The Tail of the Samurai

Question 1

stray dog

We would alwars be like stray dog barking outside the doors.

Answer 1

野良犬

Question 2

domains

The battle resulted in a victory by the domains of Satsuma and Choshu.

Answer 2

藩

Question 3

surrender

Katsu’s plan is to surrender. We’re just a nuisance for him.

Answer 3

降服

Question 4

feudal

When Kondo was 19 years old, there was a challenge to the feudal system.

Answer 4

封建

Question 5

divine

People believed that the emperor was divine, and that the shogun should work with him to fix this crisis.

Answer 5

神なる

Question 6

petition

Kondo and his colleagues signed a petition saying that they wanted to leave the Roshigumi and stay in Kyoto.

Answer 6

請願，嘆願

Question 7

abolishing

The true gold of sonno joi was to create an imperial government by abolishing the shogunate.

Answer 7

廃止，撤廃，根絶

Question 8

lackey

Serizawa said that he did not want to be one of Aizu’s lackeys.

Answer 8

従僕，卑屈な追従者

Question 9

harshly

Sometimes Kondo’s idea made him act too harshly.

Answer 9

過酷，無慈悲

Question 10

ritual

Seppuku was a form of ritual suicide in which a samurai used his sword to slice open his stomach.

Answer 10

儀式的

Question 11

coup

After the success of the coup, Aizu found that the Shinsengumi was quite usefull.

Answer 11

大仕事，大活躍，(クーデター)

Question 12

oath

We have to do everything that’s written both in our organization’s rule and our oath.

Answer 12

誓約，宣誓

Question 13

count on

I don’t know why Load Matsudaira counted on Kondo so much.

Answer 13

頼りにする，当てにする

Question 14

mediate

Even you complained about Kondo to Load Matsudaira, and it was he who mediated between the two of you.

Answer 14

調停する

Question 15

rogue

We ‘re just arresting a bunch of rogues.

Answer 15

悪党，ゴロツキ

Question 16

stubborn

But can you continue so stubborn? I don’t think so. Hijikata then took out a nail…

Answer 16

頑固な，屈強な

Question 17

buff

Kondo hit him with the buff of his sword.

Answer 17

頭，持ち手の先のところ

Question 18

tuberculosis

Okita has tuberculosis.

Answer 18

結核

Question 19

glory

There were the glory days of kondo’s Shinsengumi. They were greatly appreciated by the shogunate side for attack on the Ikedaya inn.

Answer 19

栄光，賞賛，繁栄

Question 20

notorious

Kondo became a notorious figure for both samurai and the general people.

Answer 20

有名，悪名高い

Question 21

fate

And this chaos would affect Kondo’s fate with in just a few years.

Answer 21

運命

Question 22

expel

Choshu had formally begun joi, the “expel the barbarian” movement in May of 1863.

Answer 22

追い出す，追い払う

Question 23

gun batteries

British, American, French, such ships then attacked them and took Choshu’s gun batteries.

Answer 23

砲台

Question 24

ceasefire

The shogunate decided to offer a ceasefire. This caused a lot of damage to shogun’s reputation.

Answer 24

休戦

Question 25

rebellion

The pro-Tokugawa rebellion ended with Hijikata’s deth.

Answer 25

反乱，謀反

Question 26

sense of unity

Under these tough conditions, Tsukigata and the prisoner had a sense of unity.

Answer 26

一体感，連帯感

Question 27

posture

But once you stand up to fight, your posture and attitude change completely.

Answer 27

姿勢，態勢，気構え

Question 28

persecute

In most case, the Meiji government did not persecute the former pro-Tokugawa samurai too harshly.

Answer 28

虐げる，迫害する

Question 29

recite

Tsukigata recited a haiku by Matsuo Basho to himself.

Summer grasses
Are all that is left
Of warriors’ dreams.

Answer 29

暗唱する，朗読する

Question 30

nuisance

Katsu’s plan is to surrender. We’re just a nuisance for him.

Answer 30

厄介者、邪魔者