한강의 《소년이 온다》는 영어를 구사하는 세계인들에게는 어떤 느낌으로 다가올까요? 같은 작품을 모국어로 읽는 경험과 외국어로 읽는 경험은 어떻게 다를까요? 한국어 사용자가 Human Acts를 읽는 일은 어떤 관점에서든 매우 흥미로운 경험이라고 아테나의 부엉이는 장담합니다.
2024년 노벨문학상 수상자인 한강의 대표작 《소년이 온다》는 1980년 광주 민주화 운동을 배경으로 하고 있지만 또 한 번 우리 민주주의가 위기에 처한 지금 여전히 시급한 메시지를 전달하고 있습니다.
The one stage in the process that you couldn’t quite get your head around was the singing of the national anthem, which took place at a brief, informal memorial service for the bereaved families, after their dead had been formally placed in the coffins. It was also strange to see the Taegukgi, the national flag, being spread over each coffin and tied tightly in place. Why would you sing the national anthem for people who’d been killed by soldiers? why cover the coffin with the Taegukgi? As though it wasn’t the nation itself that had murdered them.
When you cautiously voiced these thoughts, Eun-sook’s round eyes grew even larger.
“But the generals are rebels, they seized power unlawfully. You must have seen it: people being beaten and stabbed in broad daylight, and even shot. The ordinary soldiers were following the orders of their superiors. How can you call them the nation?”
Athena's Owl 