作品Free Graded Reading
偽者二題Two Impostors
Nisemon Nidai
by 芥川 竜之介 · Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
When someone pretends to be you to borrow money!
About this story
About this storyA man receives a letter from a stranger demanding repayment of a loan he never took. As the correspondence continues, he discovers the sender is a woman claiming to be ill. This is the first of two short stories about impostors and mistaken identity.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseSource
SourceThis 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): 「筑摩全集類聚 芥川龍之介全集第四巻」筑摩書房
1971（昭和46）年6月5日初版第1刷発行
1979（昭和54）年4月10日初版第11刷発行
Typed in by 土屋隆. Proofread by 松永正敏.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnAkutagawa receives a certified letter from a stranger demanding repayment of a loan, then a second letter after he moves, leading him to realize an impostor is using his name.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 吃驚 (びっくり) | surprised |
|---|---|
| 告訴 (こくそ) | lawsuit |
| 内容証明 (ないようしょうめい) | certified mail (legal proof of contents) |
| 騙る (かたる) | to impersonate |
| 偽者 (にせもの) | impostor |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たことがある N5Indicates past experience. Used to say 'have done something'.逢つたこともなければ
- ～てみる N4Try doing something. Often used with あける.手紙をあけてみると
- ～なければ N4Conditional negative: 'if not'.もし返してくれなければ
- ～と云ふ N3Old-fashioned written form of という, meaning 'said that' or 'called'.あなたに貸した百円の金を至急返してくれ、もし返してくれなければ告訴すると云ふのだから吃驚した。
- ～てやる N4Do something for someone (often casual, sometimes condescending).逢つたこともなければ、金を借りた憶えは猶更ないと云つてやつた。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Registered Mail (内容証明)A method of sending mail where the content is officially recorded by the post office, often used for legal notices. Akutagawa uses this to formally deny the debt.
- Literary Impersonation in Taisho EraAkutagawa, a famous author, notes that impersonators of literary figures were common, exploiting the public's fascination with writers. He warns readers to be cautious.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did the first letter from Yamazaki demand?
- An apology
- Repayment of 100 yen
- A meeting
- A signature
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to old-fashioned spellings like 云ふ (いう) and ゐる (いる).
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N2
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
