Day 143: Why Hangeul Day Is a Holiday

Dialogue

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1. 1

   C 엄마, 오늘 학교 안 가는 건 좋은데 왜 쉬는 거야? 한글은 그냥 글자잖아.

   Eomma, oneul hakgyo an ganeun geon joeunde wae swineun geoya? Hangeureun geunyang geuljajana.

   Mom, I'm glad there's no school today, but why is it a holiday? Hangeul is just an alphabet.

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2. 2

   A 그냥 글자라니. 저기 세종대왕 동상 보이지? 오늘이 저분이 만드신 한글을 기념하는 날이야.

   Geunyang geuljarani. Jeogi Sejongdaewang dongsang boiji? Oneuri jeobuni mandeusin hangeureul ginyeomhaneun nariya.

   Just an alphabet? See the statue of King Sejong over there? Today is the day we celebrate the alphabet he created.

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3. 3

   C 알아, 세종대왕이 한글 만든 거. 근데 글자 만든 게 그렇게 대단한 일이야?

   Ara, sejongdaewangi hangeul mandeun geo. Geunde geulja mandeun ge geureoke daedanhan iriya?

   I know King Sejong made Hangeul. But is making an alphabet really such a big deal?

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4. 4

   B 대단하지. 한글이 없던 시절을 생각해 봐. 조선 시대에는 글을 쓰려면 어려운 한자를 써야 했어.

   Daedanhaji. Hangeuri eopdeon sijeoreul saenggakae bwa. Joseon sidaeeneun geureul sseuryeomyeon eoryeoun hanjareul sseoya haesseo.

   It's a very big deal. Think about the days before Hangeul. In the Joseon era, if you wanted to write, you had to use difficult Chinese characters.

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5. 5

   C 한자? 난 내 이름 한자도 못 쓰는데.

   Hanja? Nan nae ireum hanjado mot sseuneunde.

   Chinese characters? I can't even write my own name in them.

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6. 6

   A 그러니까. 너한테는 한글로 읽고 쓰는 게 당연할 테지만, 그때 백성들은 대부분 글을 전혀 몰랐어.

   Geureonikka. Neohanteneun hangeullo ilgo sseuneun ge dangyeonhal tejiman, geuttae baekseongdeureun daebubun geureul jeonhyeo mollasseo.

   Exactly. Reading and writing in Hangeul may seem obvious to you, but back then most ordinary people couldn't read or write at all.

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7. 7

   C 그럼 억울한 일이 있어도 편지도 못 쓰고, 법도 못 읽었겠네?

   Geureom eogulhan iri isseodo pyeonjido mot sseugo, beopdo mot ilgeotgenne?

   So even if something unfair happened to them, they couldn't write a letter or read the law?

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8. 8

   B 바로 그거야. 한자를 배우려면 시간도 돈도 많이 들어서, 글은 거의 양반들만 알았거든. 세종대왕은 그게 안타까우셨던 거야.

   Baro geugeoya. Hanjareul baeuryeomyeon sigando dondo mani deureoseo, geureun geoui yangbandeulman aratgeodeun. Sejongdaewangeun geuge antakkausyeotdeon geoya.

   That's exactly it. Learning Chinese characters took a lot of time and money, so almost only the noble class could write. King Sejong felt sorry about that.

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9. 9

   C 그래서 쉬운 글자를 만드신 거야? 그럼 다들 좋아했겠다.

   Geuraeseo swiun geuljareul mandeusin geoya? Geureom dadeul joahaetgetda.

   So he made an easy alphabet? Then everyone must have loved it.

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10. 10

    A 그런데 그렇지도 않았어. 신하들 중에는 반대하는 사람이 꽤 있었어. 한자를 두고 새 글자를 만드는 건 옳지 않다면서.

    Geureonde geureochido anasseo. Sinhadeul jungeneun bandaehaneun sarami kkwae isseosseo. Hanjareul dugo sae geuljareul mandeuneun geon olchi antamyeonseo.

    Actually, no. Quite a few of his officials were against it. They said it wasn't right to make new letters when they already had Chinese characters.

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11. 11

    C 왜? 쉬운 글자가 생기면 좋은 거 아니야?

    Wae? Swiun geuljaga saenggimyeon joeun geo aniya?

    Why? Isn't it good to have an easy alphabet?

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12. 12

    B 중국과의 관계가 나빠질까 봐 걱정한 사람도 있었고, 양반들만 누리던 걸 나누기 싫었을 수도 있지.

    Junggukgwaui gwangyega nappajilkka bwa geokjeonghan saramdo isseotgo, yangbandeulman nurideon geol nanugi sireosseul sudo itji.

    Some worried it would hurt relations with China, and some may not have wanted to share what only the nobles enjoyed.

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13. 13

    C 그래도 세종대왕은 계속 만드셨어?

    Geuraedo Sejongdaewangeun gyesok mandeusyeosseo?

    But King Sejong kept going anyway?

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14. 14

    A 응. 신하들의 반대에도 불구하고 끝까지 만드셨어. 이름은 훈민정음, 백성을 가르치는 바른 소리야.

    Eung. Sinhadeurui bandaeedo bulguhago kkeutkkaji mandeusyeosseo. Ireumeun Hunminjeongeum, baekseongeul gareuchineun bareun soriya.

    Yes. He saw it through despite his officials' opposition. He named it Hunminjeongeum, "the correct sounds for teaching the people."

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15. 15

    C 근데 왜 하필 오늘이 한글날이야?

    Geunde wae hapil oneuri hangeullariya?

    But why is Hangeul Day today, of all days?

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16. 16

    B 훈민정음을 세상에 널리 알린 게 1446년 음력 9월인데, 그걸 양력으로 바꾸면 10월 9일쯤 되거든.

    Hunminjeongeumeul sesange neolli allin ge 1446nyeon eumnyeok 9worinde, geugeol yangnyeogeuro bakkumyeon 10wol 9iljjeum doegeodeun.

    Hunminjeongeum was proclaimed in the ninth lunar month of 1446, and in the solar calendar that comes to about October 9th.

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17. 17

    A 너는 당연히 쉬는 날인 줄 알 테지만, 한글날이 한동안은 공휴일이 아니었어. 쉬는 날이 너무 많다고 빠졌다가 2013년에 다시 공휴일이 됐지.

    Neoneun dangyeonhi swineun narin jul al tejiman, hangeullari handonganeun gonghyuiri anieosseo. Swineun nari neomu mantago ppajyeotdaga 2013nyeone dasi gonghyuiri dwaetji.

    You probably think it's always been a day off, but for a while Hangeul Day wasn't a public holiday. It was dropped because there were too many holidays, and became one again in 2013.

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18. 18

    C 다시 공휴일로 만든 사람들 진짜 잘했다. 덕분에 나도 쉬잖아.

    Dasi gonghyuillo mandeun saramdeul jinjja jalhaetda. Deokbune nado swijana.

    The people who made it a holiday again did a great job. Thanks to them, I get the day off.

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19. 19

    B 하하, 결국 그게 제일 중요하구나. 그럼 동상 밑에 있는 전시관에 가서 훈민정음 책도 직접 보자.

    Haha, gyeolguk geuge jeil jungyohaguna. Geureom dongsang mite inneun jeonsigwane gaseo Hunminjeongeum chaekdo jikjeop boja.

    Ha, so that's what matters most in the end. Then let's go to the exhibition hall under the statue and see the Hunminjeongeum book for ourselves.

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20. 20

    C 좋아! 대신 다 보고 나서 떡볶이 사 줘. 세종대왕님도 배고픈 백성은 챙겨 주셨을 거야.

    Joa! Daesin da bogo naseo tteokbokki sa jwo. Sejongdaewangnimdo baegopeun baekseongeun chaenggyeo jusyeosseul geoya.

    Okay! But buy me tteokbokki afterwards. King Sejong would have looked after a hungry subject too.

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