長年の間、私は美だけが人生に意義を与えてくれるものであり、このごみごみした地上で次々と引き継がれる世代に課せられる唯一の目的とは、時々芸術家を生み出すことだと思っていた。

Sentence Analyzer

長年 の 間 、 私 は 美 だけ が 人生 に 意義 を 与えてくれる もの で あり 、 この ごみごみした 地上 で 次々 と 引き継がれる 世代 に 課せられる 唯一 の 目的 と は 、 時々 芸術家 を 生み出す こと だ と 思っていた 。

English Translation

For many years I thought that it was beauty alone that gave significance to life and that the only purpose that could be assigned to the generations that succeed one another on the face of this crowded earth was to produce an artist now and then.

Furigana

長年(ながねん)の間(ま)、私(わたし)は美(び)だけが人生(じんせい)に意義(いぎ)を与(あた)えてくれるものであり、このごみごみした地上(ちじょう)で次々(つぎつぎ)と引(ひ)き継(つ)がれる世代(せだい)に課(か)せられる唯一(ゆいいつ)の目的(もくてき)とは、時々(ときどき)芸術家(げいじゅつか)を生(う)み出(だ)すことだと思(おも)っていた。

Romanji

Naganen no ma, watashi wa bi dake ga jinsei ni igi o ataetekureru mono de ari, kono gomigomishita chijō de tsugitsugi to hikitsugareru sedai ni kaserareru yuiitsu no mokuteki to wa, tokidoki geijutsuka o umidasu koto da to omotteita.

Words

長年 (ながねん、えいねん)

long time; many years

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

間 (ま)

space; room; time; pause

私 (わたし、わたくし)

I; me; private affairs; personal matter; secrecy; selfishness

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

美 (び)

beauty

丈 (だけ)

only; just; merely; simply; no more than; nothing but; alone; as (e.g. as soon as, as much as); worth

が (が)

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

人生 (じんせい)

(human) life (i.e. conception to death)

に (に)

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

意義 (いぎ)

meaning; significance

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

与える (あたえる)

to give (esp. to someone of lower status); to bestow; to grant; to confer; to present; to award; to provide; to afford; to offer; to supply; to assign; to cause; to pass (a variable to a function)

者 (もの、もん)

person

だ (だ)

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

或 (ある)

a certain ...; some ...

此の (この)

this (something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or ideas expressed by the speaker)

ごみごみ (ごみごみ)

squalid; messy

地上 (ちじょう)

above ground; surface; earth; world

で (で、にて)

indicates location of action; at; in; indicates time of action; indicates means of action; cause of effect; by; and then; so; indicates continuing action; indicates certainty, emphasis, etc.

次々 (つぎつぎ)

in succession; one by one

と (と)

if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)

引き継ぐ (ひきつぐ)

to take over; to hand over

世代 (せだい)

generation; the world; the age

課 (か)

lesson; section (in an organization); division; department; counter for lessons and chapters (of a book)

唯一 (ゆいいつ、ゆいつ)

only; sole; unique

目的 (もくてき)

purpose; goal; aim; objective; intention

時々 (ときどき)

sometimes; at times

芸術家 (げいじゅつか)

artist

生み出す (うみだす)

to create; to bring forth; to produce; to invent; to think up and bring into being; to give birth to; to bear

事 (こと、こん)

thing; matter; incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble; crisis; circumstances; situation; state of affairs; work; business; affair; after an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker does not feel close to; nominalizing suffix; pretending to ...; playing make-believe ...; alias; aka; nickname; alternative name; also known as

思う (おもう)

to think; to consider; to believe; to think (of doing); to plan (to do); to judge; to assess; to regard; to imagine; to suppose; to dream; to expect; to look forward to; to feel; to desire; to want; to recall; to remember

Kanji

長

Readings: チョウ、 なが.い、 おさ

Meanings: long, leader, superior, senior

年

Readings: ネン、 とし

Meanings: year, counter for years

間

Readings: カン、 ケン、 あいだ、 ま、 あい

Meanings: interval, space

私

Readings: シ、 わたくし、 わたし

Meanings: private, I, me

美

Readings: ビ、 ミ、 うつく.しい

Meanings: beauty, beautiful

人

Readings: ジン、 ニン、 ひと、 -り、 -と

Meaning: person

生

Readings: セイ、 ショウ、 い.きる、 い.かす、 い.ける、 う.まれる、 うま.れる、 う.まれ、 うまれ、 う.む、 お.う、 は.える、 は.やす、 き、 なま、 なま-、 な.る、 な.す、 む.す、 -う

Meanings: life, genuine, birth

意

Reading: イ

Meanings: idea, mind, heart, taste, thought, desire, care, liking

義

Reading: ギ

Meanings: righteousness, justice, morality, honor, loyalty, meaning

与

Readings: ヨ、 あた.える、 あずか.る、 くみ.する、 ともに

Meanings: bestow, participate in, give, award, impart, provide, cause, gift, godsend

地

Readings: チ、 ジ

Meanings: ground, earth

上

Readings: ジョウ、 ショウ、 シャン、 うえ、 -うえ、 うわ-、 かみ、 あ.げる、 -あ.げる、 あ.がる、 -あ.がる、 あ.がり、 -あ.がり、 のぼ.る、 のぼ.り、 のぼ.せる、 のぼ.す、 よ.す

Meanings: above, up

次

Readings: ジ、 シ、 つ.ぐ、 つぎ

Meanings: next, order, sequence

引

Readings: イン、 ひ.く、 ひ.き、 ひ.き-、 -び.き、 ひ.ける

Meanings: pull, tug, jerk, admit, install, quote, refer to

継

Readings: ケイ、 つ.ぐ、 まま-

Meanings: inherit, succeed, continue, patch, graft (tree)

世

Readings: セイ、 セ、 ソウ、 よ、 さんじゅう

Meanings: generation, world, society, public

代

Readings: ダイ、 タイ、 か.わる、 かわ.る、 かわ.り、 か.わり、 -がわ.り、 -が.わり、 か.える、 よ、 しろ

Meanings: substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee

課

Reading: カ

Meanings: chapter, lesson, section, department, division, counter for chapters (of a book)

唯

Readings: ユイ、 イ、 ただ

Meanings: solely, only, merely, simply

一

Readings: イチ、 イツ、 ひと-、 ひと.つ

Meanings: one, one radical (no.1)

目

Readings: モク、 ボク、 め、 -め、 ま-

Meanings: eye, class, look, insight, experience, care, favor

的

Readings: テキ、 まと

Meanings: bull's eye, mark, target, object, adjective ending

時

Readings: ジ、 とき、 -どき

Meanings: time, hour

芸

Readings: ゲイ、 ウン、 う.える、 のり、 わざ

Meanings: technique, art, craft, performance, acting, trick, stunt

術

Readings: ジュツ、 すべ

Meanings: art, technique, skill, means, trick, resources, magic

家

Readings: カ、 ケ、 いえ、 や、 うち

Meanings: house, home, family, professional, expert, performer

出

Readings: シュツ、 スイ、 で.る、 -で、 だ.す、 -だ.す、 い.でる、 い.だす

Meanings: exit, leave, go out, come out, put out, protrude

思

Readings: シ、 おも.う、 おもえら.く、 おぼ.す

Meaning: think