岡田は三か月に一度、駅前の美容院で同じことを言う。Once every three months, Okada says the same thing at the hair salon by the station.「少しだけ切ってください。」"Just a little off, please."それなのに、店を出るときには、いつも短すぎる。And yet, by the time he leaves, it is always far too short.同僚にも、毎回「また切ったんですね」と言われる。His colleagues say "You've had it cut again" every single time.「少し」という言葉について、岡田はずっと考えていた。Okada had been thinking for a long time about the word "little".
今日の担当は、新しく入った西川さんだった。Today he was in the hands of Nishikawa, who had recently joined the salon.「今日はどうなさいますか。」"What would you like today?"「えーと、少しだけ短くしたいんですが。」"Er, I'd like it a little shorter."西川さんは鏡の中の岡田を見て、少し考えた。Nishikawa looked at Okada in the mirror and thought for a moment.「『少し』というのは、何センチのことでしょうか。」"When you say 'a little', how many centimetres do you mean?"
考えたこともなかった岡田は、答えに困った。Okada, who had never thought about it, did not know how to answer.「うーん、耳が見えるか見えないか、ですね。」"Hmm, about where my ears are just barely showing."西川さんは定規を持ってきて、髪をつまんだ。Nishikawa fetched a ruler and took hold of a lock of his hair.「今の長さがここ、耳が見えるのはこの辺りです。」"This is the length now. Your ears start to show at about here."「つまり、二センチですね。」"In other words, two centimetres."
西川さんは、はさみを入れる前にもう一度確認した。Nishikawa checked once more before picking up the scissors.「前はこのまま、横と後ろだけ二センチ。つまり、形は変えないんですね。」"The front stays as it is, two centimetres off the sides and back. In other words, we keep the shape."西川さんは切りながら、髪の乾かし方について教えてくれた。As she cut, Nishikawa told him about how to dry his hair.三十分後、鏡の中の髪型は、思ったとおりだった。Thirty minutes later, the hair in the mirror was exactly as he had pictured it.
次の日、会社でも何も言われないはずだ、と岡田は思った。Nobody at work would say anything the next day, Okada thought.ところが同僚は「今日、いい感じですね」と言った。Instead, a colleague said, "You're looking good today."うまく伝わらなかったのは、美容師のせいではない。It was not the hairdresser's fault that his meaning had never got across.つまり、悪かったのは「少し」という自分の言葉だ。In other words, what had been wrong was his own word, "little".次の予約では、岡田は「二センチでお願いします」と言った。At his next booking, Okada said, "Two centimetres, please."