Heart of Darkness — Page 9

English → Japanese Full Text Level 9/10

It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind—as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness.

それはただの暴力を伴う強盗、大規模な加重殺人であり、男たちは盲目的にそれに取り組んでいた――闇に立ち向かう者たちにとっては、まことにふさわしいことではあるが。

The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

地球の征服とは、大部分においては、我々とは肌の色が異なるか、鼻がわずかに低い人々からそれを奪い取ることを意味するのだが、あまり深く考えると、決して美しいものではない。

What redeems it is the idea only.

それを救うのは、ただ理念だけだ。

An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea—something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to...."

その背後にある理念――感傷的な見せかけではなく、理念；そしてその理念への無私の信念――それは、打ち立て、ひれ伏し、犠牲を捧げることのできる何かだ……」

He broke off.

彼は言葉を切った。

Flames glided in the river, small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separating slowly or hastily.

川の上を炎が滑るように漂っていた――小さな緑の炎、赤い炎、白い炎が、互いに追いかけ、追い越し、合わさり、交差しては――やがてゆっくりと、あるいは慌ただしく離れていった。

The traffic of the great city went on in the deepening night upon the sleepless river.

眠らぬ川の上で、夜が深まる中、大都市の往来は続いていた。

We looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else to do till the end of the flood; but it was only after a long silence, when he said, in a hesitating voice, "I suppose you fellows remember I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit," that we knew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to hear about one of Marlow's inconclusive experiences.

我々は辛抱強く待ちながら眺めていた――満潮が終わるまでほかにすることもなかったのだ；しかし長い沈黙の後、彼がためらいがちな声で「君たちも覚えているだろう、私がかつて少しの間、川の水夫になったことを」と言って初めて、我々は、潮が引き始める前に、マーロウの結末のない体験談の一つを聞く運命にあると悟ったのだった。

Vocabulary

それ: sore — That; referring to something near the listener.
は: wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese sentences.
ただ: tada — Simply, merely, just; nothing more than.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle in Japanese.
暴力: bōryoku — Violence; use of physical force harmfully.
を: o — Object marker particle indicating direct object.
伴う: tomonau — To accompany; to involve or be accompanied by.
強盗: gōtō — Robbery; stealing with force or intimidation.
大規模: daikibo — Large-scale; of great size or extent.
な: na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
加重: kajū — Aggravated; added weight or severity to a crime.
殺人: satsujin — Murder; the act of killing a person.
で: de — Particle indicating means, location, or cause.
あり: ari — To be; existential or copula verb form.
男: otoko — Man; an adult male person.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix indicating a group of people.
盲目: mōmoku — Blindness; unable to see or perceive clearly.
的: teki — Suffix meaning '-like' or '-ically'; adjectival marker.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or purpose.
取り組ん: torikun — To tackle, grapple with, or engage in (something).
い: i — Auxiliary verb form of 'iru', indicating ongoing state.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb marker in Japanese.
闇: yami — Darkness; absence of light or moral darkness.
立ち向かう: tachimukau — To confront, face up to, or stand against.
者: mono — Person; one who does or is something.
とっ: totte — For; from the perspective or standpoint of someone.
て: te — Conjunctive particle linking verb phrases together.
まこと: makoto — Truth, sincerity; truly or indeed (archaic/formal).
ふさわしい: fusawashii — Suitable, fitting, appropriate for a situation.
こと: koto — Thing, fact, matter; nominalizer for verb phrases.
ある: aru — To exist; there is (for inanimate things).
が: ga — Subject marker particle; also indicates contrast.
地球: chikyū — The Earth; our planet.
征服: seifuku — Conquest; subduing or taking control by force.
と: to — And; with; quotation particle in Japanese.
大部分: daibubun — The greater part; most of something.
おい: oite — At, in, regarding (formal locative expression).
我々: wareware — We, us; formal first-person plural pronoun.
肌: hada — Skin; the surface of the human body.
色: iro — Color; hue or shade of something.
異なる: kotonaru — To differ, be different from something else.
か: ka — Question particle or 'or' conjunction in Japanese.
鼻: hana — Nose; the facial organ for smelling.
わずか: wazuka — Slight, a little, only a small amount.
低い: hikui — Low, short; not tall or high in position.
人々: hitobito — People; plural form referring to various persons.
から: kara — From; indicating origin, cause, or starting point.
奪い取る: ubaitoru — To snatch away; to forcibly take from someone.
意味: imi — Meaning, significance; what something denotes.
する: suru — To do; general-purpose action verb in Japanese.
だ: da — Copula; informal 'to be' in Japanese.
あまり: amari — Too much; not very (with negative); excessively.
深く: fukaku — Deeply; to a great depth or degree.
考える: kangaeru — To think, consider, ponder something carefully.
決して: kesshite — Never; absolutely not (used with negative verbs).
美しい: utsukushii — Beautiful; aesthetically pleasing or lovely.
もの: mono — Thing, object; also softens or explains a statement.
ない: nai — Not exist; negation auxiliary in Japanese.
救う: sukuu — To save, rescue, or redeem someone or something.
理念: rinen — Ideal, principle; a guiding philosophical concept.
だけ: dake — Only, just, merely; limiting to one thing.
その: sono — That (near listener); demonstrative adjective.
背後: haigo — Behind, at the back; hidden background of something.
感傷: kanshō — Sentimentality; easily moved by emotion.
見せかけ: misekake — Pretense, facade; making something appear falsely.
なく: naku — Without; lacking (negative conjunctive form).
；そして: (semicolon) soshite — And then; furthermore connecting two statements.
へ: e — To, toward; directional particle in Japanese.
無私: mushi — Selflessness; without personal interest or ego.
信念: shinnen — Belief, conviction; firmly held personal principle.
それ: sore — That; referring to something near the listener.
打ち立て: uchitate — To establish, found, or set up firmly.
ひれ伏し: hirefushi — To prostrate oneself; bow down in submission.
犠牲: gisei — Sacrifice; giving up something valuable for another.
捧げる: sasageru — To offer, dedicate, devote to something or someone.
できる: dekiru — Can do; to be able to accomplish something.
何か: nanika — Something; an unspecified or unknown thing.
彼: kare — He, him; third-person masculine pronoun.
言葉: kotoba — Words, language; spoken or written expression.
切っ: kitte — To cut off; to stop or cease abruptly.
川: kawa — River; a large natural flowing body of water.
上: ue — Above, on top; upper position or surface.
炎: honō — Flame; burning fire or flickering light.
滑る: suberu — To glide, slide smoothly across a surface.
よう: yō — Like, as if; expressing resemblance or manner.
漂っ: tadayotte — To drift, float; to wander without fixed direction.
小さな: chiisana — Small, little; of minimal size or amount.
緑: midori — Green; the color of grass and leaves.
赤い: akai — Red; having the color of blood or fire.
白い: shiroi — White; having the color of snow or milk.
互い: tagai — Each other, mutual; reciprocal between two parties.
追いかけ: oikake — To chase, pursue; run after someone or something.
追い越し: oikoshi — To overtake, pass; go beyond something ahead.
合わさり: awasari — To come together, combine; merge into one.
交差: kōsa — Intersection; crossing of paths or lines.
し: shi — Conjunctive verb form; and, also listing reasons.
やがて: yagate — Soon, before long; eventually after some time.
ゆっくり: yukkuri — Slowly, leisurely; without haste or hurry.
慌ただしく: awatadashiku — Hurriedly, frantically; in a busy rushed manner.
離れ: hanare — To separate, move away from; become distant.
いっ: itte — Going (conjunctive form of 'iku', to go).
眠ら: nemura — To sleep; be in a state of rest (stem form).
ぬ: nu — Classical negative auxiliary; not doing something.
夜: yoru — Night; the dark period after sunset.
深まる: fukamaru — To deepen; grow deeper or more intense.
中: naka — Inside, middle, among; within a space or group.
大都市: daitoshi — Metropolis; a large major city or urban area.
往来: ōrai — Traffic, coming and going; busy movement of people.
続い: tsuzuite — Continuing, following; ongoing without interruption.
辛抱: shinbō — Patience, perseverance; enduring difficulty without complaint.
強く: tsuyoku — Strongly; with great strength or intensity.
待ち: machi — Waiting; staying in place expecting someone or something.
ながら: nagara — While; doing two actions simultaneously.
眺め: nagame — To gaze at, view; look at from a distance.
満潮: manchō — High tide; the peak level of ocean tidal water.
終わる: owaru — To end, finish; reach a conclusion or stop.
まで: made — Until, up to; indicating a limit in time or space.
ほか: hoka — Other, else; besides what has been mentioned.
も: mo — Also, too; inclusive particle adding to a list.
なかっ: nakatta — Was not; past tense negative form of 'nai'.
；しかし: (semicolon) shikashi — However, but; introducing a contrasting statement.
長い: nagai — Long; of great length or extended duration.
沈黙: chinmoku — Silence; absence of sound or speech.
後: nochi / go — After, later; following in time or order.
ためらい: tamerai — Hesitation; wavering uncertainty before acting or speaking.
がち: gachi — Tending to; inclined toward a certain behavior.
声: koe — Voice; sound produced by speaking or calling.
君: kimi — You; informal second-person pronoun (usually male).
覚え: oboe — Memory, recollection; remembering something learned.
いる: iru — To be; exist (for animate beings); ongoing action.
だろう: darō — Probably; expressing conjecture or seeking confirmation.
私: watashi — I, me; first-person singular pronoun.
かつ: katsu — Once, formerly; at a past point in time.
少し: sukoshi — A little, a bit; small amount or degree.
間: aida / ma — Interval, between; a period of time or space.
水夫: suifu — Sailor, seaman; a person who works on ships.
なっ: natte — Becoming; conjunctive form of 'naru' (to become).
言っ: itte — Saying, having said; conjunctive form of 'iu'.
初め: hajime — Beginning, start; the first part of something.
潮: shio — Tide; the rise and fall of sea levels.
引き: hiki — Pulling; ebbing (of tide); withdrawing movement.
始める: hajimeru — To begin, start doing something from now.
前: mae — Before, in front; earlier in time or space.
結末: ketsumatsu — Conclusion, ending; the final outcome of a story.
体験: taiken — Experience; something personally lived through.
談: dan — Talk, account; narrative or discussion of experience.
一つ: hitotsu — One; a single item or unit.
聞く: kiku — To listen, hear; to ask a question.
運命: unmei — Fate, destiny; predetermined course of events.
悟っ: satotte — Realizing, perceiving; having attained understanding or enlightenment.
だっ: datta — Was; past tense informal copula in Japanese.

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