A Large Mirror



Gemini: While waiting for his wife at a cafe, a man notices a stranger across the room. He smiles and waves, delighted when the stranger mirrors his gesture. Upon leaving, he realizes the man has vanished—only to discover he had been waving at his own reflection in a large mirror.


A Large Mirror


I dropped  my wife off at the salon an hour ago. She is having her hair colored, and it takes two hours. So, I'm having coffee at a cafe.There is some nice old furniture here: tables, chairs, a large mirror and some pictures. 


I see a man sitting alone drinking coffee and looking at his iPhone. I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. I don't pity him.  


He somehow looks like me. I decided to say hello to him. I raised my right hand towards him and smiled. To my surprise, he smiled and waved back with his left hand. 


Well, it's time to go and pick up my wife. I have to close the SNS app on my iPhone. Well, I've paid my bill but something is wrong. I don’t see the man anymore. Where is he? What I see is the large mirror without him.





大きな鏡


1時間前に、妻を美容院で降ろした。今日は、髪を染めるので2時間はかかりそうだ。そういう訳で、今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い古い家具が備えてある。大きな鏡と絵もある。


今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。


何となく私に似ているような気がする。私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、右手を挙げて微笑んで見た。驚いた!何と、彼が左手を挙げてこちらを見て笑っているではないか!


さて、そろそろ妻を迎えに行く時間だ。SNSからログオフしなければ。今、レジの支払いもした。


あれ?おかしいなぁ。彼がいない。どこに行った? 大きな鏡は有るけど、彼の姿は見当たらない。






A Large Mirror

大きな鏡


大きい (おおきい) : big, large, huge (adjective with or without a following noun)


/ It is big, large or huge. 


大きな : big, large, huge (adjective with a following noun)


(かがみ) : a mirror (noun)


大きい鏡 / 大きな鏡 : a large mirror


この鏡は大きい。: This mirror is large. (Don't say "この鏡は大きな。".)





I dropped  my wife off at the salon an hour ago. 

1時間前に、妻を美容院で降ろした。


(わたし) : I / my / me ( “私は” is omitted from the first sentence but you can add it at the top if you like. )


1時間 (いちじかん) : an hour


2時間 (にじかん) : two hours


3時間 (さんじかん) : three hours


(まえ) : front


1時間前 (いちじかんまえ) : an hour ago


2時間前 (にじかんまえ) : two hours ago


(あと) : back


1時間後 (いちじかんご) : an hour later


2時間後 (にじかんご) : two hours later 


(つま) : wife


美容 (びよう) : beauty (noun)


(いん) : a building, a facility, a house


美容院 (びよういん): a beauty salon (noun)


(やまい) : sickness, illness (noun) 


病院 (びょういん) : a hospital (noun)


降りる (おりる) : to get off from a car, taxi, train, etc. (verb), You get off.


降ろす(おろす) : to drop someone off (verb), You drop someone off.


降ろした : You dropped off someone or something here/there.



2時間後に、降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped someone off here/there.


美容院で降ろした : You dropped off someone or something at a beauty shop.


妻を降ろした : You dropped off your wife here/there.



2時間後に、妻を降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped your wife off here/there.


妻を美容院で降ろした。: You dropped off your wife at a beauty shop.


2時間後に、妻を病院で降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped your wife off at a hospital.





She is having her hair colored, and it takes two hours. 

今日は、髪を染めるので2時間はかかりそうだ。


彼女 (かのじょ) : she


今日 (きょう) : today


(かみ) : hair


染める(そめる):  to dye someone’s hair, to color something (verb)


髪を染める: to dye someone’s hair (verb) / to have your hair dyed (verb) / to dye your hair yourself (verb)


彼女は髪を染める : She will have her hair dyed. (plan) She has her hair dyed regularly, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)


今日は、髪を染める。: You will dye someone's hair. / You will have your hair dyed. / You will dye your hair yourself. (depends on the context)


......ので : for such a reason/purpose


髪を染めるので:  because you are having your hair dyed (reason, purpose)


2時間 (にじかん) : two hours


3時間 (さんじかん) : three hours


1時間かかる: It takes an hour.


2時間かかる。: It takes two hours or so.


2時間かからない。: It doesn't take two hours.


3時間かかりそう。: It probably takes three hours or so.


2時間かかりそうだ。: I guess it probably takes two hours or so.


2時間はかかりそうだ。: I guess it probably takes two hours at least.


3時間かかりそうにない。: It probably doesn't take three hours.


今日は、髪を染めないので2時間かからない。: Today, you are not having your hair colored, so it will not take two hours.





So, I'm having coffee at a cafe. 

そういう訳で、今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。


言う (いう / ゆう) : to say (verb)


そう言う : You say so.


(わけ) : a reason or purpose


そう言う訳で (そういうわけで) : that's why, for such a reason, therefore, so


(いま):  now, right now, modern time, these days (depends on the context)


カフェ : a cafe, the cafe


コーヒー : coffee, a cup of coffee, coffee beans


飲む (のむ) : to drink something, to have coffee, tea, etc. (verb), to accept or agree with a difficult condition (verb, idiomatic expression)


飲んでいる : You are drinking something. (present progress)


今、飲んでいる : You are drinking right now.


カフェで飲んでいる : You are drinking at a cafe.


今、カフェで飲んでいる : Now, you are drinking at a cafe.


今、コーヒーを飲んでいる : Now, you are having coffee.


今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。: You are now having coffee at a cafe.


そういう訳で、今、バーで飲んでいる。: So, now, I'm drinking at a bar. (You probably wanted to drink for some reason.)





There is some nice old furniture here: tables, chairs, a large mirror and some pictures. 

テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い古い家具が備えてある。大きな鏡と絵もある。


テーブル: a table, tables (noun)


椅子 (いす) : a chair, chairs (noun)


テーブルや椅子 : tables and/or chairs


テーブルや椅子など : tables, chairs, etc. (There is not a clear logic for use of '' and/or 'など'. So, we just put them here and there from our feelings.)


良い (よい) : good, nice


なかなか良い : quite good, pretty good (Do not breakdown this phrase into smaller parts.)


新しい (あたらしい): new (adjective)


古い (ふるい) : old (adjective)


家具 (かぐ) : furniture (noun)


良い家具 : good furniture


古い家具 : old furniture


なかなか良い古い家具 : nice old furniture


備える (そなえる): to prepare, to provide, to equip, to furnish (verb)


備えてある : It is furnished. It is equipped.  (current situation)


カフェに、備えてある: The cafe is equipped with it. (current situation)


家具が備えてある: It is furnished. (current situation)


カフェに、家具が備えてある: The cafe is furnished. (current situation)


テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い新しい家具が備えてある。: There is some nice new furniture here: tables, chairs, etc.


大きい (おおきい) : big, large (adjective)


大きな : big, large (adjective with a following noun)


小さい (ちいさい) : small (adjective)


小さな : small, tiny (adjective with a following noun)


(かがみ): a mirror, mirrors (noun)


大きな鏡 : a large mirror


(): a picture, pictures, a drawing, drawings, a painting, paintings (noun)


絵がある: There is a drawing.


小さな絵がある: There is a small drawing.


小さな絵もある: There is also a small drawing.


大きな鏡と絵もある。: There are also a large mirror and a picture(/some pictures), too. (additionally to some other things which you have mentioned before)





I see a man sitting alone drinking coffee and looking at his iPhone. 

今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。


(いま): now


ここに / ここで : here


1 (ひとり): one person


1人で : alone


コーヒー : coffee


飲む (のむ) : to drink something, to have coffee, tea, etc. (verb)


コーヒーを飲む : You have coffee.


1人でコーヒーを飲む。: You have coffee alone.


コーヒーを飲みながら : while drinking coffee


1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、... : You are having coffee alone and ......


見る(みる) : to see, to watch, to look, to take care of something, to take a look something, to review (verb)


見ている (みている) : You see it now. You are watching it. You are looking at it.


アイフォーンを見る : to use your iPhone, to operate your iPhone (verb)


(おとこ): a man, the man


コーヒーを飲んでいる男 : a man who is having coffee (noun clause)


1人で飲んでいる男 : a man who is drinking alone (noun clause)


見ている男 : a man who sees something, a man who is watching something, a man who is looking at something (noun clause)


それを見ている男がいる。There is a man who is watching it.


コーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている。: You are having coffee and looking at your iPhone. You are operating your iPhone while having coffee.



今ここにいる。: Someone is here right now. / Now, he or she is here.


今ここに、1人の男がいる。: Now, here is a man.


今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲んでいる男がいる。: Now, a man is having coffee alone.


今ここに、1人でアイフォーンを見ている男がいる。: Now, a man is looking at his iPhone alone.


コーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。: A man is having coffee and looking at his iPhone. /There is a man who is having coffee and looking at his iPhone. (current situation)




I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. I don't pity him.  

恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。


恐らく(おそらく) : probably, perhaps, maybe


一人 / 1人 (ひとり) : one person, alone


居る(いる) : You are here/there. (current situation)


ひとりで居る : You are here/there alone. / You live alone. / You are single. (current situation)


(こと): a thing, an event, an issue, an action, an activity or a situation which you have just mentioned


ひとりで居る事 : being alone (noun), a status when you are alone (noun clause) ( is often used to make a noun or noun clause in this way.)


好む (このむ) : to like, to feel like, to prefer (verb) / You like it.


ひとりで居る事を好む : You like spending a quiet time alone.


(ひと) : a person


ひとりで居る事を好む人 : a person who likes to be alone (noun clause)


なんだろう : I guess so.


恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろう : I guess he/she likes to be alone.


なんだろうから : because I guess so


なんだろうから、.....  : I guess, so/therefore .......


恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、.... : I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. So, .......


別に (べつに) :  especially (adverb), so much, separately


可哀想 (かわいそう): poor, pitiful, sad (adjective)


可哀想な人 : pitiful person, someone who you pity


思う (おもう): to think (verb), to believe that something is true (verb)


思わない (おもわない): You don't think so.


可哀想な人と思う : You feel pity for him or her. / You pity him or her.


別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。: You don't pity him or her so much.


恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。: I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. So, I don't pity him.





He somehow looks like me. 

何となく私に似ているような気がする。



何となく(なんとなく): somehow, with your feeling, without a clear evidence or logic


(わたし) : I/my/me


似る (にる) : to look like someone or something (verb)


似ている (にている) : You look like someone. It looks like something.


彼は、私に似ている: He looks like me.


私は、彼に似ている: I look like him.


() : a mind, a spirit, a mood (noun)


気がする (きがする) : You feel it. It seems so.


似ているような気がする。: You somehow look like him or her. / It somehow looks like something.





I decided to say hello to him.  I raised my right hand towards him and smiled. 

私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、右手を挙げて微笑んで見た。


(わたし): I / my / me


(かれ): he / his / him


挨拶 (あいさつ): a greeting (noun), saying hello to someone (noun), greeting someone (noun)


挨拶する : to say hello to someone (verb), to greet someone (verb)


(こと): a thing, an event, an issue, an action, an activity or a situation which you have just mentioned


挨拶する事 : saying hello to someone (noun clause, is often used to make a noun or noun clause in this way.)


決める (きめる): to decide (verb)


決めた。: You decided it.


私は、決めた。: I decided it.


私は、する事に決めた。: I decided to do it.


私は、挨拶する事に決めた。: I decided to say hello to someone.


私は、彼に挨拶する事に決めた。: I decided to say hello to him.


私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、.... : I decided to say hello to him and/then/so ....


右手 (みぎて) : your right hand


左手 (ひだりて) : your left hand


両手 (りょうて) : your both hands


挙げる (あげる): to raise (verb) / to lift up (verb)


手を挙げる : You raise your hand.


私は、右手を挙げた。: I raised my right hand.


私は、左手を挙げた。: I raised my left hand.


私は、両手を挙げた。: I raised my both hands.


私は、右手を挙げて....  : I raised my right hand and/then/so ......


微笑む (ほほえむ) : to smile (verb)


微笑んだ。: You smiled.


私は、微笑んだ。: I smiled.


見る (みる) : to see, to watch (verb) / to try to do something (verb) / to do something anyway and see what will happen (verb)


見た。(みた): You saw it.


笑んで見る : You smile at someone and see his or her reaction.


微笑んで見た。: You smiled at someone and saw his or her reaction.


私は、右手を挙げて微笑んだ。: I raised my right hand towards him/her and smiled.


私は、彼に微笑んで見た。: I smiled at him and saw his reaction.


私は、彼に、左手を挙げて微笑んで見た。: I raised my left hand toward him and smiled, then saw his reaction.




To my surprise, he smiled and waved back with his left hand.

驚いた!何と、彼が左手を挙げてこちらを見て笑っているではないか!


驚いた! (おどろいた!): I was surprised!


何と!(なんと!): What!, Wow! (in the feeling of surprise)


驚いた!何と、……  To my surprise, .... , Wow!


(かれ) : he/his/him


左手 (ひだりて) : the left hand


挙げる (あげる) : to raise (verb)


左手を挙げた。: You raised your left hand.



彼が左手を挙げた。: He raised his left hand.



彼が左手を挙げて、.... : He raised his left hand and/then/so .....


こちら: this side, my side, my place, toward me


見る (みる): to see, to watch, to look at something (verb)


見た。: You saw it. You watched it. You looked at it.


こちらを見た。: You looked at me. You looked here.


こちらを見て : You saw/watched me and/then/so ..... , You looked at me and/then/so .....


笑う(わらう): to smile (verb) /  to laugh (verb)


彼がこちらを見ている。: He is looking at me.


笑っている (わらっている): You are smiling. / You are laughing. (current situation)


彼が笑っている : He is smiling. / He is laughing.


ではないか!: Wow! It's happening! / Oh! I see this! (You probably don't need to translate this part into English. Please just try to get the nuance.)


Example:


英語 (えいご) : English (language)


嫌い! (きらい) : You hate it!


英語嫌い (えいごぎらい) : someone who hates learning English (noun clause)


少女 (しょうじょ) : a girl, the girl


(いま) : now


フロリダ : Florida


USF (ユー・エス・エフ) : USF, University of South Florida


留学 (りゅうがく) : studying abroad (noun)


している。: You are doing it.


留学する : to study abroad (verb)


留学している。: You are studying abroad.


少女が、留学している。: The girl is studying abroad.


今はフロリダのUSFに留学している。: You are now studying at USF in Florida.



驚いた! 何と、あの英語嫌いだった少女が、今はフロリダのUSFに留学しているではないか!: To my surprise, the girl who had hated English is now studying at USF in Florida!






Well, it's time to go and pick up my wife. 

さて、そろそろ妻を迎えに行く時間だ。


さて、…… : Well, ……


そろそろ : It is almost or good time to do it /  Let's begin to do it. Let's start.


(つま): wife


迎え (むかえ) : welcoming someone(noun), picking up someone somewhere  (noun)


行く (いく) : to go (verb)


迎えに行く : You go to a certain place and pick him or her up there / You go to a certain place, such as an airport, a station, etc. and  welcome your guest.


妻を迎えに行く : You go there and pick up your wife.


時間 (じかん) : a time, the time


行く時間 : the time when you go or leave


迎えに行く時間 : the time for you to pick up someone (noun clause)


時間だ。: It is time to do it.


そろそろ行く時間だ。: It is time to go there. It's time to leave here.


さて、そろそろ時間だ。: Well, it's time to do it.





I have to close the SNS app on my iPhone. 

SNSからログオフしなければ。



SNS (エスエヌエス) : SNS


SNSから : from the SNS


ログオフ: logging off (noun)


しなければ : if I don't do it


いけない。: It's bad. It's not good. It's not acceptable. It's a problem.


しなければいけない。: I must do it. (literally "It's bad if I don't do it.")


しなければ。: I must do it. ("いけない" is omitted.)


ログオフしなければいけない。: I must log out now.



ログオフしなければ。: I must log out now. ("いけない" is omitted.)



Example:


(つま) : wife


言った。(いった) : You said. You told.


寝る (ねる) : to sleep (verb)


時間 (じかん) : a time, the time


だから、.... : So, .....


妻が言った。「そろそろ寝る時間だから、SNSからログオフしなさい!」: His wife said, “It’s time to go to bed. Log off from SNS now!”








Well, I've paid my bill but something is wrong. 


今、レジの支払いもした。あれ?おかしいなぁ。


(いま) : now, right now, recent days


レジ (れじ) : the checkout counter (“レジ” is a loan word borrowed from an English word “register machine.”)


支払い (しはらい) : a payment (noun), paying money for a good or service (noun)


支払う (しはらう) / 支払いをする: to make a payment, to pay your a service or good (verb)


レジの支払いをする: You pay your bill to the cashier (verb)


レジの支払いをした。: You have paid your bill to the cashier.


レジの支払いもした。: You have already paid your bill to the cashier anyway.


今、した。: You have just done it.


あれ?: Oh? Well? Dear? Why?


おかしい : funny  / wrong / weird / strange (depends on the context)


おかしいなぁ。: It’s funny.  / Something is wrong. (depends on the context)




I don’t see the man anymore. Where is he? 

彼がいない。どこに行った? 


(かれ) : he/his/him


いない。: You are not here/there. I don't see you now.


彼がいない。: He is not here/there. He has gone somewhere. You don't see him.


どこ?: Where?


行く(いく): to go somewhere (verb) /  to go away (verb)  to disappear (verb) / to leave (verb) /  to visit somewhere or someone (verb)


行った。(いった): You went there. You have gone. You visited there.


行った?: Did you go there? Have you been there?


どこに行った? : Where did you go? Where have you been? Where did you move it away? Where are you? Where is that? It is missing.






What I see is the large mirror without him.

大きな鏡は有るけど、彼の姿は見当たらない。


大きい (おおきい) : large, big (adjective with or without a following noun)


大きな (おおきな) : large, big (adjective with a following noun)


(かがみ): a mirror


大きい鏡 / 大きな鏡 : a large mirror (Don't say "大きいな鏡".).


この鏡は大きい。: This mirror is large. (Don't say "この鏡は大きな。".)


有る (ある) : Such a thing is here/there. You have it.


鏡は有る。 : A mirror is here/there. You have a mirror.


鏡は有るけど、....... : There is a mirror but .....


大きな鏡は有るけど、.....  : There is a large mirror but .....


(かれ) : he/his/him


姿(すがた): appearance


彼の姿 : his appearance


見当たらない。(みあたらない): You don’t see it. You can't find it.


彼の姿は見当たらない。: We don’t see him. He has been disappeared. You can't find him.




Example:


(つま) : wife


子供 (こども) : a child, children


妻と子供の姿が見当たらない。どこ行った?:  I don’t see my wife and children. Where are they now?



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