Sōseki Project - I am a Cat - Chapter 10 a

Practice text with full furigana

「叔母おばさん今日こんにちは」と茶ちゃの間まへつかつか這入はいって来きて、針箱はりばこの横よこへ尻しりをおろした。

「おや、よく早はやくから……」

「今日は大祭日だいさいじつですから、朝あさのうちにちょっと上あがろうと思おもって、八時半はちじはん頃ごろから家うちを出でて急いそいで来きたの」

「そう、何なにか用ようがあるの？」

「いいえ、ただあんまり御無沙汰ごぶさたをしたから、ちょっと上がったの」

「ちょっとでなくっていいから、緩ゆっくり遊あそんでいらっしゃい。今いまに叔父おじさんが帰かえって来きますから」

「叔父さんは、もう、どこへかいらしったの。珍めずらしいのね」

「ええ今日はね、妙みょうな所ところへ行いったのよ。……警察けいさつへ行ったの、妙でしょう」

「あら、何なんで？」

「この春はる這入った泥棒どろぼうがつらまったんだって」

「それで引ひき合あい出だされるの？　いい迷惑めいわくね」

「なあに品物しなものが戻もどるのよ。取とられたものが出たから取とりに来こいって、昨日きのう巡査じゅんさがわざわざ来たもんですから」

「おや、そう、それでなくっちゃ、こんなに早く叔父さんが出掛でかける事ことはないわね。いつもなら今時分いまじぶんはまだ寝ねていらっしゃるんだわ」

「叔父さんほど、寝坊ねぼうはないんですから……そうして起おこすとぷんぷん怒おこるのよ。今朝けさなんかも七時しちじまでに是非ぜひおこせと云いうから、起こしたんでしょう。すると夜具やぐの中なかへ潜もぐって返事へんじもしないんですもの。こっちは心配しんぱいだから二度目にどめにまたおこすと、夜着よぎの袖そでから何か云うのよ。本当ほんとうにあきれ返かえってしまうの」

Rough translation

"Hello, Auntie," she calls out as she proceeds into the living room and plops herself down by the sewing box.

"Well, look who's bright and early ..."

"Since we all have the day off today, I thought I'd pay my regards. I left at half past eight and came straight over."

"I see. Is there something you need?"

"Nope. Just that it's been a while, so I thought I'd call for a bit."

"Don't make it just a bit. Stay as long as you like. Your uncle will be back soon."

"He's already out? That's unlike him."

"You'll never guess where he went today. ... To see the police. Unusual, don't you think?"

"Unusual indeed. Whatever for?"

"They caught the fellow who robbed us last spring."

"So uncle's been summoned to court? What a pain."

"Not at all. It's about our belongings. Yesterday an officer came by to inform us our things were recovered, so we should go and claim them."

"That explains it. It takes a lot to get Uncle up and out this early in the day. Normally, he'd be sleeping away the day."

"When it comes to sleeping in, nobody rivals your uncle. ... And one wakes him at one's own peril. Just this morning, he'd told me to be sure to wake him by seven, so I did just that. What does he do? He turtles in under the quilts and ignores me. I'm worried he'll oversleep, so I go back after a short while and wake him again. This time, he mutters back at me through the sleeve opening of his bed quilt. It's really too much."

Vocabulary

叔母おばさん aunt (used here as form of address)今日こんにちは good day; hello茶ちゃの間ま living roomつかつか briskly; determinedly這入はいって来きて come into針箱はりばこ sewing box横よこ beside; next to尻しりをおろした seated oneself; sat down 早はやく early; soon 大祭日だいさいじつ major holiday朝あさ morning上あがろう come up; visit思おもって think (to do)八時半はちじはん eight thirty頃ごろ around; about家うち house; home出でて leave; depart from急いそいで来きた hurried over 何なにか something; some用よう matter of business; errand 御無沙汰ごぶさたをした stayed away; neglected to visit 緩ゆっくり at one's leisure; taking one's time遊あそんで enjoy oneself今いまに before long; at any moment叔父おじさん (your) uncle帰かえって来きます come home; return 珍めずらしい unusual 妙みょうな odd; curious所ところ place行いった went (to)警察けいさつ police (station) 何なんで for what reason; why 春はる spring; springtime泥棒どろぼう burglar; thief 引ひき合あい出だされる be summoned to appear to court; be called as a witnessいい迷惑めいわく burden; imposition 品物しなもの articles; things戻もどる be returned取とられた were taken取とりに来こいって come and retreive昨日きのう yesterday巡査じゅんさ police officer; policeman 出掛でかける set out; depart; leave事こと case; instance今時分いまじぶん about this time寝ねて sleep; rest 寝坊ねぼう sleeping in; oversleeping起おこす wake; rouseぷんぷん fuming; in a huff怒おこる get angry; lash back今朝けさ this morning七時しちじ seven (o'clock)是非ぜひ absolutely; by all means云いう say; state夜具やぐ bedding; bedclothes中なか inside; within潜もぐって crawl into; bury oneself in返事へんじ reply; response心配しんぱい worry; concern二度目にどめ second time夜着よぎ night-clothes; heavy kimono-like quilt袖そで sleeve本当ほんとうに really; trulyあきれ返かえって be fed up with; have had enough of