I bought a Korean DVD of the film A Tale of Two Sisters a while back and it came with a 35mm negative with something written in Korean and I was wondering what it says and who wrote it (the director?). The first image is of the handwritten message, the second is of a printed message from the director and the third is a picture of the package. If someone could help me with this I’d greatly appreciate it as it would end a two year mystery for me!
I’m having a hard time reading the handwriting (and probably couldn’t translate it anyways), but the last two words are “yong-wha imnida” or “movie” and the verb “is” and it’s signed by Kim Ji-un…
Same as divemaster, if you don’t have an answer by tonight I’ll ask my wife to translate it for you! One way or another, you’ll get an answer.
OK, I’m on my lunch break. Time for a more thorough treatment.
I’ll translate the handwritten part as well as I can. Please bear in mind that Korean isn’t my native language, and that this guy’s chickenscratch is hard to make out:
“For those who take it to heart every time I work
For those who are disappointed whenever I restrain myself
In the spirit of Kabata Yasunari’s words, 'Changhwa Hongryun is for you–Kim Ji Un”
He might also be talking about himself taking it to heart and feeling disappointment and dedicating the film to everyone, but the first translation makes more sense to me. If HazelnutCoffee or Bear Nenno disagree, you should definitely take their word over mine.
After all these years, I still can’t make out handwritten Korean :smack:
Sorry, as I’ve said, I’d been going over this pretty quickly (so I missed the part where you said that you already had the DVD).
Let me get the rest of the typewritten quote above the handwritten message for you:
“From the moment the writer lays down his pen, whether the work goes on to survive or die depends not on him but only on the reader.–Kawabata Yasunari”
If any native Korean speakers happen upon this thread, I would love a critique of my translation of the handwritten portion. Thanks.
Okay, so the hand written part is not easy to read, but the typed out part is the same as Linty just said. Also, the name of the movie is just the names of the two girls, Janghwa and Honglyun.
As for the written part, this is about what I can make out:
“Every time I create something, everytime I something something,
every time I give it my all, every time I fall short (something like that)
As Kawabata Yasunari says, this movie, Janghwa and Honglyun, is yours (the viewer).”
My wife translated it. However, she said it’s not so easy to do a word for word literal translation. You have to get the nuance and emotion of the words. So what I was able to jot down from her is more of a concept translation. (The issue for her is not the Korean, she had no problem with that. The issue is finding the appropriate English phrasing)
The cover is just the names of the two girls in the movie (the character names, not the actress names): Janghwa and Hongryeon
The printed part goes like this:
“As soon as the writer puts the pen down, either this masterpiece becomes alive or fades away. It only depends on the audience.” – Gawabata Yasunari
The handwritten part is:
"(I often/every time) feel restrained on this masterpiece; at the same time I feel (keenly/heartily/with all my energy/with all my soul) as well. (I often/every time)work so hard but at the same time (feel despaired/get discouraged/lose heart). As Gawabata Yasunari says above, “A Tale of Two Sisters” (literally: “Janghwa and Hongryeon”) is your movie.
OK, that’s definitely Every time (maebon). I’m also pretty sure that the last word is Jeol’gam ha (illegible syllable). Now Jeol’gam hada means to be passionate about something or take something to heart. The hell of it is that without that very last syllable, we don’t know exactly what’s being said.
Not so sure about “create something,” though. The verb is “Jak’op hada” which my dictionary says means “To work” or “conduct operations” The problem is that I can’t be sure if he’s both working(or creating) and being passionate or if someone else is passionate about what Ji-un working on (or creating).
OK, once again, I agree with you on “every time,” but the verb there is an’gan’himul ssuda, which means to hold back or restrain oneself, not give it your all. It’s easy to confuse with himul ssuda which means to make effort.
The second verb looks like Nak’dam hada which means to be discouraged or to lose heart (which makes my original translation incorrect).
Literally, you’re correct. However, I’m seeing the first part in a more figurative sense, especially in light of Kawabata’s quote above saying that it all depends on the reader, hence “In the spirit of Kawabata’s words”. The more I think about it, the more I think you’re right about the last part with yorobun’ui’yonghwa meaning “your movie” (“yours”, in other words).
everytime work, everytime feel how hard it is
everytime try my best, everytime disappoint myself.
as what Gawabata Yasunari said, ‘Janghwahongryun’ is your movie
Kim Ji Un
[nitpick]The girls aren’t called Janghwa and Hongryeon in the movie. Janghwa and Hongryeon are the names of the girls in the folktale on which the movie is based.[/nitpick]
Every time I work, I feel deeply, and every time I strive I despair as well. Just as Kawabata Yasunari says, “A Tale of Two Sisters” is your movie now. (generic plural you) - Kim Jiwoon
Whether the work lives on or dies after the author lays down their pen does not depend on the author, but only on the readers. - Kawabata Yasunari
Also, A Tale of Two Sisters is called Janghwa, Hongryun in Korean, which are the names of the two sisters in the story, as Linty Fresh noted.
Actually, a more literal translation of the Yasunari quote (the second image) would be: From the moment the author lays down their pen, whether the work lives on or dies has nothing to do with the author, but only depends on the readers. Linty Fresh’s original translation is correct.
Jul-gam can mean both “to cut down” and “to feel deeply,” but in this context the second seems more likely. There is no indication that he meant both at the same time. Jak-up means “to work on” and is a verb - “masterpiece” would be “jak-poom”, although “jak-poom” doesn’t necessarily equal masterpiece; it could mean any piece of art work.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to translate the handwritten part as saying that the Japanese guy has said, “this is your movie.” I was translating a little too literally I guess and mixed up the English.
절감하고… that makes sense and ties the rest of it together.
안간힘을 쓰며 definitely means doing your best, and not holding back. After all, if he’s holding back, why is he dissapointed?
Having never seen the movie, I just assumed that the names were the names of the girls.
작업할때 I believe translates most easily to creating something, like art.
Regardless, HazelNutCoffe got it the best. 10 points to HazelNutCoffee! You win a bad Korean joke!
What did the bus driver say to the egg?
계란 (or if you can’t see Korean on your computer: gyelan, sounds like get on