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砂糖泥棒

by Denji Kuroshima

With his wife just after childbirth, a worker steals sugar.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,561 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.

与助Yosuke (a male name)の's (possessive particle)妻wifeはtopic marker (as for)産褥childbed; postpartum confinementについていたwas in (a state of); was confined to
Yosuke's wife was in bed after giving birth.
子供はas for children六ツになるturning six (years old)女をa girl (object)頭にat the head / the eldest二人あったthere were two
He had two children, the older a girl of six.
今度でthis time (with で marking the occasion)三人目third person (in a count)であるis (formal copula)
This time it was the third child.
彼はhe (topic)ある日one day砂糖倉にinto the sugar storehouse這入ってwent in / crept in帆前垂にinto his apronザラメをcoarse sugar (object)すくいこんでいたwas scooping inところがhowever / whenそこをthere (the place)主人がthe master (subject)見つけたfound / spotted
One day he went into the sugar storehouse and was scooping coarse sugar into his apron when the master found him there.

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About the book

This passage follows a worker named Yosuke who, with his wife just having given birth and no money at hand, steals sugar from the warehouse, is spotted by the owner, and faces dismissal along with the clawing back of his advanced wages. The writing proceeds in a plain, steady rhythm, and the hushed negotiations between master and foreman, together with Yosuke's frightened pleading, give it a stifling, uneasy tension.

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.

杜氏 Social role

A "tōji" was originally the highest-ranked craftsman in a sake brewery, overseeing all the brewing workers. Here the term is borrowed for the foreman of a soy sauce brewery, and the author deliberately adds the note "職工長の如き役目の者" to show this transferred use of the title within the factory.

貸越し History

"Kashikoshi" refers to the situation in which money advanced by an employer exceeds the worker's due wages, so that even after deductions from pay the worker still owes a debt. Tasuke having not a penny shows how this advance system kept workers constantly bound by debt.

帆前垂 Customs

A "hommaedare" is a coarse cloth apron worn by workers over the chest, with cords tied behind the waist. Made of canvas, which resists dirt and wear, it takes its name from that material. The hanging pouch-like part can hold things at hand, and Tasuke uses it precisely to scoop and carry sugar.

About the author

Denji Kuroshima (December 12, 1898 – October 17, 1943) was a Japanese author.

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 “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.

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