電車と風呂
Glum faces on the tram lead the author to thoughts of the bathhouse.
- Authentic text: the opening of a public-domain original
- Word-by-word glosses and translation in English or Chinese, free
- Tap a word for its meaning, listen to the sentence, save words
- Reads in any phone or desktop browser, nothing to download
Want to read your own Japanese light novels? Read the guide →
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 begins with the author's observation of the gloomy, unpleasant faces of fellow train passengers, then recalls the many small discomforts he noticed again after returning home from abroad, leading him to ponder the deeper cause of this shared unpleasantness and to think of the bathhouse. It reads like a careful, mildly sardonic essay of self-observation, laying out everyday impressions one by one and mulling them over.
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.
A type of wooden geta with two tall teeth on the sole, worn mostly by men when going out. In the text, 「堅い高足駄」 refers to geta with high teeth, which are unstable on muddy roads in the rain, so the author feels 「ぎごちない」 (awkward and clumsy).
The 「から」 in 「から風」 can be written 「空」, meaning dry; it refers to a strong, dry wind that often kicks up dust.
A high platform at the entrance of a public bath, where the bathhouse owner or family members sit to collect fees and watch over customers' clothing, with a view of both the men's and women's baths. Customers pay at the bandai when entering. Terada's phrase 「番台からかけられる声」 refers to the keeper's greeting called out from behind the platform.
About the author
Torahiko Terada (November 28, 1878 – December 31, 1935) was a Japanese physicist and author born in Tokyo, who served as a professor at Tokyo Imperial University and conducted research at RIKEN and the Earthquake Research Institute. He studied literature under Natsume Sōseki, wrote under the pseudonym Fuyuhiko Yoshimura, and is best known for his numerous essays on topics ranging from science to manga.
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.