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玄関のフック三つ
川口さんは毎朝、出かける前にかぎを探します。かばんの中、上着のポケット、台所のテーブル。見つかるまで五分ぐらいかかる日もあります。雨の日は、折りたたみ傘も探さなければなりません。先週はとうとう、いつもの電車に間に合いませんでした。
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Every morning before going out, Kawaguchi hunts for the keys. In the bag, in a jacket pocket, on the kitchen table. Some days it takes about five minutes to find them. On rainy days there’s the folding umbrella to find as well. Last week Kawaguchi finally missed the usual train.
そこで日曜日、玄関のかべに小さなフックを三つつけました。左はかぎ、まん中はかばん、右は折りたたみ傘の場所です。家に帰ったら、かばんを床に置かないで、すぐフックにかけておくことにしました。
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So on Sunday, Kawaguchi put up three small hooks on the wall by the front door. The left one is for the keys, the middle one for the bag and the right one for the folding umbrella. From now on, the bag would not go on the floor after work; it would go straight onto its hook.
初めの何日かは、かぎをポケットに入れたままにしてしまいました。でも一週間たつと、考えなくても手がフックのほうへ動くようになりました。雨の月曜日、ドアを開ける前に後ろを見ると、フックは三つとも空いていました。フックが全部空いていれば、忘れ物はありません。川口さんはいつもより五分早く家を出て、駅までの道を走らないで歩きました。
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For the first few days, the keys still stayed in a pocket. But after a week, Kawaguchi’s hand began to move towards the hooks without a thought. On a rainy Monday, glancing back before opening the door, Kawaguchi saw that all three hooks were empty. If every hook is empty, nothing has been left behind. Kawaguchi left home five minutes earlier than usual, and walked to the station instead of running.
Three expressions
寝る前に、明日着る服を出しておきます。
Before bed, I put out the clothes I’ll wear tomorrow.
「〜ておく」: after the te form of a verb, doing something now, or putting something in its place, so that things are easier later. In speech it often becomes 「〜とく」; in the story, 「すぐフックにかけておく」 means hanging the bag on its hook as soon as you’re home, ready for next time.
今朝は朝ご飯を食べないで出かけました。
This morning I went out without eating breakfast.
「〜ないで」: after the nai form (「置かない」→「置かないで」), “B instead of A” or “B without doing A”. In the story, 「床に置かないで」 is “not putting it on the floor”, and 「走らないで歩きました」 is “walked instead of running”.
毎日練習して、ひらがなが速く書けるようになりました。
I practised every day, and now I can write hiragana quickly.
「〜ようになる」: after the dictionary form or the potential form of a verb, a gradual change in what you can do or what you usually do. In the story, 「手がフックのほうへ動くようになりました」 means “my hand now moves towards the hooks by itself”.
One small thing to do
Tip
Give your keys one fixed place, and put them there as soon as you get home tonight. You don’t need to buy a hook; a small dish or box by the door is enough.