木乃伊The Mummy

Read a sample in Japanese

What you'll learn

The Persian soldier Parisukas, marching into Egypt, begins to have strange memories. While searching a tomb for the mummy of Pharaoh Amasis, he encounters a mummy that triggers full recall of his past life as an Egyptian priest. He realizes the infinite regress of reincarnation and goes mad, found clutching the mummy and speaking Egyptian.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～てしかたがない N2Cannot help but feel; extremely (emphasizes emotion or desire)
  埃及入国以来、気になって仕方のなかったこと――
• ～そうでいて、どうしても～ない N1It seems like it will happen/be, but no matter what, it doesn't
  解りそうでいて、どうしても思出せなかったことが、今は実に、はっきり判るのである。
• ～かどうか N4Whether or not
  その捕虜が埃及人か、どうか（というのは、埃及軍の大部分は希臘人その他の傭兵だったから）を尋ねさせた。
• ～こともある N5There are times when ~
  癲癇病者の発作直前の様子を思わせることもしばしばである。
• ～（よ）うとする N4Try to ~; about to ~
  彼は、そのまま、行過ぎようとして、ふとその木乃伊の顔を見た。

Cultural notes

• Persian Empire under Cambyses IIThe story is set during the invasion of Egypt by Cambyses II, the Persian king who conquered Egypt in 525 BCE. The Persian army included soldiers from many regions, such as Bactria.
• Egyptian Mummies and TombsThe story describes the looting of Egyptian tombs by Persian soldiers, a practice that historically occurred. Mummies (木乃伊) were often removed and artifacts stolen.
• Reincarnation in LiteratureThe concept of reincarnation (輪廻) appears in various Eastern philosophies and is a theme in Japanese literature, often used to explore identity and memory.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyhistoricalmysteryreincarnationmemoryphilosophicaleerieaozora bunko〜かどうかwhether or not〜ようとするtry to / be about to