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I guess I became fully aware of her existence one month before the incident, at the height of spring. We were in the same Modern French Literature class—studying Dadaism. I had joined the class quite late. She would sometimes pass me to get to her seat before the lecture began. All I remember noticing is how tall and pale she was and that she always arrived with the same guy. We certainly didn’t have anything to do with each other. I’d never even seen her face, only her back as she passed. I didn’t even know where she sat.
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私が始めて、彼女の存在をはっきりと認めたのは、事件からちょうど一ヶ月前になる春の盛りでした。フランス現代文学の講義を、私達は、大学の同じ教室――ダダイズムで受けていました。かなり遅れてその授業に加わったこともあり、それまで、私は彼女については、時々、授業のはじまる前、私の席の前を、ふっと通り過ぎていく、色の白い、背の高い女の子、という印象しかなく、しかも何かいつも、決まった男の子と連れ立って教室に入ってくる様の思われ、いずれにせよ、自分とは関係のない存在だと感じていました。無論顔をながめたこともありません。自分の前を通り抜けた後、どの辺に座るのかも知りません。
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NOTES
The sentence in red, although seemingly simple Japanese, is difficult to understand. I first assumed it refers to Sagawa arriving at the university in mid-term and therefore joining the class late. However, I’m starting to think it refers to his victim, the girl, who regularly arrives at class just before it is about to begin. Hmmm…
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Phrases/words of interest
春の盛り – in the full of spring
ふっと – abruptly, suddenly, “in a puff of smoke”
フッと現れる – pop up
～と連れ立って – accompanied by ~
家族は連れ立って投票所に行きました。- Familes made the trip to the polling stations together.
いずれにせよ – at any rate, in any case, anyhow, whatever the case, etc
いずれにせよ、何とかしてほしい。- Help me, one way or another.
いずれにせよそうしなければならない – I have to do it anyway
Posted by Eyeless in Ginza 
