鹿狩り
A boy’s uncle suddenly offers to take him deer hunting.
- Authentic text: the opening of a public-domain original
- Word-by-word glosses and translation in English or Chinese, free
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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.
About the book
The passage recounts how twelve-year-old "I," invited by an uncle, joins a party of local dignitaries setting out one winter night for a deer hunt. Narrated from the boy's outsider's view—watching the adults talk and laugh under a lamp, then boarding a night boat—it reads plainly, with a quiet pre-dawn atmosphere.
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.
「一揆」 refers to armed collective uprisings by farmers or villagers in early modern Japan, often launched as night attacks, hence 「夜討」. When Meiji-era people saw a group of men in commoners' dress marching at night carrying guns, they would naturally think of this historical scene.
「草鞋」 are sandals woven from straw, while 「脚絆」 (leg wraps) are cloth bands wound around the lower legs to keep stones and debris out of the shoes while walking and to protect the legs. Standard gear for long journeys, hunting, and marching in the Meiji period, they form a typically Meiji sight of old and new mixed with the Western clothes being worn.
A 円座 (enza) is a round cushion woven from straw or rush. 「円座を組む」 means to sit down together in a circle.
About the author
Doppo Kunikida (30 August 1871 – 23 June 1908) was a Japanese author of novels and romantic poetry during the Meiji period. He is noted as one of the inventors of Japanese naturalism.
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.
Do I need to pay or sign up?
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 “Intermediate”. 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.