very rare; very unlikely (to happen); scarcely; seldom; improbable; almost never (occurring)
wholly; solely; entirely; principally; mostly; chiefly
carelessness; inattention; thoughtlessness; negligence
defacement; abrasion; wear and tear; crushing of a nerve
(for the) first time in one's life
pain; anguish; distress; suffering; hardship
to show signs of ...; to have the appearance of ...
suspension bridge effect; phenomenon where someone in fear or surprise mistakes their physiological response as romantic arousal
to lift up; to hold up; to give; to offer; to devote; to sacrifice
to reach an extreme; to reach a limit; extremely; to be stuck; to be in a dilemma; to be decided
meter; gauge; metre (unit of length); meter; animator
supreme; sublime; highest
lifetime; one's whole life; all through life
at any rate; anyhow; anyway; in any case; because
anger; getting angry; taking offense; losing one's temper
magician; wizard; sorcerer; witch; mage
arranged; taken care of; settled; completed; finished
age thirty; one's thirties
to cross over; to cross; to pass through; to exceed; to surpass; to be more (than)
old; aged; long; since long ago; of the distant past; long-ago
artificial insemination; intrauterine insemination; IUI
witch hunt (persecution of people accused of witchcraft); witch hunt (persecution of people considered a danger to society)
free translation; liberal translation
full ripeness; full maturity
Middle Ages (in Japan esp. the Kamakura and Muromachi periods); medieval times; mediaeval times
harsh (taste, feeling, etc.); acrid; sharp (language, question, etc.); biting; nasty; gross
effect; effectiveness; efficacy; virtue; benefit
pouring one's energy into; focusing one's efforts on; concentrating on; committing oneself to
how long; how far; how much
diversion; putting something to another use
to polish; to shine; to burnish; to refine (a skill, etc.); to improve; to hone
limitation; restriction; condition; constraints
with a plop; with a plonk; with a plunk; with a flop
fall; drop; descent; coming down
superb view; picturesque scenery