Sōseki Project - I am a Cat - Chapter 7 b

Practice text with full furigana

「重要じゅうような問題もんだいだからそう急きゅうには分わからんさ」と例れいの肴さかなをむしゃむしゃ食くう。ついでにその隣となりにある豚ぶたと芋いものにころばしを食う。「これは豚だな」「ええ豚でござんす」「ふん」と大軽蔑だいけいべつの調子ちょうしをもって飲のみ込こんだ。「酒さけをもう一杯いっぱい飲のもう」と杯さかずきを出だす。

「今夜こんやはなかなかあがるのね。もう大分だいぶ赤あかくなっていらっしゃいますよ」

「飲むとも――御前おまえ世界せかいで一番いちばん長ながい字じを知しってるか」

「ええ、前さきの関白かんぱく太政だじょう大臣だいじんでしょう」

「それは名前なまえだ。長い字を知ってるか」

「字って横文字よこもじですか」

「うん」

「知らないわ、――御酒おさけはもういいでしょう、これで御飯ごはんになさいな、ねえ」

「いや、まだ飲む。一番長い字を教おしえてやろうか」

「ええ。そうしたら御飯ですよ」

「Archaiomelesidonophrunicherata と云いう字だ」

「出鱈目でたらめでしょう」

「出鱈目なものか、希臘ギリシャ語ごだ」

「何なんという字なの、日本語にほんごにすれば」

「意味いみはしらん。ただ綴つづりだけ知ってるんだ。長く書かくと六寸ろくすん三分さんぶくらいにかける」

Rough translation

"A problem of this order is not so readily resolved." The master works a mouthful of the aforementioned fish. Without missing a beat, he takes on a pork and potato side dish as well. "Pork, I take it?" "Yes, that's pork." "Huh." Seemingly unimpressed, he swallows it down. "More saké." He holds out his cup.

"You're really putting it down tonight. You're already looking red."

"It's a night for drink. -- Say, do you know the world's longest word?"

"Sure, it's that Grand State Councilor Kampaku such-and-such, is it not?"

"That's a title. Do you know the longest word?"

"I take it that includes alphabetized languages?"

"Exactly."

"I wouldn't know. -- That's enough saké, isn't it? Let me serve up your rice."

"One more drink first. Shall I tell you the longest word?"

"If you like. Then on to your rice."

"It's Archaiomelesidonophrunicherata."

"You made that up."

"I did not make it up. It's Greek."

"What does it mean? In Japanese."

"I'm not sure what it means, but I know how to spell it. Written out, it fills the page from margin to margin."

Vocabulary

重要じゅうような weighty; critical; important問題もんだい problem; topic急きゅうに quickly; readily分わからん not know; not determine例れいの the aforementioned肴さかな fishむしゃむしゃ with munching sounds; ravenously食くう eat; wolf down隣となり near to; next to豚ぶた pork芋いも potatoにころばし root vegetables boiled in broth大軽蔑だいけいべつ great disdain; significant contempt調子ちょうし manner; vein飲のみ込こんだ swallowed酒さけ sakéもう一杯いっぱい one more cupful飲のもう drink杯さかずき saké cup出だす hold out; present 今夜こんや this evening; tonightあがる eat or drink (honorific)大分だいぶ very much; a great deal赤あかくなって turn red; redden (from drinking) 御前おまえ you世界せかい the world一番いちばん foremost; most of all長ながい long; lengthy字じ word知しってる know; be aware of 前さき before; earlier関白かんぱく太政だじょう大臣だいじん Grand State Councilor Kampaku 名前なまえ name; title 横文字よこもじ Western language (lit: horizontally-aligned characters) 御酒おさけ saké御飯ごはんになさい have some rice 教おしえてやろうか shall I tell you; would you like to know と云いう called ...; named ...; is ... 出鱈目でたらめ nonsense; rubbish; made-up 希臘ギリシャ語ご Greek (language) 何なん what日本語にほんご Japanese (language) 意味いみ meaning綴つづり spelling書かく write; write out六寸ろくすん三分さんぶ 6 sun and 3 bu; 6.3 sun (about 20 cm; about 8 inches)