I am a Cat (Chapter 8 a) Section 250 Study Guide

Practice text with full furigana

海老えび鬼殻焼おにがらやきはあるがかめ甲羅こうらいまでさえないくらいだから、当時とうじ無論むろんなかったきまっている。さすがのわし少々しょうしょうあました折柄おりからはるかの下界げかいにぴかとひかったものがある。そのとき鷲はしめたおもった。あの光ったもののうえへ亀の子をおとしたなら、甲羅こうらまさしくくだけるわまった。砕けたあとからりて中味なかみ頂戴ちょうだいすればわけはない。そうだそうだとねらいさだめて、かの亀の子をたかところから挨拶あいさつあたまの上へ落した。生憎あいにく作家さっかの頭のほうかめこうよりやわらかであったものだから、禿はげはめちゃめちゃに砕けて有名ゆうめいなるイスキラスはここに無惨むざん最後さいごげたそれはそうとしかねるのは鷲の了見りょうけんである。れい頭を、作家の頭とって落したのか、または禿岩はげいわ間違まちがえて落したものか、解決かいけつしよう次第しだいで、落雲館らくうんかんてきとこの鷲とを比較ひかくすること出来できし、また出来なくもなる。主人しゅじんの頭はイスキラスのそれのごとく、また御歴々おれきれき学者がくしゃのごとくぴかぴか光ってはおらん。しかし六畳ろくじょうじきにせよいやしくも書斎しょさいごうする一室いっしつひかえて居眠いねむりをしながらも、むずかしい書物しょもつの上へかおかざ以上いじょう、学者作家の同類どうるい見傚みなさなければならん。そうすると主人の頭の禿げておらんのは、まだ禿げるべき資格しかくがないからで、そのうち禿げるだろうとは近々きんきんこの頭の上に落ちかかるべき運命うんめいであろう。して見れば落雲館の生徒せいとがこの頭を目懸めかけて例のダムダムがん集注しゅうちゅうするのはさくのもっとも時宜じぎてきしたものとわねばならん。もし敵がこの行動こうどう二週間にしゅうかん継続けいぞくするならば、主人の頭は畏怖いふ煩悶はんもんのためかなら営養えいよう不足ふそくうったえて金柑きんかんとも薬缶やかんとも銅壺どうことも変化へんかするだろう。なお二週間の砲撃ほうげきくらえば金柑はつぶれる相違そういない。薬缶はに相違ない。銅壺ならひびがはいにきまっている。この睹易みやす結果けっか予想よそうせんで、あくまでも敵と戦闘せんとうを継続しようと苦心くしんするのは、ただ本人ほんにんたる苦沙弥くしゃみ先生せんせいのみである。

Rough translation

Shrimp are often stewed in the shell, but to this day there's no equivalent method of preparing turtle. It goes without saying then, that in ancient Greece there was also no such practice. Just as the eagle was struggling with this predicament, a shiny object, far down below, caught his eye. "That's it," the eagle thought to itself. "If I drop this turtle onto that shiny object, its shell is sure to break. After the shell breaks, I'll float down and feast. It's all too simple." Having chosen a plan of action, the eagle proceeded, without further ado, to release the turtle, dropping it from a great height toward the head below. Regrettably, a writer's head is softer than a turtle's shell. The bald crown shattered, and the renowned Aeschylus met his tragic end. That was that, but what's still unclear is the eagle's intent. Did the eagle recognize the head in question as that of a writer, or did it merely mistake if for bare rock. Depending on interpretation, the master's Rakuunkan adversaries may or may not be much like this eagle. The master's head is not, like the head of Aeschylus and other notable men, bald and shiny. However, he does possess a modest study, where he dozes away, planting his face on the pages of difficult works. He qualifies, in this sense, as numbered among the company of scholars and writers. He still has his hair beccause he hasn't yet earned a shiny head, but in due course he'll no doubt get there. One must admit then, that the Rakuunkan students' concentration of fire toward the master's head is, given the situation, a highly appropriate plan. Just two weeks of continued shelling, and the master's head, starved of nourishment by constant worry and dread, is bound to resemble a kumquat, smooth like a teapot and shiny like a copper kettle. Furthermore, what kumquat can withstand two weeks' shelling? What teapot can hold its water? What copper kettle can resist cracking? It's only master Kushami who fails to grasp this obvious outcome and hence soldiers on in facing down his foes.

Vocabulary

海老えび prawn; shrimp鬼殻焼おにがらやき (shrimp) broiled in the shell with sauceかめ young turtle; turtle甲羅こうら stewed in the shellいま now; this present time当時とうじ the time in question; then無論むろん of course; needless to sayきまっている it's a given that ...; it follows that ...わし eagle少々しょうしょう a bit; to some degreeあました found (things) unmanageable折柄おりから just then; at that timeはるかの far away; distant下界げかい world below; earthひかった shone; flashedもの thingsとき time; momentしめた got it; that's it; problem solvedおもった thoughtうえ top ofおとした dropped甲羅こうら shellまさしく certainly; surelyくだける break; splinterわまった is a given that ...りて flutter down; float down中味なかみ contents; filling頂戴ちょうだいすれば have; receive; eatわけはない is easy; is simpleねらい aim; intentさだめて settle on; decide onたかい highところ place挨拶あいさつく unannounced; with no further adoあたま head生憎あいにく unfortunately; regrettably作家さっか author; writerほう alternative (of two choices)かめ turtleこう shellやわらか soft; tender禿はげ bald head有名ゆうめいなる famous; renownedイスキラス Aeschylus (author of Greek tragedies; c. 525-455 BC)無惨むざんの cruel; tragic; horrific最後さいご final moments; endingげた arrived at; came toそれはそうと as a tangent; changing the subjectしかねる is not entirely clear了見りょうけん thoughts; intentionsれいの the aforementionedって know; realize; be aware (of)禿岩はげいわ bare rock間違まちがえて mistake (for)解決かいけつしよう settle on; decide次第しだい depending on ...落雲館らくうんかん Rakuunkan (name of a private middle school)てき adversaries; foes比較ひかくする compare; equateこと出来できる can ...; is able to ...主人しゅじん master御歴々おれきれき notable persons; distinguished cast学者がくしゃ scholar六畳ろくじょうじき six-mat areaにせよ even if; even thoughいやしくも any; at all; in the least書斎しょさい study; den; reading roomごうする call; refer to (as)一室いっしつ one roomひかえて have; hold居眠いねむりをしながらも even while nodding off; even while dozing書物しょもつ booksかお faceかざす cover over with以上いじょうは given that ...同類どうるい like kind; kindred spirit見傚みなさなければならん have to be seen; can't but be regarded (as)禿げて go bald資格しかく qualificationsそのうちに by and by; in due time近々きんきん soon enough; before long運命うんめい fate; destiny; lot生徒せいと students; pupils目懸めかけて set sights onダムダムがん dumdum projectile (from dumdum bullets, produced by British at Dum Dum Arsenal near Calcutta)集注しゅうちゅうする concentrate; focus (usually 集中しゅうちゅうする)さく plan; scheme; measure時宜じぎ time; occasion; circumstanceてきした suitable (to); appropriate (for)わねばならん must say; have to admit行動こうどう conduct; behavior; activity二週間にしゅうかん two weeks継続けいぞくする continue; keep up畏怖いふ fear; dread; fright煩悶はんもん worry; stress; anguishかならず invariably; without fail営養えいよう nutrition; nourishment不足ふそく scarcity; lack; deficiencyうったえて complain of金柑きんかん kumquat薬缶やかん kettle銅壺どうこ copper kettle変化へんかする change (into)砲撃ほうげき bombardment; shellingくらえば be on the receiving end ofつぶれる be broken; be crushed相違そういない no doubt ...る spring a leakひびがはいる cracks develop睹易みやすき easy to see; apparent結果けっか result; consequence; outcome予想よそうせんで without anticipating戦闘せんとう battle; fight苦心くしんする go to great lengths; strive mightily本人ほんにんたる is the man himself苦沙弥くしゃみ Kushami (the master's name)先生せんせい teacher; professor; scholar