彼らが最終契約について協議している際、ある裏工作が進んでいた。賄賂が渡されたのだ。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

There was some monkey business going on when they were negotiating that last contract; money passed under the table.

Furigana

彼(かれ)らが最終(さいしゅう)契約(けいやく)について協議(きょうぎ)している際(さい)、ある裏(うら)工作(こうさく)が進(すす)んでいた。賄賂(わいろ)が渡(わた)されたのだ。

Romanji

Karera ga saishū keiyaku nitsuite kyōgishiteiru sai, aru ura kōsaku ga susundeita. wairo ga watasareta no da.

Words

彼ら (かれら)

they (usually male); them

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

最終 (さいしゅう)

last; final; closing

契約 (けいやく)

contract; compact; agreement

に就いて (について)

concerning; regarding; per (e.g. 100 yen per person); for every

協議 (きょうぎ)

conference; consultation; discussion; negotiation

際 (さい)

on the occasion of; circumstances; juncture

或 (ある)

a certain ...; some ...

裏 (うら)

bottom (or another side that is hidden from view); undersurface; opposite side; reverse side; rear; back; behind (the house); lining; inside; out of sight; behind the scenes; proof; opposite (of a prediction, common sense, etc.); inverse (of a hypothesis, etc.); bottom (of an inning); last half (of an inning)

工作 (こうさく)

handicraft; work; construction; manufacturing; maneuvering; manoeuvering

荒む (すさむ)

to grow wild; to run to waste

賄賂 (わいろ、ワイロ)

bribe; sweetener; douceur

渡す (わたす)

to ferry across (e.g. a river); to carry across; to traverse; to lay across; to build across; to hand over; to hand in; to pass; to give; to transfer

の (の)

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

だ (だ)

be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative