floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
above; up; top; summit; surface; before; previous
proud; boastful; bragging; conceited
quickly (esp. actions); suddenly (esp. wind, rain, etc.)
challenging; defiant; provocative; aggressive
today; this day; these days; recently; nowadays
outside; exterior; the open (air); other place; somewhere else
fine weather; fair weather
to stare in wonder; to be amazed
that kind of; that way; that move; that trick; that game
to half-rise to one's feet
surprise; astonishment; wonder; amazement
indeed; really; absolutely; truly; actually; very
daring; fearless; intrepid; bold; tough
to pass; to elapse; to pass through; to go through; to experience; to go through
how; in what way; how about
terrible; dreadful; amazing (e.g. of strength); great (e.g. of skills); to a great extent; vast (in numbers)
one person; being alone; being by oneself; being single; being unmarried; by oneself
practice; training; drill; (an) exercise; workout
regrettable; vexing; upsetting; unthinkable; wholly unexpected
speaking of; (I told you) already; come on
shop; store; somebody who sells (something) or works as (something); somebody with a (certain) personality trait; house; roof
and yet; despite this; but even so; but even then; however; nevertheless
wonderful; marvelous; strange; strangely enough; oddly enough; for some reason
simple; artless; naive; unsophisticated
doubt; question; suspicion; dubiousness
to insert; to interrupt; to slip in a word; to harbor (e.g. doubts); to harbour
what's the matter?; what's wrong?
yes; indeed; ha!; what?; huh?; sigh
walking briskly; determinedly
to compromise; to meet halfway; to step up to; to walk up to; to approach
armrest (of a chair); elbow rest
thuddingly; plumping down (like a heavy weight)
what; how many; many; a lot of; several; a few
hesitation; indecision; vacillation
finally; at last; barely; narrowly; gradually; little by little