Lesson 4

Full Transcript & Translation

이번에는 생일에 대해서 이야기할 거예요.
This time, I’m going to talk about birthdays.

여러분 한국에서는 생일날 이걸 꼭 먹어요.
Everyone, in Korea, on birthdays, people always eat this.

뭘까요?
What do you think it is?

케이크라고 생각하셨나요?
Did you think of cake?

아니에요.
It’s not.

케이크가 아니라, 미역국이에요. 미역국.
It’s not cake, it’s seaweed soup. Seaweed soup.

한국에서는 생일날 아침, 밥과 미역국을 꼭 먹는데요.
In Korea, in the morning of their birthday, people always eat rice and seaweed soup.

언제부터 미역국을 먹기 시작했을까요?
What do you think people started eating seaweed soup?

그리고 왜 미역국을 먹기 시작했을까요?
And why do you think people started eating seaweed soup?

저도 궁금해서 검색을 해 봤어요.
I got curious, too, so I did some research.

옛날, 아주 먼 옛날, 고려 시대쯤이래요.
A long time ago, a very long time ago, they say it was about the Goryeo Dynasty.

어느 날 고래가 아기를 낳고 나서 미역을 먹는 걸 봤대요.
Someone allegedly saw a whale eat seaweed after giving birth to a baby whale.

그런데 미역을 먹고 나서 아기를 낳은 상처가 다 낫는 것을 본 거죠.
And then they saw that the whale’s wound of giving birth healed completely after eating seaweed.

그때부터 사람들을 아기를 낳고 나서 미역국을 먹기 시작했대요.
From that point on, it is said, people started eating seaweed soup after giving birth.

아기를 낳은 여자, 즉 산모는 아기를 낳고 바로 미역국을 먹는데요.
A woman who gave birth to a baby, the mother, eats seaweed soup right after giving birth.

저도 아기를 낳고 나서 미역국을 바로 먹었습니다.
I, too, had some seaweed soup right after I gave birth.

실제로 미역에는 피를 맑게 해 주고, 상처를 낫게 해 주는 그런 효능이 있다고 해요.
Seaweed is actually said to have the effect of making your blood clear and wounds heal.

아기를 낳으면 피도 많이 흘리고, 그리고 영양분을 많이 잃어버린다고 해요.
I heard that if you give birth, you shed a lot of blood and lose a lot of nutrients.

그래서 영양분도 많고, 피도 맑게 해 주는 그런 미역을 국으로 끓여서 먹기 시작한 거죠.
So they started eating laver, which has a lot of nutrients and makes your blood clear, by boiling and making it into soup.

그러면 왜 생일날 미역국을 먹기 시작했을까요?
Then why did people start eating seaweed soup on their birthdays?

그 이유는 엄마가 나를 낳았다는 사실을 항상 감사하라는 의미에서 미역국을 먹기 시작했다고 합니다.
The reason is said to be that you should be always thankful for the fact that your mother gave birth to you.

여러분, 기억에 남는 생일 있으세요?
Everyone, do you have a memorable birthday?

저는 초등학교 때 생일이 기억에 남아요.
I remember this birthday when I was in elementary school.

아침에 눈을 떴는데 미역국이 없는 거예요.
I woke up in the morning and there was no seaweed soup.

그리고 생일 선물도 없었던 거죠.
And there was no birthday presents.

엄마가 제 생일을 잊어버리신 거예요.
My mother had forgotten my birthday.

그래서 펑펑 울었던 기억이 납니다.
So I remember crying my eyes out.

물론 다른 생일날에는 항상 미역국을 먹고 생일 파티도 하고 케이크도 먹었고요.
Of course on other birthdays, I always ate seaweed soup, had a birthday party and ate cake too.