Scene 10 · Notes

Notes　Scene 10: A Letter from Abroad

Next scene: 11 Three Letters ›Read this scene again (from the start)

Notes on this scene

A rare foreign letter arrives for Elias at breakfast, and five dried orange pips fall from the envelope. The postmark is from Pondicherry. On seeing three letters written inside, Elias turns pale with terror and cries that his past wrongdoing has caught up with him.

Japanese in this scene

という
という links a quoted name, statement, or idea to the noun that follows. It can be translated as “called,” “that,” or “the idea that.”
ので
ので gives a reason in a comparatively explanatory or gentle way: “because; since.”
ながら
ながら links two actions done at the same time, or can introduce a contrast like “although.”

Full text: original English and Japanese translation

"One day—it was in March, 1883—a letter with a foreign stamp lay upon the table in front of the colonel's plate. It was not a common thing for him to receive letters, for his bills were all paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort. 'From India!' said he as he took it up, 'Pondicherry postmark! What can this be?' Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate. I began to laugh at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared at the envelope which he still held in his trembling hand, 'K. K. K.!' he shrieked, and then, 'My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me!'

「ある日、一八八三年三月のことですが、大佐の皿の前の食卓に、外国の切手を貼った手紙が置いてありました。支払いはすべて現金で済ませ、友人も一人もいなかったので、おじが手紙を受け取るのは珍しいことでした。『インドからだ』と取り上げながら言いました。『ポンディチェリーの消印だ。何だというんだ』急いで開くと、中から小さな乾いたオレンジの種が五つ飛び出し、皿の上にぱらぱらと落ちました。私は笑い始めましたが、おじの顔を見た途端、笑いが唇から消えました。下唇は垂れ、目は飛び出し、皮膚はパテのような色になっていました。震える手にまだ持っていた封筒をにらみ、『Ｋ・Ｋ・Ｋ』と叫び、それから『神よ、神よ、おれの罪がとうとう追いついてきた』と言ったのです。

"'What is it, uncle?' I cried.

「『どうしたの、おじさん』と私は叫びました。

Japanese words in this scene (with English meanings; ☆ saves a word)

  • 済ませる（すませる） — to finish; to make an end of; to get through with; to let endhard
  • 飛び出し（とびだし） — jumping out; running out (e.g. into the street); dashing out; springing outhard
  • ぱらぱら — sprinkling (of rain, salt, etc.); pattering; flipping (through a book, etc.); rifflinghard
  • 途端（とたん） — just (now, at the moment, etc.); just as; in the act of; as soon ashard
  • にらむ — to glare at; to scowl at; to glower at; to stare intensely athard
  • のです — the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...hard
  • どうしたの — what's the matter?; what's wrong?; what happened (to) ...?; what have you done (with) ...?hard
  • 三年（さんねん） — three years; third school year (e.g. of high school)

Next scene: Three Letters

After witnessing what happened at the breakfast table, the young John questions his uncle. The meaning hidden in the envelope is still unclear, but his uncle’s violent reaction and the three letters written inside remain fixed in his memory. John recounts the objects present and his uncle’s actions in their exact order.

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