I | as for | cat | am | name | as for | (not) yet | none

I am a cat. I don't yet have a name.

This is the opening line spoken by the cat. The cat is well educated and uses fairly high-class language such as a literary である (instead of です). The first-person pronoun  吾輩(わがはい) is not used in modern Japanese, but if you use it, people will immediately think of this story.

VOCABULARY

• 吾輩(わがはい) I
• は as for (topic marker)
• 猫(ねこ) cat
• である is; am [formal, literary copula]
• 名前(なまえ) name
• まだ as of yet; still
• 無(な)い non-existent; no)

Let's break this down by sentences.

吾輩(わがはい)はここで始(はじ)めて人間(にんげん)というものを見(み)た。

I | as for | here | at  | for the first time | human | such a thing as | (direct object marker) | saw

Here, I first encountered the creature called man. 

しかもあとで聞(き)くとそれは書生(しょせい)という人間中(にんげんじゅう)で一番(いちばん)獰悪(どうあく)な種族(しゅぞく)であったそうだ。

moreover | later | upon hearing | as for this | student | such a thing as | human | among | most | brutal | ethnic group | was | it seems

Furthermore, I later learned this one was called "a student" which is the most vile class of humanity.

Here, the cat is recalling his earliest memories. His first encounter with a human being was with a lodging student who loved to hold him by his tail and threaten to boil and eat cats.

VOCABULARY

• 吾輩(わがはい)は as for me, I…
• ここで at here; at this moment
• 始(はじ)めて for the first time
• 人間(にんげん) human being
• というもの such a thing as
• を (sets “such a thing as a human being” as the direct object)
• 見(み)た saw
• しかも moreover; furthermore
• あとで later
• 聞(き)くと upon hearing; upon asking
• それは as for this
• 書生(しょせい)という such a thing as a lodging student [In modern Japanese, this would be 学生(がくせい), but 書生(しょせい) may also refer to a student who does housework in exchange of meals and lodging]
• 人間中(にんげんじゅう)で among all humans [人間(にんげん) (human being) + 中(じゅう) (among; within the group; can also be ちゅう) + で (among; within)]
• 一番(いちばん) the most; -est
• 獰悪(どうあく)な violent; cruel; fiendish
• 種族(しゅぞく) race; tribe; ethnic group; species
• であった was [past of である]
• そうだ it seems

家(いえ)のものは大変(たいへん)な勉強家(べんきょうか)だと思(おも)っている。

household | 's | people | as for | very | studious person | is | are thinking

The members of the household regard him as a scholar.

当人(とうにん)も勉強家(べんきょうか)であるか のごとく見(み)せている。

the person concerned | also | studious person | is | as | as if | showing

He, himself, works hard to appear as such.

The cat's master is a teacher who shuts himself in his study for hours at a time. The entire household thinks he is a consummate scholar spending all his time engrossed in his studies. The cat, however, knows better as we will see with the next line.

VOCABULARY

• 家(いえ)のもの the household [literally “people of the house”]
• は as for
• 大変(たいへん)な very; great; immense; serious
• 勉強家(べんきょうか) scholar; studious person
• だ is
• と思(おも)っている is thinking; hold in regard
• 当人(とうにん) the person concerned; the person in question
• も also
• であるか  is that way [である (is) + か (shows doubt but also his desire to make a show of it)]
• のごとく as; like; as if
• 見(み)せている is showing; is presenting (a façade of))

吾輩(わがはい)は時々(ときどき)忍(しの)び足(あし)に彼(かれ)の書斎(しょさい)を覗(のぞ)いて見(み)るが、

as for me, I | sometimes | stealthy steps | with | his | study room | (direct object marker) | peek and see | however

Sometimes, I stealthily take a peek into his study, but

彼(かれ)はよく昼寝(ひるね)をしている事(こと)がある。

as for him, he | often | napping | matter | to have

often he is napping.

時々(ときどき)読(よ)みかけてある本(ほん)の上(うえ)に涎(よだれ)をたらしている。

sometimes | half-read | book | 's | on | drool | (direct object marker) | spilling

At times, his drool spills out upon the book he had been reading.

We humans can fool other humans, but not an observant cat! Beware!

VOCABULARY

• 吾輩(わがはい)は as for me, I
• 時々(ときどき) sometimes
• 忍(しの)び足(あし)に with stealthy steps
• 彼(かれ)の his
• 書斎(しょさい) study; office; library; reading room
• 覗(のぞ)いて見(み)る peek and see
• が but; however
• よく often
• 昼寝(ひるね)をしている is napping
• 事(こと)がある occurs; happens
• 読(よ)みかけてある half-read; in the middle of reading
• 本(ほん)の上(うえ)に upon a book; on a book
• 涎(よだれ)をたらしている  drooling)

なるほど詐(いつわ)りのない処(ところ)だ。

I see | lie | not | aspect | is

Indeed, he speaks the truth.

With the なるほど, the cat seems a little surprised by his master's candid confession to his friend who is an authority in aesthetics and art. His master had recently taken up painting but he quickly discovered it isn't as easy as it seems. His master admits he is no good at painting. The cat hears his master say this to a friend and makes this comment. 

VOCABULARY

• なるほど I see; indeed
• 詐(いつわ)り lie; falsehood; fiction; fabrication
• のない doesn’t exist; isn’t
• 処(ところ) point; aspect; place
• だ is; are)

「へえアンドレア・デル・サルトがそんな事(こと)をいった事(こと)があるかい。

Oh | Andrea del Sarto | such a | thing | (direct object marker) | said | matter that happened | (question)

"Oh, Andrea del Sarto said such a thing!?

ちっとも知(し)らなかった。なるほどこりゃもっともだ。

not in the least | didn't know | I see | this | most | is

I had no idea. I say, this is most amazing.

実(じつ)にその通(とお)りだ」と主人(しゅじん)は無暗(むやみ)に感心(かんしん)している。

truly | just like that | (quotation marker) | master | as for | recklessly | admiring

That's exactly right," said my master with rash admiration.

金縁(きんぶち)の裏(うら)には嘲(あざ)けるような笑(わらい)が見(み)えた。

gold-rimmed (glasses) | behind | in as for | to make fun of | seems like | smile | appeared

Behind the guest's gold-rimmed glasses, I noticed a hint of a derisive smile.

His aesthetics expert friend, who is described here by his gold-rimmed glasses, makes up a quote by the Italian painter during the Renaissance. The quote is an artist should look to nature rather than just one's imagination. The cat's master takes it to heart. Later, the cat wakes from a nap to find his master staring at him with brush in hand. Unfortunately, the cat has to pee...

But that comes later. In this quote, the friend sets up the gullible master with a made-up quote.

VOCABULARY

• 「」 (quotation markers)
• へえ oh; ah
• アンドレア・デル・サルト Andrea del Sarto (Renaissance Italian painter)
• そんな such a
• 事(こと) thing; matter
• いった said
• 事(こと)がある happened; occurred
• かい (question marker)
• ちっとも (not) at all
• 知(し)らなかった didn’t know
• なるほど I see
• こりゃ I say; this
• もっともだ  most (amazing); extremely (interesting)
• 実(じつ)に in truth; really
• その通(とお)り just like that; exactly so
• と (quotation marker)
• 主人(しゅじん)は as for my master
• 無暗(むやみ)に thoughtlessly; recklessly; rashly; excessively; unreasonably
• 感心(かんしん)している  astonished; showing admiration; being impressed
• 金縁(きんぶち)の gold rimmed; golden edges
• 裏(うら)には behind (the gold-rimmed glasses)
• 嘲(あざ)ける to scoff; to laugh at; to make fun of
• ような such a; like a
• 笑(わらい) smile
• 見(み)えた saw)

名前(なまえ)はまだつけてくれないが、

name | as for | not yet | given | but

I still have not been given a name, but

欲(よく)をいっても際限(さいげん)がないから

greed | (direct object marker) | even say | limit | doesn't exist | therefore

there is no end to one's desires.

生涯(しょうがい)この教師(きょうし)の家(うち)で無名(むめい)の猫(ねこ)で終(おわ)るつもりだ。

all life | this | teacher's | house | at | nameless | cat | as | end | plan to

I intend to live out the rest of my days as a nameless cat here in this teacher's house.

The story ends as it began: about a cat with no name. But he is somehow content to be just where he is.

VOCABULARY

• 名前(なまえ)は as for (my) name
• まだ yet; still
• つけてくれない haven’t been given
• が but; however
• 欲(よく)をいっても speaking of desires; regarding greed
• 際限(さいげん)がない there is no end; no limit
• から therefore
• 生涯(しょうがい) all life
• この this
• 教師(きょうし)の teacher’s
• 家(うち)で at (his) house
• 無名(むめい)の a nameless
• 猫(ねこ) cat
• で as
• 終(おわ)る finish; to end (my days)
• つもりだ intend to)