I am a Cat (Chapter 10 a) Section 319 Study Guide

Practice text with full furigana

っちゃんごえいた主人しゅじんは、あさっぱらからよほど癇癪かんしゃくおこったえて、たちまちがばと布団ふとんうえなおった。こうなると精神せいしん修養しゅうよう八木やぎ独仙どくせんなにあったものじゃない。起き直りながら両方りょうほうでゴシゴシゴシと表皮ひょうひのむけるほど、頭中あたまじゅうまわいっげつたまっているフケ遠慮えんりょなく頸筋くびすじやら、寝巻ねまきえりんでくる非常ひじょう壮観そうかんである。ひげはどうだと見るとこれはまたおどろくべく、ぴんぜんおっっている持主もちぬしおこっているのに髯だけちついていてはすまないとでも心得こころえものか、一本一本いっぽんいっぽん癇癪を起して、勝手次第かってしだい方角ほうがく猛烈もうれつなるいきおいをもって突進とっしんしている。これとてもなかなかの見物みものである。昨日きのうかがみ手前てまえもあることだから、おとなしく独乙ドイツ皇帝こうてい陛下へいか真似まねをして整列せいれつしたのであるが、一晩ひとばんれば訓練くんれんも何もあったものではない、ただちに本来ほんらい面目めんもくかえっておもおもたちもどのである。あたかも主人の一夜いちやづくの精神修養が、あくるになるとぬぐがごとく奇麗きれいってうまれついての野猪的やちょてき本領ほんりょうが直ちに全面ぜんめん暴露ばくろきたのと一般いっぱんである。こんな乱暴らんぼう髯をもっている、こんな乱暴なおとこが、よくまあいままで免職めんしょくしてにもならずに教師きょうしつとまったものだと思うと、はじめて日本にほんひろ事がわかる。広ければこそ金田かねだくんや金田君のいぬ人間にんげんとして通用つうようしているのでもあろう。彼等かれらが人間として通用するあいだは主人も免職になる理由りゆうがないと確信かくしんしているらしい。いざとなれば巣鴨すがも端書はがきばして天道てんどう公平こうへい君にあわせて見れば、すぐわか事だ。

Rough translation

Yatchan's cries, early in the morning, seem to grate on the master's nerves. In an instant, he's seated himself bolt upright on the bedding. At this point, his cultivation of the spirit, together with Yagi Dokusen, are good as gone. In sitting up, he scratches his head vigorously with both hands. A month's worth of dandruff comes floating down in response, alighting on his pajama collar and the back of his neck. It's quite the sight. As for his whiskers, these too are something to behold. They're standing on end, stock straight. Perhaps sensing that they mustn't lie still through their owner's agitation, each hair is on edge, thrusting itself forward in its own chosen direction. Another minor spectacle. Just the day prior, owing in part to the scrutiny of the mirror, they'd lined up orderly, after the manner of his german majesty Wilhelm II. Just one night's sleep, though, and all grooming is forgotten. They've all reverted to their own habits, naturally facing this way and that. When I think on how this ill-tempered man, with these ill-tempered whiskers, has remained thus far in his teaching post, I can't but marvel at the vastness and variety of this land that's Japan. And it's this same vastness and variety that lets Kaneda and his snitches pass themselves off as respectable human beings. As long as Kaneda's lot are passing themselves off as respectable human beings, the master can reason with some assurance, then he himself has every right to continue as an instructor. Should doubts ever arise, he can always fire off correspondence to Tendō Kōhei in Sugamo seeking cousel.

Vocabulary

っちゃん Yatchan (name; child of cartman in house backing to the master's)ごえ criesいた heard主人しゅじん masterあさっぱら early morning癇癪かんしゃくおこった experienced a flare of temper; grew annoyedえて seem (to)がばと quickly; emphatically布団ふとん futon; beddingうえ top ofなおった sat up精神せいしん mind; spirit; soul修養しゅうよう (mental) training; self-discipline; cultivation八木やぎ独仙どくせん Yagi Dokusen (name)なにも (no)thing両方りょうほうの both hands表皮ひょうひ epidermis頭中あたまじゅう all over one's headまわす scratch atいっげつ one monthたまっている be accumulatedフケ dandruff遠慮えんりょなく without restraint頸筋くびすじ back of the neck寝巻ねまき night clothes; pajamasえり collarんでくる come flying; come falling (onto)非常ひじょうな extraordinary; remarkable壮観そうかん spectacle; sightひげ whiskers; moustacheおどろく be surprised; be astonishedぴんぜんと clearly; sharplyおっっている be raised up; be standing on end持主もちぬし owner; proprietorおこっている is upset; is irritatedちついていて be relaxed; be at ease心得こころえた understood; became aware一本一本いっぽんいっぽんに one by one (of long/slender objects)勝手次第かってしだい as one wishes; at will方角ほうがく direction; orientation猛烈もうれつなる (is) severe; violent; intenseいきおい energy; impetus; vigor突進とっしんして rush forward; advance見物みもの sight to see; spectacle昨日きのう yesterday; the day priorかがみ mirror手前てまえ in front ofこと situation; circumstance独乙ドイツ皇帝こうてい陛下へいか German Emperor (refering to Wilhelm II)真似まね mimicry; copying; taking after整列せいれつした stood in a row; formed a line一晩ひとばん one nightれば sleep; doze訓練くんれん training; practice; disciplineもの thingただちに immediately; without delay本来ほんらいの natural; innate面目めんもく appearance; lookかえって return (to)おもおもい as each one likesたち dress; outfit; attireもどる return; revert (to)一夜いちやづくり built in a night; hastily accomplishedあくる the next day; the following dayぬぐう wipe away; erase奇麗きれいに cleanly; neatlyって be extinguished; be goneうまれついての innate; inborn野猪的やちょてき boarish本領ほんりょう characteristic quality全面ぜんめん all aspects; entirety暴露ばくろきたる come to reveal; bring into the open一般いっぱん the same as; no different from乱暴らんぼうな rough; reckless; unrulyおとこ man; fellowいま now; the present免職めんしょくして dismiss; discharge (one from one's post)教師きょうし teacher; instructorつとまった was employed as; served asはじめて for the first time日本にほん Japanひろい vast; wide; varied金田かねだ Kaneda (name)くん (suffix of familiarity for males)いぬ squealers; snitches; spies人間にんげん human beings通用つうようして pass for彼等かれら they; themあいだ interval; duration理由りゆう reason; cause確信かくしんして firmly believe; have confidence巣鴨すがも Sugamo (reference to Sugamo Hospital mental health ward)端書はがき memo; note; cardばして send off; dispatch天道てんどう公平こうへい Tendō Kōhei (name)あわせて make enquiryわかる come to know; be informed