作品Free Graded Reading
世界怪談名作集World Famous Ghost Stories
Sekai Kaidan Meisaku Shuu
by ビアス アンブローズ · Biasu Anburoozu
A collection of spine-chilling ghost stories from around the world.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnIn a dimly lit cabin, a coroner reads an old account book by candlelight while waiting for a witness. Eight men are present, including a corpse on the table. A young journalist, William Harker, arrives and is sworn in as a witness.
Harker gives his testimony in a written statement describing a hunting trip with Morgan. They encounter an invisible force that moves through the grass and attacks Morgan, killing him. Harker sees Morgan struggle with an unseen entity and eventually die.
The coroner examines the body, revealing severe bruises and lacerations. The jury is skeptical of Harker's testimony and delivers a verdict that Morgan was killed by a mountain lion, though they note some members think he may have had a seizure.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 検屍官 (けんしかん) | coroner |
|---|---|
| 妖物 (ようぶつ) | phantom, monster |
| 旋条銃 (せんじょうじゅう) | rifle |
| 散弾銃 (さんだんじゅう) | shotgun |
| 陪審官 (ばいしんかん) | juror |
| 敷布 (しきふ) | sheet (bed sheet) |
| 荒野 (こうや) | wilderness |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たる (archaic attributive of ～たり/～である) N1Archaic form of ～である used attributively; equivalent to modern ～である or ～な来たるべき何事かを待っている様子で
- ～ぬ (archaic negative) N1Archaic negative ending equivalent to modern ～ない. Often used in literary style.書物にむかっている男は声を出して読んでいるのではなかった。
- ～ごとき (like, similar to) N1Formal/literary expression meaning 'like', 'such as', used attributively.獣のたぐいが藪を突き進むがごときひびきを聞けり。
- ～ことなしに (without doing something) N1Literary expression meaning 'without (doing)', similar to ～ないで.すべての人が来たるべき何事かを待っている様子で、死んだ人ばかりが待つこともなしに眠っているのである。
- ～し (listing multiple reasons) N4Particle used to list reasons or actions, similar to 'and' or 'besides'.しかも遠路を歩いて来たように、その着物は埃だらけになっていた。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Meiji-era Literary StyleThis text uses a classical literary style known as 文語体 (bungotai), which was common in Meiji-era Japanese literature. It features archaic grammar such as ～ぬ, ～たる, and ～ごとき. This style can be challenging for modern learners but is important for reading classic works.
- Inquest Procedures in Rural JapanThe story depicts a coroner's inquest in a rural setting, reflecting historical legal procedures. The coroner (検屍官) examines the body and collects evidence, while a jury of local farmers and woodsmen (陪審官) delivers a verdict. This mirrors early Japanese legal practices influenced by Western systems.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat is the coroner reading at the beginning of the chapter?
- A newspaper
- An old account book
- A novel
- A legal document
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipFocus on identifying archaic verb endings like ～ぬ and ～たり to understand sentence structure.
Read a sample in Japanese
Topics
More N1 reads
