JSLL #75 - The Spider's Thread, part 23

It's a Sunday, so we'll do 2 sentences, with very few new words and only 1 new kanji.

Sentence 1:

すると、一生懸命にのぼった甲斐があって、さっきまで自分がいた血の池は、今ではもう暗の底にいつの間にかかくれて居ります。

すると、いっしょうけんめいにのぼったかいがあって、さっきまでじぶんがいたちのいけは、いまではもうやみのそこにいつのまにかかくれております。

Vocabulary

• 甲斐 means "result (that makes an act worthwhile), worth (in doing something), value, effect, use, benefit, avail." 
• いつの間にか means "before one knows, before one becomes aware of, unnoticed, unawares"
• かくれる (usually written 隠れる) means "to hide, to conceal oneself, to take cover"

Kanji

The only new kanji is 斐 which is an N1 kanji that occurs in only 3 words, always preceded by 甲. The trendy Japanese concept of "ikigai" is 生き甲斐, where 生き comes from 生きる, "to live." So literally, "ikigai" means "reason to live."

Translation

Then, it had been worth climbing with all his might: the lake of blood where he had been until recently, had become hidden in the deep darkness before he had realized it.

Sentence 2:

それからあのぼんやり光っている恐ろしい針の山も、足の下になってしまいました。

それからあのぼんやりひかっているおそろしいはりのやまも、あしのしたになってしまいました。

And that terrible Mountain of Needles, too, shining dimly, had ended up under his feet.