Spring, Spring and The Camellias: 봄봄

봄봄

Spring, Spring

“장인님! 인제 저…….”

"Father-in-law! Now, I..."

내가 이렇게 뒤통수를 긁고, 나이가 찼으니 성례를 시켜줘야 하지 않겠느냐고 하면 대답이 늘,

Whenever I scratch the back of my head and ask whether it isn't about time he let us get married, now that I'm old enough, his answer is always,

“이 자식아! 성례구 뭐구 미처 자라야지!”

"You fool! Forget getting married! She has to grow up first!"

하고 만다.

That's all he ever says.

이 자라야 한다는 것은 내가 아니라 내 아내가 될 점순이의 키 말이다.

The one who has to grow taller isn't me, but Jeom-sun, the girl who's supposed to become my wife.

내가 여기에 와서 돈 한 푼 안 받고 일하기를 삼 년 하고 꼬바기 일곱 달 동안을 했다.

I've been working here without receiving a single penny for three years and seven whole months.

그런데도 미처 못 자랐다니까 이 키는 언제야 자라는 겐지 짜장 영문 모른다.

And yet, she still hasn't grown enough. I honestly haven't the faintest idea when she's ever going to grow taller.

일을 좀 더 잘해야 한다든지, 혹은 밥을 많이 먹는다고 노상 걱정이니까 좀 덜 먹어야 한다든지 하면 나도 얼마든지 할 말이 많다.

If he said I needed to work harder, or that I should eat less because he was always complaining about how much I ate, I'd have plenty to say for myself.

허지만 점순이가 아직 어리니까 더 자라야 한다는 여기에는 어째 볼 수 없이 고만 빙빙하고 만다.

But when it comes to his excuse that Jeom-sun is still too young and needs to grow taller, there's nothing I can do but go round and round in circles.

이래서 나는 애최 계약이 잘못된 걸 알았다.

That's when I realized the original agreement had been a mistake.

이태면 이태, 삼 년이면 삼 년, 기한을 딱 작정하고 일을 해야 원 할 것이다.

We should have agreed on a definite term from the start—two years or three years, whatever it might be—and then I could have worked accordingly.

덮어놓고 딸이 자라는 대로 성례를 시켜 주마, 했으니 누가 늘 지키고 섰는 것도 아니고, 그 키가 언제 자라는지 알 수 있는가.

But he simply promised that he'd let us marry once his daughter had grown enough. Nobody can stand around watching her all the time, so how am I supposed to know when she'll finally reach the required height?

그리고 난 사람의 키가 무럭무럭 자라는 줄만 알았지 붙배기 키에 모로만 벌어지는 몸도 있는 것을 누가 알았으랴.

Besides, I always thought people just kept growing taller as they got older. Who would have known that some people stay the same height and only grow sideways?

때가 되면 장인님이 어련하랴 싶어서 군소리 없이 꾸벅꾸벅 일만 해왔다.

I figured my future father-in-law would do the right thing when the time came, so I'd kept my mouth shut and worked away obediently.

그럼 말이다.

Now, just think about it.

장인님이 제가 다 알아채서, “어참, 너 일 많이 했다. 고만 장가 들어라.”

Wouldn't it be nice if my father-in-law figured things out for himself and said, "Well, you've certainly worked hard. It's time you got married."

하고 살림도 내주고 해야 나도 좋을 것이 아니냐.

Then he could set us up with a home of our own, and everyone would be happy, wouldn't they?

시치미를 딱 떼고 도리어 그런 소리가 나올까 봐서 지레 펄펄 뛰고 이 야단이다.

But instead, he plays completely innocent and gets all worked up in advance, as though he's afraid I might actually bring up the subject.

명색이 좋아 데릴사위지 일하기에 싱겁기도 할뿐더러 이건 참 아무것도 아니다.

It's all very well to call me a son-in-law who lives and works in his wife's family home, but the work is hardly a fair bargain. This is really too much.

숙맥이 그걸 모르고 점순이의 키 자라기만 까맣게 기다리지 않았나.

And there I was, a complete fool, waiting patiently for Jeom-sun to grow taller, without realizing what was going on.

언젠가는 하도 갑갑해서 자를 가지고 덤벼들어서 그 키를 한번 재볼까 했다.

Once, I got so frustrated that I nearly marched up with a measuring stick to measure her height myself.

마는 우리는 장인님이 내외를 해야 한다고 해서 마주 서 이야기도 한마디 하는 법 없다.

But my father-in-law insists that we must observe propriety between men and women, so we aren't even allowed to stand face-to-face and exchange a single word.

우물길에서 언제나 마주칠 적이면 겨우 눈어림으로 재보고 하는 것인데 그럴 적마다 나는 저만침 가서 ‘제에미 키두!’

Whenever we happen to meet on the path to the well, all I can do is estimate her height with my eyes. Every time, once I've walked a little farther away, I mutter, "Damn her height!"

하고 논둑에다 침을 퉤, 뱉는다.

Then I spit with a loud ptooey onto the rice paddy embankment.

아무리 잘 봐야 내 겨드랑(다른 사람보다 좀 크긴 하지만) 밑에서 넘을락 말락 밤낮 요 모양이다.

Even at the very best, she barely comes up to my armpit (though I'm a bit taller than most people). She's been stuck at just about the same height day in and day out.

개 돼지는 푹푹 크는데 왜 이리도 사람은 안 크는지, 한동안 머리가 아프도록 궁리도 해보았다.

Dogs and pigs grow by leaps and bounds, so why won't a human being grow? I puzzled over it for so long that it gave me a headache.

아하, 물동이를 자꾸 이니까 뼉다귀가 움츠라드나보다, 하고 내가 넌즛넌즈시 그 물을 대신 길어도 주었다.

Aha, I thought, carrying water jars all the time must be making her bones shrink. So I quietly started fetching the water for her myself.

뿐만 아니라 나무를 하러 가면 서낭당에 돌을 올려 놓고 ‘점순이의 키 좀 크게 해줍소사.

What's more, whenever I went out to gather firewood, I'd place a stone on the village shrine and pray, 'Please make Jeom-sun grow a little taller.

그러면 담엔 떡 갖다 놓고 고사드립죠니까.’

Then next time, I'll bring you rice cakes and offer a proper sacrifice.'

하고 치성도 한두 번 드린 것이 아니다.

I've made offerings and prayed like that more times than I can count.

어떻게 되먹은 킨지 이래도 막무가내니…….

What kind of height is this, anyway? Nothing seems to work...

그래 내 어저께 싸운 것이지 결코 장인님이 밉다든가 해서가 아니다.

So that's why I got into a fight yesterday. It certainly wasn't because I disliked my future father-in-law or anything like that.

모를 붓다가 가만히 생각을 해보니까 또 싱겁다.

As I was planting rice seedlings, I stopped to think and suddenly the whole thing seemed ridiculous again.

이 벼가 자라서 점순이가 먹고 좀 큰다면 모르지만 그렇지도 못한 걸 내 심어서 뭘하는 거냐.

If these rice plants grew and Jeom-sun ate the rice and got a little taller, that would be one thing. But since that's not going to happen, what's the point of planting them?

해마다 앞으로 축 불거지는 장인님의 아랫배(가 너무 먹는 걸 모르고 냇병이라나, 그 배)를 불리기 위하여 심곤 조금도 싶지 않다.

I certainly don't feel like planting rice just to fill my future father-in-law's belly, which sticks farther and farther out every year (he says it's some kind of stomach ailment, but really, he just doesn't know when to stop eating).

“아이구 배야!”

"Oh, my stomach!"

난 몰 붓다 말고 배를 쓰다듬으면서도 그대루 논둑으로 기어올랐다.

I stopped planting rice, rubbed my stomach, and crawled straight up onto the paddy embankment.

그리고 겨드랑에 꼈던 벼 담긴 키를 그냥 땅바닥에 털썩 떨어치며 나도 털썩 주저앉았다.

I let the basket of rice seedlings I'd been carrying under my arm drop heavily to the ground, then plopped down beside it.

일이 암만 바빠도 나 배 아프면 고만이니까.

No matter how urgent the work was, if my stomach hurt, that was the end of it.

아픈 사람이 누가 일을 하느냐.

Who expects a sick person to keep working?

파릇파릇 돋아오른 풀 한숲을 뜯어 들고 다리의 거머리를 쑥쑥 문대며 장인님의 얼굴을 쳐다보았다.

I pulled up a handful of fresh green grass, rubbed the leeches off my legs with it, and looked over at my future father-in-law.

논 가운데서 장인님도 이상한 눈을 해가지고 한참 날 노려보더니,

Standing in the middle of the paddy, my future father-in-law stared at me strangely for a long while, then said,

“넌 이자식, 왜 또 이래 응?”

"You little brat, what's gotten into you this time, huh?"

“배가 좀 아파서유!”

"My stomach's hurting a bit!"

하고 풀 위에 슬며시 쓰러지니까 장인님은 약이 올랐다.

I said, and then gently collapsed onto the grass. That really set my future father-in-law off.

저도 논에서 철벙철벙 둑으로 올라오더니 잡은참 내 멱살을 움켜잡고 뺨을 치는 것이 아닌가……

He came splashing through the paddy and climbed onto the embankment. Then, before I knew it, he'd grabbed me by the collar and slapped me across the face...

“이자식아. 일 허다 말면 누굴 망해놀 속셈이냐. 이 대가릴 까놀자식?”

"You little brat! You can't just stop working halfway through! Are you trying to ruin me, you thickheaded fool?"

우리 장인님은 약이 오르면 이렇게 손버릇이 아주 못됐다.

Whenever my future father-in-law gets angry, he has a really nasty habit of hitting people.

또 사위에게 이자식 저자식 하는 이놈의 장인님은 어디 있느냐.

And what kind of father-in-law calls his own future son-in-law a little brat and a good-for-nothing?

오죽해야 우리 동리에서 누굴 물론하고 그에게 욕을 안 먹는 사람은 명이 짜르다 한다.

Things have gotten so bad that in our village, anyone who hasn't been cursed out by him is said to have a short life ahead of them.

조그만 아이들까지도 그를 돌아세놓고 욕필이(본 이름이 봉필이니까) 욕필이, 하고 손가락질을 할 만치 두루 인심을 잃었다.

He's so thoroughly lost everyone's goodwill that even little children turn their backs on him, point their fingers, and shout, "Yokpili! Yokpili!" (His real name is Bongpil, but they call him Yokpil, meaning "Mr. Curse.")

허나 인심을 정말 잃었다면 욕보다 읍의 배참봉댁 마름으로 더 잃었다.

But if he's truly earned everyone's hatred, it's less because of his foul mouth than because he's the steward for the Bae Cham-bong family in town.

번히 마름이란 욕 잘하고, 사람 잘 치고, 그리고 생김생기길 호박개같애야 쓰는 거지만 장인님은 외양이 똑 됐다.

A steward is generally supposed to be someone who curses freely, beats people readily, and looks as mean as a bulldog. My future father-in-law, however, fits the bill perfectly in appearance.

장인에게 닭마리나 좀 보내지 않는다든가 애벌논 때 품을 좀 안 준다든가 하면 그해 가을에는 영락없이 땅이 뚝뚝 떨어진다.

If someone fails to send the steward a few chickens or doesn't provide him with enough labor during the first plowing of the rice paddies, sure enough, come autumn, they lose their land piece by piece.

그러면 미리부터 돈도 먹고 술도 먹이고 안달재신으로 돌아치던 놈이 그 땅을 슬쩍 돌라 안는다.

Then some fellow, who has already been running around anxiously, bribing him with money and liquor, quietly snaps up the land.

이바람에 장인님집 외양간에는 눈깔 커다란 황소 한놈이 절로 엉금엉금 기어들고, 동리 사람들은 그 욕을 다 먹어가면서도 그래도 굽실굽실 하는 게 아닌가……

Thanks to this, a big-eyed yellow ox somehow finds its way into my future father-in-law's cowshed, while the villagers, despite enduring all his abuse, continue bowing and scraping before him...

그러나 내겐 장인님이 감히 큰소리할 계제가 못된다.

But when it comes to me, my future father-in-law isn't in a position to throw his weight around.

뒷생각은 못하고 뺨 한 개를 딱 때려놓고는 장인님은 무색해서 덤덤히 쓴 침만 삼킨다.

He doesn't think about the consequences. After giving me a single sharp slap, he can only stand there awkwardly, swallowing his bitter disappointment in silence.

난 그속을 퍽 잘 안다.

I know exactly what's going through his mind.

조금 있으면 갈도 꺾어야 하고 모도 내야 하고, 한참 바쁜 때인데 나 일 안하고 우리집으로 그냥 가면 고만이니까.

There's weeding to do soon, and the rice seedlings still need planting. It's the busiest time of the year, and all I have to do is stop working and head straight back to my own home.

작년 이맘때도 트집을 좀 하니까 늦잠잔다구 돌멩이를 집어던져서 자는 놈의 발목을 삐게 해놨다.

Around this same time last year, when I made a little fuss, he threw a stone at me, claiming I was sleeping too late, and sprained my ankle while I was still in bed.

사날씩이나 건숭 끙끙, 앓았더니 종당에는 거반 울상이 되지 않았는가……

I spent three or four days groaning and moaning in bed, and before long, he was practically on the verge of tears...

“예, 그만 일어나 일 좀 해라. 그래야 올 갈에 벼 잘되면 너 장가 들지 않니.”

"All right, get up now and do some work. If the rice harvest is good this autumn, you'll be able to get married, won't you?"

그래 귀가 번쩍 띄어서 그날로 일어나서 남이 이틀 품들일 논을 혼자 삶아 놓으니까 장인님도 눈깔이 커다랗게 놀랐다.

That certainly made my ears perk up. I got out of bed that very day and plowed a paddy that would normally take two days of hired labor, all by myself. Even my future father-in-law's eyes widened in surprise.

그럼 정말로 가을에 와서 혼인을 시켜 줘야 온 경우가 옳지 않겠나, 볏섬을 척척 들여쌓아도 다른 소리는 없고 물동이를 이고 들어오는 점순이를 담배통으로 가리키며, “이 자식아, 미처 커야지 조걸 무슨 혼인을 한다구 그러니 원!”

Well, then, surely he'd have to keep his promise and arrange the marriage come autumn, wouldn't he? But even after I had hauled in sack after sack of rice, he said nothing. Instead, pointing his tobacco pouch at Jeom-sun as she came in carrying a water jar on her head, he said, "You fool! She has to grow up first. How can you possibly talk about marrying that little thing? Good grief!"

하고 남 낯짝만 붉혀 주고 고만이다.

And that was that. All he did was leave me red-faced with embarrassment.

골김에 그저 이놈의 장인님, 하고 댓돌에다 메꼰코 우리 고향으로 내뺄까 하다가 꾹꾹 참고 말았다.

In my anger, I nearly called him every name under the sun, slammed my fist against the stone doorstep, and ran off back to my hometown. But I gritted my teeth and held myself back.

참말이지 난 이꼴하고는 집으로 차마 못 간다.

Honestly, I simply can't go home in this state.

장가를 들러갔다가 오죽 못났어야 그대로 쫓겨왔느냐고 손가락질을 받을 테니까…….

People would point at me and ask what kind of hopeless fool I must be to have gone off to get married only to be sent packing just like that...

논둑에서 벌떡 일어나 한풀 죽은 장인님 앞으로 다가서며,

I sprang to my feet on the paddy embankment and walked over to my now somewhat subdued future father-in-law, saying,

“난 갈 테야유. 그동안 사경 쳐내슈.”

"I'm leaving. Pay me my wages for all the work I've done."

“너 사위로 왔지 어디 머슴살러 왔니?”

"Didn't you come here as my son-in-law? You're not here as a hired farmhand, are you?"

“그러면 얼찐 성례를 해줘야 안하지유. 밤낮 부려만 먹구 해준다, 해준다……”

"Then you ought to hurry up and let us get married! All you do is work me day and night, always promising that you'll arrange it, arrange it..."

“글쎄, 내가 안하는 거냐, 그년이 안 크니까.”

"Look, it's not that I'm refusing. It's that the girl just won't grow!"

하고 어름어름 담배만 담으면서 늘 하는 소리를 또 늘어놓는다.

He mumbles and fusses as he packs his tobacco, repeating the same old excuses as always.

이렇게 따져나가면 언제든지 늘 나만 밑지고 만다.

Whenever I argue things through like this, I'm always the one who comes out on the losing end.

이번엔 안 된다, 하고 대뜸 구장님한테로 판단 가자고 소맷자락을 내끌었다.

This time I wasn't having it. I immediately grabbed his sleeve and insisted that we go straight to the village headman to settle the matter.

“아, 이자식이 왜 이래 어른을.”

"Hey! What's gotten into you, treating your elder like this?"

안 간다구 뻗디디구 이렇게 호령은 제맘대로 하지만 장인님 제가 내 기운은 못 당한다.

He planted his feet and shouted that he wasn't going, throwing his weight around as he pleased, but my future father-in-law couldn't match my strength.

막 부려먹고 딸은 안 주고, 게다 땅땅 치는 건 다 뭐야…….

He works me like a dog, won't give me his daughter, and on top of that, acts as though he owns the place. What's that all about...?

그러나 내 사실 참 장인님이 미워서 그런 것은 아니다.

But the truth is, I don't really dislike my future father-in-law.

그 전날, 왜 내가 새고 개 맞은 봉우리 화전밭을 혼자 갈고 있지 않았느냐.

Just the day before, hadn't I been plowing that slash-and-burn field on the mountain ridge, all by myself, from dawn till dusk?

밭가생이로 돌 적마다 야릇한 꽃내가 물컥물컥 코를 찌르고 머리 위에서 벌들은 가끔 붕, 붕, 소리를 친다.

Every time I turned at the edge of the field, a strange, heady floral scent would suddenly hit my nose, while bees occasionally buzzed overhead.

바위 틈에서 샘물 소리밖에 안 들리는 산골짜기니까 맑은 하늘의 봄볕은 이불 속같이 따스하고 꼭 꿈꾸는 것 같다.

Deep in that mountain valley, where the only sound was spring water trickling through the rocks, the spring sunshine beneath the clear blue sky was as warm as a blanket. It all felt just like a dream.

나는 몸이 나른하고 몸살(병을 아직 모르지만)이 날려구 그러는지 가슴이 울렁울렁하고 이랬다.

My body felt limp and sluggish, and perhaps I was coming down with something (though I didn't know what an illness like that was called). My heart kept fluttering and pounding.

“어러이! 말이! 맘 마 마……”

"Hyaah! Steady, horse! Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

이렇게 노래를 하며 소를 부리면 여느때 같으면 어깨가 으쓱으쓱한다.

Normally, when I sang out like that while driving the ox, I'd feel my shoulders swell with pride.

웬일인지 밭을 반도 갈지 않아서 온몸이 맥이 풀리고 대구 짜증만 난다.

But for some reason, before I'd even plowed half the field, all my strength had drained away, and I was getting nothing but irritated.

공연히 소만 들입다 두들기며……

So I just kept beating the ox for no good reason...

“안야! 안야! 이 망할 자식의 소(장인님의 소니까) 대리를 꺾어들라.”

"Hyah! Hyah! You miserable beast! I'll break your back!" (It was my future father-in-law's ox, after all.)

그러나 내 속은 정말 안야 때문이 아니라 점심을 이고 온 점순이의 키를 보고 울화가 났던 것이다.

But the real reason I was so upset wasn't the ox at all. It was because I'd seen how tall Jeom-sun was when she brought my lunch.

점순이는 뭐 그리 썩 예쁜 계집애는 못된다.

Jeom-sun isn't exactly a particularly pretty girl.

그렇다구 또 개떡이냐 하면 그런 것도 아니고, 꼭 내 아내가 돼야 할 만치 그저 툽툽하게 생긴 얼굴이다.

But it's not as though she's ugly as sin, either. Her face is plain and sturdy-looking, just right for someone who ought to become my wife.

나보다 십년이 아래니까 올해 열여섯인데 몸은 남보다 두 살이나 덜 자랐다.

She's ten years younger than me, sixteen this year, but her body is about two years behind other girls her age in development.

남은 잘도 훤칠히들 크건만 이건 위아래가 뭉툭한 것이 내 눈에는 헐없이 감참외 같다.

Other girls grow tall and slender, but Jeom-sun is short and stocky, top to bottom. To my eyes, she's exactly like a persimmon melon.

참외 중에는 감참외가 제일 맛좋고 예쁘니까 말이다.

After all, the persimmon melon is the tastiest and prettiest kind of melon.

둥글고 커다란 눈은 서글서글하니 좋고 좀 지쳐 찢어졌지만 입은 밥술이나 톡톡히 먹음직하니 좋다.

Her big, round eyes are pleasantly open and gentle, and although her mouth is a little wide and slanted, it looks perfectly capable of eating a hearty bowl of rice.

아따, 밥만 많이 먹게 되면 팔자는 고만 아니냐.

Well, as long as she can eat plenty of rice, what more could a man ask for?

헌데 한 가지 과가 있다면 가끔가다 몸이(장인님이 이걸 채신이 없이 들까분다고 하지만)너무 빨리빨리 논다.

But she does have one fault: every now and then, her body (which my future father-in-law says she tosses around shamelessly) moves far too quickly and restlessly.

그래서 밥을 나르다가 때없이 풀밭에서 깨빡을 쳐서 흙투성이 밥을 곧잘 먹인다.

So, while carrying my meal over, she often takes an unexpected tumble in the grass and ends up serving me rice covered in dirt.

안 먹으면 무안해 할까봐서 이걸 씹고 앉았느라면 으적으적 소리만 나고 돌을 먹는 겐지 밥을 먹는 겐지…….

Afraid she'd feel embarrassed if I didn't eat it, I sit there chewing away. All I hear is crunch, crunch. Am I eating rice or stones...?

그러나 이날은 웬일인지 성한 밥채루 밭머리에 곱게 내려 놓았다.

But for some reason, that day she carefully set down my meal, with everything perfectly intact, at the edge of the field.

그리고 또 내외를 해야 하니까 저만큼 떨어져 이쪽으로 등을 향하고 웅크리고 앉아서 그릇나기를 기다린다.

And since we were supposed to observe propriety between men and women, she sat hunched over some distance away, with her back turned toward me, waiting for me to finish.

내가 다 먹고 물러섰을 때, 그릇을 챙기는데 난 깜짝 놀라지 않았느냐.

When I'd finished eating and stepped away, she began gathering the dishes. And wasn't I in for a surprise!

고개를 푹 숙이고 밥함지에 그릇을 포개면서 날더러 들으라는지, 혹은 제 소린지,

With her head bowed low as she stacked the dishes in the food basket, she muttered something, either for me to hear or perhaps just to herself:

"밤낮 일만 하다 말 텐가!"

"Are you going to do nothing but work day and night forever?"

하고 혼자서 쫑알거린다.

She grumbled under her breath.

고대 잘 내외하다가 이게 무슨 소린가, 하고 난 정신이 얼떨떨했다.

After all that careful keeping of our distance, what on earth was this supposed to mean? I was completely bewildered.

그러면서도 한편 무슨 좋은 수가 있나 없는가 싶어서 나도 공중을 대고 혼잣말로,

Still, wondering whether she might have some clever idea in mind, I spoke aloud to no one in particular:

"그럼 어떡해?"

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

하니까,

At that, she replied,

"성례시켜 달라지 뭘 어떡해."

"Ask him to let us get married! What else?"

하고 되알지게 쏘아붙이고 얼굴이 빨개져서 산으로 그저 도망친다.

She snapped back sharply, then turned bright red and fled straight up the mountain.

나는 잠시 동안 어떻게 되는 심판인지 맥을 몰라서 그 뒷모양만 덤덤히 바라보았다.

For a moment, I couldn't make heads or tails of what had just happened, so I simply stood there staring blankly after her.

봄이 되면 온갖 초목이 물이 오르고 싹이 트고 한다.

When spring comes, all kinds of plants fill with sap and begin to sprout.

사람도 아마 그런가 보다, 하고 며칠내에 부쩍 (속으로) 자란 듯싶은 점순이가 여간 반가운 것이 아니다.

I suppose people must be the same. Jeom-sun seemed to have grown considerably (at least on the inside) over just a few days, and I couldn't have been more delighted.

이런 걸 멀쩡하게 아직 어리다구 하니까…….

And yet he keeps insisting she's still too young...

우리가 구장님을 찾아갔을 때 그는 싸리문 밖에 있는 돼지우리에서 죽을 퍼주고 있었다.

When we went to see the village headman, he was ladling out porridge to the pigs in the sty outside his wattle gate.

서울엘 좀 갔다오더니 사람은 점잖아야 한다구 웃쇰이(얼른 보면 지붕 위에 앉은 제비꼬랑지 같다) 양쪽으로 뾰죽히 삐치고 그걸 애헴, 하고 늘 쓰담는 손버릇이 있다.

Ever since he'd made a trip to Seoul, he'd taken to saying that a man should always conduct himself with dignity. He wore a moustache (which, at a glance, looked like the forked tail of a swallow perched on a roof), its two pointed ends sticking out sharply. He had a habit of smoothing it with his hand while clearing his throat with an "ahem."

우리를 멀뚱히 쳐다보고 미리 알아챘는지,

He stared at us blankly, as though he'd already guessed what we were there for, and said,

"왜 일들 허다 말구 그래?"

"Why have you two stopped working and come here?"

하더니 손을 올려서 그 애헴을 한번 후딱 했다.

Then he raised his hand and gave his moustache a quick, practiced stroke.

"구장님! 우리 장인님과 츰에 계약하기를……"

"Village Headman! When my future father-in-law and I first made our agreement..."

먼저 덤비는 장인님을 뒤로 떠다밀고 내가 허둥지둥 달려들다가 가만히 생각하고, '아니 우리 빙장님과 츰에.'

I pushed my future father-in-law, who was trying to speak first, back behind me and hurriedly stepped forward. Then I paused and thought, 'No, I should say, when my respected father-in-law and I first made our agreement...'

하고 첫번부터 다시 말을 고쳤다.

I said, correcting myself and starting over from the beginning.

장인님은 빙장님, 해야 좋아하고 밖에 나와서 장인님, 하면 괜스리 골을 내려고 든다.

My future father-in-law likes being addressed as "respected father-in-law," but if I call him simply "father-in-law" when we're out in public, he gets annoyed for no reason.

뱀두 뱀이래야 좋으냐구 창피스러우니 남 듣는 데는 제발 빙장님, 빙모님, 하라구 일상 당조심을 받아오면서 난 그것두 자꾸 잊는다.

He keeps warning me that it's embarrassing to use such ordinary terms in front of other people, insisting that I call him "respected father-in-law" and his wife "respected mother-in-law." He even tells me off about it regularly, but I keep forgetting.

당장두 장인님, 하나 옆에서 내 발등을 꾹 밟고 곁눈질을 흘기는 바람에야 겨우 알았지만……

Even just now, I only remembered because my future father-in-law stamped hard on my foot and shot me a sideways glare...

구장님도 내 이야기를 자세히 듣더니 퍽 딱한 모양이었다.

The village headman listened carefully to my story and seemed to feel quite sorry for me.

하기야 구장님뿐만 아니라 누구든지 다 그럴 게다.

Then again, anyone would have felt the same, not just the village headman.

길게 길러둔 새끼손톱으로 코를 후벼서 저리 탁 튀기며,

He picked his nose with his long little fingernail, then flicked whatever he'd dug out away with a snap, saying,

"그럼 봉필씨! 얼른 성례를 시켜 주구려, 그렇게까지 제가 하구싶다는 걸……"

"Well then, Mr. Bongpil! Why don't you hurry up and let them get married? The young man wants it so badly..."

하고 내 짐작대로 말했다.

Just as I'd expected, that's what he said.

그러나 이말에 장인님이 삿대질로 눈을 부라리고,

But at those words, my future father-in-law glared furiously and jabbed a finger at him, saying,

"아 성례구 뭐구 계집애년이 미처 자라야 할 게 아닌가?"

"Forget getting them married! The girl has to grow up first, doesn't she?"

하니까 고만 멀쑤룩해져서 입맛만 쩍쩍 다실 뿐이 아닌가.

At that, the village headman fell silent, looking awkward and merely smacking his lips.

"그것두 그래!"

"Well, that's true, too!"

"그래, 거진 사년 동안에도 안 자랐더니 그 킨 은제 자라지유"다 그만두구 사경 내슈……

"Well, she hasn't grown in nearly four years, so when exactly is she going to grow tall enough?" I said. "Forget the marriage, then. Just pay me my wages..."

"

"글쎄, 이자식아! 내가 크질 말라구 그랬니. 왜 날 보구 떼냐?"

"Listen here, you brat! Did I tell her not to grow? Why are you taking it out on me?"

"빙모님은 참새만한 것이 그럼 어떻게 앨 낳지유?(사실 빙모님은점순이보다도 귓배기가 작다)"

"Your wife is no bigger than a sparrow, so how on earth did she manage to have children?" (Actually, my future mother-in-law is even smaller than Jeom-sun.)

장인님은 이말을 듣고 껄껄 웃더니(그러나 암만 해두 돌 씹은 상이다) 코를 푸는 척하고 날 은근히 곯리려고 팔꿈치로 옆 갈비께를 퍽 치는 것이다.

My future father-in-law burst out laughing at this (though his face still looked as sour as if he'd bitten into a stone). Then, pretending to blow his nose, he gave me a sharp jab in the ribs with his elbow, trying to get back at me without anyone noticing.

더럽다.

What a dirty trick.

나두 종아리의 파리를 쫓는 척하고 허리를 구부리며 그 궁둥이를 콱 떼밀었다.

Pretending to shoo away a fly from my calf, I bent over and gave him a good shove in the backside.

장인님은 앞으로 우찔근하고 싸리문께로 쓰러질 듯하다 몸을 바로 고치더니 눈총을 몹시 쏘았다.

My future father-in-law lurched forward and nearly toppled toward the wattle gate. He quickly regained his balance and shot me a furious glare.

이런 쌍년의 자식, 하곤 싶으나 남의 앞이라니 차마 못하고 섰는 그 꼴이 보기에 퍽 쟁그러웠다.

He clearly wanted to call me every filthy name under the sun, but with someone else watching, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The sight of him standing there, holding back his anger, was quite amusing.

그러나 이밖에는 별반 신통한 귀정을 얻지 못하고 도로 논으로 돌아와서 모를 부었다.

But apart from that, I got no particularly satisfactory resolution, so I went back to the rice paddy and resumed planting the seedlings.

왜냐면 장인님이 뭐라구 귓속말로 수군수군하고 간 뒤다.

That was because, after my future father-in-law had whispered something into the village headman's ear and left, the headman had quietly taken me aside and explained the following (Mung-tae claims the headman was bribed into taking his side because my future father-in-law had let him farm two majigi of land, but I don't believe that):

구장님이 날 위해서 조용히 데리고 아래와 같이 일러주었기 때문이다(뭉태의 말은 구장님이 장인님에게 땅 두 마지기 얻어부치니까 그래 꾀엿다고 하지만 난 그렇게 생각 않는다)

"You've certainly got a point, my boy. You're old enough to want a wife, and there's nothing wrong with that. But if you refuse to work during the busiest part of the farming season, or run away home, you could be charged with causing a loss and even sent to prison!" (That certainly made me sit up and take notice.) "Didn't you hear about the fellow from Sampo who was sent to prison the other day for setting fire to the mountainside? These days, you can go to prison even for setting fire to your own land. So how much worse would it be to abandon someone else's crops? And you say you're going to take the matter to court to claim your wages, but you'd only end up getting yourself into trouble for no good reason. Marriage is another matter, too. The law recognizes something called legal adulthood, and you can't get married until you're twenty-one. Of course, you're worried about having to wait so long to get a wife, but Jeom-sun is only sixteen, isn't she? Still, you should be grateful that your respected father-in-law just promised he'd set the wedding up this autumn, even if he has to put everything else aside. Now hurry back and finish planting those rice seedlings. No more complaining. Off you go!"

"자네 말두 하기야 옳지, 암 나이 찼으니 아들이 급하다는 게 잘못된 말은 아니야. 허지만 농사가 한층 바쁜 때 일을 안한다든가집으로 달아 난다든가 하면 손해죄루 그것두 징역을 가거든!(여기에 그만 정신이 번쩍 났다) 왜 요전에 삼포말서 산에 불좀 놓았다구 징역간 거 못 봤나. 제 산에 불을 놓아도 징역을 가는 이땐데 남의 농사를 버려두니 죄가 얼마나 더 중한가. 그리고 자넨 정장을(사경 받으러 정장 가겠다 했다) 간대지만 그러면 괜스리 죄를 들쓰고 들어가는 걸세. 또 결혼두 그렇지. 법률에 성년이란 게 있는데 스물하나가 돼야지 비로소 결혼을 할 수가 있는걸세. 자넨 물론 아들이 늦을 걸 염려하지만 점순이루 말하면 이제 겨우 열여섯이 아닌가. 그렇지만 아까 빙장님의 말씀이 올 갈에는 열일을 제치고라두 성례를 시켜주겠다 하시니 좀 고마울겐가. 빨리 가서 모붓든 거나 마저 붓게, 군소리 말구 어서 가."

"Well, you've got a point, my boy. Of course, you're old enough to want a wife, and there's nothing wrong with that. But if you refuse to work during the busiest part of the farming season, or run away home, you could be charged with causing a loss and even sent to prison!" (That certainly made me sit up and take notice.) "Didn't you hear about the fellow from Sampo who was sent to prison the other day for setting fire to the mountainside? These days, you can go to prison even for setting fire to your own land. So how much worse would it be to abandon someone else's crops? And you say you're going to take the matter to court to claim your wages, but you'd only end up getting yourself into trouble for no good reason. Marriage is another matter, too. The law recognizes something called legal adulthood, and you can't get married until you're twenty-one. Of course, you're worried about having to wait so long to get a wife, but Jeom-sun is only sixteen, isn't she? Still, you should be grateful that your respected father-in-law just promised he'd arrange the wedding this autumn, even if he has to put everything else aside. Now hurry back and finish planting those rice seedlings. No more complaining. Off you go!"

그래서 오늘 아침까지 끽소리 없이 왔다.

And so, up until this morning, I'd put up with everything without uttering a peep.

장인님과 내가 싸운 것은 지금 생각하면 전혀 뜻밖의 일이라 안할 수 없다.

Looking back now, I can't help feeling that my fight with my future father-in-law was completely unexpected.

장인님으로 말하면 요즈막 작인들에게 행세를 좀 하고 싶다고 해서,

As for my future father-in-law, lately he'd taken to putting on airs with his tenant farmers, because he wanted to make himself look important.

"돈 있으면 양반이지 별게 있느냐!"

"If you've got money, you're a gentleman. What else is there to being one?"

하고 일부러 아랫배를 쑥 내밀고 걸음도 뒤틀리게 걷고 하는 이판이다.

He'd even deliberately stick out his belly and walk with an exaggerated swagger.

이까진 나쯤 두들기다 남의 땅을 가지고 모처럼 닦아놓았던 가문을 망친다든가 할 어른이 아니다.

He wasn't the sort of man who'd go so far as to beat up the likes of me and ruin the good name he'd worked so hard to build on someone else's land.

또 나로 논지면 아무쪼록 잘 봬서 점순이에게 얼른 장가를 들어야 하지 않느냐…….

And as for me, I had to stay on his good side so I could marry Jeom-sun as soon as possible...

이렇게 말하자면 결국 어젯밤 뭉태네 집에 마슬간 것이 썩 나빴다.

That being the case, it was a big mistake to have gone visiting at Mung-tae's house last night.

낮에 구장님 앞에서 장인님과 내가 싸운 것을 어떻게 알았는지 대구 빈정거리는 것이 아닌가.

Somehow he'd heard about the fight between my future father-in-law and me in front of the village headman that afternoon, and now he was needling me about it.

"그래 맞구두 그걸 가만 둬?"

"So he hit you, and you just let him get away with it?"

"그럼 어떡허니?"

"Well, what else could I do?"

"임마, 봉필일 모판에다 거꾸로 박아놓지 뭘 어떡해?"

"You fool! You should've planted Bong-pil upside down in the rice seedbed! What else was there to do?"

하고 괜히 내 대신 화를 내가지고 주먹질을 하다 등잔까지 쳤다.

He got all worked up on my behalf for no reason, swinging his fists around until he even knocked the oil lamp.

놈이 번히 괄괄은 하지만 그래놓고 날더러 석유값을 물라구 막 찌다우를 붙는다.

The fellow was certainly hot-tempered, but after all that, he had the nerve to insist that I pay for the kerosene.

난 어안이 벙벙해서 잠자코 앉았으니까 저만 연신 지껄이는 소리가,

I sat there silently, dumbfounded, while he went on and on:

"밤낮 일만 해주구 있을 테냐?"

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life working for him day and night?"

"영득이는 일년을 살구두 장갈 들었는데 넌 사년이나 살구두 더살아야 해?"

"Yeong-deuk got married after working there for just one year. Why should you have to keep at it even after four years?"

"네가 세번째 사윈줄이나 아니? 세번째 사위"

"Do you even know you're his third son-in-law? His third son-in-law!"

"남의 일이라두 분하다. 이자식아, 우물에 가 빠져 죽어."

"It makes me furious, even though it's none of my business. You idiot, go jump down a well and drown yourself!"

나중에는 겨우 손톱으로 목을 따라고까지 하고, 제 아들같이 함부로 훅닥이었다.

In the end, he even told me to slit my throat with my fingernails, and carried on abusing me as if I were his own son.

별의별 소리를 다해서 그대로 옮길 수는 없으나 그 줄거리는 이렇다…….

He said all sorts of things, too many to repeat word for word, but the gist was this...

우리 장인님 딸이 셋이 있는데 맏딸은 재작년 가을에 시집을 갔다.

My future father-in-law had three daughters. The eldest got married in the autumn before last.

정말은 시집을 간 것이 아니라 그 딸도 데릴사위를 해가지고 있다가 내보냈다.

Actually, she hadn't married in the usual way. She'd had a live-in son-in-law working for the family, too, and then sent him packing.

그런데 딸이 열 살 때부터 열아홉 즉 십년 동안에 데릴사위를 갈아들이기를, 동리에선 사위부자라고 이름이 났지마는 열네 놈이란 참 너무 많다.

But from the time that daughter was ten until she was nineteen—in other words, over ten years—he'd taken on one live-in son-in-law after another. People in the village called him a man rich in sons-in-law, but fourteen of them was really going too far.

장인님이 아들은 없고 딸만 있는 고로 그담 딸을 데릴사위를 해올 때까지는 부려먹지 않으면 안된다.

Since my future father-in-law had no sons, only daughters, he had to work each live-in son-in-law to the bone until it was time to bring in one for his next daughter.

물론 머슴을 두면 좋지만 그건 돈이 드니까, 일 잘하는 놈을 고르느라고 연방 바꿔들였다.

Of course, it would have been nice to hire a farmhand, but that would cost money, so he kept switching from one son-in-law to another, looking for someone who worked hard.

또 한편 놈들이 욕만 줄창 퍼붓고 심히도 부려먹으니까 밸이 상해서 달아나기도 했겠지, 점순이는 둘째딸인데 내가 일테면 그 세번째 데릴사위로 들어온 셈이다.

On the other hand, since he probably showered the fellows with abuse and worked them to the bone, some of them must have got fed up and run away. Jeom-sun is his second daughter, and I was, so to speak, the third live-in son-in-law he'd taken on.

내 담으로 네번째 놈이 들어올 것을 내가 일도 잘하고 그리고 사람이 좀 어수록하니까 장인님이 잔뜩 붙들고 놓질 않는다.

The next one would be his fourth, but since I worked hard and was a bit simple-minded, my future father-in-law had got a firm grip on me and wouldn't let go.

세째딸이 인제 여섯살, 적어두 열 살은 돼야 데릴사위를 할 테므로 그 동안은 죽도록 부려먹어야 된다.

His third daughter was only six, and she'd have to be at least ten before he could bring in a live-in son-in-law for her. So until then, he'd have to work me to death.

그러니 인제는 속 좀 채리고 장가를 들여달라구 떼를 쓰고 나자빠져라, 이것이다.

So now, he said, I should come to my senses, put my foot down, and refuse to budge until they let me get married.

나는 겉으로 엉, 엉, 하며 귓등으로 들었다.

I just went, "Uh-huh, uh-huh," pretending to listen while letting it all go in one ear and out the other.

뭉태는 땅을 얻어부치다가 떨어진 뒤로는 장인님만 보면 공연히 못 먹어서 으릉거린다.

Ever since Mung-tae lost the land he'd been renting, he growled with resentment whenever he saw my future father-in-law, as if he had a bone to pick with him.

그것도 장인님이 저 달라고 할 적에 제 집에서 위한다는 그 감투(예전에 원님이 쓰던 것이라나, 옆구리에 뽕뽕 좀 먹은 걸레)를 선뜻 주었더면 그럴 리도 없었던 걸…….

And that was only because, when my future father-in-law had asked him for that official's hat he treasured at home (supposedly one once worn by a local magistrate, though it was really just a rag with holes all over the sides), he hadn't handed it over willingly. If he had, things might never have turned out this way...

그러나 나는 뭉태란 놈의 말을 전수히 곧이듣지 않았다.

But I didn't believe everything that fellow Mung-tae told me.

꼭 곧이들었다면 간밤에 와서 장인님과 싸웠지 무사히 있었을 리가 없지 않은가.

If I'd really believed him, I wouldn't have been able to spend the night peacefully without coming over and picking a fight with my future father-in-law, would I?

그러면 딸에게까지 인심을 잃은 장인님이 혼자 나빴다.

In that case, my future father-in-law was entirely to blame, since he'd even managed to turn his own daughter against him.

실토이지 나는 점순이가 아침상을 가지고 나올 때까지는 오늘은 또 얼마나 밥을 담았나, 하고 이것만 생각했다.

To tell the truth, until Jeom-sun brought out breakfast, the only thing on my mind was how much rice she'd put in my bowl today.

상에는 된장찌개하고 간장 한 종지, 조밥 한 그릇, 그리고 밥보다 더 수부룩하게 담은 산나물이 한 대접, 이렇다.

On the tray there was soybean paste stew, a small dish of soy sauce, a bowl of millet rice, and a large bowl piled even higher than the rice with wild greens.

나물은 점순이가 틈틈이 해오니까 두 대접이고 네 대접이고 멋대로 먹어도 좋으나 밥은 장인님이 한 사발 외엔 더 주지 말라고 해서 안된다.

Jeom-sun gathered the greens whenever she had a spare moment, so I could eat two bowls or even four if I wanted. But I couldn't have any more rice, because my future father-in-law had ordered her not to give me more than one bowl.

그런데 점순이가 그 상을 내 앞에 내려 놓으며 제 말로 지껄이는 소리가,

But as Jeom-sun set the tray down in front of me, she piped up:

"구장님한테 갔다 그냥 온담 그래!"

"So you went to the village headman and came straight back without doing anything!"

하고 엊그제 산에서와 같이 되우 쫑알거린다.

She nagged me fiercely, just as she'd done up on the mountain the other day.

딴은 내가 더 단단히 덤비지 않고 만 것이 좀 어리석었다, 속으로 그랬다.

Come to think of it, I had been a bit of a fool not to stand up to him more firmly, I admitted to myself.

나도 저쪽 벽을 향하여 외면하면서 내 말로,

Turning my face toward the opposite wall, I muttered back:

"안된다는 걸 그럼 어떡헌담!"

"If he said no, what was I supposed to do?"

하니까,

At that, she replied,

"쇰을 잡아채지 그냥 둬, 이 바보야!"

"You should've grabbed him by the beard instead of letting him go, you idiot!"

하고 또 얼굴이 빨개지면서 성을 내며 안으로 샐죽하니 튀들어가지 않느냐, 이때 아무도 본 사람이 없었게 망정이지 보았다면 내 얼굴이 에미 잃은 황새새끼처럼 가여 웁다 했을 것이다.

With that, she turned red with anger and darted back inside, her lips pursed in a sulk. It was just as well nobody saw what happened then. If they had, they'd have said I looked as pitiful as a baby stork that had lost its mother.

사실 이때만치 슬펐던 일이 또 있었는지 모른다.

Truth be told, I don't know if I'd ever felt so miserable in my life.

다른 사람은 암만 못생겼다 해두 괜찮지만 내 아내 될 점순이가 병신으로 본다면 참 신세는 따분하다.

I didn't care how ugly anyone else thought I was, but if Jeom-sun, who was supposed to become my wife, thought I was a fool, then I was in a truly miserable predicament.

밥을 먹은 뒤 지게를 지고 일터로 갈려 하다 도로 벗어던지고 바깥 마당 공석 위에 드러누워서 나는 차라리 죽느니만 같지 못하다 생각했다.

After eating, I shouldered my A-frame carrier and set off for the fields, but then I threw it down again and stretched out on the straw mat in the yard. I thought I'd be better off dead.

내가 일 안하면 장인님 저는 나이가 먹어 못하고 결국 농사 못 짓고 만다.

If I don't work, my future father-in-law is too old to manage it himself, and in the end he'll be unable to farm at all.

뒷짐으로 트림을 꿀꺽하고 대문 밖으로 나오다 날 보고서,

He came out through the gate with his hands clasped behind his back, swallowing a belch, and when he saw me, he said:

"이자식아, 왜 또 이러니."

"You little rascal, what's the matter with you now?"

"관격이 났어유, 아이구 배야!"

"I've got a terrible stomach cramp! Oh, my belly!"

"기껀 밥 처먹구 무슨 관격이야, 남의 농사 버려주면 이자식아 징역간다 봐라!"

"You've just stuffed yourself with food, and now you've got stomach cramps? If you leave someone else's crops unattended, you little rascal, you'll go to prison, mark my words!"

"가두 좋아유, 아이구 배야!"

"I don't care if I do! Oh, my belly!"

참말 난 일 안해서 징역 가도 좋다 생각했다.

I really meant it. I didn't care if I went to prison for refusing to work.

일후 아들을 낳아도 그 앞에서 바보, 바보, 이렇게 별명을 들을 테니까 오늘은 열쪽이 난대도 결정을 내고 싶었다.

Even if I had a son someday, he'd hear people calling his father a fool, a fool, right in front of him. So today I wanted to make a stand, even if it meant getting beaten to a pulp.

장인님이 일어나라고 해도 내가 안 일어나니까 눈에 독이 올라서 저편으로 힝하게 가더니 지게막대기를 들고 왔다.

When I wouldn't get up even after my future father-in-law ordered me to, his eyes filled with fury. He stormed off to the other side and came back carrying the pole from my A-frame carrier.

그리고 그걸로 내 허리를 마치 돌 떠넘기듯이 쿡 찍어서 넘기고 넘기고 했다.

Then he jabbed me in the back with it, as if he were trying to shove a boulder aside, prodding me over and over.

밥을 잔뜩 먹어 딱딱한 배가 그럴 적마다 퉁겨지면서 밸창이 꼿꼿한 것이 여간 켕기지 않았다.

Each time he jabbed me, my belly—which was hard from all the rice I'd eaten—bounced, and my insides tightened up painfully. It was no joke.

그래도 안 일어나니까 이번에는 배를 지게 막대기로 위에서 쿡쿡 찌르고 발길로 옆구리를 차고 했다.

But when I still wouldn't get up, he started poking me repeatedly in the stomach with the pole and kicking me in the ribs.

장인님은 원체 심청이 궂어서 그러지만 나도 저만 못하지 않게 배를 채었다.

My future father-in-law was naturally a vicious old brute, but I gave him just as good as I got, kicking him in the belly too.

아픈 것을 눈을 꽉 감고 넌 해라 난 재밌단 듯이 있었으나 볼기짝을 후려갈길 적에는 나도 모르는 결에 벌떡 일어나서 그 수염을 잡아챘다.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to act as if I were enjoying it, letting him do his worst despite the pain. But when he gave me a hard whack on the backside, I sprang to my feet without even thinking and grabbed him by the beard.

마는 내 골이 난 것이 아니라 정말은 아까부터 벽 뒤 울타리 구멍으로 점순이가 우리들의 꼴을 몰래 엿보고 있었기 때문이다.

But it wasn't really that I was angry. The truth was, Jeom-sun had been secretly watching us through a hole in the fence behind the wall for some time.

가뜩이나 말 한마디 톡톡히 못한다고 바라보는데 매까지 잠자코 맞는 걸 보면 짜장 바보로 알 게 아닌가.

She already thought I was too much of a coward to stand up for myself. If she saw me quietly taking a beating as well, wouldn't she think I was a complete fool?

또 점순이도 미워하는 이까짓 놈의 장인님하곤 아무것도 안되니까 막 때려도 좋지만 사정 보아서 수염만 채고(제 원대로 했으니까 이때 점순이는 퍽 기뻤겠지) 저기까지 잘 들리도록 '이걸 까셀라부다!'

Besides, since Jeom-sun hated this old future father-in-law of mine too, I could have beaten him to a pulp and it wouldn't have mattered. But I held back and only grabbed his beard (which must have made Jeom-sun very happy, since I'd done just what she wanted), then shouted loud enough for her to hear:

하고 소리를 쳤다.

and yelled, "I'll finish you off!"

장인님은 더 약이 바짝 올라서 잡은 참 지게막대기로 내 어깨를 그냥 내려갈겼다.

That made my future father-in-law even more furious, and with the A-frame pole still in his hand, he brought it crashing down on my shoulder.

정신이 다 아찔하다.

My head spun.

다시 고개를 들었을 때 그때엔 나도 온몸에 약이 올랐다.

When I lifted my head again, I was furious too, from head to toe.

이녀석의 장인님을, 하고 눈에서 불이 퍽 나서 그 아래 밭 있는 넝알로 그대로 떠밀어 굴려버렸다.

With a sudden flash of rage, I thought, 'You old bastard!' and shoved him straight down the slope into the field below, sending him tumbling.

"부려만 먹구 왜 성례 안하지유!"

"Why do you keep working me like a slave without letting us get married?"

나는 이렇게 호령했다.

I shouted at him.

허지만 장인님이 선뜻 오냐 낼이라두 성례시켜 주마, 했으면 나도 성가신 걸 그만두었을지 모른다.

But if my future father-in-law had readily said, 'All right, I'll arrange the wedding, even tomorrow,' I might have stopped making such a fuss.

나야 이러면 때린 건 아니니까 나중에 장인 쳤다는 누명도 안 들을 터이고 얼마든지 해도 좋다.

After all, this way I wasn't actually hitting him, so he couldn't later accuse me of striking my future father-in-law. I could pull as hard as I pleased.

한번은 장인님이 헐떡헐떡 기어서 올라오더니 내 바짓가랭이를 요렇게 노리고서 단박 움켜잡고 매달렸다.

Once, my future father-in-law came crawling up the slope, panting and gasping. He made straight for my trouser leg, grabbed it in one go, and clung on.

악, 소리를 치고 나는 그만 세상이 다 팽그르 도는 것이,

I let out a scream, and suddenly the whole world began spinning around me.

"빙장님! 빙장님! 빙장님!"

"Respected father-in-law! Respected father-in-law! Respected father-in-law!"

"이자식! 잡아먹어라, 잡아먹어!"

"You little bastard! Go on, eat me alive! Eat me alive!"

"아! 아! 할아버지! 살려줍쇼, 할아버지!"

"Oh! Oh! Grandpa! Spare me, Grandpa!"

하고 두팔을 허둥지둥 내절 적에는 이마에 진땀이 쭉 내솟고 인젠 참으로 죽나보다 했다.

I flailed both arms about and cried this out. Cold sweat poured down my forehead, and I truly thought I was going to die.

그래두 장인님은 놓질 않더니 내가 기어이 땅바닥에 쓰러져서 거진 까무러치게 되니까 놓는다.

Even then, my future father-in-law wouldn't let go. Only when I finally collapsed to the ground, nearly fainting, did he release me.

더럽다, 더럽다.

What a disgrace! What a disgrace!

이게 장인님인가?

And this was my future father-in-law?

나는 한참을 못 일어나고 쩔쩔맸다.

For quite a while, I couldn't get up. I just lay there in a daze.

그러나 얼굴을 드니(눈엔 참 아무것도 보이지 않았다)사지가 부르르 떨리면서 나도 엉금엉금 기어가 장인님의 바짓가랭이를 꽉 움키고 잡아나꿨다.

But when I raised my head (though I really couldn't see a thing), my whole body trembling, I crawled over to my future father-in-law, grabbed his trouser leg tightly, and yanked him down.

내가 머리가 터지도록 매를 얻어맞은 것이 이 때문이다.

That's why he beat me so hard that my head split open.

그러나 여기가 또한 우리 장인님이 유달리 착한 곳이다.

And yet this was where my future father-in-law showed just how unusually kind he could be.

여느 사람이면 사경을 주어서라도 당장 내어쫓았지, 터진 머리를 볼솜으로 손수 지져 주고, 호주머니에 희연 한 봉을 넣어 주고 그리고,

Anyone else would have thrown me out on the spot, even if they had to pay me my wages first. But he tended my split-open head himself with cotton wool, slipped a packet of tobacco into my pocket, and then said:

"올 갈엔 꼭 성례를 시켜 주마. 암만 말구 가서 뒷골의 콩밭이나얼른 갈아라."

"I'll see you two married this autumn, for sure. Now don't say another word—just hurry off and plow the bean field behind the hill."

하고 등을 뚜덕여 줄 사람이 누구냐.

Who else would pat me on the back and send me off like that?

나는 장인님이 너무나 고마워서 어느덧 눈물까지 났다.

I was so grateful to my future father-in-law that before I knew it, tears had come to my eyes.

점순이를 남기고 인젠 내쫓기려니 하다 뜻밖의 말을 듣고,

I'd thought he'd throw me out and leave me with no chance of marrying Jeom-sun, but then I heard those unexpected words, and cried:

"빙장님! 인제 다시는 안그러겠어유!"

"Respected father-in-law! I won't ever do that again!"

이렇게 맹세를 하며 부랴부랴 지게를 지고 일터로 갔다.

I vowed this and hurriedly shouldered my A-frame carrier and went off to work.

그러나 이때는 그걸 모르고 장인님을 원수로만 여겨서 잔뜩 잡아당겼다.

But at the time, I didn't understand any of that. I thought of him only as my enemy and gave his trouser leg a mighty tug.

"아! 아! 이놈아! 놔라, 놔."

"Ow! Ow! You rascal! Let go, let go!"

장인님은 헷손질을 하며 솔개미에 챈 닭의 소리를 연해 질렀다.

My future father-in-law flailed his arms helplessly, shrieking again and again like a chicken snatched up by a hawk.

놓긴 왜, 이왕이면 호되게 혼을 내주리라 생각하고 짖궂이 더 댕겼다.

Why should I let go? Since I was at it, I thought I'd teach him a proper lesson, and gave another mischievous tug.

마는 장인님이 땅에 쓰러져서 눈에 눈물이 피잉 도는 것을 알고 좀 겁도 났다.

But when I saw my future father-in-law lying on the ground with tears welling up in his eyes, I began to feel a little frightened.

"할아버지! 놔라, 놔, 놔, 놔, 놔라."

"Grandpa! Let go! Let go, let go, let go!"

그래도 안되니까,

But when that didn't work, he shouted:

"애 점순아! 점순아!"

"Hey, Jeom-sun! Jeom-sun!"

이 악장에 안에 있었던 장모님과 점순이가 헐레벌떡하고 단숨에 뛰어 나왔다.

At that, my future mother-in-law and Jeom-sun, who had been inside, came rushing out at full speed.

나의 생각에 장모님은 제 남편이니까 역성을 할는지도 모른다.

I figured my future mother-in-law might take her husband's side, since he was her own husband.

그러나 점순이는 내 편을 들어서 속으로 고수해 하겠지---.

But Jeom-sun would surely take my side and secretly cheer me on...

대체 이게 웬 속인지(지금까지도 난 영문을 모른다) 아버질 혼내 주기는 제가 내래 놓고 이제 와서는 달겨들며,

But what on earth was going on in her head? (Even now, I can't make head or tail of it.) She was the one who had egged me on to teach her father a lesson, yet now she came charging at me, shouting:

"에그머니! 이 망할 게 아버지 죽이네!"

"Good heavens! This wretched fellow is going to kill Father!"

하고, 귀를 뒤로 잡아댕기며 마냥 우는 것이 아니냐.

And with that, she grabbed my ears and yanked them backward, wailing all the while.

그만 여기에 기운이 탁 꺾이어 나는 얼빠진 등신이 되고 말았다.

That completely took the fight out of me, and I was left standing there like a stunned idiot.

장모님도 덤벼들어 한쪽 귀마저 뒤로 잡아채면서 또 우는 것이다.

My future mother-in-law rushed in too, grabbed my other ear, and began wailing as well.

이렇게 꼼짝도 못하게 해놓고 장인님은 지게막대기를 들어서 사뭇 내려조졌다.

With me held fast and unable to move, my future father-in-law picked up the A-frame pole and gave me a thorough beating.

그러나 나는 구태여 피하려지도 않고 암만해도 그 속 알 수 없는 점순이의 얼굴만 멀거니 들여다보았다.

But I didn't even try to dodge. I just stared blankly at Jeom-sun's face, unable to fathom what was going on inside her head.

"이자식! 장인 입에서 할아버지 소리가 나오도록 해?"

"You little rascal! Have you made your future father-in-law call you Grandpa?"