Read Real Japanese Short Stories by Contemporary Writers eoiteo sy Michael Emmerich nareareo ay Reiko Matsunaga KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL Tokyo New York LandonCONTENTS PREFACE Kawakami Hiromi Otsuichi bpuFaokisic Ishii Shinji ABBSO Yoshimoto Banana B43 Kitamura Kaoru Tawada Yoko DHS Starting rom the back ofthe book running in the opposite direction JIAPANESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY NoTES ae rom ta pear AlJpanese nase penine apanese od sur name (cept on tm te te op apy age, ‘and C0). meee Fretted any Buns Sun 1,348,107 Copy- Sie as Ken». 8 Phones ates Darton ay sangeet of PSC odes & exdngandedting geen Re he Els arguge Eaton orc ne Dion. 3-48 [saring ham te act boat, compa Dyfon Re Cnt © 20090 Roars eet Unteckingiom nc cantnert rope by Kadaaha Europe Ls Pah iy Ko nye, ha larson Ld, 12-14 Bows thane 28852 aeons tae sheet pr 02008 by Michael Emmorch onthe copii “Karina (p16) evure ©1998 by Heo Kawah “Mash tira tense" Ip-40-0) ep 06 oye ha fir” on 0-7 copy 205 by Sone ‘Mi (np 7-105) cpt 20004 Eanane Yoho “Apropo 18-27 cape 2008 by ao era “iar pp 0-3) ena 08 aca ‘ihn ese, iain pon, Festi, 2008 Www wiwos0 s21150987654321 Liang ofCongess Cstagingin Raion ata ane panes etn shrt tri by corny mies? ‘ety Meharry he Manage 'sinra-4-7700-2089- ‘es: enn ing he 8660100 ce zoos?PREFACE ‘The phrase “best-kept secret” gets on my nerves, in part because T usually turn first to the restaurant reviews when the newspaper parachutes through, ‘our mal slot, and this overdone expression seems to crop up in every third review. Sometimes, though, you simply have no choice but to use it. Take, for instance, the Japanese language. You've heard rumors, no doubt, that Japanese is an extremely difficult language for English speakers to master. Impossible, even! Well, rest assured, fellow student—those rumors are false, One of the best-kept secrets around, really and truly, is that Japanese is not actually all that hard Learning a language, ! would suggest, is like jumping on a train without having any idea where its headed, and staying aboard until you get there— ‘wherever “there” is, Trips of this sort can bea bit unnerving, sure, and with Japanese you have to travel along way before the scenery stats to change, and it can get kind of boring just sitting ther, staring blankly at your fash cards. That's the rub, really—it's not that the language is hard, per se, you just have to take your time getting into it, and that’s true of any language Japanese grammar is much simpler than that of German or French or, lative, instru say, Punjabi, with its array of nominative, genitive, accusativ ‘mental, ablative, locative, and vocative cases—one for every day of the week. ‘And you know those “three writing systems” you hear so much about? That, as our Russian friends say, is a bunch of hooey. Japanese is so wonderfully fan and rich precisely because it mixes three scripts—kauyj tay, aid kkatakana, the second two of which can be learned, in a pinch, over a long ‘weekend—into a single, very versatile writing system. It takes a while to learn the 1945 kanji identified by the Japanese government as appropiate(Ofcourse, I don't expect you to take my word for it. Thape you won't— this book is only meant to tide you over until you reach the stage where you can saunter casually into a Japanese bookstore, scan the table of new releases, and pick out a book that looks like just the thing you're in the mood for. And, of course, until you have a versatile enough vocabulary and. a subtle enough sense of recent trends in Japanese book design that you actually do end up with what you want, rather than something that looks eerily similar to what you want but turns out to be a recently retranslated philosophical novel about vorit or some such thing, ‘That said, I hope you will take my word for it, as you stand atthe begin- ning of what may well be a rather extended commitment of energy and {magination, when I say that the stories in this book are all very, very good, hope, too, that you will rust me when I tll you that it will be best not to shuffle the order of the stories too much, They've been arranged in what | believe isa good sequence, in an order that makes sense, lke a well-planned meal, Which reminds me—I ought to explain each of the courses Soup Course 'Kamisama” by Kawakami Hiromi ‘This is the perfect starter. Refreshingly light and fairly easy to read, the prose has a delightful, humorous quirkiness to it that matches to a T the ‘wackiness ofthe plot—not that there's much ofa plot. “Kamisama’ is what ‘you might call an “idea” piece. And the idea is great! You'll find, I'm sure that it offers an utterly enjoyable introduction to a few different varieties of language—notably the polite, even ceremonious speech of the bear (its wacky, [ told you!) and the written de aru style. There aren't too many kanji, and the grammar you'll learn is usefully basic in the sense that it will give you a good foundation to build upon as you go on and read the rest of the stories Appetizer “Mulkashi yahi no ken de" by Otsuichi A glance al Otsuicht’s photograph tells you that hes going Wo be confident and bold, and that’s precisely what he isin this story. “Mukashi yihi no kéen de” complements the charmingly desultory, warm-and-fuzzy atmos- phere of “Kamisama” very nicely with its cool, dry, perfectly in-conteol but PREFACE “for general use," its true, and the Asahi Shimbun, for instance, uses 65 ‘more that aren't on this list; but when you get right down to it, how dificult is it to learn 2011 kanji, especially when they're all cobbled together from only two hundred some-odd parts? English, according to Masha Bell's spine-chilling Understanding English Spelling, makes use of mote than 90, spelling rules, and even if you have these down pat (I certainly don't) you still have to memorize over 3700 irregular, irrational, and (to me) highly irritating spellings in order to become even moderately competent a8 a spellor—or rather, speller. So you see, Japanese isn't an impossibly hard language, The problem stems from the fact that it just takes so much time to travel from here to there, the train ride gets old fast, we start to hate our flashcards, if only there were some fun way to while away the hours, a book to reed, perhaps and that's where Read Real japanese enters the picture. The book you are holding in your hand right now is designed to be the perfect reading ‘material for you on the linguistic trip you're taking: to help you have more fun getting where you're going, and to help you get there faster. THE STORIES ‘The six stories in this collection are all amazing. I spent months putting together a lst of candidates for inclusion, then mulling over the titles, try. {ng to whittle the lst down. The stories are also totally contemporary: only one, Kawakami Hiromi’ "Kamisama," was first collected in a book prior to 2000; half of them were published between 2005 and 2008, And the authors, who write in all sorts of different literary genres—from horror to fantagy to mystery to avant-garde experimental fiction to children’ stories to literary fiction.” whatever that is—are all major figures, mas ters of their craft, writers who will leave you wanting to read more, They shouldnt be seen, though, as representative of Japanese fiction being writ- ten today, because there are just too many incredible writers producing ‘unique, powerful works for any six figures to represent them all; despite their great stature, this magnificent six could have been augmented by ‘any number of other writers, had the need for coneision been less pres ing. The dozens of stories and authors 1 had to cut from my original list were as fun and exciting as the ones you're about to read. Contemporary Japanese literature is, as you'l see, extremely good. PREFACE 8there are more kanji, the vocabulary is more advanced (“Mukashi yi no ken de” is about an elementary school student, while the narrator of this story isin college), and youll encounter a greater number of culturally spe- cific references. “Hyakumonogatari* will also give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself withthe different styles of speech that men and women often use in fction—and, to an extent, depending on the age of the men and women in question, in rea life. You'l find, too, that i illustrates beau- tifully what a good waiter can do with a language that doesnt require that the subject ofa sentence be explicitly stated. Desert “Kakeru” by Tawada Yoko And finally delicious litle taste, just a mouthful, of an incredibly rch, dizayingly, dazlingly mixed-up story. "Kakeru” i pare linguistic pay. Per. haps you could compare it to a lousless chocolate cake, except that instead of omitting the flour, Tawada Yoko leaves out the plot. Completely. Wow. Te might sound difficult, but its mt—this story was made for the language student. t was made for you THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK If the stories have been arranged like a six-course dinner, the book as a whole has, more or less, the structure ofa three-ring circus. In the main ring are the stories; in ring two, notes to the stories and a full-fledged dic- tionary containing every word that appears in the six texts, with the excep- tion of certain particles and proper nouns; and in ring three, a CD with 2 recording of each ofthe stories, beautifully read by the actress Matsunaga Reiko. As the title indicates, the whole idea behind Read Real Japanese is to give students of the language a chance to enjoy (yes, enjoy!) reading some real Japanese literature. So we've done everything we can to keep the stories as they were: not only are they presented in their full glory, unabridged and unedited—though Tawada Yoko kindly gave us permission tv print « special, concentrated rewriting of "Kakeru” that she uses when she gives live readings—they have also been printed vertically, right to lef, laid out just as they were in the Japanese books in which they were first collected } 11 PREFACE nonetheless gripping take on horror—if that’s the word. Pehaps it ist. ‘There are no blood and guts, afterall, just suspense, impressively strong suspense that lasts right to the last line. The writing is sharp, simple, and focused; the kanji are quite manageable; and the vocabulary is everyday. Fish Course “Nikaya Omu” by Isl Shinji 1k seems a bit odd to havea story about a butcher forthe fsh cours, but that’s what weve got conight~and I think youl enjoy it. This piece, which echoes the playfulness of “Kamisama” isa good deal more plot-driven, A ‘whole lot happens in its eleven pages. “Nikaya Omu” may be a litle more demanding than “Kamisama” too: the author, hii Shinji, uses some not- s-common words, tosses ina few more new styles of speech for us to get used to, and apices up his text with a sprinkling of kanji that you may not have learned. I think you'll discover, though, that learning kanji by zead- ing a story like this isa lot more fan than simply pouring over flashcards, Meat Course “Miia” by Yoshimoto Banana ‘Come to think oft, ts even odder—in fact its beyond oda, its even a tad gr0s—to have a story about a man who makes mummies for the meat course, But “Mitra” has all the punch of a good steak. (Or perhaps, if you're 4 Vegetatian, ofa realy really good tomato.) Yoshimoto Bananas writing isharder than most experienced readers think, bu ifs worth making the effort to figure her sentences out She uses Japanese in a way that few other ‘writers do, skilfully melding the poetic and the colloquial, precise descrip- tion and unspoken implication, the ordinary and the lovely and the pain- fal andthe profound, and doing it all in a way that looks (but iat) almost unplanned. Her writing has its own, very particule flavor. Take your time with this story, savoring its challenges. Cheese Course “Hyakumonogatari" by Kitamura Kaora ‘This story has something of the flavor of “Mukashi yihi no kden de’: its suspenseful and even a bt scary. The language is more challenging, though: PREFACE 10‘This isa good way to solidify your grasp on new words, and to train your- self to say new things, in a new accent and intonation. I started out with a train ride and ended up talking about training. Either way, learning a new language is one of the most exciting intellectual and cultural activities a person can undertake, and the moment when she begins ‘to read in that new language is one of the most thrilling in the whole long, frustrating, rewarding, mind-bending, eye-opening, and, of course, practi. cally useful process. [hope this book helps you get wherever you're going with Japenese faster, and with a good deal more pleasure than you would have without I. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | would like to extend my warmest thanks to the people who, in various ways, indirectly or directly, made this book possible: All my Japanese teach- es, but especially Makino Seiichi, Mizumoto Terumi, and Ueriya Mariko; 116 Kiyo, the most wonderful host mother imaginable; and Michael Staley, ‘whose editorial astuteness and savvy made this book not only possible but ‘eal and useful and, I hope you will agree, exciting. PREFACE ° ‘The only changes that have been made are to nuraber the paragraphs and to give the hiragana readings—the furigana—of every kanji word on its frst appearance in each story ‘The paragraph numbers will help you locate the tentative translations I offer, on the pages facing the texts, of potentially puzzling phrases they wil also guide you tothe notes a the end of the book, which cover every- thing from grammatical patterns and the deep shades of meaning cast on sentences by seemingly insignificant particles, to the explanation of ges- tures and other bits of cultural background. ve done my best to keep the notes from becoming too mind-numbingly dry, and tried to strike @bal- ance between reinforcement and repetiiveness, Most ofthe translations { give are for phrases rather than words, since you can look up individual ‘words (using the convenient furigana readings!) in the dictionary atthe end ofthe book, and because meaning isa product of context, and gener- ally inheres in phrases and sentences, not words, You will notice too, that the translations dont necessarily correspond ina “lteral” one-to-one fash- jom to the Japanese phrases they translate the way the English definitions in the dictionary correspond tothe Japanese words they define. The trans- lations are, ultimately, meant as samples: you will, I hope, come up with ven better translations of your own. Onto the dictionary and the CD. Like any dictionary, the one you have here comprises alist of words in dictionary form. In order to use it, you need to be able to derive this dictionary form from the conjugated form that appears in the text; when this seems likely to pose a problem, I give the game away in the notes. Generally speaking, [8 recommend that you limit your use of the dictionary—steer clear of becoming a dictionary addict. This book is called Read Real Japanese, after all, not Look Up Real Japanese Inthe Dictionary. The CD, on the other hand, is something you will want to listen to repeatedly. Try listening o each story before you read it to see how much of it you can catch. The stories were read at a naturel speed, so they will seem fasta fist. Then, once you have taken your time reading through a given story, geting comfortable with it, go back and lis- ten to the CD again, following along inthe text with your finger—on if you prefer, without your fnget If you ca keep up, you're well on your way to becoming a fluent reader, Finally, listen to the CD once mote and try to repeat after the narrator—shadowing her voice, as it were—doing your best to learn as much as you can from her pronunciation and enunciation. PREFACE 12‘ome authors never let you down. In my experience, Kawakami Hiromi is one ofthese: I've enjoyed every one of her books, from her frst collection of stories toher most recent novel As it happens the story you are about to read, “Kamisama’—"God" would be @ decent translation, though you might be able to come up with something better—is from that fantastic first collection, which was also tiled Kamisama, Indeed, “Kamisama” was the ist story Kawa kami ever wrote, She submitted it to an enline literary competition in 1994, took the prize, and had the pleasure of seeing it published in GO Japan. When the collection finally came out from the publishing house Chidkéron Shinsha in 1998, it was awarded both the Murasaki Shikibu Prize and the Bunkamura Deux Magots Lit- rary Prize, And Kawakami has only gotten better since she started. She won the prestigious Akuta _gawa Prize in 1996 forthe story “Hebi ofurnu (“To Tread on a Snake") andthe TanizakiJurvichirb Prize for her navel Sensei no kaban (The Teacher's Brief: case). Either of these two works would be a good place ta start reading more. If you feeling ambi ‘tious, the 2006 novel Manazuru (the ttle isthe name ofa town about an hour from Tokyo by tain] isa quiet, gorgeous masterpiece Kawakami was born in Tokyo on April Fool's Day, 1958, At the time of writing, then, she i kely to have eaten about 4,364 meals in her lfetime—give or take afew. Judging from her fiction, she has probably savored just about every one, Kawakami is an unmistakable “foodie,” and her fiction includes dozens of the most mauthwatering descrip tions of food ve ever come across. t's fitting, | suppose, that "Kam ‘Samat all about a picnic. II] FE ch & Kawakami HiromibiCHIZIS. having been invited by a bear, I set out b = il see bem. e rverbank # Uwe 2s eee ae | ona walk ® JID Cores we goto th Sot z : # x § 5.8 § PLO LS ICHAT Kesha ted ht pR ECR GaSe miner aon ot * SC may ng « MERZ, an Ppa eee ike fot sete oe enn ie tite Se wR we ve te ht won» EDLC i wn HECHT Go UP RS Swe Spine tect emer aa pia. k bmi DNt tere oR D Henn wo ye more accurate to Sie & Jee | ccacconoo shite aterttneawal« BOLE EW penee z 3 £ tN Bt con IEC, 2CBARMW the bear was a mature #3 : 3 z 2 seme BID205 4 HI= to room 305, 12 6 2, = le bess, so he was very big on ge 6 § which wa tee dors down # RE uta ew day ago ILS Sh 2EE 5 ‘Pe bad mow ins BACB ORLEL follwing vc z5 8 7 tom yart in a move # (see not ce ns copttutel) * RRUHOGAcaseedutend was pri ae (on p.52 at back) # SALHORAI See eae BPE gS 3 | people living on the same floor, an Re ton ponte Beh x Bb z res SSM a ew au yo ine c wy 4 i © 3%>% insofar as he was a bear you . b cget stot enous s SEvIHFaRMCUNED CREE RB o cect * to show some consideration to the neighbors i e % t = 3 Hi it was necessary to st “ enti ee 3 LEWC a any rte « SORRELL BORIS a rl 5 ° Fe E ‘, : the talk we had when T accepted my so PPP th Rog YB 3 | soiree ees pifbe 78 exactly complete strangers * ba oROTCHS it gt eE8 cae whe oO. 8 zg RO ES g oO mE ? tee z fe REE 5 B ges 2 S$ aR ® bb BE cose ae YAR4) RALEW2< # noticing the nameplate on the door, the bear 5] GL©...-Cit youwouldat, by any chance, happen tobe...? = ay THHH a native of such-and-such a town nee “Hep tm ERAS he asked # RANE indeed Iam * LBLBE when tre pels eee? 2 Bee % plied © DUNC E267 AAEIS Ae oA RBOAREWG Aa person Boe 2 Bact ahs & ‘who was, evidently, the uncle of certain someone who had given the Meo 2 & Ge Bk Be BORE ] bear a lot of assistance = ATODARSBRVIRTHo7:EW5 had served at LAD E mo Le e he > MEE |r a ay m hae sald * ZOBUROZ this deputy car S {<3 3 Bm a % mayor's family name * b/SLOLDERILTHD was the same ag AB & POETS = 3 mine, and = #:¥-oCA&%E when you trace your way back # 5 2 & z 5 4 Be 8 % a a ®.-BLUSitwould seem that. £20:2c second coun © PEP eo CORRS Sw IEM7-2 be one and the same as... # HEMELA DHL Am Bae” S 532 ce E 5 85-CdhA" it was an almost nonexistent relationship, and yet = Beeb 2he 58078 V5 considerably * IBPERITI= looking deeply moved = [#8] KR FN ERZES Ee | making liberal use of words of the 7h 2 4 b we ee | Senishi” variety # WAV EMF wenton # LB... LU judg- at ae a + 2-5 é By z bie ing from appearances, the bear] seemed tobe... # BRL ORB tt Be 2 y ef Bo we AEWV, SOR HEV the fashion in which he introduced bim- 7B > & ¢ g @ | selfto his new neighbors the way in which he spoke... ® #50 3% F Brn Re | <2 an old-fashioned type of bear B Be 5 we git 7) BROLIN AY FOES EE something between a walk and a a ee Ls ef ee Ike # RHSICISEFL (224007 I don't know much about animals, so Beer Dee ie oA #94) 97 ehOM. LIT LOI whether it was a japanese white RR TE BE eb D collar bear or a brown bear # (3/287 or then again © —7U—7-7 a ee TLL ee Re e fe Malay bear * TE ifzhoCBAia SO b asking him right to his face # weet a oS me SALCHSRATS [had a feeling it would be rude ® ALFECS = wy z y Ft 2 % E WhigwnOrA how should I address him? # ... EWMLTAOT $,32% Baek 3 HSH L tried asking... but # HBUE EAS VZOSLEMBL Lh ay vw DER “CaS; alee verifying that there weren't any other bears in the area DE be ” : ie u e te 4 = Boo gee og P TES 6 8 bn Ke ag 5 a e wk rs en we & me 5 ® w too Ag wa 18; | $0224 for the time being © itd) S¥AL [have no name, ' and moreover ® #L2»< #A8v%2140>/26 if really am the only bear = 4&6 in the future, as well © HEROSLEMGWDITC TH i that means there's no need to introduce myself by name, doesn't it? « Ba L Oy & M1 5 22 & 8 x : HUD ORBELTIA RH, AEA TH like the word anata as a Cf. be oO Rm Rot PF eB form of address 4 2.2. yes, thats right * WREOS ancta writen eee eE 3 ee ge OF OL in kanji © CUCHSTESIS when you say it ® OME TILE CR Wu eA HES Sees pS ji EMVPD AT RSIUE ATTA it would be wonderful if you bo? DA COQ, ee 8B : could have the kan rather than the iragana in mind, but * 83, h, haw 5 fit See Re 4 TBENIAIE TH BUFO HEU its not a big deal, feel free to ad- Ba SO e ie aso g cs dress me however you like BR dee b AS et eee : 9| Emacs was his answer # £34420 it does indeed appear z e ms, z © 5 BR OE that # DAKBHECETHS he is a somewhat antiquated bear # 34% WOE ao We Ses ze Kibitée3 ACE not only is he antiquated, he also has a a cee t ee Be taste forlogle © .22Ps Yconcluded that TE HALE Boe EL 10| JIE COHIE the road to the river ® AHICHoTHS ran along ga Rw DES ROT we to the edge of some rice paddies = AH¥8%27:ii'T the road was paved, % 2 ge abe E ie b i ‘and B25!) from time to time # ASH a car would pass by « L bs eu gs 46a we? ; ML every ca (lt, "no matter which car itwas") # DELLSOF £ “ES wm | OG S i | re a little before they reached us # AUK &#EL would slow q ce ak RE ie oR ; down and = #%#7L 22% moving slowly = KB LUT go by, é, KE e ho swerving way out to avoid us ® FSA'S ABIEEW no one passed ? a» 2 x ire by, going in the other direction © .0-\A‘BY> it was sweltering ke ge S gz yay = CHC AGRAZU there was no one to be seen working in the it aE pee $ 52 paddies, cither © (EORA727 7 RMEN PHeL-eI LEY = 7B 2 ER? j 2103 # the fait scrape ofthe bear's feet treading the asphalt * #28 = aT 5. 2 R™ 2: H | EL CA< sounded regularly = 2 e a 4 ie z a 11) B42? aren't you hot? ¥ + SE & nos 2 i) 32) RCTAT TV ROMEBLE when I walk on asphalt for a long time ge 3 ke me Hi |= DLRAET I geta litle tied Boy 20 5 Fe eee g REG a hee Mm z ¢ $ Be b & 55H bi ifs tO ‘ ee U t eon win 20 a eR18 7 6 15 14) Z9RCEVS, KIER it’s not that far, though, 501llbe okay # = | on2¢228 CHAE) thank you for your concern 15) #80-CH9 he continued * S51CIE then woe ROS ko _ a eh & ete dil 16| &LdsAez20SV0 ze if you should happen to feel hot * Liz be BG % WEE i CLANPAI CHAD ETA we could head out to the highway and So He ae 3 OF z | go tothe rest stop or something, if you'd like a LO Be mF ae i" ‘ 2 BC KES afl Fs nf eh, Wisc MERCC be Lng ter ig, soe ; ae i i a ing me every consideration * bISLUMFEDROTURL T was, yoULEE o 2 5 ‘wearing a hat, and furthermore # BE(CI2RWIE3%DT | bear up vse 6D’ LR 3S fairly well under the heat, so * B-oZ27 declined, though * Lip BRR HH bE < FE... POLI it was possible that # ¢ 84 the bear him- Bs pv Dot z Bes = self ¥ ARL tz#-o7 wanted to take a break ® LIZ CMEC De Ce He 4 . SRY LG et > 7: we walked on fora while without speaking gee ko & 2 IMCICBEC ALLL D7AOE the sound of running water, which we 5 tee Sf Dae grit KE ‘came to hear in the distance # 4P4°C before long © A<% grew 5 EE & * Be a A x louder, and # LA EISIIMRIEHI Li we arrived atthe sve TES om eT : bank # BkUAEH$9)ELAYL TUS were swimming and fishing and ee58h BR Y soon * HEFL I set down my bags and # 74-CIFERC 3 kc BF me? oe 7: wiped away my sweat with a tonel # BEHLTHLAATING 5 tae aie B Lik as ree ‘was pantingalitle, his tongue hanging out * 3 “o> BSF ae ¢ as we were standing there like that * SBHE=AFth—é ace) m fA & group of three—two men and a child # ZUEI=#- gig Be 2 EE & # LROwABEITTHS they all hed on bathing suits * HOH aeepe BRE 2 Bole one ofthe men # HY IALANT was wearing sunglasses, ond ye bv Rok § © GONE the other # 727 —7UEEHE ROS CT: had a ims & ‘a > snorkel hanging from his neck is et B Lu * F Sp je Ree é y wee, I 7 5 xy Fee we 3 ® Ss & R a 35 Le % Me a aU WFR % Qe 5 z ¢EAE itsa bear! KEGHC in aloud voice Xtbipottts you sure figured that out welll Y2)—7 WAERE replied the snorkel paar, ATED several times * =4U this back-and-forth * HADES was repeated * 2LORMESS)LFArao72 shot a glance my way, to see ifhe could read my expression, but © EOMEEDMHERE DEILL@U made no attempt to look at the bear's face straight on © F79AOME the one wearing the sunglasses * without sping anything = Z78302°C.*& just stood there # <0 LoBRo7 ). ft) DAD LTA was pulling the bear's fur | and kicking him and so on, but then * Ril finaly he yelled “Punch!” and * < EOS the bearsstomach # CLERC, RoCfoC tot: ater Juituing bien with his fist, he ran off 2H IG9 wandered laity after him hey, hey, it’s a bear! WIE sheesh, AS HARRH SSR S ORE EAN [SPOS tA Ue yuo SEALY hah SOSH Si sAcs BAIS NGS oS ACROSS BE RES HN y 2 | , v it db tz L QD x ff & 5 e 5 § 3 q OT HTL | IE OPO HOA OA OELIE {LCG after awhile 3s ASS UAAR AL CH fed ab, the litle ones... they havent shed fil wil in them ae Ra, ' Pek Bh se L Hi f Lremained silent Bo Ey See eS & EDEVEVALAMAUZT AS sure, there are all kinds of people ke ee 0% @ ey out there, it’s true # FOESAUAACMRBRCTE children never c = D Wai He 5 < , L s Woo wk L mean any harm £ 2 A rk AES c Z9BIE with that © BUTCH SS SVT OSTEO he hur. 3 & wt, Hb » ried off toward the edge of the river = IK RET 5 iE D wee v g ‘€ 240 R small, thin sh # FUT VIRWTOS were effortlessly g ge MS 2 swimming along © KOMPRAE CPHL EUS the cool of the ¢ de > we B® ae cH water ft good on my fushed face * <2 looking lossy sae Soho kk EO F that # —OHO%C within a certain fixed span * E~Ike # SER eC EE Fe “FUENHKC they swam upstream, then swam back dowastream © mk eee SUS BR RMUMOMERLOTUOS LIARS they seemed to be tracing eG DS tes By B the sides of along, narrow rectangle * EOIUADMO MEY 202, eh mS 3 9 that rectangle must be the fishes territory * L-o without moy ei ee C ing * (ROBIE AOPEAMEMLIRETHS OCHS) bh did ke 8 1 ¢ & thing the wae ook the et tebe they do Biman yee? : RMALSBMHD there was a sudden splash, and « OIC Set 4 & HE KAoT Wore sloshed into the water # MONEE CHESS maw L 5 & he stopped and stood in the middle ofthe river, whereupon © & Wx > B 2 BEE ICCC be he quickly thet hs righthand into the va er ae SE terand # 2% E172 snatched up... © ILEIRCHLEWM the SOE OD a long, slender fish swimming along the bank * =#1402320 mar. we 5% 7 looked to be about three times bigger £5 e cf RVETLED [bet you're surprised Ae e gE zg Oe ¥ a gi 8i,at eo me c bw FER > % BA fie TEE 7 we he & wh 2636] RoC&22¢ # the bear, on his return Boa a 40 39 37) BOLD LTMB ATMEL oO TTA L ought to have said some. | thing before I went, but # OWRAGEIITLEWELT my fet jug 2 a ak started moving Bb ft Fest * MOON the fishis fins « EIT in the sunlight * 253535 a Mt eR eA | & glitered © CSSSHSLTMPBLTOS were pointing in our rn 3 $e ER direction, taking about something # <1 0(BEL51 the bow we ik oC 2° ts seemed quite proud of himself nS fie D ae He BS & ak ew Fs 45 SLAIMVELS5 this is for you * SHOTS as a memento of this & OD be Hit 8 day RE SE BT iis as 9 EIHDL s0 saying = HV CRLBOCTEMIT A opened the top of EES at & ae Bs Be ‘the bag he'd brought with him # BUHL AO MAD RDS from noo € 6 2 2 & MS the cloth bundle he took out of it ® sS%44 7E SMAI AR z ii z ee " $ & a E a small knife and @ chopping board emerged " #/BIC4 7% feo iS a Ctigememtueremerc: Ps 222 a8 SE ag T making dexterous use of his knife ead cut 2 3 : qaiehhrcresicmecectoumiien ie PF RB DB which he had evidently also prepared in advance © .,. 412-912) oR 5 i ot Be tv ‘17 the bear sprinkled on... with a few shakes,and © IEI7#30) 46 BS a < BUR: set it down on some leaves that he had spread out aR “BAR a fare es wi it 7 ° % ‘BLAG|>¢ SGIE if you flip it ver a few times * AUIS 2 be oe 2 me S SEW FAMS eo TET it wil be just dey enough by the time we S fe is Be fe D < head home As oO 2 We = 42| MASE everything, from start to finish * AFBI attentive eR BRE: B to detail B ch eH ® 43) HOLICMOT sat on the grass and # PIVANYDELALLAIE bE SE Pe A here and there in a loaf of French bread © THAEALTAFES ze gms oe F47Y 2t18 SATO with pité and radishes tucked into incisions too SRS z | beiatrde« ‘HEF LAN DBF F an oni (xice ball with umebosh aS SSB 3 ckled plum) in i BY he a (Pickled plum) ey ue $ Los me tk Rey a » oO TA De Abs [oe rd HEATH OF NOSE A OST OKO | oF on SSSR PH CSTASMSCH IA THA OWE AT HES HO AEE ROR EEO OT Oe | THRE49 48 a 4645 ag 8 RIRICIE EAA LY YF" one orange each afer our meal Wo HERI BE after we had leisurely tucked away our meal 3 44) DLESLIHRUL fits all ight with you # FLY YoReuriayy op t — tb 2 might Ihave the peel of your orange? . So OF Ee » bob PLic 2 C € ke Be EL L$ 45) SEU MSE when he had taken it # d/:LICW HITT he tured his oe Ek & Se a bac to me and et ee t nh 4 6 DUmARECAICMOHEA hetsh vhidhebadseontainn = aE PD L 3 feel g distance away # ...2512¢ DELICE he went offto flip... = tat POA 8 & cmaE ‘Tin the river ® TSICHEV carefully washed, and = ZHESt& RR wR aes gee BAe ZRB FR BE when he had finished drying them * #/:LICFHEL7: handed < g. Z g # e & es # | ittome o Bi ks < ; Te 4 3 5 2 Be ob 47| BHEFSLRIS when you have your nap # BAMU< *EEV» please 2 s hE zt oR t se this # UZO\AE Er oL su CRT I'm going to take alt mA cE SF ST oy tle walk around © &LEdoft6 if youd like # FEREROTEL RS db Lé RSI BED SWTEL 25H shall sing you a lullaby? be s BY BR Bee. 4a] IRBUEIICIAC he asked earnestly . 2 # zB SFL de me = "i . b z Ua’ {24 ¥ 49] FPREL-COMNLIZ [ think I'l be able to sleep without a ll 5 ¥ ne s22Rs laby © A%o2°) L2FEIMICt 9727 looked disappointed, but # it a z 55 a5 S22 Of BAL of: walked off upstream BEG é BA £ Be Fw 50) HERETE when I awoke # AROMA oTHD the shadows 2 z ‘ ‘ z kite 2 of the trees had lengthened, and # IZC#0°HTU7: the bear was U fe £ 5 KG 5 sleeping beside me ® 401241} Tote» he didet have a towel a iz 3 os 2 | over him # NE (WERE bUTINS he was snoring quietly * 69) Re a 2 woe & | BROA Ld RoC UAL. by now only a few people remained 2h 2 5 Z t £ ¢ Woy 5 w war b eH L tc zee a oD z g RE é 7 é % ic ° ‘6 2 % % ae é J ov 2 L b 7 . as a £ z 7 Bu 2 a Ll é x . > ae wa 30| = FUR dried fish © MUZSDECMACUE there were now fish 52] SEERLDUL 08% while taking out the key 53) ERCOLILWRENDAVLOTHE I certainly hope well al more occasions to do things together like this i sal SILOAM T nodded, agreeing * FLATE DIDO ERS L when I thanked him for the dried fish and everything else # R$. ‘#4807 waving his hand energetically back and forth TS 55) EACH iE not at all 57] Cit well then | EMELAILAZE I said, and was just making to leave when 0 uhm sos ze? Me lt EB de a 5 é 5 4 & g i i of OPES Oran 55 [Seon] aA Boece sé LOY OS SRSA OH HOOT restarts 0 Bee 53 SH [SASS HORA 52 $ 2 tk 3 0 5 & a QD W S # Es By se & R » a L & # 2 51 ced [cA SiR mt SEATIMEPITIMA cote dor LEB IAS TICMSA 9 MRR 32KORRES LEWEITEA I looked up at the best, wat 6 6 ot ° for him t go on, but * BESLUCHOCHS he remained ap fidgeting * WROIEC in the back of his throat * fH) Bue 4 iz =k z mk * % HERTHA making a sound along the lines of run «ee et rome fF scccevstestaimithls Secale eam TS Cb BE LE on Be mF L he talked using words # ARE PIUEMEEGO TI 32° he used hi Bow EK ik wii ee FF | voice the same way humans do, but * BRS Rime LAD | mG peo = AS Bug tT F 95 EBLE when he made noise that wasn't speech, and laughed, and==> AA ES & & 2 b Bi 3 ua soon * < 2:20 the vocalization ropes to bears wae ERD meme EL EL ee RMEADLCLAYETH migtyoubesogoodastohugme MER 2 EG EE B ZFueR ALUALPINSEROMMOWAEDTT this is the castor in my BPRS Ss 5 z > Ke hometown when two people who are close to each other say good. PK D RHR OD byes GLAMIS LES LOWOeH A of couse, te gute eee ESO gl wm FRR ES ifyou dont want 0 CRB OR BM FESS 6a) BALIERIILA Lassented we ge ef Ce Pe 6s| <21e—daN=HHSE the bear took asp forward and * BLE Ho sm OF ee Ee GH spread his arms wide * ZOBLLb/:LOMICEDL wrapped i 4 é g 22 OF | those arms around my shoulders © (4: PHN FA wg EB tc i A RES rubbed his cheek against mine # 2OWUATS he smelled like a re i + 0 fi ca | bear = BABS his other cheek ® BIE EI> i the sme way # & 3 ik MS 5 (2 5 3—BE once again © BUCH EANTHALOMEWUZ: he hugged me UE 5 & z, 8 2 e my shoulders, putting alot of strength into his arms * loi 4¢ ecb Rm L # key & EotK IRM zA-OF: the bear's body was colder than I expected E fi y = 2 omo Ee 66] SHIREKE SALA ORT I really had a wonderful time today eo Ee . : Bowe L | MCN TROTARLIGRATECH I feel as if I've traveled 5 & O, z 5 an S Be | somewhere very fr, and then come back home agein # RODHHD Fe HED & zDD m BHASHELOEOMOENET LIS may the blessings ofthe geRE 2 ch5t bear god rain down upon you, too # HENLEELADS doesn't a 2 nF R b2BEW keep very ong, s0 2 Hed “ ane A an h . PpERGE 5 528 gE - z CRE ge 8 ze 5H " z ao E ae 3 Be x wet67] MRR TRENS, MAICAD, RAHICSLERER A: FARO BIC tonight # BLLMSIZI AWW it will be best if you them went back into my apartment and grilled the fish, had a bath, and wro a bit in my diary before going to bed ® MOMEIREOLI 2 GO BURL CHIME T tried to imagine what the bear god might be lik, but = bidtodedors I hadalt the slightest idea ® 3B tevs— ‘oft it wasnt a bad day SSO SUM LARS A CR LS Se OR >The > ° & i e 8 $ 3 wt Oy 36| Osh vas vad he an Ps Noes an Nntctin “4 'a work of horror, narrated from the perspective of a corpse, titled ead Body). This was te star ofa dazzing, enre-happing career for Osc wha devoted his energles ently on oon in an il. trate, usualy paperback genre known a “ight navel” that ends caget ay young readers, bu soon began wring hardback books for adits. number of his wrk hae been tuned i io mang and mois | Oise was bor in 178 in Flack Pretec ture which makes him the yunges wer ini book by a good twelve years. Hes such hile }) ——strytel though hat he seems sie ought to bea radar yo enjote store nded here=Muash yi no kone” (Lang In the Parka igh) wie st appeared in book | fem in 2008 in 200 you might want ty reaing Some ofthe ehar tres in 2002, on | 2001 (bom volumes pubisheaby Shs). Then H taybe you aud se the move tat was made of fv ofthe stores inthis saris, Fra very diferent sampiing of his fon 1 recom ‘| mend the 2003 collection Ushinawarera manogetar (A Tal of Being i Lost), whic pies five stores frm Otsuichs ight nove” days with : few newer pieces. The tite story, told fam the point of view (0 to speak) of @ man et paralyzed and deprived ofall ive fis senses— excep for he sense of uch, and that only on his ight semis marvelous41 LY HOBIE Long Ago, In the Park at Twilight ‘ht % when Tas in elementary school * SEF inthe nei borhood # BARD ELTA alittle park * AURBMbI= BES He 5 itwas surrounded by tall buildings, and * 475122 when ed ning fel * HO BRAD SHS the noise of the cars and the soune ofpeople # IH2% vanished, leaving no trace * HEIL... Jong JBABIZoF: it was the sort of park that turns into... afer thay M222 NHC a silent space in which... # AADOwALE Seltoy 708 a small childs shoe that someone had forgotten * DE AfoT BHI lay on its side on the ground PROBTEI%>T when dinnertime rolled around # VoL ica ‘CURRAA RICHY even aftr the friends Td been playing with Wenthome * FWD T< SET until my parents came home « MEORLTUItILVNT dots Thad to stay there killing time ~KC797 2EECOIHRSE when I got tired of playing by ny. self on the swings * £BC(LaSHPILH7EDIC almost as though had been summoned there by something * B38 CHA I'd play in the sandbox * £0)WI>FAI=(28 Mt of: inthe corner ofthat park there was a sandbox # #22 FR(:BI79Y 3PHRD BIBI ordinarily, the children were so engrossed with playing on the swings andthe lide that ¥ £O— WL Ob BAS AT VL that cor ner was aways forgotten SRML WORD SALAAM the sunlight shining down between the buildings # #44 without a sound # REAM (LERSS 3 evening, which makes the world run with red" RELATES &< without anyone to talk to © AHMET ORDA DAG EN let behind by who knows who teLsaoame STK TRE REE CHCHhO SE SSErSe PRONE HNI SOS OSEETLSR so sete) Toft) Sa OH MOM ET SATA ULI A> | a CHASE AS CORE SPORE ER OH Or do om BISA od SEP SAN ot SRT: Hi Dp Sahi- UNO SE CHARTER TI HT SRA CHURBEARI wor Bos OBR OR oft 0 PRED Se OUI TTT RONT AO LOWY 1 a me cs D & a if is i 5 aw x 5 & L & & ial 2 b 2 SER ORT US S09 > ak MSS STE LT SUAPHETSE SH nu z 2. & a ee ABN Sec= REBT I took my shoes off and * BHO Oe 5 5 r 6 5 piled sand on my feet * ®iLOPDELT the sand elt cold, and SANSLOROMMICLIBA CO OMDB EAS having the tiny grains slip down between my toes e Ee Beh Sa Bw Ree BomcRCPeo SEE IROL Lomita a Se CE Ez OE OD by thrusting my hand deep down into the sand * 8O%Cg geome Te ik IS Ms Es a Ae & BOI Ime how far down into the earth the sand went + 9 Ce 2 ER Mek ee EA Be dots teof2Ot5 Uhad started wanting to check and see a ie Ze 2 RR ge BOWMERRCELALE when I stock my arm sinigh agg a DE OEE D LM SD BED F< into the sand * LCETE all the may # RCLCVCA bungee Bde SOR BN CS mR eB | down deep ci wal aly» R-CREOCI da Mon f eRe EDR | Mitaidn go inal he way tomy shoulder ® COC what had ceo 5 25'S Re 2 ee | pened = [BMBI=8IRISD BALIN, LALIT IES: et prarrrik & F pw box has a bottom, you know—how could that be possible?” « bgt 2k wee 7 PF RR LHe ‘CKiitpott he said, and wouldr’t believe me eg s * BL 2: we z 2 BOMICBILT ECHABOE my arm relly did go al he # geEsS ES gte way into the sandbox * MHEG again and agein © £44 that (mp > Bee = & ew arm went inal the way] % tt 8 . é ‘ 8) ZfUid the time when something happened * {HIBIROS &t2o fim z eT th eet < B FCISEATL oz: Ino longer recall how many times had done it a ge & wb ik RTWB the tree growing in the corner of ik me ie ee we on account of the seting sun * ORB Poe wb Ree FP & BHM the time of day when it looked like a pitch a E i ¢ 2 2 black shadow picture # GXEBIEDOPICAECHLIAA TH T > D : bY = L | had my right arm thrust down in the sand up to my shoulder * 483 Hf t BS = < (filth ts SIWBLAEL Ze felt something brushing my fingers zt C 3 A t \ 9] Mima oCws8 £5 os: something semed tobe buried = S$ Re F 8 = D & te & @ = z Re U 3 z ik # & me ARE RB zk i @ & 3 % S an a ee oF R % a t b ow B : uM . w b oD wee mie 8 uaLyHoame wrLsoame 42= ENA ROHEMAOIILE hoping to figure out what it wad "4 3 ° " 0 GIRL DM PLANE LPL struggled to stretch my arm to the very bottom of the sandbox ® ROSEN U-chuee 5 ° it < fe fie oe HREWRUET IE down so deep that the tp of my middle Hinge oul x w FRY RRR ® @ ia khEF YC RR E oO te 7 SE 2 MS me zg ke OD RED f ERR Bea sk ep of reach * E02") instead "ICMP ABAD ORLA 1 L % e g 8 e x Be ® z something twining itself around my fingers Daneé Be oe gee BWEBIADE CHEFS L when I pulled my arm out and locked it ove: cL Hea a B AP g ws S % © EHERVBOT ote it was long strands of human hair « ff EERRS Ree eh 8 3 {several stands # FER-CHHA CH= they were dirty and damaged HPEREQTR ST me D but © EHEKDFOROECHS LIAL had the impression See OPER RARE LS that it was a girl's hair ga5 kame bE RES GS si BR nce opin + PEAEOTHALOLMAL ELE ted BMG SR BE? eH OT REE a touch the thing that was buried in there * “PBEUE this time : He ape CBG, PhS og BRC MEAITE no matter how deep I thrust my arm in * ee LERESER EE SROWGAUEV my fingers couldnit find anything * eR SR Se Bie bp #514 of [felt disappointed x F 2 9 z Q er aig ‘VAIO: within the red world before my eyes © MOF) E R bree Zp me HIG RHLRBMUE the tall buildings enclosing the park # LHOBER 3% CEOS ® Dit 2 ¥.oTUT every one had all its windows closed and * BAZ x Bue oo Ho LCR OBME ORS” cutting the sandbox and me off 2p h eEaAT é ffi. I! es o & D3 tt if from the surroundings like an enormous wal te Be oh g HBR FRRIS allofa sudden * BOPAALT AATF my tight hand, which PE SAM Be we ee ‘was down in the sand * EARL PCL A Thad the 2 5 Moen 2 gm OS sense something had bumped up against... BOR REPRE? pe Leif AN BIBRA oS it was just a small touch, as if fsh were a a 2B? ae | pecking at me with the tip ofits mouth ?' fe 2 E 3 2 Bs ZOUK right after that © Fite OA EAA: something seized hold wo 6 we & & 2 é » a ofmy wrist © ED SDE tighlly « FALLIN S my wrist was 2 3 cS 2 gok % squeezed * WE3IA: 2 Titi to pull out sy ac, but * va ge pth ® GO omt ale BERNAL DICH felt as if it were fixed in place, and g # Br 2 Rae 3 wouldn't move * fl “857 there was no one around, so e & z ke 2K bee ® 2 hE Feet 4 UHL SROaMT veLynonme 44= BIPEIPA-CE even when I called for help * AA/=2538% io AAABICLAT SIO my voice simply echoed through | building-enclosed park aK _o BORR-CAROS HL my fst, which Ihad been clenching tig - i wR Mew e © MMOS SA was forcibly pried open = FOIE (2, wR DD RO D SLPROHOBARA LTE [ felt the touch of the stall tips of % 28 HI cic OeeORE rr THRE S oF; CAAA [Ab 2 a es ek a’ w ¢ Pb a a # & # & & ii 3 é i 5 n SAPS AOE a OS nkOG HIP PUAL Tho TSH STHSH ABIRS 7-8 vr HosnmMS MRR [st ms Sct Ger Boe we Ee Grebe] 50ERO TUK would be grinning * MESDLAL co) just as much as selling meat # 12¢7°5F2 LOBICI2 in the ees uskids * EAULLOR4EC with even more enthusiasm than a x4 BO & ORS (ie, selling mest) * REDWRAlMETTOTHS 5 ay mob 2 > Ge e Smee oe itlooked as though he was pouring his heart into his domestic aning DO 2 BO EE eR OD > He L HEALS ICRA OF was truly amazing # LELDAHE ty 5 aig Chee A ee * | fa stranger were to pass by # 252% without any doube 3 REL te nome ae Bh BR RRORGNBLEVIAL wet 2 ¥ foe 982 & @ 22 pression that the place was an animal shed belonging to some large 2 me & E > eee R ns fm z BRE gE oO UE Ee mee *PICAR. E1298 cows and pigs, sheep and chickens « LC Buu k C zt ge Se BA gee tele SMA SeA SUC CAUE on the rare occasion when a high- ca * i 2 ms & Ske pitched whiny came bursting forth from the entrance to the store 2% % 2G RPE CO = BEEWCENLS the housewives walking along the farm road » ye % ES ou S we EbdSOHOR it would beclearto... # BABE OD & Bre & 3 Bow E525 sounds like some horse meat has come in * -FICIRDA Ady & % poets BE 2 AFC with empty cans and wooden boxes that he put on his hands a * Cth : 2. # OSHOMSECHAL TW: he reproduced even the lip-clopping z z Rpm og aa of their hooves # 09240 thank you for your continued patron y > 5 ee t Qs, age # L0T, BRUNO EL CSL eS EMor: hed say, x + 3 8 %R giving the empty can into which hel put the change aclattery shake 3 2 aR z RB 440409 on the way back from school © REAEBSAMBLIR % 7 E 2 & we eet ‘sot0FBE ifit happened that he had no customers * B5LDE fd B eae a ze Ais ERDLOE ToT DAIELCCN AE the proprietor of The Perot é 5 Lom i Re would secretly let usin on the tricks of his mimicry é ope = Bs . 2 BOR e aan o% (an exclamation that means something like “you see” “he 2 BOR 3 ze thing is? “Took” etc) # MAPLIN ef, MOLBADBAG ANE z 2R8 2 Bu ilk cows and meat cows, they've gota different sort of tremolo in g ea : ae comen ling S ee FF Ff MOKED otfoTEALIFITS the proprietor continues, pulling A gre x Ee om the shia of is eck 3 fe $ ER = owed é “ws 2 hk KE ct FF & ak Bek BS wi k REBG 52LobmEWRIE I suppose you could say * RAGE 2 " 10 FEI CALE make a sound like sir being squeezed out ofa lea ag * FANE SLATE its a gentle sound * MERE wit a bag * HORE ELOAT Ks gene sound « MEE wih (Bon & HT ae theresa buildup of stiff fat # 22065 2-000 BR 50 they so Brey ee wae e just the tiniest bit shrill » Atha, YO L&C AU LBL Reese & 23 SE | 8 they sound somehow lone ke hunting horn BER ERED OGE S ARE ior: & 6 yf YsepE BS EMEGEREP-AREA oat fe C a ~y 5B 2 = AAS AR He > HE RL sound in this world = gee OER y Bee RE [330 EU CHER Ec tom eee 3 PPS AW ACRE BD HE AMS Webavoze L wasnt yet bor then # RAROLIY7, #9192 SEP RTE IE Aw LOBEL, HEROLYA, LEC BIE the engine ofan arpa BR et DSR BA ¢ BS the a rattlesnakes rattle lines spoken by a famous actress, the rush gf Poe mE SE ERE &. Bp Be Be o B iit EU everyone would close their eyes and © HOM) GM ALE Bee ey FEE R SR GHC oEMET EAP: listen, unmoving, to the amazing sounds © Some B 1 et F im Ghat emerged om is trot = CPR BL ek Re 253 UBAWUBIAL AOU the Parvot Mans new life asa butcher ae 2 a 2 get a 2 Bk, HAL OTH CRORE OMIT onoLY ae eo BS D z seems to have gotten is start when he took a horse that hed died in RES MES BRD B the creas to market * #H/8RHDELF the bos at the mest shop # SHED REQ BE : WEELOMLY bought the horse meat # V°o173 meanwhile * 3 o 6 i t Big) ¢ & > IieBH OBOE ITAL 7: Parrot Man fell in love at frst sight Eb Le ee a gH 5 withthe boss's daughter # BFAD &ikwb/ctRE deciding to appren- a SHE eat TEL 5 tice himself, he * #HO%EC under the boss tutelage # LIEB, nome? 5 PSL EE f REOELEHTANORD DEBATE spent a while learning Le eg * teh ze hhow to butcher livestock and recognize quality meat # (2¢#60KT knw Sey § Ee D EERO LMDS EIS a good twenty years have & Bel D5 2 3.8 Hl passed since he set up shop in our town Ae D8 g c Be 8 B BEADTERAREAS CLUBS Ite ote his wife hardly ever = k Ec g Au oe é w appeared at the shop entrance # (La Le Oe Lit. HEOBN ew i He BP By fag | °C she was a pallid woman with rumpled hair, and « 222 =1% < me % 55 m2 < a HAEELTS even if it had been thirty years earlier # = Ateicthls ete ®, 2 ck ge h QEBIZNLAAT to think hed fallen in love at first sight with bo ES a i ‘woman like her ome Po A RL w 55 WEI e mmBIe * BETES rrabot 9 Ny TEBE oTRET CMDR SPY ref Bat| a iecee Ba we just could | lieveitwas tue # FEEMIOO OMIA EEOC UTL bulk and" Cece butcher always had a very cheerful BELLOSVAFECHIITOF: after he opened his tc store, he even had a son with his wife * 2229 — x ‘was the boy's name # F—i21¢ BERILHCAL oT Utah a went tothe same junior high school asthe rest of us, though = 4 tc | Dh Lb Hold Lote BY he had to have been at least five yea % older than us . SEMA LI MEE Mote he had an enormous bull lke a cil ; someone had stood up on its hind legs © SESE AME 8zzict 1 BT AL BAM unlike his father, who tarned out all kinds of we Just as he wished » Fld ORVEOMC EL AMG $e 7 Laa appeared to know only one word * ERS, #42480 6, & Here ee a a ncnrhet nan BB even when someone called out a greting to him in town ® Wt always # KCEOSR, CAS 9 HE he'd open his mouth fe and shout out, just like this: He Sih Yy oD & £42-4°49 EA a butcher good at imitating animal cg 3 # Stow CHRLIM EA an extremely taciturn wife * £UT [9 z Lined 2 Eth —\.8+ and an enormous only-son unable to ° anything but “Laa!” * %A.2b2vt9-7:98 an indescibably pec BE liar family # ATIcte tH it was clear to m | the town's residents # IR FORK WoT WSC E A that thi were going well at the Parrot Meat Market # (24 5i¢L 22) | along the canal * SSSA (RICHETS LOIRE? of us could beat him CphoT bs 7 SBfEof: even if two or three of us went at him at once, it was imp. sible to score a pinfall * BABUSENT HIE KEE, EHEC! WEE having lightly brushed us aside with one hand as we cui to his waist or arm * REOACRHE T= with the summer sin at his Bea back # #333819 @20 hed stick out his broad chest and RTE AT ORES 07 ee aig oF ihe 9 ct v¢ Aw y 2 4 To 7 ow DS ec ae co ik & BE z 6 Lm z SK Ba A AR A ¢ RE Es Bee ik TOL Bez b 2 ns ik» a8 kD ~~ | 2 BE @ ei Coo HS A OSRORTS ets SBxy 15 EF ae & ws ows ie gs £ ok eH Aw Be ee é B db %& Be & z BMH SEO [AM] ACA AOR Soe te 4 P= BE LAS THEA Sok om OORT el OPED ET ecs or a Me SH OBSCR OS Ure SASHR oR ROWE ho B 1 DE eee zeR E eS ie th ve TD aS 2 er ® ESR 2 2 E Reo th Ss Fw ge z PPa BA k z¢ Bee} Ba 3 fe 3° Pas a #® oS Beh aed Pee a as a % . 7 z 1 1 moms oe HERI Toure mee ee 40 Sappec SHHHCSS ot LOTSA OOD T Me) a 5617]. LIHLIFICW of bO>HS gleefully cry out, EOLA Y 71d wrestling with Lea ® SBLLoRITALE: lotoffun, but # EALDVSEIIRABOLELEAT RO h ® Nk BOK ~ captured our hearts even more than that " BACHE ALS fig; g ® g is Be § & 2 3 the “carving” that took place at the farm * 2) in other words z ps D ik i *PRORBIG (ERE the work of dismembering the cows and pigs « Ml g 2 g s 5 & z + LE OBES carrying a tanned-hide bag * hI yo cepe z ae tee te ‘would set out in his old truck * BFF SOI fee e FT Ew be the one to sit in the passenger seat # HARISIZI2C En me eee WOFL OBS, SA. RMU THATIO while in the bed of ar truck, two or three lucky kis, including me, would be crouched, z Khe Bu * He i dling their knees in their arms ® [216 5ANBA6 [15] ac FBO, | Singita theme CU AS NEBL BREE? Bm watch the “carving” = > Bae FE Em thing * 2 hoot my Be. VE i E father simply told me in aloe voice, Now dont you go inside the eal Bi 2 a wee jou hear? co + ‘ . - cH? Pen RMON HRLSH, SCH OOLMMBEL LDF pa , ® pat ge 3 > gS ' & 25 2 | * HOLBICHERLEL would blindfold the animals # ACRE Ie ins ‘ton put a rope around their necks, and © SEEAIO\ BSL Ab oF . # me SS k | cd tem on tothe butchering hut * HAPETL take out ska ‘ * eho? and # OAS SPMBLEO, 989) (the sie and angle o jee we 2 FY ofthe blade was diferent everytime) # 242, 2437 LIEGE E e vw 3p 2 FDIS hone it—shakin,shokn!—on the grindstone « BMD | E E Bs yk 3 ~ in the cramped pen * BRAZDUMEzVzI LTS be lowing aid 5 a | braying and so on Te Bot Ame mS = 3 CEOR 2c2 OF RES . @ ab EO vy a ° 3 fee x fF OD Re + Boe ned a x39 @ BaF 5 ~ & Be bol & D 5 Tc £ MEA tiie Bow ABBE 586 EARNEST CHOICE the butcher would approach, mal, the knife dangling from his hand ® Le®ac AoHse UF he would bend down and put his mouth to its ear BEASADIRUTIIL-@LE your deaths wont be wasted, PEOAVGDTHTB LIL, SERDAM CW hed say in avd full of warmth, avoice like a caress with some soft object HBS HOAKZOBOEMIIENS. you're going to end ull ‘my stomach, and the stomachs of everyone inthe village # E-c ViSEREISES AZ youll be a very good source of nutition » 35 E-TWAITS be able to keep living BLEL red wgese =o "keine = HAUTE E OL mp pee og ORE SS # ERY PRREC SI RERBCEMRCE LIGAEN iG fey z med E W712 Y it was an amount high enough to rebuild not only the be t eo ee DS é | the wall but the entire house, and yet s 3 ik wie 2 & F ® AMER Cb| = SPERM TEY b EF Lad in onder to get his son backin 313028 2 | piece # SWvIsANTHO OE oT or perhaps because he | cer forthe daghterin her pla» T7FOEO GF S Bete yen OS Shires Ames HA of ROR TOE Bb WE & os kEs payment slip right away C é E7 we ba 7 MEER b OL FMS HF He BER TB i BES HF ee ai ZF 5 zu at me SDURMUPELC stood up abit straighter and # OI (22 ee eet BAS OL Ee BMLIZAZALMUAS patted his son's shoulders, which to fe C25 eS 5 if ie above hm lke a lif © G:F 183-208 hisson overed his heed fo eg Oe 288 2ontPuvts he murmured k 4 3 z # & ges ZO% that winter © EAMPEBELAOM... OWE cm ER BC AE 98% some are of the opinion that .,.was responsible for the butch é he Ke ee B 2 rs death © Be>°CUTHFRM liver problems hed had for mae ERG e 38 Sig years © AU LURZARRONTE Bor: the harsh winter robbed eer wrg ss oa him of his lst it of stengh *... 20360608 cies iMgallm O Bb py ge v2 that... # UFHICEE whatever the case © HAZEL CIR IOR gal BER He ATEWL SACOM there was no doubt that he had been working moh RY wb fio L like a machine until the day he collapsed ®§ BSD LOWREM9T = Ber gS g » oR already avare that he was sc, he © 275000129 while Sm? & 5, gL he could still work * Rt} enough to pay the amount he ow8E oc BBS wo ce in compensation ® ... 2BRXME FELLAS LNW perhaps he se Ew RMR tk . & had tried to carn... # BBVEBILOEAL the brave proprctorof MMM Bt RE ORE ey Be Parrot © ATOOATHBABAUE LTE had miscalculated in a O° We | two respects # ARODFEMEIE his last hour # ESPCHbo TUL ae Y 22 y 2 go nists came a good deal sooner than he expected * FEST, secre 28 IRC out in the cold © BHMEAEL ACE that he went oreboanl #3 SERER GB several days in a row ® ROREMED LOMA? actually hastened "= eA REE & A his death Be et “ 5 8 6 FS ae 22 de EF BE Be Bet Roe Bn’ ay zs 5 5 HBS A BR OF Bes A 5 A zB IP i . ct? A as 5 ARH A 0 etre UreJAF what follows # RIES 224 CAEL B57S is a stony f 3635 34 Bo town doctor told atthe bar of I6C his face deathly pale * 9EIR® fom hisbed « 238 re FE #S HICH looked back and forth ftom his wife to his son w REPRE C PARE B DW EHU-C with only the movement of bis mouth * (433 Bec tKAas he (by then he could no longer speak) * #8i2.57=0 (ca6 weve OR EL #O EERO PD ORD ee oTORLF ToT: he seemed to be saying, 'm sorry, realy RK me 5 eR DK sony # RELIED Rota his wile did't change I EY oe G 5 fF 2 2 expression, but (SUBIC AREBRA of: there were mat o Ce Eg * EER on her lips where she had bitten them hard = 2iS#t#@&TU3 " A CaF oO & mw BE EdbaoT RUBE C didn't appear to have much understan mo ER Oe ce Re ‘of what was going on, and © “y KEM M= along the white fraN ie & L @ 2K y A Be ofthe bed EHR CTs was sliding hinges Bete bk BRET . kha a BR Se R 9 POH, hd ERODE DICED MRM wi i RP REE we 2 eB likea bridge * 1 hurriedly # ERR IRAL = got the incl . “ 3D Gk tion ready = EIEEt#¢ 5088 his father, whose eyes were rolled bad ¢ z& Ber fa Be in their sockets © ...OHICEo LEAH: sofly pressed his mo a £3 RPP KRE totheearof... * LVF ina halting tone } ae ee a6] UG ALBA Me a tremor ran through his body t g5 CBs g 38) AMES PUREE CDDRLES- Ute whispered over and over again 17 g g z 2et g we 3 ge zt ae z SO A Be i ae & z | y 5% f Pe gig 8 ZT, Wh AS 2 BS eA OR o HOO Fe a xo BE OS it Bo ef oe x i> BS vo o a WP = 5 > 2 5 mmBse ae mB 66BE OiABATELTS began to sound just like his father « DPIRFIS and at the same time * H Te TOABAR ISA ir OTA ott ERS anc SNORE Bete eth PBR: oH Re BEEN 0 PHOS org | Amor oR: Acer LU Op mee rf HOSE aS So FIO SOK « NM RP SAME TY TEAS CTT A 9 a0 STOR SS2] 3D ENRIZADDRASEBWTUSOIE the one dawdling he born infant # #8528109—7S is the young father, Lan 44| HRORUBE his deep voice * RAMEE IO {BC has just the right tone for soothing a baby = Tom hisbroed palms « H&EUSSV~AhS Eid the tiny body All ing and turning # W»E(2C:3 #4 his now deceased father « sh oT:AR HE TPIOD.E(S lke fresh meat just cut from the animal « WHE LEHBCE awash in yellow rays of sun = UATE 2 uve shines brightly # 47743 the infant * £8359) every so often | esab0F looks up at his fther © 2222 72L LC uncertainly » ¢Cm | BoE and no doubt # 83 LES <#O: passed # COM in this world © SBE | S#82240eF lots of other different sounds * #4245: | start mimicking Wea e OPH ATA KS SA waka aseoe SU RAD RECUR Lory mem AL coNebRHT Ht a a2 a 7 2 1 | w RF od vy -—NI ay is i & By e & 2 $ 2 é te z a SB ff B i wy 5 3 Tc x & ow e e 8 & 2 ® Ee Re irs if 5 # c fe & SoA 8 & tt & 4 a » * 8 ® bb me F ba we Be ms 5 ® ge Be WG { & & oO SESE eet sz 2§ £2 en ee mmBae 70hances are, seeing as you're reading this book, that you've come actass the name Banana Yoshimoto—perhaps even ig Japanese, as Yoshimato Banana—before, She is one of very Japanese authors who have been lucky enough to gain access, through, translation, toa wide and avid international following, Or rather, she i one of very few authors whose we itational aulenee re tunateeaugh have vale inns, Her est book, Keni (ktchn), sl aos won copies in Japan when wasp lished in 1987 became aranaay beter alin 1251, and we onto be wanlted ino wentyeigh other languages Is Engh casio biped ont the Hew York Times besser iin 1993 andoshimata has ad dveted fans ever since. Yeshiot he was bar in Tyo in 1964, as rece too many pies to enumerating thee in alycmost notably the prestigious Maschera d'Argento, which she was awarded in 1999, She has published me fiction and over twenty collections of essays, and while her essays (though very good) may not need tobe penciled in at the top of your reading ist her fiction is perfect for beginning readers of Japa nese: Yoshimato tends to prefer everyday language and doesn't use many kanji, but she dances through the possibilities of Japanese grammar in away that few wrt cers nowadays do, She's relly a great stylist. If you fe! lke reading some more of her work, Id recommend Kanashii yokan (1988,4 Sad Premonition) or Mizwumi (2005, The Lake], which are two of my fvor- ites. You might also be interested in Moonlight Shadow, a beautiful bilingual edition, in Japanese and English, of Yoshimote's powerful fist work, which was published, with pietures by Hara Masui, in 2003. Acahi Press, #1280, Neodl The story Ive included here, “Mira” ("Mummy") was first published in the short-story collection Korada wa zenbu shite iru (The Body Knows Everything), issued by Bunge Shunjin 2000, han thirty works of 2 to cay! dd the English. "She L&CHEE oshimoto Banana changed hername from BAIS to KLBEM et in August 2002.349 Mammy her twenties * 221°TUs generally # EBCRUEN'S is as cheeky ag shell ever be and © HOPEBFONSEBOMIT oO) LEED CHEWED EROTHS OHA thinks she’s got the whole world neatly tucked away in her litle head # HLSSBATI AHS need less to say thats how Twas, too # 7:VClsid in most cases * fh 1 bdH57 without knowing why # GLe this hormonal irregularity give rise to an extraordinarily fine sensibility © ... © ‘HS It sometimes happens that... ® BIEADVIE RAIS ANCAHLAG HS £ HAE like a brillant rainbow stretched accoss the sky for just the briefest moment ® E-C BAL REMOMEZS a glow that lasts only a very short time * DE and what's more * 24% WELBIENTR BHHEVI DBIICINS there ate, if only very rarely, beings able to catch the scent of people in that state joT 7s [was taking classes at a college of pharmaceu- W302 even though it was only June © FCICKE t= Las already bored with school # H22URa 5c feeling dull © £097 one evening * FHROHNIZ on the way hhome from school ® Bi” 27282 as I was passing through the park * 2ea>a us ‘way up high in the sky # 3 oF SEACH RAMI LAL HONE [ noticed a partially vanished rainbow, glowing ever so faintly © Liz) like this =| RERSTRUPLLAGOR, EAE BORO? it struck me suddenly that might not look up atthe sky =+ficte SAEMOIRLW) BOLE a young woman just about to enter 4 atc SEARO off OTESTY 0 Ber re Ly AACN THEO mae OTS HSER UP tats Bia Tio CYS HEMT O AE ACEC hors il i & w 4 e z ® ve K # i & % z :D £ z QD #5 SERS Pep Rho ed Bee (1 DerroH & * & za z nh SETS Schoey SSS THE THSATTO SOTSHHES Ves TREES SERS Vt S Bede Tomo oS cot 2 zo LORE tT ke as no ce wo aes ae pe bo ay b ® Be us 22 Cow bs vs eR w % & ag aa te cs wR bE & 3 aR g Be Tie + | SHS ESE He Oy cd ESLOO ROS chews Asay Bisrar: SR aot WX3) FRMBAieoTC +t that premonition was ight * MIEOH.. ga MRAGHSEIICLCRMEN that very day, T...was sort of led off by @ young man and kept ina sate of confinement * “sce Sots, MEISHE+AR 290 0 4 a young man I kew by sight, who lived nearby, and whom I ran into in the park * LIES CRISIGBA, ‘hohDTHS Iwas unable to return home for some time MARLO LOMKE... LBM IeMofe all | knew about tat young man, whote last name was Tajima, was... * SEDER 3 EE that he was a graduate student and # HBREOIHBD Ses9y | sor peLewesitaaTy7 Met oTHBARENS | vas ay who had a parse ob hing exe sit ine, and spent half of every year in Egypt © £ SABI 7 0 Mh ST Rat S Sea Ar1 | 7 wl HRLVDGVEYTHDCVEIAVUE you shouldnt be ws alone it’s dangerous * 3-2TH17E A+? want me to walk you homey DAK BBs EF REM! % who's to say you're not dangerous yourself * FUZ}iH&%ea>o7e I didn't speak these words MAEODESTROAT HN? the culprit hast been caught yet SAyeah # FSOAIS tomy university * RBBAME OAL they came and questioned people (lit, “there were inquiries") = B8it 2 CHREBICARSEIBIC Arb fe because we're often in the lab at night # ARID like they could be used to cut people up (5G OOF itwas cut upt * LALAIE the body, I mean? EDOLUE apparently so.# HAULS zvOT I heard theyve found everything but the head CRASS SILENT SIELALOHMUE almost al the informa. tion about what is going to happen in the future * Elz in fact » # BOT in advance # KSENTHSBOF we tend to know (lt, “it tends tobe known’) © E08, HAHICEE-? othe just then, when raised my hand to my neck * ROBO, Aid REbMARO A SE SAE SIRMAMO TI the truth is I had already read, in his eyes, the fate that awaited me jut afew hours later SEIRHALDAL and we have tools that look ESMSBSH? v aH STORMONT Oe FOC aoe C0 AS OTA yew ott Sea: Poreesemiky BE oe SONA | 6 HOV OMG? foro oft 0 TERE KOS EE Me TORO TERI SK tte B A it Rh (SB 2 Re 32 £ Hu BARB D DOE KR bea 2 gE e 345 s Tht Me Le & woe pe Rh ASR & Tc ie a z ar b ry a? 3 5 he ae “28 ze é es s a ae too g at & oF RL re a Be 3 a te lie w # ae > e 5 3 % % > 782 8 19) SMOVESAWIT in the park, upon which dusk was descen —— | = mAmemsinn 23em-oFELT t made teen ; comparison of murderer and acquaintance, and * BUsD.-2%0 & & a we = LAUER the murderer who could be lcking inthe da ae OR UE 2 UR K g WSU seized momentarily with fear of. Bt i ED kml E 3 ec? | ELtOODi2zo7 Feame believe had made aratonl dace ec me oP LE eB ek # Histiee BORLA THRLEL ROCHA I chose him, and sah mi =< cme A be pe | waingonpide him + AICI HRMIE 2, RE eg EOF BE ee S Ae BSEWI OWT oBHOUE IH the fact that we hua 2 3 it bk Bd Oo 'L @O have no mating season and can fel desire right away, at anytime % gies 23 FO Re ne the year, also explains why I went with him * 2OBO3i~ in the. ay ain’ BE & ® feet 2 aE his eyes gltered © Mi8-#03-2174 60 something that attacrs fob B RF Ree wie mes 22-2075 I must have sensed... © SLO & BPW weyers a a | Hehneiotirthad been avid animal 2c TRO oo i BZ ER ue i | 523 i'm sure I would have been long gone by then « “Espn. t y k & gmat eS AMT sensing that my fe was in danger * MRBRMUA MO! aS 3255 8 5 et | caorsis asa simple, dull human female, © SEVER ~ Dc 9 BSc we KE | | chose the desir to breed » BUY -r2 ZISeOIRIMZ & wm B > 8 OB Bt me i | even though that moment ffeed the only chance Thad to ge avey 3 vw i ‘ be ee i 20] LivLiltivo but it was too late # ZOORFICKE by then « auc K BRP Ro ek EH Hi | Q2%x7 hohe among the trees’ dark silhouettes © 65 Moly & o & Higa K gio A i | S2b221400%8M an even darker world that belonged only to us © 2 2 Rey 9 : ) ASI CRD -C#EC BabA otooDz I was descending into »G ga E & f 21] ROW CCHMAMORS HLA all of sudden, when we got near my 3 w ie & i house, he spoke k ASR i 2) coxmns ovine 1 doi think we can jst a ood ao Mm ne i bye lke this & He 2 i 23| HASK@IA 27: the look in his eyes was dead serious Be 5 Lo a 8 SK (x e& % te { 5 a ke i & & 4 Seas ms Eo 14580 Bl 849ELRIAMET SED? TIVICE? we should agree to met ag in other words? Is that what you mean? 25| WILMOWS E94 7 CRIB LEDs 1 wastit my type at all « about, and we were interested in different things # 7272 it was just MATHBMO, MICA AENS LI ZIRE the feeling Thad whea Wwe were standing beside cach other, as if were enveloped in some. thing * ZZ or. MRD Bele thats all it was. The only thing about him that interested me * S7=DARAALC AOR CHEB Erbe CH BIERAT the image of the two of us meeting up at a café, in front ofthe train station or somewhere * 2<#Pabitt ofl, AMEHL CERT just wasnt coming to me at all, and it seemed 50 ridiculous that * Ai4iL5245% Lt: I made to leave 26] HoT, RTL ISA BAZ wat, I've got something | want you tosee 27| AROS HOB there in the deserted, dusky alley = REM 27001 he hugged me to him # vt —F avenge BLA [noticed a withered smell, like an old sweater ® DW Cvvdv Poth if don't go with him © WF REO EPENTRENS ML end up being stalked and killed eventually # W#RUSLT SE Cho CLES this wil just drag on anyway # ECF EETLEBI Tdbet- ter just hurry up and get it over with © V4? no, come to think of i s MIOV THR A oLOMe LALLY maybe I just wanted to go with him = 25LT no matter what * EKO — READE “Cuvisthoft I wanted to have part of my body in contact with his # WRAL TBA I could feel his passion * FECRUALLOR USF A4RIV AK a repulsive heat, unlike anything Thad ever fet until ‘the likes of which, up until now, had never felt) * {i> :H.4 40 something that touched my soul 28) tH ABMUL AREY L> Kctk¢ his apartment was as spacious as a store house © RBEKRSA DRC oA MERE LAME: pZze ‘ot: he said it actually was @ remodeled storehouse that used | stand on the landlord's property Samabthonl. MRONMLIRSH weed hg ee SE ART Sm SOS VTRBIRETY CRRA RETY 0 STW Bae PSO CRA HPT BSES Ae PaO See oraemS RTY OT 7 kot th Dee zeae De KG pol # bE Re Bros z UY A a OT RH SRE D Pe Esa oe mw EDS 228 BLES B Bs eg 2 ake 28Boet cine Rm Be ioe ene ib F mej < 8 bs ee i 8 ze coat re By b&b >A] pM ee ae an REESE fT we Row 2 8 U fie 26 SARTO ARES C100 TREY oft 0 Mis BSGCh TOSS H F SOSH ETS HOT ANE AB A RPMI OS nay as SEHD AA way eS PUTER Fark VECO ROAM TH | [rere res sy= RIMM LEM OTT HOUT the celling was high, and there was a ladder and aloft # AMAT ORIITOAE BoC, 1 was sitting all alone there inthe apartment * #127—E— Rusty. he made coffee * BITHAM SOLE OER: | watched, mo- tionless, asthe windows grew foggy from the hot water * SURO HERG creepy objects * LY HOHROBEDSHTARLI ZED things that seemed to have come out of an ancient Egyptian tom» DIE, RADLIELO®, T= OROERE, LBOMIGOLI® 40 ums, things that looked like arrowheads, stone statue of a crocodile head, and what appeared to be fragments of earthenware pots BEL OO.OT what sit you wanted to show me? 254 anyway # BEVISPSSELABATSVOI even though neither one of us has anything in mind but getting it on * < 226 tris [RTM ?E what a stupid question to ask * #8428 if say so myself SLE} let’s save that for later Houle thre 2912 as ihe had seen into my heart » ft $e P2PA6 EIARLBIL 7: he pushed me down onto the tatami ‘oO '2E his build * L-CS HFA his expression while we were doing it # EFA CRMBLZLI LOGE 7 AOA the insis tent way he had sex, as ifhe had learned from watching videos * % (EOE... tee oft there wasnt a single thing * WROARIRMAL DOMEDERS, LITLE TIT above all else, more than entering me or anything ese, his desire was focused on looking, and | RERLECIZLVIHARHENLVE ITO he didnt seem particularly intent on giving me pleasure Ane Tite (ee OBER US FSS Medes HOC SSHS oth y Mute SNS ET NUCH YHA CB EAN CRS HOT AC mr OR SRAR (0S Oe OMS Bes oe RTE 2 QD rat ie Peron) Birger oro mT Re ECO CONT TAS TA Meat BOTA SERS * 2» Polo Ses rhea) PSS SM LAU Se Sete Pha of BeOS lett S BEES 7A SHIH SITS SHH RAISES [1a SH oft 0 RAT SS AMIPY 6 RES Ova 1 saw Bswty oot i ESM ot SARE TAT USN OA 0 Sr KEOR35 4 7 36 . HELI: he was 50 penisect see neraattchonen thetic tees ties chat (ple ee ee yoalf dimasing tine after tine * £12 tha : > 2 fae Razoo aeaatniens FOOTE ‘ Rs 2 * z x zo, the enya of ray sex A 5 sa’ a, we GRE 2 5 Be ‘was, somehow, a twisted joy * La*L. # DE mee Ce eK 5 gt et how can I expla i? eee ome & ee i 2, vee = tural thinness of his arms © Paap fe ops tt BRS Se He ROW I=AM TE the unnat fis back « +=¢ ) bd hE & RR e the yl pial cord et of Leg & bt eee B WRNLEA the fact that he was so hairy “ neko Q g oe OL gE 5 ORDERS eenBeE teedecrlumothensane ee a Ba @ Ath OP 2 E “obese Teco san ga8 SB mE Ee vance C REMBDECBLEED EDR hearin mt oo EES 5 we wastenite « RAM EZLCAbEED EINE Ba 5 £8.P 2 & # was terrific # # me, too i Ce * ae . eee eee. = husciict > Reh athe o BE z ERED ADE MCW tm fut he ABUTS th 225505 REO oh i oh Br ER me SS 22 hh went bec dow hs fhe wether #53 3 By wEO Dy Loe j Reoweneannpatenr chins 75 Bewy heat that 2 ie RRL HR uy 5 2K we | logged sand swept back and forth unde bingly pleasant * 30) tc Pe BW 2 bk Be EL ® lowed + B2EN ER we ma ombigy si ne w Fest 3 Be E e sensation © 3-0, nd more can ourin » EB E : " x EAB AAS Be mor and more sand kept pouring i & Fe oS mee 8 atu suk» BUEN ROL) ebb by then z oR m2 he z tt Z itwasgingbe ain atenand yet © 632°C 5 that fesing Ife he Roe am CT z i was going edn RRR Oa ee n Se 8 EER 3 f t no longer cared © RICHER DORA tat seo BE Fe 8 LRG ce Tosa inie wer 8 Lathe te thought» z gs g ots ER a chunoRSmeponiconest ces Tene Oo BRE P2om ay A 1¢ power of that soft sand ® > yo ES a, we = rentog a say es doing nehing owes 7 8 eegeR es 2 TEBAADGE wien cunt esky weer #27 BLS ‘ ¢ Bas 2.8 ea Inba‘ftbg when our fit encounter was over 6 5 sai 5 hh SO ET Beas Hema Lot meen etc ye cog f Be wk 8 & igaeics B25 12h: he had his way bb 7 aR 5 cents # — LP HRORTE: BE CMEOR RESTOR T ay t 35 wt é& 4 uscmarmataticn Pg] bye had my own standard we question= WRSLIMEROHC In his lewd fantasies _rennasicd tRoCORLSHAM whether or not I could tolera ° Se koh wEhA EE HEL dda ke EO MEL A we did with me, no matter what they were ccrwelivegetdeng 3 BES Bo age MeL RERMe TE leit» EA 2288 b SHEE howeet el ws gt dong we WER RES SRS BB were simply fends » £2 un had done my best to get ch Ree eA L Re ibe piiehraaiirietie Haber er ARE : e 5 ms F Bog tn HE | ‘with people I could allow to 4 5 LK BD S tS LEK Involved only with pe sion of being able to forgive him ® = Az Che ER 3 ig gE itwasuit a question of bei a relations STR ae antsy recon REC EORAGE alo 9 Poe as eked iene enn cing ss? ttt eae k got § SEE LD ‘bof Ua never even considered ine possiy * BOER ag BoA Y mE oS * we ° BVBERLOLE DSA T guess ther cent wih, . SG at iE 26m 2 5 | cfomthiapomiies » LexsctbirG C=bsEbe ‘vejue bY 2 Be Be sho | cing itt coins» FFE ea arog SURE ES | Hep svng ses gin and agin + OE OPH ase jut Reue ete2.c8 | oe quein FIRE ZL teO827] “when ws elt SBS ereg® le time youhad sex?” = 1029 ol of his stamina © [RR wee L an ae beeen veined hele os amis © RE mi © ait BRT HK ca BEI} “when I was in high school, Sc 4 Ie 2 Lg & i orien KAGAN Tee und Stood ns By ike E TR 26 22 . sow wis ine twas * 4 2 2 E a eC epi anteto k wt REE . = * RHEACLCLESN beh hn he dock" BREWEETS eee BL FE Sg eK eRe a < LTL teh—- Fy BOWT US heavy, pitch-black car- $tye * Woe S ge 7 BoRRn-Fy =: ows ¢ 7 = | Sse nao too ag eine B22 Be PeREE rianeetaniecta mime tating IB 7 25 eit?2s | SHIRBIED TO ACE Tnolonge re toute BOY lB EoOZRFE 7 Tid nothing but drink water tetwomenr GRE LER FougTeE teva neces a Lad iy BER? e 237 a, ¢ | Cirsaieee stilted up « b6 ® things you coulda doin frost Bee B Ye Bio ee inn © EEEAERMONEAORTE Tease Pr, t ee EER EER | of parents or siblings # sure in front of someone youhardly 3 TERR FE FER Le Uf the fact that you can do... ifyou'e in a gting ca % $ f mB Fs > loot bop aeeeOR PsbOR sexe . fay ee eReRES | = BEMASREAL- CAT (CORT as time pas eer e RED SU SE 5 P ne | nh tie nb D i 2 #35 @ D2 FOLIIOIAF BSL TOE GIMEZLIE I succumbed to the ilusion that we had been living together lke this all along, gol Ration boob SOIUML eR OAT L wasnt lying when I seid | {had something I wanted to show you 40] BARRMRTSHIRIMBL AVE, ETRE COM ag | 3 after I had told him for about the twentieth time thet Ta better call home before my parents called the police # 221812 91> he | blurted out abruptly and = BSALBEHAG ACH SME a chelfneaty lined with research materials * ...0IH#°6 from the back of fs ALEVAELT EA pulled out a long, thin box # A/EDNTSE when he took the top off # ELISIUNE CD BU TMDL Ia dof there was a smal, shriveled mummy ofa cat inside 41] 3a Oooo! 4a) RIED FM he nodded * HUSO'2 DLA recoiled * PATER “CHof7itro because 1 had been half joking when I asked him that a5) BALD Ica ato CURA I adored that cat, really did = 1% SALA TAT itlived for eighteen years © ENT so * L/THOU SEWULIIC just lke they did with mummies in Egypt = AWE UC Ttook out the organs # Bu@vwHER#IHT packed in some nice-smelling medicinal herbs and ® #0 IRS (RSA DICE Til omit the details about how you make a mummy because it would take 100 long * YE) BREA of it toak a whole Tot of per | severance and bravery © RERIZS4 DIRS SOH? LOI | 08% 717% curiosity about whether or not J could actually | make a mummy myself certainly played a part in it, but y Pl PEARED OY y SMT Oe ME RS FY se HA oro Z z i WE SOSA fk T OTF CAS URES TSTS ACERMBEASD Ue CH [~S4drror0 dom) 2 off 0 RENAN SRE OE GA w ASR Battier S tae | SBS & SAME + 0r te SO RBY RAE SMT 39 gz OSS BS Swe Ose A oT CRRA OPES AC OT er= -ENITIL.,.-CAU that’s not enough to be able to do * 34, ‘fIDNCE such a frightening thing 46) 36 ufE9 painful work DIMRARL ACHFote BD ab LALEWIFE you probably imagine Tenjoyed making it, bt * (E42 5ICHRL¢T, BLS so lonely and so sad © BWHL7< 6/V0 I donit even want to think about it « PPBLEO TWO: it wasnt as though I had killed it myself, and yet * BFARLLOLALBADEUE TE CLE Lended up saddled with a memory as heavy as iff actually killed it myself 49) COLSLTEMLI DotA re BE but I wanted, no matter what, to preserve it. The form 50) HAPS AoC WTF if they knew the technique # MWIZBE3LAWA {v3 85 I think theze are other people besides you who would want to do that # [ECHEWISL20, ETL P—#RBAL BADE DGRVAHSEAL-’BW? [bet the feelings behind what you did | werent all that different from what people feel when they have an animal stuffed or make a sweater from its hair or something, dont you think? 51) Mess. aftera brief pause 52) BIBT NAWOIEHOTS I know you won't see me again | = 65 c8r2 jun one more day # veo LEISURE wont | you please stay with me? # 4, ICMRL TVS Til let you call | home now all ight 53] G04 Teanttdo that Ports SACHMTM Ab DBA 0 vee) YEA WAVEIES 31 RYE fF 0 DIET RE oft OMMTERE AS Of FEET A 0 BRR | = ToRUE STR ETH O SCBA Cee | BANOS RE TCT SAAR othe nm ee =o tc & [oi im o sea] [oi¥ OO ADWARE BS HERES ot OTR T OU AACE Sie POASHCRIDME SHEATH Pott CAT OMS OU a A & 5 iN 5 5 B ke zt # ix ee & as A ct te te & 2 2 b L n a 49 SPT MT Sit) Stee SS oF het eget, Sk [oS PPO AROS OETA 9254] MOSAIMNLE ... STAM TH of: the mummified cat sil lay where he had, ever so genly, set it down # BHUZAINC BET ‘wrapped up in a clean cloth * #ORLEE HOMERTLEOR | f now that I had seen his gentleness, his personality * 633283 (zte# EV. T could no longer make myself an animal, as Thad been until just a moment ago # #8E\+9 758499 the impurity wwe call feelings = AMZHPLAF-2-TSC1o7e had surged into my heart ss] EC RICAN AFT used to get chewed out by my parents {for this] 9 AUER U5 OPEN VMAG O72 [had this awfully cold side to me ® AERIS -2% for instance, say wed go toa department store,and # REbTEVLRGMSE CHET TOS, ORFERERNYT there was some clerk who didnt know how to interact with customers and wasnt attentive and did a bad job trying _- to get you interested in things, and * ZO-#WT because of her # BHMVHETSTHSOEP BED FSLLM SE if my mother decided not to do her shopping there or something * [OE DLFha, J REEROTLEU I might say something like "God, that clerk is lower than an insect? and then * Z3V3ZEEBIALOE \ T dor‘t want you thinking thoughts like that! ® ...2 75 52729 LT Lowould get a good scolding to the effect of. FLCWSmSH EMIT it's because you look down on people [that’s why you say such terrible things) I was told * BLIZIEAGS FHIELONS LuMMlaAsb 7246 there is nothing so splendid about ime that I could feel justified in looking down on oth just that # EACLE OBE, EOBRNAL IE IEA ‘moment, the clerk honestly had seemed that way tome * BA®:s*bi SF MIC HOE IIT SATU like a bug bumbling around blindly in a box, with no idea where it was trying to go * ZORLE 3a that's how it was now, too © 22a A REFS: inall candor, washow fet # 289 TUVALA LT toward person Thad no intention of dating © BLWR#H BIN 126 ethofe 1 didn't want to start feling tender * FEL IOH Imade to leave 56) KISMRETS Tm going to call home Fo RRRRTT NL POMAS Ay SHO TER oro Mott RACES ort > a PF PION NE SRT EEO ~ : PREM STAM ATO RAMS A SAN CORSA ET RCSC MSTA TOPOS AC oA> OST Be Bes vs ec Pe Be 5 ae b Se # Re e BSH] POSE OPS VALS OOM CARH MEAs SOS AEA OnE ANT SM UR zt # Be s tc & & ott S Atte ER Se S Ale WS LOTS CARERS ORE Lat ORR 54 tc = i i SH oiry Sh51] RABROSy 7 RA RMD LTS EASE as trod to take iy cell phone from my bag # @ULEAVERD EN MOSLTS he took t fom me and stomped on it, crushing it 58| #3041 what the hell are you doing! 59) WEED OTE TI PAE, IERERITL CHL had just gotten up and vas heading forthe door when he gave me violent shove, pushed me down with his body, and = EROPMEIELE fried yet again to have bis way with me * I3RE2529" unable to | sake i anymore # £O~\Aici ofA REIT I grabbed hold | Gre tall, narrow statue that happened tobe standing nearby and « i | oomi=352L 2: brought it down hard on his face» SC'CAE | com te statue which at made fel * CLD EAH crombes | and = teem 418-7 his face was soon covered in blood 60) HOWILRO THLE LOS CHMAIIELIE all those things I conceived ofas lve, feelings that had been slumbering inside ime, reached the boiling point # CAETISRLZAM all the people | Thad loved inthe past © CALASDASCHTS AA all the people | would love in the future # ZOARSEDIAL dS &u4BV» all the feel | hg that they and I could never communicate to each other # 72267 Mee, SCERT LONE OME —PICZELA the unbear- ale agonies, the heart-wrenching pain—something that expressed all of that—filled me, in an instant tothe brim Cte, HTWITLE! Tm sorry, I can\t believe I did that! ot | OHA ltsKeas% 4 tears spilled from my eyes and * MEFIERE YUNH67: my hands embraced him tightly ss) wats BeeoiaBe thats okay, my fat messd [orkaeeS hmo= DQ» BoA Pe 5 é ig, ae fe be aw nd wie Fe aot gee & fe x fe » % Tn z,% RS tO aK o # aS < & Qt BO MA Rm % BA Se ED K z 5 é % i c e z a ot CTBT OMY OE SS EMTS AO RT TOM itmarsay TOPTSPMELESR Airs a cA eit we fe L OOTP SA MASON RRB oh ergs Be COMI T ESR Ul 0 RA NEATH WO BCRA 70 SETA aA 0 Shot ke valor Be CARO Ae ot Oh .SPRERr QS USE LIESHASARR roto McHeRta aioROW EINAEL I sterilized his wound and * BIECAAZ 7 6s 68 67 6s. 6 RICH theres something I want to do, so I'm going on 65 1 trip for two or three days # #L-eN& Jor: [ banged the receiver j down " * eh RAS z 2% F227 Rk RE Ht Bw 65| SHEE this time = —BERERBE=HEUARA in a state one step closer ek RRO RED ELS tolove pee ° ee 67| MICHA MVS IHRICL Ze" being careful not to touch his cuts Qe & g = B 0G at Be H #188 4707: we embraced each other aan Cee. te mes 2 : 62] [ELH even so # G3MROM EESTI the time or us 0 a en ee | part was drawing near * 25494 both of us 35S 2 ek eS at ae BF H 69| KeRISHEMEL AS waking up in the middle of the night = A} * e Le & 2 E Beo & i SoA ASTHSANT illuminated by the thin beam of light that im ee EC oe OR a } | seamen fom he eetamp oie HASHES Eto 7 he in 3 2 Bee i had gotten out of bed # £0875 LOBMEL ERT he was + a MoS & Zz | staring fixedly at my exposed stomach * >= without moving = 2 Ree cH a g METHTHAMDEI as if he could see straight through to my p 2 n2et bw t guts # RELA TIL AUATE he wants to torn me info a mummy # BS me RY BE SZ FRIES biked ot L was oddly unafraid 4 ee ROR t ‘ 70] Hf:HAI when 1 awoke agein # KRM T SRA LI: 2H FUSe sR & there was the sound of heavy rainfall © RIA RA 726482 as soon as, <# PEC EAE 2 the rain stops, I'm going home * MOMOMET oA) Eo CUR RE pes en D = the blood from the cut on his face had completely hardened * 0 e75 cag & 8 z BAKERC, LOMMEC LIS we passed our final # w aR oR 7 a moments together amidst the loud boom and crackle of thunder ae ESR Sf b ER > oS th b ae & HR 2 Hp 2 ® ke qT ie R t es vg Tt ies <8 2b few Ke Mee B LP RR 3 yb TO > _ Bek Bic % Co zu it Bek ta 2 * sw ChE BE vw e 99Til ILO GW SH AME, BUMBLE GV I don't even want to 74 a n n remember how much my parents bawled me out * #ARMIDY ot. 3 6 if he ended up being the murderer * HEWES OHO tye the sory wold hve hd good punch in bot « EAC Ewe 2 0. Re» / that wasnt the case, for ® RUMBISE 6% C2HEoz: the murderer ® & KFZORRE ‘was caught soon after # ERBOBUSAM, BACRLTILGIEG Ie x Bt hoe 2O HR OE Lio ior: it turned out to be a middle-aged sicko who had killed A WE TUK Ee LEO his lover, then cut her into pieces BL OR BSB TC a into Tajima on the street again # 3S Cix rumor had it that « 745 2c q Bee cte eA B “CPST Icio he had succumbed to malaria in some foreign = x < Kw F \p 8 5 & 6 country and then * €O48M4EIL-CiSid after that, when he returned “7 fm > CR 35 Rio AE Sh to Japan © 24D —HictoTARL ABEL EIRP hed DF Feu Api i ber i hd a breakdown and been institutonalie, ot least started seeing €#2 BCs fms ek ER } 4 doctor—it was some sort of story lke that * RIEKPERRLC, fe Spe 2 ee aR eS / | mmmice- “cnet | gradoated from cole, ewe a pharme Br ga SSS ew Gist, and let my hometown behind . & Kee Boe Ge BY B E(B the story continues a few years later * HEIEZIT hE am RB Rh WS ic me 4 if AEBUDBIC'U.a~L he made his authorial debut with a 2% es Rte BR mystery set in Egypt and © B2oL ARISE OTHMAN TSE BA Hp E 22 z ¢ | 3i2teot: gota bit famous end started turning up in magazines and z A BSR iE e 3 i soon # SHOE, FALSIEBEASS, LAMSBOF: once again, ec Eanes Bho ee 1 thought, matters take the most perfectly clichéd turn © SGC. 2 aan Row eh $8 | BREET, RB AMILEH TI EDS-0T, LOEALORRIZDC RE RPE aE Re h EAT KLEAL CA oPATE he’s clever, he’s into archaeology, Oo * Etaegd 3c z F land he’s got an abnormal sensibility, and sure enough, he ends up Wee og Box S Bey te 5k doing exactly the kind of work you'd predict—I guess he wasr't such 2 ®, 52 8] e aK | an impressive person, after all ® LAMLEZGMICBONE I 2 HB a fio oS 2 L a a B® i ®HELEMVZ I thought, once again taking an arrogant perspective ab tz 7p S ect x % i of the sort my parents would have scolded me for 3 t 423 3 3 oz pra i 74] WIREGLAGL. FIL TIMSA GHC evidently he got wd z 42 wos 2 5 Ht ‘married—his wife was in the magazines photos, too ® ROEH6¢ 2 2 Bis y on 2 2 8 it | Gara wtwas obvious even through her cothes «(OUI BE 2 £o, 8 F gms AOEDEARLOBIACOSOERAAY when I saw that her phy- 2 BREE 3S AB i ssique was so like mine that... © KOBMOROIEI WT ACHAT 5 e RR ® a eS I felt a faint licker of pain deep in my heart w fg ko 5 3 adEPOPLED, ELEY, BLENLCRORDY, £7 7ALEDLT (9 my boyfriend and I go on dates, we talk, we dress up when we get together, weave sex © b=BEE ... SEIU Twill prob | ably never again... © AE CMRoAAAICIRINTS feel desire for some random person I meet on the street at night = StS. = HOD ORMCHALEBS ‘oft that was an instant when . sensibilities turned fantasy into reality # BOTEUEWI3, WALD SABA EARN ALCS ordinarily, things are made up of all sors of different angles © BLELTERD LOT, REVEIOERERD DirbMA COMMIS if one were to take all that away and stare ‘out into a world that is single, unified—then anything becomes pos- sible © HOH, AtsVidz8 TEMA that evening, the two of us just happened to run into each other and * LO SUHVEFABEE ICH ‘AtE¢ FILA CRIGL he responded with precisely the same force to the weirdness of my internal world = {LABLDE} 2S EAHEED something ike a chemical reaction took place and * 72E% both of us» BRE RMS MAURO ATL EPO plunged into a dimension diferent from reality © 28HWvAS2 REF IE GRALEA HM) VOD I guess some force, so intense that we were both thrown fora loop, must have acted on us 76) 8}4123 sometimes I find myself wondering * WSAZL LESH BARIONEOIIA, WA, ELK TRRLORS IM? isitun- ‘equivocally true that this life, with all its varity, is the correct and | happy one? | HOW, BEMIS EEG TREAD CMU HOB ORLE the beauty of the peals of thunder I heard that night as I lay embrac: ing hint in his faton, my eyes wide open © &LA@LIH it could be that © Bid, HOEESORRDGMSSLACRR HoToRHs Livzet> I might have stayed there, just as I was, unable to leave that | world UisYGHONIE LCT Lm having an ordinary love affuir * BA | ax, 2777 Y-EMAKLTLE OF youth's unusually heightened * PS CHST SAO PARMAR OEE SARE S Seth SBF TTBS OSCE ook HSS BY TBARS Dorin} o opaemeernry TBA ASS SOOT SA HAA LSPCEC wd Be PREDDTTRE RARE Fe D OF SHES 04 TR # sty AAT BOE T ORE CSF =D Ez ae Hoo aT wR DU RE RO % D cf dhe & Fee Se i » 6 Ko mA ut As Safe Seg eS TSS Ar L & ‘3 fen * Bl b Bi oO tee ¥ DR tt 3 & @h 2) e is wr i £ SoS SHEE OF S OFS SOPRIUSE our wpese CEO OTA KIS Betdibec MSS vot MRI TT LOVREL Ice cas * BR 0 HCACT BM A—Ue VIN ACSIONS GS AS AC RHRRES S Bhim 7 BE TO WEE Bat CRB STO ee HoWAC act vst79) A84RTS Let my imagination wander * OBOE Dee 79 CLEstMATOAE me in some other dimension, made into a | mummy like that cat # BO, BAC BSL ORMICHTE RCMEMGNCEATLE tlhe him dead, his head erushed ig 22 by love so strong it suffocated me 4 z 19) TRISTATE EICIEED LT LBA AhoL: somehovs simply iz couldnt convince myself that that would have been such an avful E thing 3 ‘ iE g e & 5 g 5 L = 2. b RS & z & > 3 x s a c B z Ble 5 a 5 aw < L z 3 ae: SERTY OM CATIA TO SOROS OAL PR aM SHsrsnnsnenn ats et \Wasastaincsenis eo ecerare na ron niente sh reeeemecanemetcos Steven agate semen nese al censenerecttanw Sennen aero retrere Sitcmuptmncetmene eet comerreennner aia anenereneevan seneegneeahonnte Sannpeecamea me eens omens Sr canine Soria enim on cee oe cea tea eset atin Soe cane ne atte namstonetoare encumapayea eneloop cperarenminersome treet loners eet are Gernot Serenata oan tonecsatmmnniomc “erentBENHH One Hundred Stories 3 3 2| BeAoFOEIIE like a spoiled child * M4EL “A shaking her head back and forth ® CiUd, XFHY... LVI BRTDS the lit, BER w pe s ‘eral meaning of this was... # {089 2:<20*) “I don't want to go to tc 3° BLOM Be b sleep” © BVE or then again *§ BATVSOPBLULY maybe Ct REL Be 5 ae sheisafiaid © RICROTLESKS, BALALLESKZOTINN RRP BLS Boe i | ‘as afraid that if she lies down, she may end up on the receiving end m ¥ k BE é oe = , ; | ofsome unseemly act 3 7 me ° i lyact Be ah sb ER 1 Be 3 | RPGR Anaalis a guy like any other, so # HviGewHE a poy enh eA ¢ eo | SPEER when cums dicts that he say p ui Sow tS a & = i morning with a gi # HUAUHERSBUbUTIEEW he does, of gC mB! Stee ° i cours, start feeling a bit romantic * RESET 8% the conditions ae twee a eS | are simply to0 bad ® v8 -53:°C until just a moment ago * RIM (ee Pe aE t fiy%20k:SN= by regular bouts of nausea = i>! TUT: Kept being Be % HO BE seized * BAAAGOVTIA: she was shaky on her legs = BAB, Way FP a He SAID PRBILONCEL TIE Anzai ist the sort of wi SE 54 inhuman brite who would try and have his way witha gel in tha wee oe state * ELC and whats more * SEES .., E4r4P SAU he had cfu G a & been ordered by a senior classmate... # (250%, 238 BotTPAL ee Sf » & ©) “hey, Anzai...see her home, will you?” * 207432 he had Doh me 2 = Soe | his relationship with that classmate to consider, too R fe £ bois i eS a3 ek Ep woe | eh a oa | xn ik ; Roe we : ig HE Re xe ' ® i Be Be SOE ame g Obs ae a gw e e zEEw e at QB = Ber é aes zg bit z & KR menace & eect a Vu g BS 109 tee wom 108j 4 | Mt ordinarily * F4UiE by now # CIS ages ago * ARC KoT under the covers © HEUTFEZ be snoring loudly # £2tta OBANF CHB Eicteof: but the thunder had complicated mat i tr it, butt iad become asl thank the thande?) ebb wee EE ore we i 5 | BD SBABEC—-HOE they took the same route part of the way. BBs Fk KB ny a5 ! home and # Wb ASEM APHDRIC because he was the sort, bom a 8 0 0 F hw FR ts of guy who “wouldn't hurt a fly" as people say = REUIRIL?: ‘Fe « “ 2 et m b (& % & e 5 | dlead-drunk freshman * ... SHUTS Anzai had found OL eR E gt BR himself pat in charge of... © AU FIKOT +97 an announcement Sef Ay 2 BS BP oe on the subway © #90720 asa result of being struck by lightning « tS b> SH CRS BW i DBRHAD TE CABOR RAI oT RY a certain track was im- Do tt Y Wh BEY 3 —s z { passable, and it was unclear when service would be resumed # 9, C1 EE & pw | BOGEL I kept repeating that... = RABFOT“ 123 #8 the » 3b ze bw HR & z i line that went in the direction of Mitsuko's apartment ue te tke N mee L 2? na | Tp, WF Oak age & a. 6) FOES eVAT CEL had laughed, an uncertain waver in her ARF ~, & & Bib FF, * . voice = HOC then * BEE presing hand to ber chest * 3 y Nese es etey AUDA speaking in fragments Sug z a ek 2 & 7 7) SHB, LOT, RET, CHEV please...et me...rest at...your a>} oe a 2 place , 4 2 a we 3 4g & a| Aten HES772—EMD LE ATA ithe were used to this kind of x x BR cFY mR OY thing, he would have gotten a tax, but © E72REO RMI, £5 gO 4 Bt (2h ew ¢ RAE dS ahote Anzai, who was still a student, ada thought ¢ iS et mer Be é of that © isG-wbITCL EUs it waa that he didn have the ES BQ Bt ake OR money # Vt) (2385 23) what people calla “rich boy" = Zit a: 2 & PL om mt z i ZEIPIS being that type # NEN D&ABWEEA LDS he tended to Ke HE ge EO: ti | ‘be somewhat less adaptable # #2/ simply = Wwtto CHUTES in as A © 4 Se 7 te By | earnest a manner as possible * @MEBVIFE3E Boze he wanted to HDF eS grep BS Be | help this underelasswoman out * ZU andso * LHZEOLTO DU HRe DR Sm OF | Jyw—227 2971: to his studio apartment, which was conve- ties we ig b yw 8 } nientl located near the station # SEBFEMAGRAZEO CHS hehad 22S ES & ® 2 brought Mitsuko back S eR 2, [2B g 9) WIEN of Anzai had si 2 a We i 12% 270 Anzai had sid zn E it ic db & ze 6 = | L mee z th i me é Fes 110| 0] Hikrae, MAICLT CK ALE please, you've got to keep quiet, okay? ! i] SSAPELEROAES, ABEECAY Mitsuko ad entered the room without sayinga word, and # RICMBE IW CHiofciE BS no soonerhed | *% Bs 3 7 i the sat down onthe floor ging her knees, than # 202 218225 Bot Seu RE #6 Ithofs she started looking as if she might fl aleep onthe 5 $ Be, we ze Be 5 : | aon eee nea eeen ccc n hee So ob mL os * i 12| tas—TH#B2L7 her head bobbed once # ZH#17T that was asfaras 5 DD eee rm me 5 { she went ® FCI3|AROTES EIT she soon raised her head, B * Be = i at : & fs yractically hoisting it up * 21) 54iEL surveyed her surroundis ig Ren = ie ener = “ Bir Se "ma kt R ED Oe B We Bs 2) a * £6 { | ZS LAACHA, tLL? what happened to me? % 2. ae 2, a an : z RL ! 14) RERECLIS oddly © RK she seemed to have Qe wee & i Be sobered up # —HC allat once # ZOBIEBEOT, SRORBED BRS we ol Be < ‘Cidteth-ots her voice had gone ino fasetto—it wasrit her ord- wet OaR eer > ER naryvoice * BSL E AT ots there was, in he tone, eet 2g, . KE | an undisguised sense of fear SOS DB Be og 8 15| FMS SL, AER BE AL felt half hurt, half oddly y Oo > bY a te PRE : exited # HBLC/—A)-7OR=77 EA, BERTHS asitably ce 11 ge qe | summery minidess, black in color #* OU=AD*—/—79 972 e ZAPPER 2 OB i ALCS she had on while lace blouse over he 52 BO Ge BE | dress—a nicely chic combination # RDCGESROALEOE IE L& PL k Re F ee | LAIR the patter ofthe lace, which was lke a crest of foam on a » re RBG SF & | wave rushing up the shore *# TORO FOS ITVLARE, ROHR Lx 21 AE 5 EE EY KOMOBRBRTAETuAS showed to advantage the crisp black am ig 2 Zz 5 g & 2° : yeneath the wave, and the tones of her sof, feminine skin i 3 2 5 | I th the wave, andthe tones of her sof fe as 228 @ E ‘ | 16| QAOY—7 VOY even compared to the other psychology Sh a ik, 2 Ee e | cubsoncampus « BasiOES 2 1RKtASNID oto the group Anza row D & BS ct iF B belonged to had particularly few women * MLS ORTH SEB Be 7 z 2 . : 2 | Fl Mitsuko, with her regular features # BIEROES GWE} Be ie 2 By & g 2 | “Cust was treated like a princess * INOIGICIAL BELO ot aE cm 5 Be : 2 she hardly ever came to drinking parties 23 2 2 2 é lame IE OR ® He zoo Be + Be x pe bey g EE 1 Po | 25 RYO z i | 13 the wim 2| # £fus 290 9MOMRABILA and yet, blown by who knew wha | fickle wind « MLUMRER TEMAS this time, having joined the group in a new outfit ® MRE CHE Ao CL Bote she had ended up staying tothe very end ty] a-e-eoncHS he made her some coffee # KOM the hour of the first train * SAARC O72 Le she seemed to be feeling much better beL, EHETHETH AGA SEEILTMYIES she kept repeating, glaring at him | with her large eyes WAC L want to stay up until then 20, #4? you'ee going to go back on the frst train? 22) RCH AOL you'll only end up attracting more attention, you kaow 23| ShigWWATCH that doesnt bother me 24) SBOAARAEACKBODA what, ae your parents going to call us amy Sots] R a > » a [Sand 23 REA PO Eto 9 eet [+ae 2 20 Sy neyp Me Sirs Anetta crt] AES RAC TIO 18 eg BES METH OAS S AU wwe Say aA rt CA ACEO a PR CEA 0 RS AMR TET CSW y mR ? ut] 26] TINA, BEALSROMESI AME make sure you think up BR 0 29 2m 7% 3% 1 good alibi before you answer (Lt, “you'd better take the call [only] after you do a good job thinking” 3 i fter you do a good job thinking”) oa anrtviwi bse = 1 27] RRoCHIC nodded without speaking Kp TR Bek eZ ek RT i 2a) Icon, MIE, ECHL TUS atany rte, she would Qe Lets el BD # Sh a Db EN {go home on the first train, and she had made up her mind not to 2 aE S w Ca 4 ‘sleep until morning # Hid, BENE TSMC Anzai, feeling lke tc He = B = Nm a babysitter # (23a. THU ed) “T see, Well in that case...” ‘ aOR c 8 th 3b He = Tt (toved Ny he began, without having anything in mind to Be we e ~ % 0,2 say © EET CRA ERAO SMUT when a word hed read v BR? z & g HRD somewhere lashed into his mind & & . > 2 of SE, e d 7 Qa pa ape i 29| TYNR-C LSA why don't we do a hundred stories? iy a RE = eS e 2A aol 27 buht z Be ws e ? ze 3 » ® oO 3] BatzceAvs? you've never heard of it? = HA, MME MTA, 3 OBE Ys 3 i BACITOR, FSALEL you light a hundred candles, you know, and 2 22 < % # | then you tell scary stories ® —O8EF72US, ARIAT with each story RW ay é I you tell, you extinguish one candle ® ARDEA DoTH OMFS oe BL Fe | | Zeots88 when the ast try i over andthe room is toally dark © %& ame < e # i Oss HelFA-CHSAPT a real monster is supposed to show up E a “8 6 h 33] KO FoT, BUMAERLSS girls are supposed to like scary stories 2, Dy r zB EB 5 ie fee 28 £2, ca me £ ck i Bt WE as | te ® ms I um zc) we ie & the & AF ot a i 2 SC it we i OF oo at 5° hi i iW awe 116 7 we| 35 3 37 38 39) 40| a oseutt murmured # RICBoAE IC as if she had just awoken froma daze * COHAROMIMZATHEATT A but you don't have a hundred candles, do you? Ebebsved hardly « B—. BEELKS, SACHLTET TS besides, if we did it with a hundred, with the two of us talking, wed each have fifty # KSEWMN itd be too much * BoE MHISES 3 lets do it more simply RMLLIRSOLHAGHTUS by now, Anzai had given up on sleeping # VIBE LZ CHE CALT Ha DE the prob- Jem was how to make it to morning without getting bored # vk LITE looking suspicious EDFSACT then what will we do? COBB h4 LOLS in this room, and in the WC, and in the bathroom # EKA HAD OSSLCAULBAVSOS welll tum ‘on every light, in every place that’s got one ® HHH L #25 when one or the other of us has told a scary story * ~258i0) IHF well turn outa light * £595 217 & that’s how well doit BILE nodded, indicating that she understood # ELT ® AVAECH KE OUT then, her face pale, she made one request A~Fv Ao the curtain needs to be 252: good point = PARDUTS Zev, RUBRIC Cte tel efa because iff we dorit shut the curtain nice and tight, it wont get dark atthe end, will i? SREREERE, WASP MBIZBO DO, RMIT LAT shes quite a perfectionist, Anzai thought, and, though he found ita bit of bother, he stood up and * ...{°FDIEL7 reached for. ug Bie ew oceee CRYPT AT Sroka S BS 0 0 cae a SAAT VI 0 Sirti SONS ER Soa) 40 a | - Y « 33 LATA ABER mOS HEH °as [ORGISS GA MRR EY | ofS OR RE ABE BBO | ots PCR HNC OKSSEBALT OT eT CA eEES (4 ACAD one S OspIn Pd eoreure | AS OSES OBIS Os SARS St tte) st & Poseory Be otk SHS aay] PAD Oe DH ARO FEN OOM TH ACER AE! | ottcrerkmt Pee denies Bm ¥ TRO me OETA ort Ss oa Samed)3| 4a] 45| | roan 1 PHBESTO HARA: he could see the ight from thestreetlamps © = OFS Y LAL S IBAA ina flash they vanished from sight * ISIUCRMIEANE Ao? the two were now in «completely closed in space MOLOA? 7 Kip SiRePBMTICS ZT from the lamp on his desk to his flashlight * #@TOS}20 €AU7: he tumed on every single light = SBSE1288V-¥8Ic%-o% the room became a bright box SC well then # WusdiL Dias I;fEA® Tim the one who sug gested this, so * 225A tii.25 why dont I start RGGI, ACRATMEMMOBELT Anzai told a story about a de- ‘monic cat, and * MUEVBEHH< L7: darkened the bathroom REDD, SNL HOLVD, AMEAAEHLSE Mitsuko fur rowed her brow—she was either acting or under the influence of the alcohol, it waset clear which—and then # FARORRICHBW 7 Lusty HHO WHEEL: told a folk tale, evidently one she had been told as a child, about an old mountain witch * S)EI5.E780 she rose slowly to her feet and * SIDSEAN €iNL 7: turned off the over head light UeABISMUIAIRE GAWLCW< gradually the darkness deepened ABT, QaolehviAeHy Etoz Mitsuko was a surprisingly skillful storyteller wae AT AC HER RT RET SES CRASS ESM Skokie vAcAy 45 45 aH 1s [or Soret y 64 STAB S MOY VEN SH SBR E it o> te aoe TERT SRR OSS a 120x & 49 a9) Cb, PERT TAS, MLWGPORTITT but they say ! that when he opened the rain door, there was no one there 4 50) VC ODMOWMEMA TAR MARES ELE TWS having finished # S s - | her story—it wasnt clear how many they had told by then—she let MRO RE wee hr eyes wander around the room oO, Bs BO hoS He w ik 2 zB oot | st] 3, €2Laev4> that’s the only one left, right? ® a the it % ne 8 $ | 52| MUPRATE VIC eux other than the flashlight # BIEN LOK Bow bk Ro zo Pp PESIRNTCZIEREI AS ots29 Keo the lo sling fom the Bees oe st O mt : open door ofthe WC seemed to be all that was left z BE gE Bd z Pe sal LSLARANC glancing over, he saw that she was right: © ZICH 3: sme ee = Bau gh i RROLFMBHATUS the numbers marking the time hovered a8 5 bE ie gee eu 1 there [in the dake] RE Beet Re OO ge 5 RA & Beat Bt RS m2 oS I 5§| £06, 40 you want to turn that of, too? pees gee ne | 56) #FOMASICRESL ZA though he felt a bit irked by his partner's 8 c Lowe & a sR an attention to detail = AEA %4MEB EbtoTI7eY PEERS he had grove we 4 et HS no choice but to stand up and pull the plug # BAPOUWWIBL AS ERE 2D me Q Be L e & | sesCAT hued zeus he had suggested playing the game, so he couldn't ce Bee ge x 2 zy complain Poe RS K is | 57] AHBIBB A RGERG OREMLE LC after telling a scary story, seton a tne ¢ q b Be ) highway, that he had heard from a friend # fk LEC as if in ou 3 4 tc B a | retaliation © *@LIO2—|&#ku°7: he pulled the plug on the re: Boe 4 3 S we 3 | | frigerator * ZCI OMCARRONSEATALE TOK there had > eee Ok 2 ira gs 4 been alte light burning on i, as well, showing tat it was getting > Re x a 8 FE electricity # EZVERL@A ot didnt even grin * PROMO & & ie 2 $ RO i M6475 after telling a tory about the bad karma ofa school desk BRO ¢ $ a t = CAL, BP SMLNTONSL «ots it became so dark that R27 y A a ; | it was ike being shoved down from above [bythe darkness] pk ¢ % “ ' cee y iF hs ho tk b a 5 EL w & 5 SR tee me Hp Fw > Ber & z | ie a 5 woe 122 123 wie s53| SBF OR TCM PRORAVAE MT EAE while aiming the 6 6 64 62 62 61 60 59 Se flashlights yellow beam at Mitsuko's feet 59] 3, Cutty A its just this now, huh? & a —.,0- IRAPDELTEC 22008 her face, which looked blurred and in. Boome et Boe listinct 2 she shook... and (sai SRS RHE BS wp distinct D she shook. and ld.) eee Ee erg RADY 4 ther’ the phone emM eee eee S seh pe > “5 & 4 so CALM ARATL TE this guve im an unpleasant feeling POR Chee oe 1th BIL, ERAGON DEL, BAHGEN and yet an eof (PRES rmself didn know where that unpleasant feeling came fom ers 205528 BIR yout ight wor ROE BE APBICRIRG ef since the darkness had grows consider eon fe < f ably deeper # 4 2968AE> even allitle light caught the eye * A ok t a & e BFW it was just as Mitsuko said © RRDL© 2 zt & h 2 4 £ BLT 7OLIZAOKABAZ he could make out a light the ee x ie color of strawberry syrup over where the phone was Be & z 2 Lis 2 ® = (ZEAL IEMIS%T almost obstinately * LCC EDV RIESE oR tc vs & UE told a scary story that seemed more like an ordinary anecdote, Bek % BY speaking very rapidly « AHO 7-2 bet unplugged the : &6U phone * 484924 € waving the flashlight back and forth z a & Sd. CHCOVOMIF 2S all right. Now it's really just this a * y P fe 6 7 e 5 CS SRBREL A HURRY S SBR SHIRA OBIT SHENK SR oO Rime peatnr: ROVE SEC oft OU PART ost or68) 23 5EHEBCOL slowly swiveled her head around and « 23-~ { Fin, WRLC, Blots remarked with evident saisition 3 t that he was right, then sat down © 2D F(MBROREBL: passed | w rs her the last light + 23 ow 5% hi 69) WAV BLRAUE LATE weve heard all kinds of different sto 2 hy was 2 & | ries, but # 4:S(cRv OE the truly frightening ones © bitospy 4 st Ye 3 Bee S § é ' 524960 are those you cant even understand * H2SLOXVLK > Bea RE a REVO more than the visible, it’s the invisible #23 CFKA Bs Che E 4 Bm mean, wouldnt you agreet # EFHIL HFTRLSVELA? andi = 2 Eb R % 3 : that’ the ease, wouldnt you say that we ourselves are frightening? = ,e Bese OH Bo 70] SUPBE. 3 U-OBOLZA things like your forehead and chin, the Pau Ee Fe me i back of your neck and the top of your head * EA} CIAHBHI2H22 mom ES Re BALA there's absolutely no way you ean see them by yourself i 2 S08 TH a) there? # Zio, BK, BX HN EEA now that’s really frighten- c& a Ko t % ¢ ing, doait you think? © —SHEVOIE, RLTRSL LATELY you . Ss 2 5 can never see them, even though they're closer to you than anything STRELA SY L 1) SRLCSU eRe and its much worse than that # BSE BAA zt « ww a z $ 4 = 2.84 you disappear when you go to slep, right? * HELTWS z = 3 OUCH, EF LOTHSOHEADHZV not only do you have vt 2 6 bn & = * " Aw F 2 BE F zo idea what you're doing, you don't even know what’ happening to ae ae Zz | you # Gil2"CFE suppose, just for the moment * TW» om e Ea * ZeoTutcoT suppose you were a fish the whole time you were 2m oe ° & | even then * B128-%67%0 you wouldnt know # 3 é eR 0b a “T even if you grew horns and turned intoa b Le FR ie cow # V2 of one might go further © bokDUFDSInS 2, Hie B Curt s@ $ if | Ezecwtet een ify met into something ee something 3 3 ER a 2 | sore bizarre _ a a | Bo oe w i aoe FAW : Rtg RTS Be ; 7s * 3 z f san ft BR mR e mg g i me 1k 3 < 3 w ! of & . % ie i ch > B ® . wim 12623) E30 3MOWTT this is a story about a girl lke that # hSW5 5, (210% Ghar: there was nothing wrong when she was litte * 3 (cee LIRRBL eof she didnt notice anything particularly odd = CUBSHG but after a certain point # —ATHALI DH POT she was told she had to sleep by herself ED AUTOM METO TOE CIRO G2 tao she wasnt allowed to go onany overnight fel trips either * ABD DABEBLE IT \s2ttoit Lis she was told not to join any clubs that involved over- night training sessions # ZIG, SEKIMESORRARE VDA CF no matter what the reason, she was not to spend the night any- where else, she was told # 22, LBICTF yes, that’s right—by her father 75 WET GUTL 25? how could you accept that? © #Mbit LIF at | BULA RE Roc ung Lieih, BLA LZ at frst che thought her parents were simply trying to bring her up very strcty, so she | rebelled for Culture Festival kept her at school until late at night # £3 Lt: 5, LMA CHE LZ and so her father came all the way to school o get her # RERFC2 a it’s humiliating isnt it? = 738 TAL she cant look her friends in the eyes ® ESO UEboz280 she holed up in her room and stayed there © HCA: VHB several days passed without her coming out # CHa MEATHY CH CofE FRETS oT her father’s face grew so ‘emaciated it was as if his cheeks had been scooped out with a spoon, | and © aC EVEL he said he would tll her everything 17] CORI, HBA IHS LVIOTS he tells her there isa special legend that has been passed down in her family © #2ICRA0F BE WNSBLOKBISEVIOTT he tells her that at night when she is fast asleep, her body changes into a certain thing ott OOS SOF SEES MR ote de TEI bs VRE LOT COM oot BCH AMAR MS LOT COA ort 0 AR BHR SY BE MASS rrorgees MEDORA somite CRT MSO TSAO ER ro BRA ABE oA 0 TTB i 16 ce ce D Ae & Eel ot oto Oe OSS He SBE TOOT SOME TIA LAS TION Qn ME pot ost Pew tA SHAE ORT CHES A 0 MOTTE S COWES CHEM ATs 14 Sa hows OTA SEMA SOS S who mS LOMO Sie hay OARS SHUT Seth See OA oT td Se $0 Site ABRs aeiMiLSRAHoT the young woman is astounded, and # EA IB BORO. FE CHRLOMMERUTORODE, BEVEL A blasts her father, asking, Did you seriously forbid me to sleep away from home allthis time, all on account of some stupid story like that? = AUK DC2BOH, EISELE and anyway, what is it that 1 become? sheasked # EZ AALMIL (HSLOVELAAMH LV but “a certain thing” is as much as her father knows © 4% (210) A¢8) CBE BMLEMUARH LEW IOTT he himself has only heard the sound of “it” moving, he says, from the other side ofthe wall ENA. BL, DLOLLH—E, MURVLA if this is actue ally supposed to happen to me, the young woman says # b/LOZ ELD, ERO, RORRIV LEH STEM if this is actuelly me you're talking about, well, sometimes stayed at momis parents’ house when I was a child, didnt I? Zid, SOROWA—AMMIE THERE BE LGOL it’s some thing that occurs when the girls in our family reach adulthood * 38 I22E 915 = EAR it doesnt happen with the men # ROA, #8 ROREWEDD ARR A GMMR ott E there was never any problem in my father's generation, or in my grandfather's genera- tion, because only boys were born, he told her ® ZL, SBSL \CEG WELZ: and then he said something even more frighten ing * CES her father himself # ZAGER EBM GOL EBoTWREITT used to believe, it seems, that this was Just a ridiculous old legend © LiSLARAS FRC Ce oEM OAKS and | Yet the moment he realized his daughter was no longer a child * # DOPE SIULES EMBUATLH he felt a ifa needle of ice had been run through his spine # C#vidwttZ1, £ lots things cant go on as they have been, he thought * SHABREBISL BE Voit 3CT he told her mother to move her into separate room * FO BOERS LOFL EAU CRUBT MILED oO he should have persuaded her simply by saying it was necessary to encourage the childs sense of independence, but © RAHEWT, VME ROBE Z5°C4 it seems he was too agitated, and so he told her about the legend * #$12—S8I=aL, ELT her mother laughed it off, and then LOR, EMER ITF that very night, it seems, she lost her mind, i LAE spor mT cor “HE SRN std oirt o Ie HS Cree x a REO shh ote kB rer Sabie TOS AR ARH BBCSO otdunits duds Bit 0 Bee} SRT LT, PLEATS BETTE LAC AL ote SS aH S Or eA MMS ko ce BORO S oe Se i & Tc 5 5 bo 3 5 te 3 4 % tc DROS CHT Ce aay SHH LOSES CAS ots SRB HOIDS rb fC MS mh EO CRROMABY (SA) ea SS SOT tA Sue 1 (See9t) FRO OK Cure OT (a) maa CMO US ESCH OAH SoA AO NTS SS) ASST AciRY x prone ot ASa1] RPGROT, LLAICMELALCOZT that’s the reason for allthis, her father sai, his expression full of torment * MBLSi.3a§ “cid EAA. you cant believe a story like that # E2VCIRIRA, BEAF2—F2%HLWIOM 90 are they saying that late at night 1 tum into a Medusa, is that it? # HEOSUZEEDLOLIEWA having snakes for hair would certainly be loathsome, its true, but ® 203% ‘ekntCuE+ that form is well within the realm of our understand. | ing « sis tun ethooikeAR LIC He- it might well be beter if did RE SUR gE gt inconvenience people more #* ...ZW3H0LTCS I start to fed wy oe BRR gt that... = HARP TAIMS MED HH’ even inconvenience isa B ie 2 ae 5 bridge reaching out to another person, so" FIRIWSICGS.EDIEEL Be iat By ? its better than withdrawing into oneself * EBUENERISANT IE Se aS = wanting to seta trap for obedient people # (HRCI want, Me DD B t ing to show off one's prodigious knowledge # MKUTHEO'Lf20+ wanting a Be E & | to gunbies £5u9 BUC EISANDLT do nothing bot bad things ce & ue, | tike that and # #¥Ed*17 S41 get tied up with ropes = ALU AHL ge = 5 # [eoU7 5 be put on tral in the court of morality * a3 BEDE | that were to happen ® RUCHLANTCAIFS I would take to my heels XG 2m Y i (lit, ‘puta sal on my butt") and flee # FRERAHIAIS around ah ae the ime when the son begins to set # BAMBI UeHERSS < 2, at we awake and have a bow! of kakesoba # EAZRICIRREANTTE 10 a bee matter how big an insurance policy you take out ea tee 2 3 $ Be te cu eR BS $Q % fe » eRe =< tb AL ANT EIN SSA BE NER= WOMMEATL ES 05 tre ALE, CF for instance: literature " HHI E 6 you're going to die eventually, so = let's do the fun stuff now, while tt polish your writing # Al=H€2M> talk to someone = BEEN} * # wok z eae sether a riddle = EBB A% #17 put her ina state of hypnosis « | gi Pare BS aL} LAT the way a bird builds ts nest " b7=L OHH ob RG ER eee 1} TROBIR the habit of punning that roosts within me * 3a) Rie 2 £ ELS. 5 BS | SEF TLED determines, all on its own, the story's plot « we & 2 e = ak 2 & FEB} oT} BHMAPHT EU talking to each other won't prevent a eT ai 2 Grime £RE9G a8 beter than that sto. * MERE eo us tk me (VT mix dogs and cats * AMIE (BEL promote a mon- moe sto HEU tee ote mism * BGRE217°C take your time = WBE SAMI eat 4D * Hoe we Pee c AFAR had better stitch the fabric ofa tale on a sewing machine FERS RPE pv | © Elcke27-C=S CH SEO Cid ina dream of multiplying seven 2° Bie Fu and seven and dividing by three = MREHEN D1} THIS I start to 5 é 3 DP . wf 3 . ‘cross a bridge, then stop # /Ni@(t=3HHCISIEHAS there is a store wate u - onthe ever’ far shore ¥ Bint} C7288 words peopl started PRES Me RES to say, then didnt # SURFEV-oLx1> along with candy © BA D Mee wo A YT 6 4 HAPUESE as the sun begins to set # SPLBOLILGOAMUT TC RU EF DB mS % something like a horse gallops down from the sky ® A2KI7% FT bry ® iy we | the moon wanes # €O/EDU foi ARIUS the toth thatbit the a ee : moon gets chipped * EWLOARAKITS£IIS the way the edge of 5 he gee ewe BP eS i a teacup chips # DL YAIBEBS ALBIS TRU when you're 3 oye ee DS ef short one person, you can no longer stage a one-man play fo gt Fl ps ‘Re Ay Re ee ail 4y r Zhi ow To Dye D Be & 2 ® Wt yee > & 8 vb % Bis CeEB 2 AS KS EO ° pee & ae A oe Me Ee 2 be 20 we To * oop} To he oa 8 bes tT 8S 2&3 L BEA ze? ie za z He ge Le a at iB cee are 2 M3 he1 FR KekaEpATMR CHS edi is the passive form of BE5 (Co invite) This sentence contains no grammatical subject, but that’ only because the meaning seems clear without it iit were anyone but the narrate, wed need tbe tld. Tats not to say, however, that there iso dilference between (EICEL DATARS and (EELS UC. HIRE, because while we assume thatthe first sentence is talking about the narrator, we could be wrong—we could always be told later that this story is about someone else. Obviously, the second sentence leaves no room for doubt (On another note, you may have noticed that my translation of BS! 1-12, "Tset out on a walk can be read as either past or present tense, “The ambiguity i intentional, and gives us a chance to reflect onan im portant characteristic of Japanese prose—its temporal esbilty. ¢ $= Eb ITAIIC HLS reads like a statement in te present. Indeed, our half-uncertainty about the subject makes ths sentence feel, on firs reading, ke the beginning ofa story ina mythic, even allegorical, unending present-—something slong the lines of "Having been invited by a beat one sets ost on a walk” Something ofthis atmosphere lings to the rest ofthe story too, since much of i unfolds inthe present. As you keep reading, though, you will notice occasional intrusions of ‘what is normally considered “past tense” andthe final sentence of the story offers a perspective fzom which everything thet precedes it—the entire excursion with the bear—is unmistakably past. In other words, ‘while the evens of the story would seem tobe taking place in the past, ‘much of (aot all of) is written as though it were taking place right, nov, in the present, as we read, To a certain extent, then, it makes sense to think of the diference between, for instance, C#ICSt HAT HOBICS and CREE DATHAICHT as a tetorical diference rather than a clear difeence in tense Unfortunately, English grammar makes it dificult if not imposs- ble, to follow the flow of a Japanese story closely a it slips from one tense to another—at least not without changing the meaning, and probably leaving readers confused, For the most part then, the trans- lations I provide here are in the past tense, and reflect my sense thet, the events being recounted have, in fact, already taken place by the time the story begins 50 + Notes to p.1s iit % but more formal. The difference in this case is, perhaps, rather like that between “since he was a bear” and “insofar as he was a bear” EDVICHT SRE LOSI The OK), spoken with a fall ing intonation (CD 00:49), makes this more speculative than a straight IES, which s actually a fairly strong, definite statement, Note that nouns and -na adjectives take before 2, a 298 does here 3 tOMRER MRL SOBBT As you may have sensed from the ‘translation, T can indicate a cause or reason, KREDLLEL The second L makes it clearer thatthe relationship between the bear and the narrator is being discussed, BBHowLevopuressuze bi TIAEW isa phrase used to 52 + Notes to p.16 deny whatever precedes it—think of it a a less formal version of “Itis not the case that.” Here the 12 has been replaced by &, which makes the statement a itl less definite "I wouldat exactly say that... & turns everything that precedes it inthe clause into a noun phrase: “that we were not exactly complete strangers” You may re- rember seeing 2) used in the same way in the fourth sentence ofthis, story. The difference between these two nominalizers is, generally speaking, that ££ works well with abstract statements, while tends to follow clauses whose meaning is more concrete. Ci cz fil ARGS eo Taka, BECL oT TRA MET “The fact that it no longer rains st all in this region is an exteemely serious problem for our farmers” HAH oCR:OI, MENTS 75 “Itstarted to rain around eight inthe morning” fH RDLHS OTIS makes the statement preceding it more em- phatic and sets us up for the paragraphs thet follow. Often OCS lends an explanatory fel tothe sentence it ends; here, it indicates that, the narrator has reached a conclusion, and that the evidence on which that conclusion is based is about to be preseated, It tells us, in other ‘words, thatthe narrator is about fo explain how she realized that she and the bear wererit exactly strangers. HG -Cit The bearis saying TeRWTL £3 but he abridges it Hii eon thee eR RoARLU5X This is little ‘tricky: the bear was helped out by 3%, whose uncle served as deputy mayor at the town hall. This deputy mayor is, we learn in the next sentence, the narrator’ father’s second cousin. HOBRHR CHORES Thos: is the past tense, obviously, of CHB. EV indicates that everything preceding itis reported speech, although itis not as explicit asthe English “someone said” Its pethaps closer to “evidently “apparently” PRLOSOEMU-THH Using 67 here makes it possible to avoid repeating “2 and also, perhaps, pies us the sense thatthe narrator 4s rogarding her or his name from a slightly detached perspective You ean see this if you compare ito another option, which would be simply to write b22LOERI “CaN is almost the same as ius feels more “writen. Notes to pp. 16-18 + 53tt The word 4722 is often used when explaining family re lationships: 97 7- OM FI, ZieKrosKve matter of fact, the taxi driver is the boss's second cousin” HSbMLO bMS —LIR HV Literally, “a relationship so tenuous you can hardly tell whether it exists or not” #L is a throwback classical Japanese; it means ‘24%, The #3 in #2» is one of two classical Japanese equivalents (the other is ¥ as in ba.) ofthe negative ending 2¥». The old grammar gives this clause charm, ingly archaie atmosphere that nicely matches the formality of the bear's speech, and fel just right forthe off-kilter word the naratr is leading us into, ERUELC isa sux that indicates that someone looks to be fee ing, or that something gives the impression of being, a certain yay: Lyi: Bote “She laughed, looking aif she was having fun? #L UF (CHF “She nodded sadly” attaches to nouns the stems of adjectives, and the -masu stems of verbs, turning the element into a na adjective, (© in this example further changes the word into an adverb, Bia LORBoEF cow. coy Few Lvw,. Low ise pattern used when listing the factors that contribute to a general im presion Hothok ot Ceti, HARB SLU, OK UM om iclb Am, Vy H Ro tete “The way she sat with her back so rigid, and the grace of her movements...that woman had to have been either a Buddhist nun or a ballerina” RHO 5 LUOTILBOM The presence ofthe If here adds a note “thet as ifthe narrator i offering us the one bit of information that seems relatively clear in & generally unclear situation. This one i ives the sentence a very different nuance. Without the I, it would simply mean, “He seemed an old-fashioned beac” With it “Whatever «else you might say about this bear, he certainly had an old-fashioned ai about him? 7 BEOLIENTEY FOLINEE Repeating DEI conveysa sense of indeterminacy or intermediacy: the narrator and the beat were hhalf-walking, hal-hiking, BALEE L092 ME L883 25 ‘eof “Lal sort of sad, but also sort of happy” 54 » Notes to p.18 “Asa YR/TIVROR, EFVEDM Repeating D4 in this way conveys a sense of confusion: not being knowledgeable about animals, the nar- ator isnt sure what type of bear she is dealing with, and is throwing ‘out whatever species come to mind. ficthoothltasm& Again, o turns what precedes it into a noun phrase. 4 replaces 2%, softening the statement and making it seem a8, ‘though the narrator is considering various options BLA, E suggests that the narrate i only reporting some of many things the bear said. When <#.3 is appended to another verb, it means that someone has done, or not done, something—usuallya good thing—for or to the ‘object of the verb, who i either the speaker or someone to whom the speaker feels related in some way It sounds very tricky when it i ex plained, but it’s not. There are similar phrases, admittedly somewhat antiquated, in English: "I beg the favor of a reply “He was good enough to write back” and so on, ~C< #1. isa bit ike that Baccisiyss zor & ea sufixadded tothe stems of adjectives to turn them into nouns. In this cas, it turns > (*hot’) into (Chest) 1, meanwhile, is contrastve: it ends the nuance of “the same ‘ight not be true of other things, but as far as heat s concerned.” The (29 that follows #4" means “side” i. “om the strong side” 18 BCiCMZAREBLRO O22 isa verd that means “to become audible’; (£2 is an auxiliary meaning “to begin to (vERa).’ Liter ally, then, the subject of this sentence is “the sound of water in the distance that began to become audible’ 22 42/4 WHERS This isan example ofa type of metonymy,faicly common in Japanese fiction, whereby people are referred to by the ‘name of something they ate wearing. “The snorkel” is, that is to say, simply shorthand for the man wearing the snorkel. 56 + Notes to pp.20-24 26 BRUESHHOK SHYL conveysa sense of brevity: HEMSES DE RARRERE TRARY train window was really lovely” carry out the action of the verb, Here, "to go flip” the fish. drunk by them so told her the whole thing SEBEL Once again, we encounter the polite “23 + -masu stem: BLHFELES SLHEF isa humble equivalent of BIT ("io Thisis different from the 33 £45 we saw abit earlier (paragraph sive’) 37), and the same asthe 430#U' #241» that appeared even before that 2, (paragraph 8): the pattern “25 + -masu stem + 43" is used to make CBIR CHA The aunliary (2 here means jst wht it looks ke an ordinary verb humble, and refers to an action by the speaker." + -masu stem + (£1 an honorific construction, isa polite way of asking someone to do something. BistornessokBucess rte bear were pointing, ELAR "a fel ing of releases >> L tall a eling of vague distin (The situation with these & adverbs is further complicated, by the ABPSONCee q ‘way, by the fact that in some cases you don't even need the &; CBR i OLA2S1M) would also be correct.) | BACHE ATHY As we saw in [468K (paragraph 50), 259 ing E formal, writen version of WC: it creates a brief pause, afer which be | ‘new information on the same topic is introduced. il owe koxbwe the + testa throes mentioned bn are just a few of many that could actually be heard. Ifyou replace the * with @ &, these sounds become the only sounds. i | AKS A compound ver thet might be translated, almost itera, 4 by “vanish clean away” RADOEARERMOKE HE The fst D in this cause could as lly be replaced by 2 This would, however, ead to a subtle difference ln meaning, In the sentence as itis now, 0 creates a stronger bond between Ata» and Wh; if © were replaced by 2%, there would be a stronge: bund berween 7102 and 511 2 Bihorebiicteoe (2%2-07 leads into the next ause, preparing us to hear how the situation changed once dinnertime rolled around, This 62 + Notesto p.40 SHED RUTH UU em Faster often used when talking abou things that happen ata certain pe BRET, POL MIO Nl: Lis at ght we finally managed to sneak into the venue forthe wedding” Fiala. # is first-person pronoun used by boys and men. It isles formal Ae and ess macho than Wi wh OTS BET <2 tells us that this sentence is being written fiom the point of view of home: his parents come back home. This s tr interestingly, eventhough the narrator is actually stilling time atthe pak Its as though he's imagining home, wentng tobe there. Just in case you haven't learned it already, ~22477U217%0s is a fixed expression meaning “mast” shave to” It attaches tothe -nal stems of verbs and -iadjctves, and in the form CARI EL1E UU 24> to oma adjectives and nouns. Here it at taches, in the past tense to the -nai stem of the -te iu form of 24°F (Ceo kil (time), indicating thatthe narrator had to stay at che park, killing time SU CP9VAELCOKHESE 0 isa nominalizer and has the same function as =£ (but ee [7948 paragraph 3). aah SHUEHKESIC £5 lends bit more force to the £5 = atthe close ofthe clause. Perhaps the difference is something like that between the English phrases “It felt like I had been summoned” and “It fl forall the world as though Ihad been summoned” FBZ 2 is the passive form of ("to cal” “to summon") toibioflicitBbira.o% thei exter i th corer of the park” a the new topic, shifting it from the B& ofthe previous sentence FO~MIAVIERASATUK GHGANZ is the passive form of Bi 2 (to forge”). The verb is inthe -te ita form to emphasize that that corner ofthe parc always remained in te state of “being forgotten.” HBB %< tums this phrase into an adverb thet modifies (U2, ‘The & strengthens the statement: “without so much as a sound” HR ER CURES HH (CUES is the causative form of LU bleed” (the way ink bleeds on pape) 1 44 Once again, %< tums the phrase into an adverb. Here Notes to p.40 + 63 ABPemEceeit modifies HEA‘. And again, & strengthens the statement: we've seen several times already. EA“ SHS BA» is a blunt rhetori- 50 much as a friend to talk to” ‘al question. The father isnot asking whether his son is “certain” his Et MRO THOLO MMSE The O lends a subtle emotiog sem went in so dep he expressing his septic, nuance to this statement, making it more forceful than it would f nUWBAozekokotTBaTLPok Hid... oe Ko _without ‘7 is a phrase used, mostly in written Japanese, to set the scene for ABOMBane ci Theo here gies asene ofthe page tome pst even. Sine in this case we dont yet know what he event of time: litle by litle, the narrator keeps piling more sand on his fe ‘was, there isan element of suspense: “Ino longer recall how many This i different from the (*< used in, for instance, phrases ike h 9 times I had stuck my arm in the sand by the time it happened” wich Ts< “to echo down the tunnel” or OATH of LCig BROKMIE This 71 means “because of” not “for the purpose of” gato move away tothe neighboring town BEcHo kr SALA this o could be replaced by a # with- Reto Rokow McA AATUKOMiRLPOR Tend cot changing the sentence all that much, Grammatically, the difference this case is directional: the sand works its way down into the space is similar to that between “I felt something brush against my finger- Sete the narrator's toes. The that follows it is a nominalizer. tips’ ((ift24724) and “My fingertips felt the brushing of some- thing” (M22 it<2)—though in English that second sentence sounds 4 bit odd, The author may have used 0 here to avoid repeating 2° twice in quick succession, since the sentence ends with H&fM2* Lf dAmpomecse¢ clause before t BOISE FEO. ind clarifies its relation- ship to the word s#£0% Everything before 492) isthe “game” the boy plays, You might expect this to mean that the game is called “stick trate efim£5e “Masu stem +5" in this case indi ‘your hand deep down in the sand,” but that’s not the case, cates the narrator's intention, #047 & can be thought of as an ab- BEQerecoBamessme POLI ET serves asthe sbjec breviation of v5.44 £ BoC. The combination “-masu stem + £3, of this clause, which is essentially a question meaning “To what depth + E483" means “'m hoping to (vers) “thinking I would (vera)” and did the sand go?” The 1:33 expresses the narrator’ curiosity and s0 on in this context it’s “hoping to figure out what it was” speculation, almost like “Gee, I wonder...” & can be thought of as an HORM HS > UTMNSEEMUEZSIC (2¥ (and its near abbreviation of & Lo. ‘ ‘identical twin <4) is used in various ways and has various shades of Hiewectonoe mor eof (started wanting to find out”) meaning which will come with practice. It is used in sentences like breaks dow as follows: -masu stem of RD ("to find ott”) + auc this one to express the extent of something: a depth, a distance, an tary adjective #21 (to want to (vena) in the -ku form + airy amount of time. One literal translation of this lause might be: st the verb %8 ("to become’) in the ta form, 2 turns the sentence intoan 4 place deep enough down thatthe tip of my midale finger just barely explanation of why the narrator stated playing his new digging game. touched [the object described in the next clause” 4o¢SELTMAD‘SEEO This isthe same O that appeared a few lines above (paragraph 8), inthe phrase HrdGt=fit-o> 72 HAW. Here wey we see another characteristic of this typeof it strengthens the con- HE TASO TIGL This isa rhetorical question and comerys the EE ection bexwen the verb (#8) and the noun that precedes GH). narrator’ surprise. BOBS and 047% both function as single units—adjectival Bb ces sntns trAeatwgen 524005 back phrases—modifying the nouns (0 and #688) that follow. loguial equivalent of 222%$%%, This is the same 2 (or A) tht Bic owibo + noun” means “a (vous) that it is impossible 10 (vana)” eg, Rue zo2usk's mistake that can be salvaged” BD,.BEZATCS H0...7 works with the previous clause to emphasize the voice’ peculiarity: “that voice” 0) in this case cartes the nuance of “that everyone is familiar with” RUC" isa “as it gets 2 8% Hair? avs is casual, chatty orm of 2% eEbzae or “Listen UosZoBid, WOM CMULAL At is, colloquial form of O 78 and adds a personal, explanatory, even reflective tone to the sen 2 isan exclamation similar to "Hey" or “Get it?” tence it ends. 3 MUSA Z SHEL MRSC is the conjunctive form of 1%. The combination of the particle Land %v* means “only” or “nothing but” sehen it follows a noun. When it follows a verb, it means “There's ‘no choice but to (veRs)": 2 L#-eU* "We just have to doit” weethReLobsneBc re mmEA (usually AMOEA) reads as one word: “the proprietor of the meat market,” Le, the butcher. 1 4a, from CI (‘mouth’) and £424 (‘to mimic"), means “imitating ‘with the mouth’ and refers to the butcher's mooing, Notes to p.50 * 69 uateHHO 4H has several meanings, both spatial and temporal, basicaly it suggests either “before” or “beyond” 4 DEOT La, Meats Geko Richy BERR cm is a transitive phrase that seems like it ought to mean “dyeing hi eyes bright red? but in effect itis more like an tntransitve or pasne construction: "his eyes dyed bright red..." BkceocHeacoReTURYLA This isan instance ofthe pe, tern “tari form + 42" (here the -tari form of the -te iru form). tel us thatthe butcher's puffing up of his cheeks is only one of several states in which the children might hae seen him as they were passing by his shop. ABeLsue ss 45 (63) is used to form a wide variety of com. pound verbs describing actions that are undertaken mutually, rin «concert, by two or more parties. Hf 8 43 “to whisper to each other, HEED “to cry together"; BLE 5 “to discuss” “to tak something over"; BHF L2)) “to understand each other” HEH SDETLCSLY One function of 0 is, a8 we have seen, totum ‘what comes before it into a noun phrase. Here it turns N€IEZ, “sell ‘mest into a noun phrase meaning “sling meat” (0 This is an exclamation similar to “Or rather” “I might even go so far as to say... etc. A different V%, also an exclamation, means something like “I don't want to” ot “No!” RRBs hw eres Ob is “imitating with the ‘mouth #) 3 42 is “imitating something” This sentence has a touch of ‘humor in Japanese because -tutt® ££ ¢, "to pour one’s heart into” is usualy associated with more serious endeavors than #9343, EDICHAR This refers all the way back to SHLD Ric,“ looked to us children as though he were pouring his heart into... with ‘even more enthusiasm than...” CHOC ARTERSS BVcAKEEHAY could also be written ay U0 A 2HEA 3. The © E makes the statement subdy more speculative. The eiference between the two phrases i ike that between “She might well have gotten the impression” and “She would have gotten the impression” ©, by the way, fulfils the same fanction as = and could replace it inthis sentence 70 + Notes to pp. 50-52 iW Here © means “wa Yu bear tilt on tas when aot, Eom BOEA “ten the snack cart comes around: 33 and coffee, beer and snacks.” Puciiinvace niin sibvcciis BL modes theen ie clause, not ust the adjective WAG The <2 in UCC ind {as the dection the sound isuaelng coming not going When you call into the depths of cave, your voice does the opposite: WCU felt... LtDM BONA (C1 highlights the fact hat the housewives rer able to ead the signs, while someone ee (a stranger fr ance) might have overlooked them. bdh0)7!0 suggests that his wat aecuring event. with © making it clear that the sentence is an Trplintion, Le, the housewives knew what meat the Butcher had in Sock based onthe sounds that came fom his shop WE RE vee, MossawsysAce Grammatical, Vee is ‘contraction of Tid. Cit emphasies that the two kinds of cows are different; is lke “you know” and makes the tone more colloquial Forget the grammar, though: the main thing is that old mea used to talk this way (thnk Shichi in Ozuis film Tokyo Story) and stil do in mange and anime, E2sPEWALE Lob is colloquial for &5. Literally, this useful ‘Phrase means something ike “IF had to say one way or the other’ it an also be used to mean “To tell the truth’ “Given the choice” etc. Yo ALORA, HED TAPS MU» “To tel the truth, Pad rather not go” Berra tone (see also paragraph 2). AtE gives the statement a personal, explanatory EZALZSIE ICA isa contraction of EO. 10 BBL TAES (ese) CUT HMCMSATUR “Te form of a verb + Ath2" is a pattern used to suggest that dificult action will be accomplished, perhaps with flair, despite the odds. It often expresses the speaker's confidence or a feeling of triumph. 1B?) AHH LMI OD turns what comes before it into a noun phrase, as we saw earlier (paragraph 3). Here this phrase becomes the topic ofthe sentence: literally, “the Parrot Man's taking a new job asa butcher” Notes to pp. 52-54 * 74 Suet