to crack; to get cracked; to develop a crack; to develop a fissure
to be sorry; to beg someone's pardon; to be much obliged; to be grateful; to be amazed; to be greatly impressed
deadlock; standstill; stalemate; impasse; standoff
to burst open; to pop; to split
to have one's breath taken away; to gasp (in surprise, wonder, etc.); to have one's breath catch in one's throat; to gulp
contraction; shrinking; shrinkage; constriction; deflation
bang; bam; noontime signal gun (carried out early Meiji to Taishō); noon gun; last round in a game of 12 rounds; precisely
to shorten the distance (between); to close the gap (e.g. on the leader); to get closer (e.g. to someone); to close in (on)
road; path; way; set of practices; moral education; Buddhist teachings; Taoism
bell (often a large hanging bell); chime
scarlet; crimson; cardinal red
yoke; constraints; oppression
to tower extremely high; to pierce the sky; to overflow (with energy); to run high (of spirits, momentum, etc.); to surge (of a feeling)
bright red; crimson lotus flower
to burn; to scorch; to singe; to char
to burn completely; to consume (by fire); to burn to nothing; to burn to the ground; to reduce to ashes
to sit down hard; to sink down to the floor
remnant; fragment; fraction; odd sum; halfway; half-hearted
ennui; languishing; feeling of exhaustion; lassitude; lethargy
to be fed up (with); to be tired (of); to be stumped; to be nonplussed; to wince; to shrink back
one o'clock; once; at one time; for a time; for a while; a time
dirt; filth; stain; blot; spot
nonchalant air; unruffled air
all of a sudden; suddenly; by chance; unexpectedly
worst; worst-case (scenario)
to make absolutely sure (that all is right); to use every means; to take all possible measures
to act timid; to show diffidence; to be hesitant; to appear embarrassed; to look ashamed
learning; acquisition (of a skill, knowledge, etc.)
lightly and smoothly (of movements); swiftly; glidingly; (progressing) smoothly; (solving) easily
being one or more laps behind (in a race); being behind the times
one mind; wholeheartedness; one's whole heart
one-sided; unilateral; arbitrary
disinformation; false information
(one's) whereabouts; destination; where one is headed; outcome; course (of events); future
witnessing; observing; sighting
change to ...; becoming ...; making into ...; -ization; -ification
acting rashly; running wildly; runaway (process); reckless baserunning
instantly; immediately; equals; means; oneness (of two opposing things); inseparability
to reason; to sum up; to conclude
reaching; attaining; arrival
unobstructed view; perspective; forecast; outlook; insight; foresight
grassy field; grassland; meadow; grass-covered plain; savannah; prairie
first; firstly; first of all; Introduction; Preface