December 05, 2023

Spilled Tea and Blossoming Love: A Tale of Serendipity in Tokyo

12 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Spilled Tea and Blossoming Love: A Tale of Serendipity in Tokyo
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/spilled-tea-and-blossoming-love-a-tale-of-serendipity-in-tokyo

Story Transcript:

Ja: 東京の繁華街から僅かに逸れた静かな一角。そこには古びた一軒家が古風な風情を残しながら佇んでいた。ここは、「松竹園」という名の茶道の教室で、さくらと春樹が週に二度通っている。
En: A quiet corner just a little off the bustling streets of Tokyo. There stood an old house, exuding a nostalgic charm. This is "Shochikuen," a tea ceremony classroom, where Sakura and Haruki visit twice a week.

Ja: さくらは20代前半の女性で、柔らかな微笑みとゆったりとした身のこなしをもっている。一方の春樹はさくらと同い年の男性で、物静かでしっかり者だが、たまにドジを踏むことで周囲を笑わせる。
En: Sakura is a woman in her early twenties, with a gentle smile and a relaxed demeanor. On the other hand, Haruki, the same age as Sakura, is calm and dependable, but occasionally makes clumsy mistakes that make those around him laugh.

Ja: ある日、二人は例によって松竹園の茶道教室でお茶を点てていた。しかし、さくらが春樹に向かってお茶を差し出す際、突然手がすべって抹茶が春樹の着物にぶちまけてしまった。
En: One day, as usual, the two were making tea in the Shochikuen tea ceremony classroom. However, when Sakura tried to hand the tea to Haruki, her hand slipped suddenly, and she ended up spilling the matcha on Haruki's kimono.

Ja: 春樹の着物から抹茶がせり上がる。周りは一時静まり返ったが、春樹がさくらに向かって「大丈夫だよ」と微笑んだ瞬間、教室は笑い声で溢れた。
En: The matcha stains quickly spread on Haruki's kimono. For a moment, the surroundings fell silent. But the moment Haruki smiled and said, "It's alright," the classroom was filled with laughter.

Ja: さくらは恥ずかしがりつつも、春樹のそんな人間らしい一面を見て思わず微笑んだ。そして春樹は緊張をほぐすために、自分のこぼしたお茶を「新しい茶道の形」と称え、全員で大笑いすることとなった。
En: Sakura blushed, but couldn't help but smile as she saw that side of Haruki, so human-like. And to ease the tension, Haruki praised the spilled tea as "a new form of tea ceremony," and everyone burst into laughter.

Ja: この日を境に二人の関係は一段と深まり、誤ってこぼしたお茶が新たな絆を生んだのだった。「教室で起きる予期せぬ出来事も、すべてが新たな絆を生むきっかけになる」。そう教室に足を運ぶ人々に囁くように、松竹園は今日も門を開けていた。
En: From that day on, the bond between the two deepened, all because of the tea that was accidentally spilled. "Unexpected events in the classroom can become the catalyst for new bonds." Whispers like these spread among those who visited Shochikuen, as the gates were opened again today.

Ja: 故事ここに結ぶ。告げる者は語り部であり、読む者は次なる伝説の継承者。茶道の場を舞台に想像が膨らむ物語は、一幕の終わりと共に、ひとひらの桜の花びらが静けさの中に舞い落ちる。
En: Thus, the tale concludes. The narrator delivers the story, and the reader becomes the heir to the next legend. The story, set on the stage of the tea ceremony, allows the imagination to flourish, and as the act ends, a single cherry blossom petal dances and falls in the stillness.

Vocabulary Words: