting to get familiar with literary Japanese's completely foreign sentence structure. At the start, it couldn't have made less sense to an English-French-even-Irish(a bit)-speaker like me if it TRIED. And now it could. Progress? Progress.
(Oh man, imagine if I had just given up the first day like I planned to. Thank you for your insistence, Bunsuke, or I would've felt so defeated)
Thanks to everyone else who participated, and helped each other and me in their own ways. And once again, thank you so much for your extremely active hosting of this event, Bunsuke! It's been fantastic. Both these immersion projects and the daily letters are a benevolent blessing to the language community. I absolutely love the Japanese learning community for this reason: everybody (that ventures outside of Duolingo, at least) comes in knowing it will be difficult as all hell, but willing to learn anyway, whatever the reason. Furthermore, the number of people who've made resources, free or otherwise, and the community as a whole, so ready to help each other in their shared goal. This is a beautiful thing.
But seriously, where the HELL did T get all this money from-
Hi 晴れ姉, congrats on finishing the story. I'm so glad you decided to stick with it. And you're welcome, I was glad to help! I really hope you'll join again next time. All you need to do to improve is what you've done the past week: push yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone and do a little bit every day. You've made so much progress in a short week! You should be proud.
1. This is an old usage of ばかり, which means "about" (similar to ほど and くらい). So: "he left home for about one month".
2. In contemporary Japanese there's a strict division between ある for inanimate objects and いる for living things, but not too long ago, everything was ある. Sometimes the kanji 在る is used (from 存在する, to exist). So you could say 家族がある, and it would be completely fine. There are more rules like this that have become stricter or have been completely invented anew in the postwar period. For example, we learn that 全然 is always followed by a negative, but Natsume Soseki sometimes uses 全然 followed by an affirmative verb. Many of these rules are a bit arbitrary but they are fun rabbit holes.
3. The wife (at least in the mind of T) is probably still thinking about her mystery lover, which is why she cannot じっとしている.
4. 聞かなんだ is an archaic form of 聞かなかった.
5. Spot on!
6. T's old friends (including the narrator) were strictly forbidden to visit him at his new address (probably to hide his new identity).
7. Finally/in the end.
8. Spot on!
Until the next one! You can always shoot me an email if you want to get in touch.
Hi Val, you're very welcome! Thanks so much for the suggestions! Miyazawa Kenji is always a good place to start reading literature in Japanese, let's see if I can find something we can read together next time.
Dear Bunsuke:
Now that the immersion project has finished, I would like to thank you for all the effort, passion and dedication you once more have put into organising these kind of events. Thanks to people like you, I dare to say that the Japanese language learning community may proudly stand as one of the richest we have online.
With regards to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Coming from the profuse atmosphere of 生血 to this (In my opinion) more direct, psychological scheme was very rewarding from a literary point of view. I must say the end left me gobsmacked. I managed to read a bit about Edogawa´s life and work before starting to read, and halfway through I was expecting some kind of wacky, macabre murder plan, but it turned about to be the complete opposite. I also loved how, even with T committed to his transformation, the story keeps the psychological tension up until the very end.
Of course, may my gratefulness go as well to all the fellow language learners who have contributed to the wonderful atmosphere surrounding this project. Needless to say, I´d love to have more of these!
Best regards
Daniel
Hi Daniel, thanks so much for the generous compliment. I'm always happy to help and I really enjoy reading with everybody in this way. So I'll definitely organize more of these events. Are there any authors you'd like to read? What are some of the things you're missing in the language communities online?
Sorry for the late reply!
I´ve been swamped with work today
With regards to author preferences, I´m more than a newborn to Japanese literature, so I´m still in the sponge process of absorbing anything I can, but since I really like romantic tragic novels, I´d love to read something by 広津 柳浪. I remember we had a small fragment from him in the daily newsletter and I then read he was one of the masters in the genre.
And with regards to language communities, I think with Japanese there is this kind of unique prism in which there is a specific and ideal resource for everyone, no matter one´s preferences or interests (anime-manga, literature, history, daily life, etc.). Moreover, the passion with which all the language learners live their daily study and with which creators make and share contents (and are continuously involved in thinking new ways of "living"and "teaching" the language out of the classic "study-grammar-textbook" path) is something which I have never seen in other language communities. It is indeed probably a very subjective reason, but that´s my honest feeling!
He's quite difficult to read, but I'll have a look around to see if there is anything suitable for a reading project here. Thanks again :) And I'll keep putting out content that helps people gain reading fluency so they can read on their own! :D
Great! Many thanks! Keep it up! 😃
What a lovely comment. And I would also like to thank you and all the fellow language learners for contributing. It is indeed a wonderful atmosphere. The encouragement and advice and support here is simply amazing. So thank you very much.
I'm more suprised that T had the resolve to follow through with becoming 'another person' than the fact that his wife knew all along. I thought there had to be more to her! I think what struck me most is that it turned out to be quite a love story...T actually had surgery for a double eyelid and went through a fake breakup with his wife all to become a better husband to her. He's definitely convoluted and weird in his methods...but I think his wife must have been touched by his wanting to start over with her from scratch.
Although I kept thinking that a normal person would just talk it out with his wife and change for the better...in a way, T's crazy approach to healing their relationship actually said more to his wife than words would. She probably fell in love with him again while watching his awkward plan unfold.
All in all, I'll sleep well tonight! This was my first Japanese literature story!!! Thank you Bunsuke and thanks to all who posted. This is so much more rewarding than studying textbook language and I look forward to reading more stories together :-D
Congrats on finishing your first story in Japanese! I'm really glad you liked it and look forward to reading your comments during the next project :)
I was only on page 111 at the start of today so I had to hoof it to catch up, but desperately trying to finish tonight gave me the push I needed to stop trying to read for complete understanding and just get what I could. T is really crazy! He really went all the way and had his eyelid shape changed? And then the whole time his wife hadn't been fooled at all? I guess in the end she managed trick him into turning himself into a more dutiful and attentive husband.
Near the end, is "配慮には及びませんよ" T joking with the narrator that the narrator is a nobody?
Like the narrator I'm not entirely surprised that the wife knew all along but I guess T was a very good sport about it all.
Hahah yeah T has a complex but very human personality, but that's what makes the story so enjoyable. Congrats on making it to the end! Hope you'll join next time :)
いや、その御配慮には及びませんよ is T telling the narrator that there is no need to hold back (as he thought it would be inappropriate to address T when he saw him out and about with his wife).
Ah yes, that makes perfect sense. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Good evening everyone,
this time I will not ask for explanations - I think I have understood the last part good enough. And this has built up my self-confidence. One week ago I was sure I will not manage to read and understand the story. So thanks to Bunsuke for the unique idea, thanks for your support and patience. Nowadays, reading literature is not a common aim in learning languages.
The ending was surprising indeed! But I had a chance to read Edogawa's other stories (for the first time translated recently into my native language, Polish), so I was prepared to expect something surprising.
I will definitely join next events - if only there will be not more than 2 pages a day to read, as my job is more than a full time...
regards,
Dana
Hi Dana, thanks for joining, despite your busy job! I'm really glad you found the experience enjoyable. I'll make sure to keep this pace next time as well.
About the ending: I would have thought the wife would lose interest in the mysterious man after the separation from her husband as the love would no longer be forbidden, but an ending less tragic like this is probably for the best.
I was definitely surprised by the ending. However, looking back at the first night, the wife's actions make more sense. Great story and great happy ending after all.
Thanks Bunsuke for bringing us this project and thanks to everyone who participated too. I really feel like everyone helping each other out really helps with this kind of endeavor. お疲れ様
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Hope you'll join again next time :)
I used weblio this time, so it might be a bit different and a bit long, but seeing this is the last day, we will all have to time to read and re-read all the comments. I will continue doing this, because I feel like I have already learnt a lot, but to understand fully I need more time and work at a slower pace. I would like a future immersion project. A suggestion maybe just one or two pages for people like me at a lower level, to be able to process the story, the grammar, the vocabulary, the kanji and the sentence structure an above all the story. Thank all and thank you Bunsuke for this lovely project, it has been fun and you are right reading Japanese literature is less scary, now back to my Murakami book Kafka on de shore, somehow it seems much easier now.P114-115-116 Reading project
しまう
house in
今も
still
仮想の
virtual
としての
as
いわば
as it were, so to speak
初恋
first love
発見した
discovered
どうにも
simply
第一
foremost, first off, firstly, first of all, first
第二の
second; secondary
道
path; tractus; tract; meatus; road; way
選ぶ
select, choose, pick out, take
気
mind; will; life energy; gas; air; active energy; ki; vital energy
なかった
did not
そこで
thereat
非常に
considerably, well, substantially
第三の
tertiary, third, 3rd
方法
method; technique; procedure; approach
ことに
peculiarly, specially, especially, particularly
決心した
decided
つまり
plugging
二役
double role
勤め
service of process, serving, service
それから
therefrom, thence, thereof
今
scarce, scarcely, just, barely, hardly
まるで
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
違った
unlike, dissimilar, different
化け
camouflage, disguise
てしまう
cannot stop …
かつて
earlier, before
この世に
beneath the sun
存在
existence; presence
なかった
did not
ひとりの
solitary
こしらえる
fashion out of
決心する
resolve
称して
on [under] the plea [pretext] of
その間に
meanwhile
できるだけ
as much [far] as one can
顔形
face form
変え
changing; change
髪
hair
刈
cut; clip; shear; reap; trim; prune
方
shift; way
口ヒゲ
mustache
はやし
Hayashi Co.,Ltd.
めがね
glasses; spectacles; spectacle; eyeglasses
医者
doctor; physician
手術
operation; surgery
を受けて
In response to；in response to；Following；As a result
きってしまうこと。 → What it is under.
今もいうとおり、仮想の人物としての、細君との、いわば初恋を発見したかれは、どうにも、第一第二の道を選ぶ気にはなれなかった。 →As still say, with the wife as the virtual person, so to speak, discover first love and is cooked, and just choose a way of the first second; was not able to be worried.
そこで、非常にむずかしいことだとは思ったが、ついに、第三の方法をとることに決心した。 → Therefore I thought that it was very difficult, but decided it in taking the third method at last.
つまり、Tという男が、ABの二役を勤め、それから今度は、はじめのAをすてて、まるで違ったBのほうに化けてしまうのだ。 → In other words, as for the work and this time, a man called T throws away A of the beginning in the part of two of AB and disguises myself toward B different at all.
かつてこの世に存在しなかったひとりの人間をこしらえるのだ。 →I get one human being who did not ever exist in the world.
そう決心すると、Tはまず旅行と称して、一ヵ月ばかり家をあけ、その間に、できるだけ顔形を変えようとした。 → At first T was away from home under the pretense of a trip for approximately one month when I decided so it and, in the meantime, was going to change face form as much as possible.
髪の刈り方を違え、口ヒゲをはやし、めがねをかけ、医者の手術を受けて、 → You change a way of cutting hair and grow a mustache, and, for judgment, be operated on for the doctor,
細君は途方にくれた。 → The wife was at a loss.
相談を持ち込むしんせきとてもないのだ。 → There is not at all a relative bringing in consultation.
さいわい、夫が多額の金を残していったので、そのほうの不自由は感じなかったが、そうかといって、じっとしているわけにはいかぬ。 → Fortunately, as a husband left a large amount of money, the inconvenience of the did not feel, but still I keep still and do not go.
こんなとき、あのかたが来てくだすったらと、きっと彼女はそう思ったに相違ない。 → At such time, that person came, and, てくだすったらと, she must have surely thought so.
ちょうどそこへ、仮想の男になりすましたTが、ヒョッコリやってきた。 → T which just pretended to be a virtual man there came over unexpectedly.
これが、何かそうする理由でもあったのなら、いくらなんでも、だまされはしないだろどうせい → No matter how you look at it, it is だまされはしないだろどうせい that this was some reason to do so
自身の
own
心持ち
a trifle, a bit, a little
ほかに
in addition；besides
まるで
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
こんな
(about something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or about ideas expressed by the speaker) this sort of; this kind of; like this; such
バカ
Baca； Vaca
たって
even if; even though
思いもよらない
unexpected; unforeseen; inconceivable
案外
contrary to expectation
やすやす
easy, easily
だまされた
was cheated
無理はない
natural; understandable; reasonable; no wonder
まもなく
soon, presently, shortly, before long
同棲する
live together
ことになった
became
ではなく
but not
なった
became
おかげで
thanks to；owing to
友人
companion; friend; company
出入り
haunt, frequent
ものだ
thing
聞くところによると
I hear
その後
thenceforth, thereafter
ふっつり
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
遊
recreation, diversion
なくなった
died
そうだ
you go girl
そして
and; then
喜劇
comedy
案外
contrary to expectation
効
plus, asset
果
malleolus; ankle
仲
relationship; relation
引き続き
continuance, duration
非常に
considerably, well, substantially
むつまじく
harmoniously
うわさだ
rumor has it that
世の中
society; world; life
変わった男
rum fellow
ところで
incidentally, apropos, by the bye, by the way
お話
Story
少し
mildly
それは
very; extremely
つい最近
fresh, new, newly, freshly
あるところ
where there is
あった
There it is, there it was
出会った
met
見ると
looking
例の
the usual; as it always is
同伴
associated
している
labor under
かけては
when it comes to…
だろう
seems; I think; I guess; I wonder; I hope
おって
later, after, subsequently, later on, afterward, afterwards
通り
passage
過ぎ
past; after
すると
hereupon
意外にも
surprisingly
呼びかけ
apostrophe
そして
and; then
配慮
consideration; care
及び
and
昔から
from way back
見ると
looking
ずっと
always
快活な
cheerful
あった
There it is, there it was
イス
Yisü
腰かけ
chair
役
role; part; duty
語り
yarn, narration, recital
合った
appropriate
もうすっかり
already completed (arrived, happened, etc.)
手品
magic trick
種
Sp.; form; seed; species; kind; stirps; stock; Species
のです
the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ...
うまく
o.k., alright, all right, okay
実は
as it is
すっかり
whole, entirely, wholly, all, altogether, completely, totally
あべこべに
the other way around, vice versa, contrariwise
のです
the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ...
いたずら
fruitless, vain, bootless, futile, sleeveless
最初から
from scratch
気づいて
alive to
だそうです
it seems
別に
in particular, particularly
害のある
harmful
事柄
matter
それで
therewith
家庭
household; family; home
円満に
smoothly
なれば
because ...; since ...
これに
hereunto
越し
across; over; beyond; through; crossing
だまされた
was cheated
ような
such as；like
ところで、お話はまだ少しあるんだよ。 → By the way, there is still the story a little.
それは、つい最近のことだが、あるところで、ぼくはふと、昔Tであった男に出会った。 → It was just these days, but, in a certain place, I met the man who was T in old days incidentally.
見ると、かれは例の細君を同伴している。 → He is accompanied by the wife in question when he sees it.
そして、「いや、そのご配慮には及びませんよ」と、昔から見ると、ずっと快活な声でTがいった。 → And, judging from old days, T said, "no, it does not extend to the consideration" in a much livelier voice.
ぼくたちはそこにあったイスに腰かけて、役久しぶりで語り合った。 → We sat on a chair over there and a position was after a long absence and talked.
「なにね、もうすっかり手品の種がわかっているのですよ。 → "What has the magic trick completely already understood?
家内をうまくかついだつもりでいた人わたしのほうが、実はすっかり、あべこべにかつがれていたのです。 → In fact, person I who intended to deceive my wife well was completely deceived inversely.
家内はわたしのいたずらを、最初から気づいていたんだそうです。 → My wife seemed to notice by my mischief from a beginning.
だといい
I wish
道理で
indeed; it's no wonder
運び
transportation, conveyance, transport, transferral, transfer
すぎる
too for
なんて
(expresses disdain, dislike, astonishment, etc.) things like; something like; someone like; such a thing as; (the fact) that; to think that
聞く
inquire, enquire, ask
かたわらに
aside from
相変わらず
as usual
恥ずかしそうに
bashfully
最初から
from scratch
そんなこと
stuff like that
まいか
(used to make a request, etc.) won't you
いくらか
any
疑い
uncertainty, uncertainness, precariousness
驚
amazement, astonishment
それが
(subject of sentence) that; it
自慢
boast
らしく
seems
幾度も
many times
繰り返して
repeatedly
自分で
personally
調子
tone; pitch; tune
やっぱり
sure enough
仲
relationship; relation
むつまじく
harmoniously
そこで
thereat
両人
both of them
祝福
blessing
したこと
something one has done
あった
There it is, there it was
新小説
Sinsoseol
大正
Taisho
道理でうまく運びすぎると思いましたよ。 → That explains why I thought that I carried it well too much.
女なんて魔物ですそれを聞くと、かたわらに立っていた相変わらず美しいTの細君は、恥ずかしそうにほほえんだ。 → When a woman heard it which was a demon, the wife of T beautiful as ever which stood by the side smiled bashfully.
ぼくも、最初からそんなことではあるまいかと、いくらか疑いをいだいていたので、さして驚きはしなかったが、Tにはそれが自慢であるらしく、幾度も同じことを繰り返して、自分でいてみせていた。 → As I had some doubt from a beginning whether it would not be such a thing, I let you do it and was not surprised, but I seemed to be proud of it and repeated the many times same thing and was in T by oneself.
との調子なら、先生やっぱり仲むつまじくやっているな。 → After all last life is happy, and do not do condition called this.
そこで、ぼくはひそかに、ど両人を祝福したことであった。 → Therefore I was to have blessed ど two people secretly.
『新小説』大正十四年九月) → "A new novel"
→ September, 1925)
Hi Koppa, thanks for making this comprehensive list! I'm glad you enjoyed the project, you did so well! Perhaps you can revisit the story in a few weeks, you'll see how much more you'll get out of it the second time around, simply because you went through the experience of reading it like this once before. I definitely hope you'll join again next time :D
I'm glad I could contribute in my own way, and I'm definitely going the re-read the story, and re-read all the comments. It has been a fun project and I'm glad I joined and yes I will join in the future. I'm now trying the memory Palace method for Kanji as someone here suggested in earlier post and it is amazing. It really works, so I hope next time I join I don't have to look up so much. I'm have also started with Genki 2 and have decided to write the vocabulary from your daily posts down and continue to learn more vocabulary in context from your posts.
By far my favorite reading challenge yet. Thank you, Bunsuke !
I liked fact that the wife actually knew what was up all along, which surprised and delighted me. It was so much fun.
Here's to many more !
Jon
Hi Jon, glad you liked it. Let me know if there's anything I can help you with or if there are some specific works you'd like to read together.
Anything with that kind of "heart" is great for me. And that level of difficulty is really what I'm looking for at the moment. I'm sadly not at all knowledgeable about Japanese authors... some of the biggest value your newsletter hold for me is discovering new authors, and "daring" to read literature, even if it's just one or two pages at a time.
I'll start with my final(!!) Things That Confused Me list, then finish on a good note with my thoughts on this book and the project.
1: 一ヵ月ばかり家をあけ (he left his house for just a month?)
2: 相談を持ち込む親戚とてもないのだ (there weren't any relatives [of T's, I'm guessing] to talk with? Why is it ない and not いない if that's the case?)
3: じっとしているわけにいかぬ (she couldn't stay, even though she wanted to? That doesn't make any sense though, right?)
4: 細君、その男をTだといって聞かなんだが ([at first], the wife asked the man about T?)
5: 何かそうする理由でもあったのなら (if there was a reason to do so?)
6: かたくお出入りを差し止められたものだ ([as friends of T, we] should stop calling him as such [because he changed his name]? But then 江戸川 just keeps on calling him T so)
7: つい (it appears a lot in the last few pages and I'm never sure which つい it is. Is it the (just) now/unintentionally つい？ The 遂に (finally) つい？ Either depending on context?)
8: この遊民って言った奴にはその馬鹿馬鹿しく多い金が一体何処から来るか？（笑）(where the hell is this so-called unemployed dude getting this ridiculous amount of money? Lol. Or at least, I think that's what it says. I'm not great with Japanese xD)
I really enjoyed these last 5 pages. Watching T realise he messed up, going through with the 3rd choice, and the final scene in the bar or restaurant, were all actually fun to read. I feel as if, if it had been in English, I would have been fairly unimpressed with this short story, although I probably would've gotten a lot more of the comedy. However, my yet-imperfect Japanese adds an extra layer of feel-good to any enjoyment from media, probably because of the sheer exhilaration that I'm understanding what's going on. (I once laughed uproariously at a joke in Japanese for a minute straight whereas I probably might not have even huffed had it been in English.)
I'll admit, I wasn't actually thinking about how this story would end at all, while reading it. I was moreso just focused on the current line, the current page, etc., But I certainly wasn't expecting T to just up and pick option 3, and hadn't seriously entertained the wife knowing all along. It makes some sort of sense, actually. Even if nothing in this short story really makes that much sense. Honestly, in the first half, I wasn't expecting this to get comedic—or at least, supposed to be, for native readers—at all; I was expecting this to devolve into gaslighting and eventual divorce/murder. I think I like this ending better. It's easier to read.
Sidenote: I really liked the line
ところで、お話はまだ少しあるんだよ。
It's just really cool. Even if I've seen it countless times. And I didn't have to look up any words
And as for another immersion project? Yes. Absolutely. I'd probably only participate if it's during a holiday, but this was definitely a fun (if time-consuming) endeavour. Maybe 1 page a day next time? It'd be longer, but it would be much more forgiving and less daunting, I think.
And in the end, as much as I've learnt some new words and expressions, my biggest step forward was probably starting to get familiar with literary Japanese's completely foreign sentence structure. At the start, it couldn't have made less sense to an English-French-even-Irish(a bit)-speaker like me if it TRIED. And now it could. Progress? Progress.
(Oh man, imagine if I had just given up the first day like I planned to. Thank you for your insistence, Bunsuke, or I would've felt so defeated)
Thanks to everyone else who participated, and helped each other and me in their own ways. And once again, thank you so much for your extremely active hosting of this event, Bunsuke! It's been fantastic. Both these immersion projects and the daily letters are a benevolent blessing to the language community. I absolutely love the Japanese learning community for this reason: everybody (that ventures outside of Duolingo, at least) comes in knowing it will be difficult as all hell, but willing to learn anyway, whatever the reason. Furthermore, the number of people who've made resources, free or otherwise, and the community as a whole, so ready to help each other in their shared goal. This is a beautiful thing.
But seriously, where the HELL did T get all this money from-
Hi 晴れ姉, congrats on finishing the story. I'm so glad you decided to stick with it. And you're welcome, I was glad to help! I really hope you'll join again next time. All you need to do to improve is what you've done the past week: push yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone and do a little bit every day. You've made so much progress in a short week! You should be proud.
1. This is an old usage of ばかり, which means "about" (similar to ほど and くらい). So: "he left home for about one month".
2. In contemporary Japanese there's a strict division between ある for inanimate objects and いる for living things, but not too long ago, everything was ある. Sometimes the kanji 在る is used (from 存在する, to exist). So you could say 家族がある, and it would be completely fine. There are more rules like this that have become stricter or have been completely invented anew in the postwar period. For example, we learn that 全然 is always followed by a negative, but Natsume Soseki sometimes uses 全然 followed by an affirmative verb. Many of these rules are a bit arbitrary but they are fun rabbit holes.
3. The wife (at least in the mind of T) is probably still thinking about her mystery lover, which is why she cannot じっとしている.
4. 聞かなんだ is an archaic form of 聞かなかった.
5. Spot on!
6. T's old friends (including the narrator) were strictly forbidden to visit him at his new address (probably to hide his new identity).
7. Finally/in the end.
8. Spot on!
Until the next one! You can always shoot me an email if you want to get in touch.
Dear Bunsuke, thank you so much for the project and introdusing such a great story!
Firstly, I was so confused and shocked, but now I understand how funnny and charming it was.
I loved the tension of the story!
Thank you so much.
I am glad I have practiced and learnt new words.
Also I want to thank all readers who commented. It helped a lot!
And it was great to feel that I am not alone in this short reading journey.
Hope to see more projects like this!
>Are there any authors you'd like to read?
I would be happy to read more Yumeno Kyusaku's works.
Also I wanna see more Rampo, Hagiwara Sakutaro, Miyazawa Kenji
Hi Val, you're very welcome! Thanks so much for the suggestions! Miyazawa Kenji is always a good place to start reading literature in Japanese, let's see if I can find something we can read together next time.