The Yellow Wallpaper — Page 8

English → Japanese Full Text Level 6/10

I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have!

私はこれまで無生物にこれほどの表情を見たことがなかった、そして私たちは皆、それらがどれほどの表情を持っているかを知っている！

I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store.

私は子供の頃、眠れずに横になって、何もない壁や質素な家具から、ほとんどの子供がおもちゃ屋で見つけられるよりも多くの楽しみと恐怖を得ていたものだ。

I remember what a kindly wink the knobs of our big old bureau used to have, and there was one chair that always seemed like a strong friend.

私たちの大きな古いたんすの取っ手が、どれほど優しくウィンクしていたかを覚えている、そしていつも頼もしい友人のように思える椅子が一つあった。

I used to feel that if any of the other things looked too fierce I could always hop into that chair and be safe.

他の何かが恐ろしく見えても、いつでもその椅子に飛び込んで安全でいられると感じていたものだ。

The furniture in this room is no worse than inharmonious, however, for we had to bring it all from downstairs.

しかし、この部屋の家具はせいぜい不調和というだけで、それもすべて階下から持ってこなければならなかったのだから。

I suppose when this was used as a playroom they had to take the nursery things out, and no wonder!

この部屋が遊び部屋として使われていた頃は、子供部屋の家具を取り出さなければならなかったのだろう、無理もない！

I never saw such ravages as the children have made here.

子供たちがここでこれほどひどく荒らしたのを見たことがない。

The wallpaper, as I said before, is torn off in spots, and it sticketh closer than a brother—they must have had perseverance as well as hatred.

壁紙は、前にも言ったように、あちこちで剥がされているが、それは兄弟よりも密着している――彼らは憎しみだけでなく、根気もあったに違いない。

Then the floor is scratched and gouged and splintered, the plaster itself is dug out here and there, and this great heavy bed, which is all we found in the room, looks as if it had been through the wars.

床は引っ掻かれ、えぐられ、ささくれ立っており、漆喰そのものもあちこちで掘り出されており、部屋で見つけた唯一のものであるこの大きく重いベッドは、まるで戦場をくぐり抜けてきたかのように見える。

But I don't mind it a bit—only the paper.

でも、私は少しも気にしない――壁紙だけを除いて。

There comes John's sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me!

ジョンの妹がやってくる。なんて愛らしい娘だろう、そして私のことをこんなに気にかけてくれる！

Vocabulary

私: watashi — First-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the sentence topic.
これ: kore — Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this thing'.
まで: made — Particle meaning 'until' or 'up to'.
無生物: museibutsu — Inanimate object; something lacking life.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or indirect object.
ほど: hodo — Indicates degree or extent; 'as much as'.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
表情: hyōjō — Facial expression; look on one's face.
を: wo — Object-marking particle for direct objects.
見た: mita — Past tense of 'miru'; saw or observed.
こと: koto — Nominalizer; abstract thing or fact.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle.
なかった: nakatta — Past negative of 'nai'; did not exist or have.
そして: soshite — Conjunction meaning 'and then' or 'and'.
たち: tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings.
皆: mina — Everyone; all people or things.
それら: sorera — Plural demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those things'.
どれ: dore — Interrogative pronoun meaning 'which one'.
持っ: mot(te) — Stem of 'motsu'; to hold or possess.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
いる: iru — Verb indicating ongoing state or existence.
か: ka — Question-marking particle at sentence end.
知っ: shit(te) — Stem of 'shiru'; to know or be aware.
子供: kodomo — Child; young person.
頃: koro — Approximate time or period; 'around that time'.
眠れ: nemure — Potential stem of 'nemuru'; able to sleep.
ず: zu — Negative verb suffix meaning 'without doing'.
横: yoko — Side; horizontal direction; lying sideways.
なっ: nat(te) — Stem of 'naru'; to become.
何: nani — Interrogative meaning 'what'.
も: mo — Particle meaning 'also', 'even', or 'nothing' (with negative).
ない: nai — Negative adjective meaning 'does not exist'.
壁: kabe — Wall of a room or building.
や: ya — Particle listing items non-exhaustively; 'and' or 'or'.
質素: shisso — Simple and plain; modest without luxury.
な: na — Adjectival particle linking na-adjectives to nouns.
家具: kagu — Furniture; household furnishings.
から: kara — Particle meaning 'from' or 'because'.
ほとんど: hotondo — Mostly; almost; nearly all.
おもちゃ: omocha — Toy; plaything for children.
屋: ya — Suffix meaning shop or store.
で: de — Particle indicating place of action or means.
見つけ: mitsuke — Stem of 'mitsukeru'; to find or discover.
られる: rareru — Passive or potential auxiliary verb suffix.
より: yori — Comparative particle meaning 'more than'.
多く: ōku — Many; a large amount or number.
楽しみ: tanoshimi — Enjoyment; pleasure; something to look forward to.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or quotation marker.
恐怖: kyōfu — Fear; terror; extreme fright.
得: e — Stem of 'eru'; to obtain or gain.
い: i — Stem of 'iru'; being or existing (continuative).
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb suffix.
もの: mono — Thing; object; nominalizing expression.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'it is'.
大きな: ōkina — Large; big (prenominal adjective form).
古い: furui — Old; aged; not new.
たんす: tansu — Chest of drawers; traditional wooden dresser.
取っ手: totte — Handle; knob on a drawer or door.
優しく: yasashiku — Gently; kindly; in a tender manner.
ウィンク: winku — Wink; closing one eye as a signal.
し: shi — Conjunctive form of suru; also lists reasons.
覚え: oboe — Stem of 'oboeru'; to remember or recall.
いつも: itsumo — Always; usually; all the time.
頼もしい: tanomoshii — Reliable; dependable; reassuringly trustworthy.
友人: yūjin — Friend; companion; close acquaintance.
よう: yō — Seems like; appears to be (resemblance).
思える: omoeru — Potential form of 'omou'; can feel or seem.
椅子: isu — Chair; seat for sitting.
一つ: hitotsu — One (item); a single thing.
あっ: at(te) — Stem of 'aru'; existing (connective form).
他: hoka — Other; another; different thing.
何か: nanika — Something; some unspecified thing.
恐ろしく: osoroshiku — Terribly; in a frightening or dreadful manner.
見え: mie — Stem of 'mieru'; to appear or be visible.
いつ: itsu — When; at what time (interrogative).
その: sono — That (attributive demonstrative adjective).
飛び込ん: tobikon(de) — Stem of 'tobikomu'; to jump or dive into.
安全: anzen — Safety; security; free from danger.
感じ: kanji — Feeling; sense; impression.
しかし: shikashi — However; but; nevertheless.
この: kono — This (attributive demonstrative adjective).
部屋: heya — Room; indoor space in a building.
せいぜい: seizei — At most; at best; to the utmost extent.
不調和: fuchōwa — Disharmony; discord; lack of harmony.
いう: iu — To say; to call; to be called.
だけ: dake — Only; just; merely; no more than.
それ: sore — That thing; it (mid-distance demonstrative).
すべて: subete — All; everything; the whole.
階下: kaika — Downstairs; lower floor of a building.
なけれ: nakere — Conditional stem of 'nai'; if there is not.
ば: ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if'.
なら: nara — Conditional 'if it is the case that'.
遊び: asobi — Play; game; amusement; recreation.
として: toshite — As; in the capacity of; functioning as.
使わ: tsukawa — Passive/causative stem of 'tsukau'; to use.
れ: re — Passive verb suffix attached to verb stems.
取り出さ: toridasa — Stem of 'toridasu'; to take out or remove.
だろ: daro — Volitional form of copula 'da'; probably is.
う: u — Volitional suffix expressing conjecture or intention.
無理: muri — Impossible; unreasonable; forcing something.
ここ: koko — Here; this place.
ひどく: hidoku — Terribly; severely; in a bad manner.
荒らし: arashi — Stem of 'arasu'; to devastate or ransack.
壁紙: kabegami — Wallpaper; decorative paper covering walls.
前: mae — Before; in front; previous.
言っ: it(te) — Stem of 'iu'; said (connective past form).
あちこち: achikochi — Here and there; in various places.
剥がさ: hagasa — Passive stem of 'hagasu'; to peel or strip off.
兄弟: kyōdai — Siblings; brothers and sisters.
密着: micchaku — Close adhesion; sticking tightly together.
彼ら: karera — They; them (third-person plural, often male).
憎しみ: nikushimi — Hatred; strong dislike; animosity.
なく: naku — Without; lacking (conjunctive negative form).
根気: konki — Perseverance; patience; tenacity.
違い: chigai — Difference; distinction; discrepancy.
床: yuka — Floor; the ground surface of a room.
引っ掻か: hikkaka — Stem of 'hikkaku'; to scratch or claw.
えぐら: egura — Stem of 'eguru'; to gouge or scoop out.
立っ: tat(te) — Stem of 'tatsu'; standing up (connective form).
おり: ori — Humble form of 'iru'; being; existing (polite).
そのもの: sono mono — The thing itself; the very substance.
掘り出さ: horidasa — Stem of 'horidasu'; to dig out or unearth.
唯一: yuiitsu — The only one; sole; unique.
ある: aru — To exist; to be (inanimate subject).
大きく: ōkiku — Largely; in a big way (adverb form).
重い: omoi — Heavy; weighty; burdensome.
ベッド: beddo — Bed; furniture for sleeping.
まるで: marude — Just like; as if; completely resembling.
戦場: senjō — Battlefield; scene of fighting or war.
くぐり抜け: kuguri nuke — Stem of 'kuguri nukeru'; to pass through.
見える: mieru — To be visible; to appear; to seem.
でも: demo — But; however; even so.
少し: sukoshi — A little; a small amount.
気: ki — Spirit; mind; feeling; mood.
除い: nozoi — Stem of 'nozoku'; to exclude or remove.
妹: imōto — Younger sister.
くる: kuru — To come; to arrive.
なんて: nante — Such a thing as; how (exclamatory).
愛らしい: airashii — Lovely; adorable; charming and cute.
娘: musume — Daughter; young woman; girl.
こんな: konna — This kind of; such a (near speaker).
かけ: kake — Stem of 'kakeru'; to hang, pour, or care for.
くれる: kureru — To give (to me); to do for me.

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