ขาว — Page 2
"I ate at the station."
"저는 역에서 먹었어요."
"That's not the same."
"그건 같은 게 아니잖아요."
They went inside.
그들은 안으로 들어갔다.
The house smelled of rice and of wood and of the particular combination of soap and incense her mother had used for as long as Nipa could remember.
집 안에는 쌀 냄새와 나무 냄새, 그리고 니파가 기억하는 한 어머니가 늘 써온 비누와 향의 독특한 조합이 배어 있었다.
The kitchen was the same kitchen — the dent in the cabinet her father had made moving furniture the year before he passed, the calendar on the wall two months behind, the ceramic bowl with the small chip in its rim that no one had ever thrown away.
부엌은 여전히 그 부엌이었다 — 아버지가 돌아가시기 전 해에 가구를 옮기다 만든 찬장의 흠집, 두 달이나 뒤처진 벽의 달력, 아무도 버리지 않은 테두리가 살짝 깨진 도자기 그릇.
But there were other things.
하지만 달라진 것들도 있었다.
The corner of the kitchen near the back door, where the water bowl had sat — clean now, bare tile.
뒷문 가까운 부엌 모퉁이, 물그릇이 놓여 있던 자리 — 이제는 깨끗하게 비워진 맨 타일만 남아 있었다.
The foot of the stairs, where Nipa used to step over a white shape in the dark on her way to bed — clear.
계단 아래, 니파가 잠자리에 들 때 어둠 속에서 하얀 형체를 넘어 다니곤 했던 그 자리 — 텅 비어 있었다.
The porch, where two chairs faced the garden in the evening, and the space on the floor between them where he had always settled, chin on paws, watching the gate even from a distance.
저녁이면 두 의자가 정원을 향하던 현관, 그 사이 바닥의 자리 — 그가 늘 앞발에 턱을 괴고 멀리서도 대문을 바라보며 자리를 잡곤 했던 곳.
The space was just space now.
이제 그 자리는 그냥 빈자리일 뿐이었다.
Nipa sat down at the kitchen table and her mother put tea in front of her without asking and then sat across from her in the way she sat when she had something to say but was waiting for the right moment to say it.
니파는 부엌 식탁에 앉았고, 어머니는 묻지도 않고 그녀 앞에 차를 내려놓은 뒤 할 말이 있지만 적절한 순간을 기다리고 있을 때의 그 자세로 맞은편에 앉았다.
They had been doing this since Nipa was small, this particular arrangement of patience between them.
니파가 어릴 때부터 그들은 이래왔다, 이 특유의 인내의 배치를.
"He went on a Tuesday," her mother said.
"그 애는 화요일에 갔어," 어머니가 말했다.
"In the evening.
"저녁에.
It was not difficult."
힘들지는 않았어."
"You told me."
"말씀하셨잖아요."
"I know.
"알아.
But it's different to say it here."
하지만 여기서 말하는 건 다르잖니."
Nipa wrapped both hands around the cup.
니파는 두 손으로 컵을 감쌌다.
The tea was jasmine, which her mother made when she wanted to be gentle about something.
차는 재스민 차였는데, 어머니가 무언가에 대해 부드럽게 대하고 싶을 때 끓이는 것이었다.
"Did he know you were with him?"
"엄마가 곁에 있다는 걸 알았을까요?"
Vocabulary
- 저는
- jeoneun — I (topic marker attached, formal/polite)
- 역에서
- yeogeseo — At or from the station
- 먹었어요
- meogeosseoyo — Ate (past tense, polite form)
- 그건
- geugeon — That is, that thing (contraction)
- 같은
- gateun — Same, similar, like
- 게
- ge — Thing, fact (informal contraction of 것이)
- 아니잖아요
- anijanaayo — You know it isn't, isn't it? (polite)
- 그들은
- geudeureun — They (topic marker attached)
- 안으로
- aneuro — Into the inside, inward
- 들어갔다
- deureogatta — Entered, went inside (past tense)
- 집
- jip — House, home
- 안에는
- aneneun — Inside (topic marker attached)
- 쌀
- ssal — Uncooked rice
- 냄새와
- naemsaewa — Smell of, scent of (with conjunction)
- 나무
- namu — Tree, wood
- 냄새
- naemsae — Smell, scent, odor
- 그리고
- geurigo — And, and then (conjunction)
- 기억하는
- gieokaneun — Remembering, that one remembers
- 한
- han — One, a certain (modifier)
- 어머니가
- eomeoniga — Mother (subject marker attached)
- 늘
- neul — Always, habitually
- 써온
- sseoOn — Has been using (over time)
- 비누와
- binuwa — Soap (with conjunction 'and')
- 향의
- hyangui — Of fragrance, of scent (possessive)
- 독특한
- dokteukan — Unique, distinctive, peculiar
- 조합이
- joabi — Combination, mixture (subject marker)
- 배어
- baeo — Soaked in, permeated, steeped
- 있었다
- isseotda — There was, existed (past tense)
- 부엌은
- bueokkeun — The kitchen (topic marker attached)
- 여전히
- yeojeonhi — Still, as before, unchanged
- 부엌이었다
- bueokkyieotda — Was the kitchen (past tense copula)
- 아버지가
- abeojiga — Father (subject marker attached)
- 돌아가시기
- doraGasigi — Passing away (honorific, noun form)
- 전
- jeon — Before, prior to
- 해에
- haee — In the year (time particle attached)
- 가구를
- gagureul — Furniture (object marker attached)
- 옮기다
- omgida — To move, to relocate something
- 만든
- mandeun — Made, created (modifier form)
- 찬장의
- chanjangui — Of the cupboard (possessive marker)
- 흠집
- heumjip — Scratch, nick, blemish on surface
- 두
- du — Two (numeral)
- 달이나
- darinna — Even months, as many as months
- 뒤처진
- dwicheoijin — Fallen behind, lagging, outdated
- 벽의
- byeogui — Of the wall (possessive marker)
- 달력
- dallyeok — Calendar
- 아무도
- amudo — Nobody, no one (with negative verb)
- 버리지
- beoriji — Throw away, discard (verb stem form)
- 않은
- aneun — Did not, has not (negative modifier)
- 테두리가
- tedeuriga — The rim, border, edge (subject marker)
- 살짝
- saljjak — Slightly, lightly, just a little
- 깨진
- kkaejin — Broken, cracked, chipped
- 도자기
- dojagi — Porcelain, ceramic ware
- 그릇
- geureut — Bowl, dish, vessel
- 하지만
- hajiman — However, but, nevertheless
- 달라진
- dallaijin — Changed, altered, different now
- 것들도
- geotdeuldo — Things also, things too (plural)
- 뒷문
- dwinmun — Back door
- 가까운
- gakkaun — Near, close, nearby
- 모퉁이
- motungi — Corner, nook of a room
- 물그릇이
- mulgeureusi — Water bowl (subject marker attached)
- 놓여
- noyeo — Placed, laid, set down
- 있던
- itdeon — That used to be, that was there
- 자리
- jari — Spot, place, seat
- 이제는
- ijeoneun — Now (topic marker, contrasting emphasis)
- 깨끗하게
- kkaekkeuthage — Cleanly, neatly, spotlessly
- 비워진
- biwojin — Emptied out, cleared, vacated
- 맨
- maen — Bare, plain, nothing but
- 타일만
- tailman — Only tile, nothing but tile
- 남아
- nama — Remaining, left behind
- 계단
- gyedan — Stairs, staircase
- 아래
- arae — Below, underneath, under
- 잠자리에
- jamjaRie — To bed, to sleep (directional particle)
- 들
- deul — Enter (also plural marker depending on context)
- 때
- ttae — Time, moment, when
- 어둠
- eodum — Darkness, the dark
- 속에서
- sogeso — Inside, within, in the midst of
- 하얀
- hayan — White, whitish (adjective modifier)
- 형체를
- hyeongchereul — Form, figure, shape (object marker)
- 넘어
- neomeo — Over, crossing, stepping over
- 다니곤
- danikkon — Used to go around, used to pass
- 했던
- haetdeon — Used to do, had done (past habit)
- 텅
- teong — Completely empty (emphatic adverb)
- 비어
- bieo — Empty, vacant, void
- 저녁이면
- jeonyeogiMyeon — In the evenings, whenever evening came
- 의자가
- uijaga — The chair (subject marker attached)
- 정원을
- jeongwoneul — The garden (object marker attached)
- 향하던
- hyanghadeon — Used to face, used to point toward
- 현관
- hyeongwan — Entryway, foyer, front entrance
- 사이
- sai — Between, among, gap
- 바닥의
- badagui — Of the floor (possessive marker)
- 앞발에
- apbaRe — On the front paws (locative particle)
- 턱을
- teogeul — Chin, jaw (object marker attached)
- 괴고
- goego — Resting on, propping up (chin)
- 멀리서도
- meolliseodo — Even from far away, even at distance
- 대문을
- daemunEul — The front gate (object marker)
- 바라보며
- barabomyeo — While gazing at, while looking toward
- 자리를
- jarireul — The spot, place (object marker attached)
- 잡곤
- japkon — Used to take a spot, used to settle
- 곳
- got — Place, spot, location
- 이제
- ije — Now, at this point
- 그냥
- geunyang — Just, simply, without reason
- 빈자리일
- binjariiI — An empty spot, vacant place (predicate)
- 뿐이었다
- ppuniEotda — Was only, was merely, nothing more
- 식탁에
- siktage — At the dining table (locative particle)
- 앉았고
- anjatgo — Sat down and (past tense conjunction)
- 묻지도
- mutjido — Without even asking (negative emphasis)
- 않고
- anko — Without doing, not doing (connective)
- 그녀
- geunyeo — She, her
- 앞에
- apE — In front of, before (locative)
- 차를
- chareul — Tea (object marker attached)
- 내려놓은
- naeryeonoeun — Having set down, placed down
- 뒤
- dwi — After, behind, back
- 할
- hal — To do, will do (future modifier)
- 말이
- mari — Words, speech (subject marker attached)
- 있지만
- itjiman — There is, but... (concessive)
- 적절한
- jeokjeolhan — Appropriate, suitable, fitting
- 순간을
- sunganeul — The moment (object marker attached)
- 기다리고
- gidarigo — Waiting, and waiting (connective)
- 있을
- isseul — Will be, is (future/modifier form)
- 때의
- ttaeui — Of the time when (possessive)
- 자세로
- jasero — In the posture of, with the attitude
- 맞은편에
- majeunpyeone — Across from, on the opposite side
- 앉았다
- anjatta — Sat down (past tense)
- 어릴
- eoril — Young, childhood (modifier form)
- 때부터
- ttaebuteo — Since the time, from when
- 이래왔다
- iraeWatda — Has been like this, always this way
- 특유의
- teugYuui — Characteristic of, unique to (possessive)
- 인내의
- innaeui — Of patience, of endurance (possessive)
- 배치를
- baechireul — Arrangement, positioning (object marker)
- 애는
- aeNeun — The kid, the child (topic marker, informal)
- 화요일에
- hwayoiRe — On Tuesday (time particle)
- 갔어
- gasseo — Went (past tense, informal)
- 말했다
- malhaetda — Said, spoke (past tense)
- 저녁에
- jeonyeoge — In the evening (time particle)
- 힘들지는
- himDeUljineun — Isn't it hard, isn't it difficult (topic)
- 않았어
- anasseo — Did not, was not (past, informal)
- 말씀하셨잖아요
- malsseuMhasyeotjanaYo — You said so, you mentioned it (honorific)
- 알아
- ara — I know, I understand (informal)
- 여기서
- yeogiseo — Here, from this place
- 말하는
- malHaneun — Saying, talking about (modifier form)
- 건
- geon — Thing, matter (contraction of 것은)
- 다르잖니
- dareuJanni — It's different, you know (informal)
- 손으로
- sonEuro — With hands, using hands
- 컵을
- keobeul — The cup (object marker attached)
- 감쌌다
- gamsattda — Wrapped, cupped, enclosed (past tense)
- 차는
- chaneun — The tea (topic marker attached)
- 차였는데
- chayeotNeunde — Was tea, but... (past tense concessive)
- 무언가에
- mueongaE — Toward something, regarding something
- 대해
- daehae — About, regarding, concerning
- 부드럽게
- budeureobge — Gently, softly, tenderly
- 대하고
- daehago — To treat, to deal with (connective)
- 싶을
- sipEul — Want to (future/modifier form)
- 끓이는
- kkeulhiNeun — Boiling, brewing (modifier form)
- 것이었다
- geosiyeotda — Was the thing, was what (past copula)
- 엄마가
- eommaga — Mom, mother (subject marker attached)
- 곁에
- gyeote — By one's side, beside, near
- 있다는
- itdaneun — That there is, that one is present
- 걸
- geol — The fact that (informal contraction)
- 알았을까요
- araSSeuLkkayo — Did he/she know? Would he have known?
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