Sōseki Project - I am a Cat - Chapter 10 b

Practice text with full furigana

雪江ゆきえさんと叔母おばさんは結婚けっこん事件じけんについて何なにか弁論べんろんを逞たくましくしていると、さっきから、分わからないなりに謹聴きんちょうしているとん子こが突然とつぜん口くちを開ひらいて「わたしも御嫁およめに行ゆきたいな」と云いいだした。この無鉄砲むてっぽうな希望きぼうには、さすが青春せいしゅんの気きに満みちて、大おおいに同情どうじょうを寄よすべき雪江さんもちょっと毒気どっけを抜ぬかれた体ていであったが、細君さいくんの方ほうは比較的ひかくてき平気へいきに構かまえて「どこへ行ゆきたいの」と笑わらいながら聞きいて見みた。

「わたしねえ、本当ほんとうはね、招魂社しょうこんしゃへ御嫁に行きたいんだけれども、水道橋すいどうばしを渡わたるのがいやだから、どうしようかと思おもってるの」

細君と雪江さんはこの名答めいとうを得えて、あまりの事ことに問とい返かえす勇気ゆうきもなく、どっと笑わらい崩くずれた時ときに、次女じじょのすん子こが姉ねえさんに向むかってかような相談そうだんを持もちかけた。

「御おねえ様さまも招魂社がすき？　わたしも大だいすき。いっしょに招魂社へ御嫁に行きましょう。ね？　いや？　いやなら好いいわ。わたし一人ひとりで車くるまへ乗のってさっさと行っちまうわ」

「坊ぼうばも行くの」とついには坊ばさんまでが招魂社へ嫁に行く事になった。かように三人さんにんが顔かおを揃そろえて招魂社へ嫁に行けたら、主人しゅじんもさぞ楽らくであろう。

ところへ車の音おとががらがらと門前もんぜんに留とまったと思ったら、たちまち威勢いせいのいい御帰おかえりと云いう声こえがした。主人は日本堤にほんづつみ分署ぶんしょから戻もどったと見える。車夫しゃふが差出さしだす大おおきな風呂敷ふろしき包づつみを下女げじょに受うけ取とらして、主人は悠然ゆうぜんと茶ちゃの間まへ這入はいって来くる。「やあ、来きたね」と雪江さんに挨拶あいさつしながら、例れいの有名ゆうめいなる長火鉢ながひばちの傍そばへ、ぽかりと手てに携たずさえた徳利とっくり様ようのものを抛ほうり出だした。徳利様と云うのは純然じゅんぜんたる徳利では無論むろんない、と云って花活はないけとも思われない、ただ一種いっしゅ異様いようの陶器とうきであるから、やむを得えずしばらくかように申もうしたのである。

Rough translation

As Yukiko and her aunt are absorbed in their discussion of marriage, Tonko, who has been listening on and following as best she can, suddenly chimes in. "I want to be married off too." Yukie, herself brimming with youthful passion and generally sympathetic to the hopes and aspirations of young ladies, finds herself suddenly disarmed by this rash declaration. The wife, on the other hand, takes it relatively in stride. "Where is it you have in mind?" she asks with a smile.

"Where I want to be married to, actually, is the Shōkonsha Temple. Only problem is I'm afraid of crossing Suidō Bridge."

Both the wife and Yukie, taken aback by the sophistication of Tonko's answer, can only respond with forced laughter. At this point, Sunko turns to her older sister to offer a proposal of her own.

"You like Shōkonsha? I do too. I love that place. We can go as brides together. What do you think? Either way is fine. I can hire a cart and ride there myself."

"Lil gal too!" Even Lil gal is in on the idea to be married off to Shōkonsha. What a relief for the master if all three daughters can be married off en masse to the same place.

At this point a cart rattles to a stop out front. "Here you are!" exclaims an animated voice. The master, it seems, has returned from his outing to Nihonzutsumi. The cartman holds out a large wrapped bundle that the master hands over in turn to the maidservant before sauntering into the living room. "Look who's here," he calls out to Yukie by way of greeting as he takes his place by the renowned brazier. With a bit of a flourish, he thumps down something resembling a saké bottle. The reason I say "resembling," of course, is that it's like no actual saké bottle I've ever seen, yet at the same time also not quite a vase. It's some oddball form of ceramic for which there's no right word to describe.

Vocabulary

雪江ゆきえ Yukie (name)叔母おばさん aunt (used here as form of address)結婚けっこん marriage事件じけん event; affair何なにか something or other; this and that弁論べんろん discussion; debate逞たくましくして give rein to分わからない not understand; not comprehend謹聴きんちょうして listen attentively toとん子こ Tonko (name)突然とつぜん suddenly; abruptly口くちを開ひらいて open one's mouth; chime in御嫁およめに行ゆきたい want to go as a bride; want to be married off云いいだした spoke up; spoke out無鉄砲むてっぽうな reckless; rash (lit: without a gun; from the idea of rushing into battle without a gun)希望きぼう hope; wish; aspiration青春せいしゅん youth; adolescence気き energy; spirit; vigor満みちて be full of; be brimming with大おおいに very much; greatly同情どうじょう sympathy; shared sentiment寄よすべき should feel (something) toward (someone)毒気どっけを抜ぬかれた was disarmed; was left floundering体てい appearance; condition; state細君さいくん the wife方ほう side比較的ひかくてき relatively; comparatively平気へいきに without concern; calmly構かまえて respond to; position oneself行ゆきたい want to go笑わらいながら with a smile; with a grin聞きいて見みた asked; enquired 本当ほんとうはね actually招魂社しょうこんしゃ Shōkonsha (temple honoring fallen heroes; Yasukuni Jinja in Tōkyō case)水道橋すいどうばし Suidō Bridge (in Tōkyō)渡わたる cross思おもってる am thinking of; am considering 名答めいとう apt answer; capable answer得えて be on the receiving end ofあまりの事こと (something) too much; over the top問とい返かえす enquire further勇気ゆうき courage; nerve笑わらい崩くずれた lapsed into laughter時とき time; moment次女じじょ second daughterすん子こ Sunko (name)姉ねえさん older sister向むかって turn (to)相談そうだん consultation; discussion持もちかけた offered; approached with 御おねえ様さま older sister (used here as a form of address)大だいすき liking very much; loving好いい okay; fine一人ひとりで by myself; alone車くるま car; cart乗のって ride (in) 坊ぼうば lil gal (nickname for the youngest daughter)三人さんにん three (people); the three of them顔かおを揃そろえて all together; as one主人しゅじん master楽らく comfort; ease; relief 音おと sound門前もんぜん before the gate; in front of the gate留とまった stopped威勢いせいのいい high-spirited; cheerful御帰おかえり here you are (back home); home again云いう call out声こえ voice日本堤にほんづつみ Nihonzutsumi (place name)分署ぶんしょ local station; branch戻もどった returned (from)車夫しゃふ rickshaw puller; cartman差出さしだす hold out; present大おおきな large風呂敷ふろしき包づつみ wrapped bundle下女げじょ maidservant受うけ取とらして give over to悠然ゆうぜんと calmly; quietly; discreetly茶ちゃの間ま living room這入はいって来くる enter (into)来きた called; is here挨拶あいさつ greeting; salutation例れいの the aforementioned有名ゆうめいなる of renown; of prominence長火鉢ながひばち (oblong; rectangular) brazier傍そば next to; beside手てに携たずさえた carried in one's hand徳利とっくり様よう like a saké bottle; resembling a saké bottle抛ほうり出だした dropped; tossed純然じゅんぜんたる absolute; pure; complete無論むろん of course花活はないけ (flower) vase一種いっしゅ a certain kind異様いようの odd; eccentric陶器とうき pottery; ceramicやむを得えず necessarily; unavoidably申もうした spoke of; referred to