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マスキングテープ一巻き
土曜日の午後、アナさんは駅前の百円ショップに入りました。ふせんと色ペンと、引き出しに入れる小さな箱を買うつもりでした。ところが、文房具の棚の前で、ふせんを手に取ってみたり、色ペンを一本ずつ試したりして、なかなか決められませんでした。気がつくと、三十分も同じ場所に立っていました。
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On Saturday afternoon, Anna went into the 100-yen shop by the station. She meant to buy sticky notes, coloured pens and a small box to go in a drawer. But at the stationery shelf she kept picking up sticky notes and trying the pens one by one, and she just couldn’t decide. Before she knew it, she had been standing in the same spot for thirty minutes.
ふせんは、家の引き出しに使っていないものがまだあります。色ペンも、筆箱に五本入っています。そう思い出して、アナさんは手に持っていたものを棚に戻しました。三つ買うつもりが、結局、レジに持っていったのは水色のマスキングテープ一巻きだけでした。手で切れて、はがしても跡が残りにくいところが気に入ったのです。
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There were still unused sticky notes in a drawer at home. And there were five coloured pens in her pencil case. Remembering this, Anna put everything she was holding back on the shelf. She had meant to buy three things, but in the end all she took to the till was one roll of light-blue washi tape. She liked that it tore by hand and hardly left a mark when you peeled it off.
家に帰ると、アナさんはテープを短く切って、ペンで字を書きました。机の引き出し三つには「切手」「薬」「電池」。仕事の書類を入れるファイルの背には「十月」「十一月」。同じように見える黒い充電コード二本には、「スマホ」「カメラ」と書いたテープを巻きました。
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At home, Anna cut the tape into short strips and wrote on them with a pen. On the three drawers of her desk: “Stamps”, “Medicine” and “Batteries”. On the spines of the files for her work papers: “October” and “November”. And round two black charging cables that looked exactly alike, she wrapped strips marked “Phone” and “Camera”.
その夜、アナさんはカメラを充電しようとしました。いつもなら、コードを一本ずつさしてみて、やっと正しいほうが分かります。でも今日は、「カメラ」と書いたテープがすぐ目に入りました。テープはまだ半分以上残っています。次は何に貼ろうかと考えながら、アナさんはそれをペン立ての横に置きました。
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That night, Anna went to charge her camera. Usually she had to try each cable in turn before she found the right one. But tonight the tape marked “Camera” caught her eye at once. More than half the roll was still left. Wondering what to label next, Anna put it down beside her pen pot.
Three expressions
本を読んでいて、気がつくと外が暗くなっていました。
I was reading a book, and before I knew it, it had got dark outside.
「気がつくと」: before you know it, without noticing. It describes a change that happened while you weren’t paying attention, and is often followed by 「〜ていた」. In the story, 「気がつくと、三十分も同じ場所に立っていました」 means “before she knew it, she had been standing in the same spot for thirty minutes”.
少しだけ休むつもりが、二時間も寝てしまいました。
I meant to rest for just a moment, but I ended up sleeping for two hours.
「〜つもりが」: you meant to …, but instead …. It follows the dictionary form of a verb, and the second half gives a result that differs from the plan, often with a touch of surprise. In the story, 「三つ買うつもりが」 means “she had meant to buy three things, but”.
赤と青で迷って、結局白いシャツを買いました。
I couldn’t choose between red and blue, and in the end I bought a white shirt.
「結局」: in the end, after all. It gives the result after some hesitation or change. In the story, 「結局、レジに持っていったのは……だけでした」 means “in the end, all she took to the till was …”.
One small thing to do
Tip
Find something you often mix up, such as two charging cables that look the same or two similar keys. Mark it with a small piece of tape and write a word or two on it. If you have no tape to hand, a sticky note or a scrap of paper will do.