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If so, it meant I’d be able to see her the next day.
The following day, although I waited all morning for a call from the French girl, as we had agreed, she never phoned. I started to doubt whether she’d actually intended to call. This had happened to me a lot, and I was probably wasting my time… I finally gave up at one o’ clock and left the apartment. What was she doing? She had shown such enthusiasm. I even wondered if she’d lost my address.
The weather was unusually hot that day, with the sun shining brightly from the morning. Coats had been thrown off. Young women strolled around in light clothes revealing bare white flesh. I thought of Renée’s white arms from two weeks before. She probably looked the same today. I saw the two of us walking through an outlying forest, I at her side immersed in her healthy fragrance…
I went to pick up some lunch from the café. Soon after I entered, a young girl in white pants and her friend came in chatting and laughing. They sat down at a catty-corner table. As I watched them exuding youthfulness, I thought of Renée and if I could possibly be with her this moment. A desperate urge to see her overcame me. We could meet, I thought. But no, not on a beautiful day like this. Surely she wouldn’t be at home. But before I knew it, I had changed my clothes, called a taxi, and was headed to her apartment.
…………………
それならば、明日、彼女に会えたかも知れないのに．．．．．．。
その翌朝、フランス人の女の子から、約束通り、電話を待っていたのですが、いつまでしても、電話かかってきません。やがて、本当かかってくるのだろうかという気がしはじめました。今までよくあった様に、さんざん待たされるだけではないのか．．．．．．一時まで外に出ずに待って、とうとうあきられました。一体どういうつもりなのだろう。あんなにはっきり言ったのに、私の住所を失くしてしまったのだろうか．．．．．．と思いながら。
その日は、珍しく、暑い日差しが朝から照りつける上天気でした。皆、それまでの、外套をかなぐりすてて、若い女性は、白い肌をむき出しにした軽装で街を歩いています。先先週みた彼女の白い二の腕が目の前に浮かんできました。今日も同じ様な姿をしているに違いない、そして一緒に、郊外の森の中を歩きながら、そのかたわらにいて、その健康なかおりの中に浸ることが出来たかも知れない．．．．．．。
昼食をとりにカフェ―にはいると、やがて真白いパンタロンをつけた、若い女の子が、 友達と晴れやかな笑い声をたてて入ってきながら、斜め向かいテーブルに座りました。その若々しい息吹のたちのぼってくる様な様子をみつめながら、ああ、今頃、彼女と一緒にいられたかも知れないのに、とたまらなくなって、もしかしたら、会えるかも知れない、いや、こんな天気の良い日に、一人でアパートの部屋にいるはずはないなどと思いながら、服を着替え、タクシーをよんで、彼女のアパートまで出かけました。
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NOTES
I found this particular page rather difficult to render into natural-sounding English and so took a few liberties without straying from the substance of the Japanese text. It’s probably a better way to translate.
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Phrases/words of interest
会えたかも知れない – (I) could (possibly) meet (someone)
やがて – in due course, soon, before long, presently, in time, eventually
散々 – repeatedly, badly, severely
散々しかる – give someone a good scolding
散々な旅 - disastrous trip
散々な気分です。- I feel like something the cat dragged in
とうとう -finally, after all, at last
とうとう、私は探していた本を見つけた。- At last I found the book I was looking for.
照り付ける – beat down, glare down
太陽が照り付ける中で – in the heat of the sun
強く照り付ける日光 – strong sunshine
上天気 – fine weather
外套 – overcoat
外套が必要な天気 – Overcoat weather
がなぐり捨てる – fling, throw off
軽装で – in light clothes/dress
軽装で旅行する – travel light
傍らに – on one side, on the side, aside, beside
（人）のベッドの傍らに座る – sit by someone’s bedside
浸る – dunk, dip, be flooded, soak, bask, indulge, steep
～の雰囲気に浸る – soak up the atmosphere of~
（人）の世界に浸る – immerse oneself in someone’s world
晴れやかな – bright, beaming, radiant, cheerful
晴れやかな期待の表情 – bright expectant face
晴れやかな気分をつくり出す – create a radiant mood
斜め向かい -cater-corner, cater-cornered, catty-cornered, kitty-cornered (in a diagonal or oblique position)
私が住んでいるアパートメントの斜め向かいに団地がある。- Kitty corner from the apartment building I live in is a housing project.
若々しい – young, youthful, juvenescent
若々しい活力 – youthful energy
驚くほどに若々しい顔 – a surprisingly youthful face
息吹 – breath
新鮮な息吹 – a breath of fresh air
自由の息吹を吸い込む – breathe the breath of liberty
見詰めながら – while watching/staring at
～を見詰めながら立つ – stand staring at
私は彼を見詰めながら横になっていました。何分間も、そうしていたように思います。- I lay there looking at him for what seemed minutes.
～したくてたまらなくなる – be overcome with a desperate urge to
（人）に会いたくてたまらなくなる – feel compelled to see ~
たばこが吸いたくてたまらなくなる – crave a cigarette
Posted by Eyeless in Ginza 
