What JLPT level is 人を呪わば?

人を呪わば is suitable for JLPT N1 level readers (estimated JLPT N1).

How long does 人を呪わば take to read?

人を呪わば takes about 20 minutes (around 1570 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

人を呪わばThe Curse

Hito wo Norowaba

by 国枝史郎 · Kunieda Shirō

JLPT N1Short StoryQuiz ready

A journalist's one-night stand leads to a police scandal and a curse.

About this story

A journalist in Osaka helps a mysterious woman late at night, drawing police suspicion.

Read a sample in Japanese

一いち「あの、もしもし」と女おんなの声こえ。振ふり返かえって見みると白しろい物もの！　女おんなが軒下のきしたで招まねいている。午前ごぜん三さん時じ！　深夜しんやである。「え、お嬢じょうさん、何なにかご用ようで？」一條いちじょう弘ひろし、若わかき新聞しんぶん記者きしゃ。年齢ねんれい二に十じゅう四よん。慇懃いんぎんに訊きく。場所ばしょは大阪おおさか。川口かわぐちあたり。――「一緒いっしょに連つれてって下くださいよ」「だが、一体いったいどうしたんで？」「お願ねがいですよ。……妹いもうとだと云ゆってね」「ははん」と一條いちじょう感かん付ついた。こん畜生ちくしょうめ！　地獄じごくだな。「ね、お願ねがいですわ。助たすけると思おもって。……だって非常ひじょう線せんが。……困こまっているのよ」「よし来きた」と義侠ぎきょう心しんを揮ふるい起おこす。「何なにんていうんだい、君きみの名なは？」「お君きみってのよ。お願ねがいだわ」で、一緒いっしょに行いくことにする。「もしもし」と二に三さん人にんが呼よび止とめる。私服しふくの警官けいかん諸兄しょけいである。「こんな夜更よふけに。女おんな連づれで……」「やあ、今晩こんばんは」と一條いちじょう弘ひろし。「何なにか獲物えものでもありましたか。……僕ぼく、記者きしゃですよ。Ｂ新聞しんぶんの」で、名刺めいしを進呈しんていする。「やあ」と直すぐに仲なか宜むべくなる。「少すこし遅おそいじゃあありませんか。

Read the full text with furigana + instant lookups in Yomimaru →

Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「国枝史郎探偵小説全集　全一巻」作品社
2005（平成17）年9月15日第1刷発行

Typed in by 門田裕志. Proofread by 湖山ルル.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

Ichijo Hiroshi, a journalist, meets a woman named Okimi late at night, helps her evade police, and ends up staying with her, only to discover the next day that his rival newspaper scooped a big story he missed.

Ichijo goes drinking with friends, meets his rival Ota who mocks him, then visits the same woman's place only to find a different woman, and again stays out all night, getting scooped a second time and eventually fired.

The story reveals that Ota had set up the women to distract Ichijo, and after Ichijo returns Okimi's money, she feels offended. Three months later, Ota's writing declines without competition, and he too is fired, having dug both his and Ichijo's grave.

Language difficultyIntermediate · 45/100

Key vocabulary

素破抜すっぱぬく	to scoop (a story) before a rival
私娼俱楽部ししょうくらぶ	illegal brothel
非常線ひじょうせん	police cordon
蟇口ひきがえるぐち	a frog-shaped coin purse
為替かわせ	money order

Grammar points you'll meet

〜て了う N4Emphasizes completion or regret (てしまう colloquial variant)
寄よって了りょうう。
〜と云う N3Direct quotation or hearsay (to say)
「妹いもうとだと云ゆってね」
〜に過ぎる N2Excessive; too much (used after 〜に/〜と)
詩人しじんにしては記者きしゃに過すぎる
〜ずくめ N1Everything is ...; full of ... (often used with colors or negative things)
どうした――、え、昨日きのうは？

Cultural notes

Pre-war Newspaper RivalryIn early 20th century Japan, newspaper companies fiercely competed for scoops. Reporters like Ichijo and Ota used various tactics, including informants and deception, to get exclusive stories. The '素破抜き' (scooping) was a common term for this.
私娼 and 私娼俱楽部Prostitution was illegal in prewar Japan except in licensed quarters. '私娼' were unlicensed prostitutes operating secretly. '私娼俱楽部' were clandestine brothels disguised as clubs, often frequented by journalists and other night owls.
News Reporters and Police RelationsJournalists and police often had a cooperative, if informal, relationship. Reporters relied on police contacts for tips, while police could use journalists for their own purposes. The story shows this with the plainclothes officers letting the couple pass.