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門

The Gate

by Natsume Sōseki

A quiet couple lives in the shadow of a past they never speak of.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Advanced3,600 characters · ≈ 14 minSource: 青空文库

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Sample: three-line reading

Each word has its meaning in this sentence underneath, and each sentence has a full translation. Read the original and glance down only when you need to.

一one
One
宗助Sosuke (name)はtopic marker先刻からsince a while ago縁側へout to the veranda坐蒲団をa cushion (zabuton)持ち出してbrought out and日当りのof the sunlight exposure好さそうなthat seemed good所へto a spot気楽にcomfortably胡坐をかいてsitting cross-legged見たがtried (doing) butやがてsoon手にin his hand持っているholding雑誌をthe magazine放り出すと共にas he tossed it asideごろりとflopping over横になったlay down
Sosuke had brought a cushion out to the veranda a while ago, and after trying sitting cross-legged in a sunny spot, he soon tossed aside the magazine in his hand and flopped down.
秋日和autumn day (fine autumn weather)とas (quoting particle)名のつくto be named / to deserve the nameほどのto the extent of / so much that上天気fine weatherなのでbecause / since往来を行くpassing along the street人のpeople's下駄の響the sound of clogsが(subject marker)静かなquiet町だけにonly in the town / precisely because it was a quiet town朗らかにcheerfully / brightly聞えて来るcomes to be heard
It was such fine weather that it could be called an autumn day, and the sound of people's clogs passing by could be heard clearly in the quiet town.
肱枕をしてresting his head on his arm軒からfrom the eaves上を見上げるとwhen he looked up奇麗な空がa beautiful sky一面にall over蒼くblue澄んでいるis clear
Resting his head on his arm and looking up from the eaves, he saw a beautiful sky, clear and blue all over.

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About the book

The Gate (Mon) is a 1910 Japanese novel by Natsume Sōseki, the final part of his early trilogy following Sanshirō and Sorekara. It follows Sosuke, who betrayed his best friend Yasui by marrying his wife Oyone, as he seeks salvation from his guilt. It offers Sōseki's treatment of guilt and the search for redemption.

Cultural notes (selection)

Background a translation can’t carry: social roles, history and allusions. While reading, tap “Note” at the end of a sentence to see them all.

縁側 Customs

In Japanese, 縁側 refers to the wooden veranda between the interior and the outdoors in a traditional Japanese house, where one can sit or lie in the sun; it is part of everyday living space. There is no exact English equivalent; it is often translated as "engawa" or "veranda".

細君 Social role

細君 is a Japanese term for one's wife. In third-person narration it means "Sōsuke's wife," and it can also be used to refer to another person's wife, with a slightly old-fashioned tone. Here it simply refers to his wife O-Mi, not a concubine or any other special status.

護謨車 Customs

護謨 is a transliteration of the Dutch word gom, meaning rubber; a 護謨車 is a rickshaw fitted with rubber tires, and the sound of its bell lets you know one is passing by.

About the author

Natsume Sōseki (9 February 1867 – 9 December 1916), born Natsume Kinnosuke, was a Japanese novelist, poet, and scholar regarded as one of the greatest writers in modern Japanese history. His major works include I Am a Cat, Botchan, Sanshirō, Kokoro, and his unfinished final novel Light and Dark.

Summary prepared with AI from Wikipedia: 門 (小説) (CC BY-SA)

How the glosses are made

Word glosses and sentence translations are generated in context by AI models (DeepSeek and Zhipu GLM), and every word is checked to have a gloss. AI can make mistakes; you can report problems from the book page.

FAQ

Is this the original text?

Yes. The library holds the opening section of the public-domain original, taken from 青空文库.

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Library books are free to read without an account. Other gloss languages and importing your own texts need an account and credits.

What level is it?

This one is marked “Advanced”. Every word is glossed, so you can keep reading even with a small vocabulary.

Can I use another gloss language?

English and Chinese glosses are prepared in advance; signed-in readers can generate other languages.

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