Beginners

『사랑을 말할 때 우리가 이야기하는 것What We Talk About When We Talk About Love』의 표제작으로도 잘 알려진 레이먼드 카버의 단편 소설입니다. 사랑은 무엇인지, 네 친구가 술잔을 놓고 가벼운 말투로 이야기합니다. 카버의 글을 무참히 가위질 한 것으로 알려진 편집자 고든 리시의 손이 닿지 않은, 미수정 버전을 읽어봅니다.

“Herb always has love on his mind,” she said. “Don’t you, honey?” She smiled now, and I thought that was the last of it.

“I just wouldn’t call Carl’s behavior love, that’s all I’m saying, honey,” Herb said. “What about you guys?” he said to Laura and me. “Does that sound like love to you?”

I shrugged. “I’m the wrong person to ask. I didn’t even know the man. I’ve only heard his name mentioned in passing. Carl. I wouldn’t know. You’d have to know all the particulars. Not in my book it isn’t, but who’s to say? There’re lots of different ways of behaving and showing affection. That way doesn’t happen to be mine. But what you’re saying, Herb, is that love is an absolute?”

일일 워크샵은 원문을 읽고 모여 다음과 같은 질문에 영어나 우리말로 대답해 보는 방식으로 진행됩니다. 아울러 주요 표현과 어휘를 살펴보고 글에 대한 감상도 함께 나눕니다.

Q. What do you think the narrator’s (“I”) definition of love might be? How does it compare to your own definition?