作品Free Graded Reading
女仙The Female Immortal
Josen
by 芥川 竜之介 · Akutagawa Ryunosuke
JLPT N2Short StoryQuiz ready
A beautiful young woman reveals she is 3600 years old and a mother.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA student living in rural China suspects his beautiful neighbor of being unusual. He witnesses her beating an old woodcutter, who she claims is her son. She reveals she is 3600 years old, and the student realizes she is a celestial immortal.
Language difficultyIntermediate · 55/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 書生 (しょせい) | student (archaic, often studying away from home) |
|---|---|
| 支那 (しな) | China (archaic, now considered offensive) |
| 木樵り (きこり) | woodcutter |
| 擲る (なぐる) | to hit, to strike |
| 仙人 (せんにん) | immortal hermit (Taoist) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ではありませんか N4Rhetorical question expressing surprise or disagreement: 'Isn't it...?'何もこういう年よりを、擲らないでも善いじゃありませんか！
- ～という N4Noun modifier meaning 'called' or 'that is'.書生はこういう言葉と一しょに、この美しい隣の女が仙人だったことに気づきました。
- ～たまま N3Indicates a state remains unchanged: 'as it is', 'with ... still'.うらうらと春の日の照り渡った中に木樵りの爺さんを残したまま。
- ～はず N3Indicates expectation or logical conclusion: 'should be', 'supposed to'.第一年上のものを擲るということは、修身の道にもはずれている訣です。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 仙人 (Immortal Hermits)In Chinese and Japanese folklore, 仙人 are beings who have attained immortality through Taoist practices. They often possess supernatural powers and appear in human form, sometimes testing or teaching mortals. This story draws on that tradition.
- 支那 (Archaic Name for China)The word 支那 was historically used in Japan to refer to China, but it fell out of favor after WWII due to its negative connotations. In modern contexts, 中国 is standard. Its use here sets the story in a vague, exoticized 'Old China'.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy does the student intervene when he sees the woman beating the woodcutter?
- He thinks it is wrong to hit an elder.
- He wants to join the beating.
- He is afraid of the woman.
- He is curious about her.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the rhetorical use of ～ではありませんか, which conveys the student's shock.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese昔、支那のある田舎に書生が一人住んでいました。何しろ支那のことですから、桃の花の咲いた窓の下に本ばかり読んでいたのでしょう。すると、この書生の家の隣に年の若い女が一人、――それも美しい女が一人、誰も使わずに住んでいました。書生はこの若い女を不思議に思っていたのはもちろんです。実際また彼女の身の上をはじめ、彼女が何をして暮らしているかは誰一人知るものもなかったのですから。ある風のない春の日の暮、書生はふと外へ出て見ると、何かこの若い女の罵っている声が聞こえました。それはまたどこかの庭鳥がのんびりと鬨を作っている中に、いかにもものものしく聞こえるのです。書生はどうしたのかと思いながら、彼女の家の前へ行って見ました。すると眉を吊り上げた彼女は、年をとった木こりの爺さんを引き据え、ぽかぽか白髪頭を殴っているのです。
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