[Translation from Japanese to English ] when I asked what they are doing, one of them replied back with mirthlessly "...

Original Text / Japanese

何をしているのですかとたずねると、一人は、「こんな石きりをきるのは大変で、悪戦苦闘の最中さ」と不愉快そうに応えました。

Translation / English

when I asked what they are doing, one of them replied back with mirthlessly "It's really hard to cut such quarrying and we are struggling badly."

Translation / English

When he asked what they were doing, one of the quarriers unpleasantly said, "It's hard to cut out such a stone and we are struggling with it."