※ 솔직히... 영어 공부를 하다 보면... 가끔 이런 생각이 들 때가 있다. "내가 이런 것까지 알아야 하나..?"라는 의문 말이다. 온갖 종류의 유행어, 줄임말, 속어, 슬랭 등을 다 알아야 하나? 아니 내가 제아무리 공부를 한다고 해도... 그 모든 슬랭과 속에, 관용어구, 사투리 등을 모두 알 수는 있는 것일까...? (외국어 공부라는 것이 평생하는 것이기는 하지만) 대체 언제까지, 어디까지 이 짓(=공부를)을 해야 하나 싶기도 하다.
과학이라는 학문이 동양, 아니 한국에서 탄생했다면 얼마나 좋았을까. 그랬다면 세계인들이 이 잣 같은 언어인 영어로 이토록 시간적, 경제적, 에너지적 소모를 하지 않았을 텐데 말이다.
Honestly… when studying English, sometimes I catch myself wondering: “Do I really need to know all of this?” Do I have to learn every trendy expression, abbreviation, slang term, idiom, and dialect? No matter how much I study, is it even possible to know them all? (Of course, learning a foreign language is a lifelong process.) But still, I can’t help asking myself—how long, and how far, do I have to keep doing this?
I sometimes think: how great would it have been if science as a discipline had originated in the East—or in Korea, specifically. If that were the case, people around the world wouldn’t be wasting so much time, money, and energy on this prickly language called English.
▶ I will look the other way this time. 이번엔 눈감아주다/못 본척하다.
▶ In one ear and out the other: 한 귀로 듣고, 한 귀로 흘린다/한쪽 귀로 들어가서 다른 쪽 귀로 나간다/You don't pay attention to what the other person is saying. ex) I told him to clean his room, but it went in one ear and out the other.
▶ go over my head: 어떤 내용 등이 너무 어려워서 이해하지 못한다. The topic is too difficult for you to understand. ex) The lesson about metaphysics(형이상학, 추상론) went over my head.
▶ Tune out: 멍해지다/ 집중이 흐트려지가. To stop paying attention. ex) I tuned out during the long lecture.
▶ stick in my craw: 어떤 말이나 상황이 마음에 들지 않아 불쾌감이나 불편함을 느끼는 상태/마음에 들지 않다/속이 상하다. ex) Trump's video that showed Obama as an ape really sticks in my craw.
▶ cloak and dagger: 비밀과 의문에 가득 찬/첩보 영화 같은. ex) Tension in the strait of Hormuz have taken on an increasingly cloak and dagger character, as reports emerge of covert naval maneuvers.
▶ tip of the iceberg: 빙산의 일각. ex) Environmental pollution is even more serious than we think. The current situation is just the tip of the iceberg.
▶ come down to: something is finally decided by particular factors. 결국 ~에 달려 있다/핵심은 ~이다. ex) This comes down to how well we prepare resources for the next step.
▶ Now guys, please have a seat and leave yourselves some elbow room. 앉으시고 여유 공간을 가져주세요.
▶ cup of Joe: Joe=coffee. 커피 한 잔. ex) Would you care for a cup of joe?
▶ I didn’t expect much from this movie, but it totally blew me away. 매우 놀라게 하다
▶ dead letter: 배달 불능 우편물 혹은 효력이 사라진 법 조항. ex) The truce(휴전, 정전) between Iran and America became a dead letter when Iran shot missiles at American navy ships.
▶ get the hang of something: ~에 익숙하게 될 것이다/알게 되다. to learn how to do something, especially if it is not obvious or simple. ex.) I've never used this program before. Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of it.
▶ circle back to: 지금은 못 다루고, 추후에 다시 논의하거나 연락하자. ec) Could we circle back to this issue later today? Let’s circle back to this topic after we review the data. 데이터를 검토한 뒤 이 주제로 다시 논의합시다. I’ll circle back to you tomorrow. 내일 다시 연락드릴게요
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