Saturday, December 21, 2019

Why do some Koreans fear turning 19?

ANSWER: Because it usually means they are seniors in high school, a stressful time for many as they prepare to take the all important college entrance exam.

Below is another song by HAIL entitled "Nineteen," an age that Koreans usually turn when they are seniors in high school preparing to take their college entrance exams. In the song, a girl is worried about turning 19 and talks to herself, and to "Nineteen," about the stress she is feeling. Since Koreans calculate their age differently, in the United States the girl would only be turning 18.

"열아홉"
"Nineteen"


나에겐 고3이 안 올 줄 알았어
I never thought my senior year would come,


선배들 앓는 소리는 그저 남 얘기였지.
That the complaints of former seniors would be mine.


갑자기 선생님이 등을 찰싹 때려
But suddenly my teacher is slapping me on the back,

수능이 며칠 남았는데 자는 거니
Saying, “Sleeping with the entrance exam just days away?”

열아홉 자정에 도착한 거야.
Nineteen arrived at midnight.

무한도전 하나 맘 편히 볼 수도 없는
Though “Infinite Challenge” is on TV, I’m too stressed to watch it,

보고 싶은 영환 예고편으로 만족해야 하는
And I must be satisfied with trailers of movies I want to see.

열아홉은 왜 꼭 힘들지
Why must nineteen be so difficult?

누가 정한 거야 이 시험은
And who came up with this exam?

하룻밤 자면 스물일 순 없나?
Can’t I just sleep and be twenty when I wake?

열아홉 꼭 나에게 왔어야 했나 하는 질문 말고
Instead of saying, “Why must Nineteen come to me?”

열아홉 내가 널 지금껏 리다렸다고.”
Say, “Nineteen, I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”

우리의 만남을 피하려고 했지만
“Yes, I tried to avoid meeting you,

이제는 내가 널 사랑해보겠다고
“but now I will try loving you.”

힘들어도 잘 부탁해, 오 나의 열아홉
“Oh, my Nineteen, though it will be hard, please guide me.”

별들이 사르르 녹아드는 밤에
As stars softly melted into the night,

책상 앞에서 말했어 언제 끝나는 걸까
At my desk I asked, “When does it end?”

힘내라는 말로도 위로가 되지 않는 이 마음은
When even words of encouragement are uncomforting,

열아홉 자정에 도착한 거야.
Nineteen arrived at midnight.

일 년 뒤에 난 과연 어떤 모습일까
I wonder what I will look like in a year?

이렇게 자라서 아무 것도 없으면 어쩌지
What if I continue growing like this for nothing?

열아홉은 왜 꼭 힘들지
Why must nineteen be so difficult?

누가 정한 거야 이 시험은
And who came up with this exam?

하룻밤 자면 스물일 순 없나?
Can’t I just sleep and be twenty when I wake?

열아홉 꼭 나에게 왔어야 했나 하는 질문 말고
Instead of saying, “Why must Nineteen come to me?”

열아홉 내가 널 지금껏 리다렸다고.”
Say, “Nineteen, I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”

우리의 만남을 피하려고 했지만
“Yes, I tried to avoid meeting you," 

이제는 내가 널 사랑해보겠다고
“But now I will try loving you.”

힘들어도 잘 부탁해, 오 나의 열아홉
“Oh, my Nineteen, though it will be hard, please guide me.”

우리 하나만 기억해
"Let’s remember one thing."

그 날이 지나도
"Even when that day was over,"

언제나 그랬듯
"As if it were always so,"

넌 눈이 부신 걸
"You were dazzling."

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