I am a Cat (Chapter 10 b) Section 344 Study Guide

Practice text with full furigana

わからんことやつだな。いらないとからかえと云うのにひど事があるものか」

「だって」

「だって、どうしたんだ」

「だって苛いわ」

だな、おな事ばかりかえしている」

叔父おじさんだって同じ事ばかり繰り返しているじゃありませんか」

御前おまえが繰り返すから仕方しかたがないさ。げんいらないと云ったじゃないか」

「そりゃ云いましたわ。いらない事はいらないんですけれども、還すのはいやですもの」

おどろいたな。没分暁わからずや強情ごうじょうなんだから仕方がない。御前の学校がっこうじゃ論理学ろんりがくおしえないのか」

「よくってよ、どうせ無教育むきょういくなんですから、なんとでもおっしゃい。ひとのものを還せだなんて、他人たにんだってそんな不人情ふにんじょう事は云やしない。ちっと馬鹿ばかたけ真似まねでもなさい」

なんの真似をしろ?」

「ちと正直しょうじき淡泊たんぱくなさいと云うんです」

「お前は愚物ぐぶつくせやに強情だよ。それだから落第らくだいするんだ」

「落第したって叔父さんに学資がくししてもらやしないわ」

Rough translation

"You're making no sense. What's so awful about asking you to give back something you said you don't even want?"

"It's just ..."

"It's just what?"

"At any rate, it's awful."

"This is ridiculous. All you do is repeat your same assertions."

"As do you. Don't pin this on me."

"I'm only repeating myself because you're repeating yourself. You did say, did you not, that you don't want the umbrella?"

"That's what I said. I said I don't want it, but I never said I wanted to give it back."

"How does that figure? You're a headstrong numbskull, beyond the reach of reason. At that school of yours, is there no instruction in logical thought?"

"Just keep on piling it on. Heap disdain on the unenlightened. No one with even an ounce of human feeling would asks another to return a gift once given. It's men like you who could stand to learn from Foolish Také."

"Learn from whom?"

"I'm talking about sincerity. About purity of heart."

"You're a buffoon, and a stubborn one at that. It's no wonder you don't make the grade."

"Whether I make the grade or not, it's no skin off your nose. No one's asking you to fund my studies."

Vocabulary

わからん incomprehensible; nonsensicalこと thingsう say; stateやつ fellow; gal; thingう say; stateかえせ return (something)ひどい terrible; awful; heartless  foolishness; stupidityおなじ the sameかえして repeat; regurgitate 叔父おじさん uncle (used here as form of address) 御前おまえ you仕方しかたがない can't be helpedげんに actually; in fact いや objectionable; distasteful おどろいた surprising; unexpected没分暁わからずや blockhead; numbskull強情ごうじょう obstinate; stubborn; headstrong学校がっこう school論理学ろんりがく (study of) logicおしえない not teach 無教育むきょういく uneducated; ignorantなんとでも whateverひと a person; another他人たにん other people; others不人情ふにんじょうな unkind; heartless馬鹿ばかたけ Foolish Také (name)真似まね taking after; learning from なん what 正直しょうじきに honestly; directly; sincerely淡泊たんぱくに frankly; candidly; easily 愚物ぐぶつ fool; buffoon; doltくせに as a ...; for a ...落第らくだいする fall short; fail to make the grade 学資がくし educational expensesしてもらやしない won't call on to provide