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夢の殺人

by Shirō Hamao

In Asakusa, a man broods until he decides to kill.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,555 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.

どうしたってno matter what / whatever happens此の儘ではas it is now / in this stateおけないcannot leave (it) / can't let (it) be
"No matter what, I can't leave it as it is. ...
いっそrather / might as wellや(part of やっつける)っつけちまおうかshall I just finish (him) off? (やっつけちまおうか = やっつけてしまおうか)
I might as well just finish him off."
浅草公園Asakusa Parkの's / of瓢箪池gourd pondの's / of辺edge / vicinityをalong (path of movement)歩きながらwhile walking藤次郎Fujijiroはtopic marker独り言soliloquy / talking to oneselfをobject marker云ったsaid
While walking by the gourd pond in Asakusa Park, Fujijiro said to himself.
然しhowever之はthis (topic)胸の中のむしゃくしゃをthe frustration inside his heart (object)思わずwithout thinking口に出したblurted outだけでjust, and別段particularly / specificallyやっつけることをfinishing (him) off (object)はっきりclearly考えたhad thoughtわけではなかったwas not the case that
But this was just blurting out the frustration in his heart; he was not specifically thinking clearly about finishing him off.

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About the book

This text follows Tojiro, a young cook at a restaurant, whose resentment toward a man named Yonesuke over his lover Miyoko leads him, while muttering to himself in Asakusa Park, to consider killing. The opening also recalls his earnest self-study of law and his happy courtship, so it reads like a psychological story where calm everyday narration gradually gives way to festering hatred and murderous intent.

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.

浅草公園の瓢箪池 Customs

Asakusa Park was Tokyo's largest popular entertainment district from the Meiji to the Taishō period. Its Sixth District had theatres, cinemas and vaudeville halls, and the park also contained Hanayashiki and other attractions. The Hyōtan (gourd) pond was a pond in the park, later filled in.

レストランＮ亭のコック History

From the Taishō period to the early Shōwa era, Western-style restaurants were called "restaurants" (レストラン) and their cooks コック (from Dutch kok), most of whom were live-in employees residing on the premises. Replacing the restaurant's name with the initial "Ｎ亭" was a common device in fiction of the time to avoid naming real establishments.

女給 Social role

From the late Taishō to the early Shōwa period, cafés (カフェー) flourished. A jokyū was a young waitress who attended customers in cafés and other eating and drinking establishments. Although formally an employee, her status was regarded as morally ambiguous under the social mores of the day.

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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What level is it?

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

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

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