キンショキショキ
Long ago, a huge monkey suddenly turns up in a remote village.
- 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
This text tells of a large monkey wearing red cloth and a bell that appears in a rural village, dancing at house after house to ask for rice and vegetables before running off with its bundle. The opening has the calm tone of a folk tale, with lively scenes of children watching the monkey dance, giving it a simple, curious feel.
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 storehouse (kura, with white plaster walls) could only be built by wealthy farming families or prominent households that had stockpiled large amounts of grain and property, so having one was a mark of wealth or poverty. The fact that the monkey goes first to a house with a storehouse is connected to this.
This is the typical attire of a performing monkey: a red cloth tied on its back and a bell around its neck. It was the standard costume for monkeys used in performances.
The monkey trainer (sarumawashi) was a traditional itinerant entertainer in Japan, leading a trained monkey from village to village and earning rice and money through monkey performances. They mostly toured the countryside and were regarded by villagers as well-travelled, knowledgeable entertainers.
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 “Beginner”. 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.