作品Free Graded Reading
講演軍記Lecture Campaign Record
Kōen Gunki
by 芥川 竜之介 · Akutagawa Ryunosuke
A humorous tale of a disastrous lecture tour in Hokkaido.
About this text
About this textThe author recounts his first lecture tour to Hokkaido with his friend Satomi Ton. He humorously describes the difficulties of speaking to mixed audiences and the peculiar incident of a misconstrued telegram. Ultimately, he expresses his weariness with lectures and fondness for the scenery.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseWhat you'll learn
What you'll learnThe author reflects on his first lecture trip to Hokkaido with Satomi Ton, including the awkwardness of speaking to mixed crowds, a humorous telegram mix-up, and his weariness of lectures and local cuisine, ending with a haiku.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 講演旅行 (こうえんりょこう) | lecture tour |
|---|---|
| 雑駁 (ざっぱく) | miscellaneous, heterogeneous |
| 食傷 (しょくしょう) | fed up with eating (or doing something) |
| ホツキ貝 (ホッキがい) | surf clam (Hokkigai) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～がち N3Tends to; prone to. Used to form a noun modifier indicating a tendency.入場料をとらない聴衆は自然雑駁になりがちだから、
- ～てくれる N4Someone does something for me/us (with gratitude).然し講演後の御馳走だけは里見君が勇敢に断つてくれたから、
- ～かもしれない N4Might be; maybe. Expresses uncertainty.こんな電報を打つたものは小樽市始まつて以来なかつたのかも知れない。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Lecture culture in early Showa JapanThis essay reflects a time when public lectures (講演) were a common form of entertainment and intellectual exchange. Authors would travel to give talks, and audiences were diverse. The author notes that free admission led to a mixed crowd, making it harder to speak.
- Telegram communicationThe anecdote about the cryptic telegram 'クルシイクルシイヘトヘトダ' (meaning 'painful, painful, exhausted') shows how telegrams were used for quick communication. The telegraph office's confusion and subsequent phone call highlight the novelty of such informal telegrams at that time.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did the author find most tiring about the lecture tour?
- The long distances between venues
- The mixed audience due to free admission
- The food at the lectures
- The telegram misunderstanding
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipThis text uses pre-war Japanese orthography (e.g., ゐ, づ, しやべり instead of しゃべり). Be aware of historical kana usage and similar words.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N1
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
