Day 138: Arguing Over Azaleas

Dialogue

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1. 1

   A 선생님, 질문이 있는데요. 교과서에 나온 '진달래꽃' 해석이 저는 좀 틀린 것 같아요.

   Seonsaengnim, jilmuni inneundeyo. Gyogwaseoe naon 'jindallaekkot' haeseogi jeoneun jom teullin geot gatayo.

   Sir, I have a question. I think the textbook's reading of "Azaleas" is kind of wrong.

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2. 2

   B 오, 교과서가 틀렸다고? 어떤 부분이?

   O, gyogwaseoga teullyeotdago? Eotteon bubuni?

   Oh, the textbook's wrong? Which part?

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3. 3

   A 교과서에서는 이 시가 이별을 조용히 받아들이는 체념의 노래라고 하잖아요.

   Gyogwaseoeseoneun i siga ibyeoreul joyonghi badadeurineun chenyeomui noraerago hajanayo.

   The textbook says the poem is a song of resignation, about quietly accepting a parting.

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4. 4

   B 그렇지. 가장 널리 받아들여지는 해석이야.

   Geureochi. Gajang neolli badadeuryeojineun haeseogiya.

   Right. That's the most widely accepted reading.

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   A 근데 참고서는 그걸 그냥 외우기만 하라고 해요. 저는 읽을수록 화자가 화가 난 것 같거든요.

   Geunde chamgoseoneun geugeol geunyang oeugiman harago haeyo. Jeoneun ilgeulsurok hwajaga hwaga nan geot gatgeodeunyo.

   But the study guide just tells us to memorize it. The more I read it, the more it seems to me the speaker is angry.

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6. 6

   B 재미있는 생각이네. 그런데 느낌만으로는 안 되고, 시 안에서 근거를 찾아야지. 어디서 그렇게 느꼈어?

   Jaemiinneun saenggagine. Geureonde neukkimmaneuroneun an doego, si aneseo geungeoreul chajayaji. Eodiseo geureoke neukkyeosseo?

   Interesting idea. But a feeling isn't enough; you have to find evidence in the poem. Where did you get that from?

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7. 7

   A 진달래꽃을 따다가 가는 길에 뿌린다고 하잖아요. 그걸 밟고 가라고 하는 건 오히려 마음을 무겁게 하려는 것 같아요.

   Jindallaekkocheul ttadaga ganeun gire ppurindago hajanayo. Geugeol bapgo garago haneun geon ohiryeo maeumeul mugeopge haryeoneun geot gatayo.

   She says she'll pick azaleas and scatter them on his path. Telling him to walk over them seems more like she wants to weigh on his conscience.

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8. 8

   B 음, '사뿐히 즈려밟고 가시옵소서' 말이지? 그 구절을 그렇게 읽는 사람도 있어.

   Eum, 'sappunhi jeuryeobapgo gasiopsoseo' mariji? Geu gujeoreul geureoke ingneun saramdo isseo.

   Hmm, you mean "tread lightly on them as you go"? Some people do read that line that way.

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9. 9

   A 게다가 마지막에 '죽어도 아니 눈물 흘리우리다'라고 하는데, 정말 안 울 사람이면 굳이 그렇게 말할 필요가 없잖아요.

   Gedaga majimage 'jugeodo ani nunmul heulliurida'rago haneunde, jeongmal an ul saramimyeon guji geureoke malhal piryoga eopjanayo.

   And at the end she says, "I will not shed a tear, though I die." If she really weren't going to cry, she wouldn't need to say it.

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10. 10

    B 좋은 지적이야. 그걸 반어라고 하지. 말로는 안 운다고 하지만 화자의 내면은 누구보다 슬픈 거지.

    Joeun jijeogiya. Geugeol baneorago haji. Malloneun an undago hajiman hwajaui naemyeoneun nuguboda seulpeun geoji.

    Good point. That's called irony. She says she won't cry, but inside she's sadder than anyone.

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    A 그러니까요. 교과서 해석은 표현을 너무 단순하게 볼뿐더러, 감정도 하나로 정해 버리는 거 아니에요?

    Geureonikkayo. Gyogwaseo haeseogeun pyohyeoneul neomu dansunhage bolppundeoreo, gamjeongdo hanaro jeonghae beorineun geo anieyo?

    Exactly. So doesn't the textbook reading look at the language too simply, and pin the feelings down to just one?

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12. 12

    B 교과서가 틀렸다기보다는 가장 무난한 해석을 실은 거지. 하지만 겉으로 하는 말과 속마음은 다를 수 있지. 그건 중요한 관점이야.

    Gyogwaseoga teullyeotdagibodaneun gajang munanhan haeseogeul sireun geoji. Hajiman geoteuro haneun malgwa songmaeumeun dareul su itji. Geugeon jungyohan gwanjeomiya.

    It's not so much that the textbook is wrong as that it printed the safest reading. But what someone says and what they really feel can differ. That's an important way to look at it.

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13. 13

    A 그럼 원망이라고 봐도 되는 거예요?

    Geureom wonmangirago bwado doeneun geoyeyo?

    So can I read it as resentment?

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14. 14

    B 원망만 있을까? 사랑하니까 원망도 하는 거겠지. 체념과 원망이 섞여 있다고 보는 게 더 설득력 있을 거야.

    Wonmangman isseulkka? Saranghanikka wonmangdo haneun geogetji. Chenyeomgwa wonmangi seokkyeo itdago boneun ge deo seoldeungnyeok isseul geoya.

    Is it only resentment? She resents him because she loves him. It'd be more convincing to see resignation and resentment mixed together.

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    A 아, 그렇게 보면 제 해석이랑 교과서 해석이 둘 다 일리가 있네요.

    A, geureoke bomyeon je haeseogirang gyogwaseo haeseogi dul da illiga inneyo.

    Oh, seen that way, both my reading and the textbook's make sense.

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    B 그렇지. 문학에는 정해진 해답이 하나만 있는 게 아니야. 대신 근거 없는 해석은 그냥 감상일 뿐이고.

    Geureochi. Munhageneun jeonghaejin haedabi hanaman inneun ge aniya. Daesin geungeo eomneun haeseogeun geunyang gamsangil ppunigo.

    Exactly. Literature doesn't have just one set answer. But a reading without evidence is just an impression.

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17. 17

    A 근데 시험에서는 교과서 해석대로 쓰기만 하면 맞고, 다르게 쓰면 틀리잖아요. 너무 획일적이에요.

    Geunde siheomeseoneun gyogwaseo haeseokdaero sseugiman hamyeon matgo, dareuge sseumyeon teullijanayo. Neomu hoegiljeogieyo.

    But on tests, if you just write the textbook reading you're right, and if you write something different you're wrong. It's so one-size-fits-all.

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    B 객관식 시험은 어쩔 수 없지. 대신 이번 수행평가 보고서에 오늘 얘기한 걸 써 봐. 구절마다 근거를 달아서.

    Gaekgwansik siheomeun eojjeol su eopji. Daesin ibeon suhaengpyeongga bogoseoe oneul yaegihan geol sseo bwa. Gujeolmada geungeoreul daraseo.

    Multiple-choice tests are what they are. But put what we talked about today in your coursework report. Back up every line with evidence.

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    A 좋아요. 시인이 이 시를 쓸 때의 상황도 찾아볼게요. 김소월에 관한 자료도 도서관에 있겠죠?

    Joayo. Siini i sireul sseul ttaeui sanghwangdo chajabolgeyo. Gimsowore gwanhan jaryodo doseogwane itgetjyo?

    Okay. I'll also look into what was going on when the poet wrote it. The library will have material on Kim Sowol, right?

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    B 많지. 근데 시인의 삶으로 시를 다 설명하려고 하지는 마. 시 자체를 꼼꼼히 읽는 게 먼저야.

    Manchi. Geunde siinui salmeuro sireul da seolmyeongharyeogo hajineun ma. Si jachereul kkomkkomhi ingneun ge meonjeoya.

    Plenty. But don't try to explain the whole poem through the poet's life. Reading the poem itself closely comes first.

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