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床に何も置かない一週間
沢井さんは、日曜日の掃除がいつも面倒でした。掃除機をかける前に、床の上の雑誌や洗濯物、充電器のコードを一つずつ動かさなければならないからです。それだけで疲れてしまって、部屋の半分だけ掃除機をかけて終わりにする日もありました。
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Sawai always found the Sunday cleaning a chore. Before she could vacuum, she had to move the magazines, the laundry and the charger cable off the floor one by one. That alone wore her out, and some days she vacuumed half the room and called it a day.
そこで、一週間だけルールを一つ作ることにしました。「寝る前の五分で、床の物は全部元の場所へ」。タイマーを五分にセットして、鳴ったらそこでやめます。ところが最初の夜は、五分では終わりませんでした。本を棚に戻すたびに、ついページを開いて読んでしまったからです。
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So she decided to set herself one rule, just for a week: “Five minutes before bed, and everything on the floor goes back where it belongs.” She would set a timer for five minutes and stop when it rang. But on the first night, five minutes weren’t enough. Every time she put a book back on the shelf, she couldn’t help opening it and reading.
三日目ごろから、物を床に置く前に「これは夜、また拾うことになる」と考えるようになりました。脱いだ上着はすぐハンガーにかけ、読み終わった雑誌はかごに入れます。タイマーが鳴る前に終わる夜が、少しずつ増えていきました。
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From about the third day, before putting something down on the floor, she began to think, “I’ll only have to pick this up again tonight.” A jacket she took off went straight onto a hanger; a magazine she had finished went into the basket. Little by little, there were more nights when she was done before the timer rang.
そして七日目の日曜日。掃除機をかけてみると、何も動かさずに済んだので、たった十分で終わりました。いつもは三十分以上かかっていたのです。沢井さんはカレンダーのその日のところに「掃除機十分」と小さく書きました。そしてその夜も、タイマーを五分にセットしました。
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Then came day seven, a Sunday. When she got the vacuum cleaner out, there was nothing to move, and she was done in just ten minutes. It used to take her thirty minutes or more. In that day’s square on the calendar, Sawai wrote in small letters: “Vacuuming, 10 min.” And that night, too, she set the timer for five minutes.
Three expressions
この歌を聞くたびに、高校のころを思い出します。
Every time I hear this song, I remember my high-school days.
「〜たびに」: after the dictionary form of a verb or 「名詞＋の」, “every time …”, followed by what happens each time. In the story, 「本を棚に戻すたびに」 means “every time she put a book back on the shelf”.
寝る前に、ついスマホを見てしまいます。
Before bed, I always end up looking at my phone.
「つい〜てしまう」: doing something you didn’t mean to do, before you can stop yourself; often used for habits or small regrets. In the story, 「ついページを開いて読んでしまった」 means “she couldn’t help opening it and reading”.
駅が近いので、バスに乗らずに済みます。
The station is close, so I don’t have to take the bus.
「〜ずに済む」: after the nai form without 「ない」 (「乗らない」→「乗らずに」; 「する」 becomes 「せずに」), a chore you would have had to do can be skipped. In the story, 「何も動かさずに済んだ」 means “she didn’t have to move anything”.
One small thing to do
Tip
Tonight before bed, set a timer for five minutes and put the things on your floor back where they belong. Stop when it rings; whatever is left can wait until tomorrow.