死の接吻
In a record heatwave, a death is linked to a kiss.
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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 text opens with an extraordinary heat wave: temperatures so high that dozens die of heatstroke daily, water and ice become precious, irritability breeds a surge in quarrels and murders, and then cholera lands in Nagasaki and spreads. It reads as dry, ironic narration—exaggerated yet deadpan—giving the whole piece a sweltering, uneasy 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.
Guo Songling was a general of the Fengtian warlord clique who rose against Zhang Zuolin in November 1925 and was defeated and killed that December. In the text, this news item from China is written alongside news of cholera.
「耳かくし」 ("ear-hiding") was a popular nickname for a women's hairstyle current from the Meiji era to the early Shōwa era, so called because the hair at the temples covered the ears. It was often worn by stylish urban women and women of the common classes.
A 活動弁士 (benshi) was a professional narrator of the silent-film era who stood beside the screen, explaining the plot and voicing the characters; the profession flourished from the Taishō era to the early Shōwa era. Asakusa's Rokku district was then Tokyo's most concentrated area of cinemas and entertainment venues, and the benshi were its star profession. The trade died out with the spread of sound film.
About the author
Kosakai Mitsuji (8 October 1890 – 1 April 1929), better known by the pen name Kosakai Fuboku, was a Japanese medical scientist and crime writer.
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.