Translation

[dedalusj]

So, I translated this.  Unlike the Grand Narrative (the smartest Korean blog, ever) or Korea Beat I am not going to add any cogent gems of insight.  This is my first translation of an article and though it was not very difficult, it took longer than I expected.  So, how did I do?

Also if anyone can explain the one phrase I could not figure out 그제서야

Comments

[tharp42]

Dude, you rule.

My conversational Korean is decent, but I can't read the paper to save my life. I was with my GF yesterday and attempted to read the paper, but I was useless.

I've studied Korean off and on for four years now, and can speak it well enough in any basic circumstance (mistake-y/mangling) , but I'd never be able to translate an article.

[dedalusj]

Thanks for the accolades but it is not as impressive as it seems. I have tried this a few times with other articles and I rarely make it past the first paragraph. This one was in my lexical "sweet spot" because it is about language and foreigners. The grammar was also easy

[beanrows]

그제서야 = "only then." It's a more colloquial and/or non-standard version of 그때서야.

그 'That' + 때 'time, moment.' 서야 is harder to explain, but it takes the noun 그때 and turns it into something similar to the V + 어야. 그때 is a destination or a goal much as the V would be in that situation.

EDIT: You know, now that I think about it, 그때서야 might have formed as a contraction of 그때 가서야, and 그제서야 might have formed as a result of levelling with 이제(와)서야.

[dedalusj]

Thanks so much.

As is usually the case with things like this it makes perfect sense in hindsight. I am kicking myself for not seeing the 이제/그제 connection.

[pisica_habibi]

Dayum, I could never translate a newspaper article.

Say, do you have your flight? Would it be imposing to suggest hanging out one last time before you leave? (either Seoul or Andong - again, if it's not imposing?)

[dedalusj]

I have already assumed we would be doing that. Perhaps the weekend of the 20th. I have no idea where though, any ideas?

We leave for Malaysia the 28th.

[pisica_habibi]

Well...which do you prefer? Andong or Seoul? (or elsewhere?) I don't think I could get that Friday off (too last minute), but I might be able to leave earlyish.....what say you?

[squishibananas]

자랑, haha, I like your tag and I bet you are. I’ve looked at newspapers before and make papier-mâché masks out of them.

I never have any trouble with taxi drivers. I usually know where I’m going anyway and I’ve only once had a taxi driver take me on the scenic route (and that was even with a Korean in the car… even Koreans get jipped!). I like to believe that talking to the taxi driver in Korean does something for me… they aren’t so stressed about having a foreigner in the car… I get from A to B without incurring extra fees because I must have lived here for ages if I can speak Korean like that. Actually, taxi drivers were how I learnt 직진. Maybe this mostly just occurs in Seoul where there are more foreigners…

Oi, when’s the garage sale?

[pisica_habibi]

Yeah, we need garage sale info, yo!