White nights, and other stories — Page 10
She did not seem to hear my footsteps, and did not even stir when I passed by with bated breath and loudly throbbing heart.
彼女は私の足音を聞こえていないようで、私が息をひそめ、心臓を高鳴らせながら通り過ぎたときも、身じろぎ一つしなかった。
"Strange," I thought; "she must be deeply absorbed in something," and all at once I stopped as though petrified.
「おかしい」と私は思った。「何かに深く没頭しているに違いない」と。そして突然、石になったかのように立ち止まった。
I heard a muffled sob.
くぐもった嗚咽が聞こえた。
Yes! I was not mistaken, the girl was crying, and a minute later I heard sob after sob.
そうだ！私は聞き違えていなかった、少女は泣いていたのだ。そして少しすると、嗚咽が次々と聞こえてきた。
Good Heavens! My heart sank.
なんということだ！私の心は沈んだ。
And timid as I was with women, yet this was such a moment!...
女性を前にするといつも臆病になる私だったが、それでもこれはそんな瞬間だった！……
I turned, took a step towards her, and should certainly have pronounced the word "Madam!" if I had not known that that exclamation has been uttered a thousand times in every Russian society novel.
私は振り返り、彼女の方へ一歩踏み出した。そして「マダム！」という言葉を確かに口にしていたはずだが、その感嘆詞がロシアの社交小説のどれにも千回と繰り返されていることを知っていたので、それができなかった。
It was only that reflection stopped me.
私を止めたのはその考えだけだった。
But while I was seeking for a word, the girl came to herself, looked round, started, cast down her eyes and slipped by me along the embankment.
しかし私が言葉を探している間に、少女は我に返り、辺りを見回し、はっとして目を伏せ、堤防沿いに私のそばをすり抜けていった。
I at once followed her; but she, divining this, left the embankment, crossed the road and walked along the pavement.
私はすぐに彼女の後を追った。しかし彼女はそれを察して、堤防を離れ、道路を渡り、歩道を歩いていった。
I dared not cross the street after her.
私は彼女の後を追って通りを渡る勇気がなかった。
My heart was fluttering like a captured bird.
私の心は捕らわれた鳥のようにはためいていた。
All at once a chance came to my aid.
そのとき突然、好機が訪れた。
Along the same side of the pavement there suddenly came into sight, not far from the girl, a gentleman in evening dress, of dignified years, though by no means of dignified carriage; he was staggering and cautiously leaning against the wall.
歩道の同じ側に、少女からそれほど遠くないところに、燕尾服を着た紳士が突然現れた。年齢は貫禄があったが、立ち居振る舞いはとても貫禄があるとは言えなかった。彼はよろめきながら、壁に慎重にもたれかかっていた。
Vocabulary
- 彼女
- kanojo — She; her; girlfriend
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle
- 私
- watashi — I; me (first-person pronoun)
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle
- 足音
- ashioto — Sound of footsteps
- を
- wo — Object marker particle
- 聞こえ
- kikoe — To be audible; can be heard
- て
- te — Conjunctive te-form particle connecting clauses
- い
- i — Auxiliary verb indicating ongoing state
- ない
- nai — Negative auxiliary; not doing something
- よう
- you — Seems like; appears to be
- で
- de — Particle indicating means, location, or reason
- が
- ga — Subject marker or conjunctive particle
- 息
- iki — Breath; breathing
- ひそめ
- hisome — To hold one's breath; suppress breathing
- 心臓
- shinzou — Heart (the organ)
- 高鳴ら
- takanara — Heart beating loudly; pounding
- せ
- se — Causative auxiliary verb form
- ながら
- nagara — While doing; simultaneously
- 通り過ぎ
- toorisugі — To pass by; walk past something
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb
- とき
- toki — Time; moment; when
- も
- mo — Also; even; too (particle)
- 身じろぎ
- mijirogi — Slight bodily movement; stirring
- 一つ
- hitotsu — One; a single thing
- し
- shi — Conjunctive verb form; doing
- なかっ
- nakatta — Did not; negative past form
- おかしい
- okashii — Strange; funny; something is wrong
- と
- to — Quotation particle; and; with
- 思っ
- omotta — Thought; felt; considered something
- 何か
- nanika — Something; some kind of thing
- に
- ni — Direction, location, or target particle
- 深く
- fukaku — Deeply; profoundly; intensely
- 没頭
- bottou — Total absorption; immersed in something completely
- いる
- iru — To exist (animate); to be
- 違いない
- chigainai — No doubt; must certainly be so
- そして
- soshite — And then; and so; furthermore
- 突然
- totsuzen — Suddenly; all of a sudden
- 石
- ishi — Stone; rock
- なっ
- natta — Became; turned into something
- 立ち止まっ
- tachidomatta — Stopped walking; came to a halt
- くぐもっ
- kugumotta — Muffled; stifled; suppressed sound
- 嗚咽
- oetsu — Sobbing; choking weeping sound
- そう
- sou — So; like that; it seems
- だ
- da — Copula; is; it is (plain form)
- 聞き違え
- kikichigae — Mishearing; misheard something incorrectly
- 少女
- shoujo — Young girl; maiden
- 泣い
- naita — Cried; wept; shed tears
- 少し
- sukoshi — A little; slightly; a small amount
- する
- suru — To do; to make happen
- 次々
- tsugitsugi — One after another; in succession
- き
- ki — Came; conjunctive form of kuru
- なん
- nan — What; how; used in exclamations
- という
- to iu — Called; known as; described as
- こと
- koto — Thing; fact; matter (abstract)
- 心
- kokoro — Heart; mind; feelings; spirit
- 沈ん
- shizunda — Sank; felt heavy; became downcast
- 女性
- josei — Woman; female person
- 前
- mae — Before; in front; previous
- いつも
- itsumo — Always; usually; habitually
- 臆病
- okubyou — Cowardly; timid; fearful nature
- なる
- naru — To become; to turn into
- だっ
- datta — Was; were (past copula form)
- それでも
- soredemo — Even so; nevertheless; still
- これ
- kore — This; this thing here
- そんな
- sonna — Such; that kind of thing
- 瞬間
- shunkan — Moment; instant; split second
- 振り返り
- furikaeri — Turning back; looking back around
- 方
- hou — Direction; way; side; person
- へ
- he — Directional particle toward something
- 一歩
- ippo — One step; a single pace
- 踏み出し
- fumidashi — Stepping forward; taking a step out
- マダム
- madamu — Madam; polite address for a woman
- 言葉
- kotoba — Word; language; expression
- 確かに
- tashikani — Certainly; indeed; surely
- 口
- kuchi — Mouth; opening; entrance
- はず
- hazu — Expected to; supposed to be
- その
- sono — That; the (preceding noun modifier)
- ロシア
- roshia — Russia; the country Russia
- 社交
- shakou — Social intercourse; socializing; social etiquette
- 小説
- shousetsu — Novel; fiction; literary work
- どれ
- dore — Which one; which of them
- 千回
- senkai — A thousand times; many repetitions
- 繰り返さ
- kurikaesa — Repeated; done over and over
- れ
- re — Passive or potential auxiliary verb form
- 知っ
- shitte — Knowing; aware of something
- それ
- sore — That; that thing (pronoun)
- でき
- deki — Can do; able to accomplish
- 止め
- tome — Stop; halt; cease doing
- 考え
- kangae — Thought; idea; thinking; consideration
- だけ
- dake — Only; just; merely; that much
- しかし
- shikashi — However; but; nevertheless
- 探し
- sagashi — Searching; looking for something
- 間
- aida — Between; interval; during a time
- 返り
- kaeri — Return; coming back to senses
- 辺り
- atari — Around; vicinity; surrounding area
- 見回し
- mimawashi — Looking around; surveying the surroundings
- はっ
- hatto — Suddenly noticed; startled realization
- 目
- me — Eye; eyes; gaze
- 伏せ
- fuse — Lowering eyes; facing downward
- 堤防
- teibou — Embankment; levee; riverbank structure
- 沿い
- zoi — Along; alongside something
- そば
- soba — Nearby; beside; close to
- すり抜け
- surinuke — Slipping through; passing by stealthily
- いっ
- itte — Going; left; moved away
- すぐ
- sugu — Immediately; right away; close by
- 後
- ato — After; behind; later
- 追っ
- otta — Chased; followed; pursued someone
- 察し
- sasshi — Perception; sensing; figuring out
- 離れ
- hanare — Separated; distanced; moved away
- 道路
- douro — Road; street; public roadway
- 渡り
- watari — Crossing over; traversing a road
- 歩道
- hodou — Sidewalk; pedestrian path; footpath
- 歩い
- aruite — Walking; going on foot
- 通り
- toori — Street; avenue; as expected
- 渡る
- wataru — To cross over; traverse
- 勇気
- yuuki — Courage; bravery; boldness
- 捕ら
- tora — Captured; seized; held by something
- われ
- ware — Seized; oneself; passive verb suffix
- 鳥
- tori — Bird; fowl
- はためい
- Fluttering; flapping in the wind
- 好機
- kouki — Good opportunity; favorable chance
- 訪れ
- otozure — Visit; arrival; opportunity presenting itself
- 同じ
- onaji — Same; identical; equal
- 側
- gawa — Side; direction; party
- から
- kara — From; because; since (particle)
- それほど
- sorehodo — That much; to that extent
- 遠く
- tooku — Far away; distant place
- ところ
- tokoro — Place; spot; situation; point
- 着
- ki — Wearing; dressed in clothing
- 紳士
- shinshi — Gentleman; refined well-mannered man
- 現れ
- arawarete — Appeared; showed up; emerged
- 年齢
- nenrei — Age; years of age
- 貫禄
- kanroku — Dignity; imposing presence; commanding air
- あっ
- atta — Had; existed; there was
- とても
- totemo — Very; extremely; quite
- ある
- aru — To exist; to have (inanimate)
- 言え
- ieta — Could say; able to say
- 彼
- kare — He; him; boyfriend
- よろめき
- yoromeki — Staggering; tottering; swaying unsteadily
- 壁
- kabe — Wall; barrier
- 慎重
- shinchou — Careful; cautious; prudent
- もたれかかっ
- motarekakatta — Leaned against; rested weight on something
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