매튜의 한국어 연습 블로그

UPDATE: Kudos to 'anonymous' for a few questions answered

Okay. So, I work at an Elementary school, right? I study Korean, right? I want to practice Korean more, right? I get the grammar and speaking at Ewha and some more speaking from my coworkers, students, and significant other but I don't have a chance to read and translate significant amounts of Korean (Facebook messages aside). I used to message like crazy on hanlingo last year but I think I need a little more structure (not to mention some easier texts). Enter: Gangwol Elementary School Library. Yes sir, jam-packed with books written in Korean, right? So I got to thinking...

So the story goes that I walked into the library really casually yesterday pretending to be checking out the selection. Clearly, I looked like a lost puppy. The librarian rose from her seat and approached me and asked "뭘 드릴까요?" ("can I help you?"). I nervously asked if there were any books I could check out. Simple books. Basic books.....kindergarten books. She smiled and ushered me to the adjacent room. "Oh. This must be where they keep the good books" I thought to myself. I entered a room colored in the most soft pink and yellow I've ever seen. A small room with bean bags, fuzzy carpet and plenty of Mercer Meyer. This was not where they kept the best books. This is where they kept the baby books. Seeing as how I left my pride at the door, I checked out three books (due in two weeks): 피터의 의자 (Peter's Chair), 세상에서 가장 큰 아이 (The Biggest Boy) and 늑대가 들려주는 아기돼지 삼형제 이야기 (True story of the three little pigs). The sweet librarian smiled and sent me on my way. "Awesome job Matthew. No students saw y...." my thoughts abruptly stopped as twenty of my students appeared standing outside the library. Their surprised faces quickly turned to curiosity at the brightly colored books I clutched to my chest. Then, the grins started. They knew what I was doing and they weren't going to let it down. I can still hear their giggling...

Sweet kids.

Anyways, the first two books are new to me and the last one is a Smith family favorite. I wanted to write in the books my own translation but obviously I can't do that, so instead I will transcribe the Korean and type my own English interpretation right here on this very blog. It won't be a direct translation sometimes - but then again - sometimes it might. Either way, it's just a chance for me to study Korean at a basic level (although, even more simple books would could be nice). I hope this is a launching point for me. I would love to read some Korean original texts in the future.

So with my trusty IRiver dictionary and total lack of pride, I usher a new feature on the blog - The Korean Book Club. I give you my rendition of Peter's Chair (피터의 의자). Enjoy.


피터의 의자
"Peter's Chair" 

Main Story:
피터는 팔을 한껏 뻗었어
Peter stretched his arm as far as he could.
됐다! 높은 빌딩이 완성되었어.
Done! The high building is completed.

와당탕! 어, 빌딩이 무너져 버렸네.
Oh no! the building collapsed.
엄마가 꾸짖었지.
Mom scolded me.
"쉬잇! 좀 조용히 놀아라.
"Shhh! Play quieter!
우리 집에는 갓난아기가 있어요."
There's an infant baby in the house!"

피터는 여동생 수지의 방을 들여다보았어.
Peter peeked inside Suzy's room
엄마가 요람을 가만가만 흔들고 있어.
Mom softly rocked the cradle.
피터는 생각했지.
Peter thought.
"저건 내 요람인데, 분홍색으로 칠해 버렸잖아!"
That's my cradle but it's painted pink!"

아빠가 피터를 불렀어.
Dad called to Peter.
"피터야, 네 동생 식탁 의자를 칠하는데 이리 와서 좀 도와 주갰니?"
"Peter, come here and help me paint your little sister's table (high chair)"
피터는 중얼거렸지. "저건 내 식탁 의자인데"
Peter grumbled. "But that's my table (high chair)..."

피터는 아기 침대를 보고 속삭였어.
Peter looked and whispered to the baby's bed.
"내 친대야. 그런데 이것도 분홍색으로 칠해 버렸어."
"My bed. But, this is also painted pink."
침대 곁에는 피터가 쓰던 의자가 놓여 있었어.
Peter's old chair was placed next to the bed.
피터는 소리쳤지.
Peter screamed.
"이건 아직 칠하지 않았잖아!"
"This isn't painted yet!"

피터는 의자를 들고 제 방으로 달려갔어.
Peter ran to my room holding the chair.
"윌리야, 우리 도망가자."
"Willie, let's go away."
피터는 쇼핑 백에 과자와 강아지 비스킷을 챙켜 넣었어.
Peter some snacks and doggie biscuits in order in a shopping bag.
"파란 의자랑 장난감 악어랑 내가 아기였을 때에 찍은 사진도 가져가자."
"Let's bring my blue chair, toy crocodile and pictures of when I was a baby."
윌리는 뼈다귀를 챙겼지.
Willie gathered his chew bone.

피터와 윌리는 밖으로 나와서 집 앞에 섰어.
Peter and Willie went out and stood in front of the house.
"여기가 좋겠어."
"Here will be good."
피터는 가져온 것들을 깔끔하게 벌여 놓고서 잠깐 의자에 앉아 쉬려고 했어.
Peter took out the carried things to organize them and took a quick rest on the chair.
그런데 앉을 수가 없었어. 피터가 너무 컸거든!
But Peter couldn't sit down. He was too big!

엄마가 창가로 와서 피터를 불렀어.
Mom called to Peter through the window
"피터야, 집으로 돌아오지 않을래?
Peter, don't you want to come inside the house?"
점심에 아주 맛있는 걸 해 먹을 건데."
You gotta eat some very delicious lunch."
피터와 윌리는 엄마의 말을 못 들은 척했어.
Peter and Willie pretended to not hear Mom's words.
피터에게는 따로 생각이 있었거든.
For Peter, he was thinking about everything

엄마는 피터가 집 안에 들어와 있다는 것을 곧 눈치 챘어.
Mom soon noticed Peter inside the house behind the curtain.
엄마는 마음이 놓여서 말했지.
Mom's mood became lighter.
"요 장난꾸러기가 커튼 뒤에 숨어 있구나."
"Hey you little rascal, you're hiding behind the curtain"

엄마는 커튼을 홱 젖혀지.
Mom suddenly pulled back the curtain.
하지만 피터는 거기에 없었어!
But Peter was not there!

피터가 소리쳤어. "나 여기 있어요."
Peter screamed "I'm here"

피터는 어른 의자에 앉았어.
Peter sat in a grown up chair.
아빠의 옆자리에 말이야.
Dad sat in the chair right next to me.
피터가 말했어. "아빠, 아기 의자를 분홍색으로 칠해서 수지한테 줄래요."
Peter said "Dad, can I paint the baby chair pink for Suzy?"

아빠와 피터는 의자에 분홍색 칠을 하기 시작했지
Dad and Peter started to paint the chair pink.



Amount understood without dictionary:
~60%

불가능 = not possible
가능 = possible.
ex) I can't come to the meeting on Friday. I'll be in America. It's impossible.
금요일에 미팅에 갈수 어뵤어요. 그 때는 미국에 있을 거에요. 불가능 해요.

너의=네
나의=내
Ex) These are my shoes. Those are your shoes.
내 신발이야. 네 신발이야.

분홍색 = pink

verb + 척 has the meaning of pretend
바쁜 척 하지마 - Don't pretend to be busy.

Still some unanswered questions:

- Why was the baby's high chair translated as dining table? (식탁 의자)
- Why did the narrator say "my room"? Is Wilie the narrator? (피터는 의자를 들고 제 방으로 달려갔어.)
- I think I did a bad translation here: (피터에게는 따로 생각이 있었거든. For Peter, he was thinking about everything)

Additional Notes:
The pictures helped with the translations. Also, having never read the story, I'm curious to see how accurate my translation is to the original English version. Perhaps something got lost in translation? All in all, a great starter but a little advanced for me at this point. I wanted to choose a book that was similar in writing style but a tad shorter. My first tutor 유정 once found me some awesome baby books which we dissected. Unfortunately, we only got around to doing one book at the time. Also, although western books translated to Korean are just fine, I would like to read some native Korean texts, too. Actually, I would prefer to read those as they are natively written texts instead of translated classics. But all in all, a great practice of typing and I hope to do more. Still can't figure out why Peter changed his mind, though...