what did you just say (to me)?; what's that?
dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon); naga; semi-divine human-cobra chimera in Hindu and Buddhist mythology; promoted rook
sneakily; secretly; stealthily; on the sly
a long, long time ago; very long ago
smirkingly; broadly (grinning)
to run around trying to escape; to run from place to place
loser; failure; underdog; unmarried and childless older woman
to live in disgrace; to expose oneself to ridicule
to make fun of; to look down on; to make light of
atonement; the Atonement (of Jesus Christ)
rotting; spoiling; decaying; rotten; worthless; paltry
being good-for-nothing; useless person
tank for holding human waste (used for fertilizer); night-soil reservoir; cesspool; cesspit
narcissism; self-absorption; self-intoxication
refreshingly; with a feeling of relief; shapely; neatly; cleanly; without trouble; clearly
no sooner ... than ...; hardly ... when ...; as soon as ...
to be out of patience; to be unable to put up with something anymore
blockage; blockade; blocking up; stoppage; obstruction; occlusion
Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
revival; reconstruction; restoration; rebuilding; recovery; renaissance
choice; selection; diagnosis; medical opinion; judgement; opinion
rebellion; great uprising
whole nation; whole land; whole country
warfare; the maelstrom of war; disorder brought about by war
to be sacrificed; to become a victim (of); to fall victim (to); to lose one's life
field; plain; hidden interior part (of a structure or object); wild (of an animal or plant)
thought; imagination; mind; desire; wish; love
grumbling; muttering; nonsense
to pretend not to see; to turn one's back on
to walk away; to saunter off
to let (something or someone) go past; to do too much
humorous; funny; amusing; enjoyable (e.g. life); pleasant; fun
coward; weakling; scaredy cat; wimp; sissy
first rider in a charge; first (person) to arrive
this sort of; this type of
worthy of special mention
to forbid; to ban; to prohibit; to suppress (a feeling, laughter, etc.); to hold back (e.g. tears)
striking a deal; coming to an agreement; making noodles by hand; making handmade noodles; manual input (on a computer, etc.); entering (text) by hand
to spur on; to urge forward; to impel; to drive at high speed (e.g. a car)
sigh (of grief, disappointment, etc.); grieving; lamenting; deploring