23
1.
The new school was a coed high school that had been around for twenty years. It didn’t have a high admission rate to top colleges, but it didn’t have a reputation for unruly or delinquent students either.
2.
Dr. Shim offered to come to the entrance ceremony, but I turned him down. I watched the ceremony from afar by myself. It was nothing special. The school building was red outside, and inside it smelled of new paint and new construction materials from the recent renovation. The uniform felt stiff and uncomfortable.
3.
As she flopped down on an old purple couch in the counseling room, a dust cloud billowed from the impact. She gave a dry cough into her clenched fist, clearing her throat, Ahem, in a small voice.
4.
Here, she was a teacher, but at home, she might be the doted-on youngest daughter.
5.
But no one seemed to be impressed, because the names she had diligently memorized were followed by remarks like “be quiet” or “please sit down.”
6.
The kids' reaction was lukewarm. Most of them only pretended to clap, but a few genuinely cheered, so I heard some applause at least. But the clapping waned quickly, leaving dozens of their eyes fixed on me in complete silence.
1.
The new school was a coed high school that had been around for twenty years. It didn’t have a high admission rate to top colleges, but it didn’t have a reputation for unruly or delinquent students either.
상위권 대학 진학률이 그다지 높지 않았지만 특별히 아이들이 드세다거나 안 좋다는 소문이 있는 곳은 아니었다.
*unruly: difficult to control or manage
- He struggled hard to control his unruly emotions.
- The police were attacked by an unruly mob.
- There have been complaints about her unruly behaviour.
*delinquent: (especially of young people or their behaviour) tending to commit crimes
- delinquent teenagers
2.
Dr. Shim offered to come to the entrance ceremony, but I turned him down. I watched the ceremony from afar by myself. It was nothing special. The school building was red outside, and inside it smelled of new paint and new construction materials from the recent renovation. The uniform felt stiff and uncomfortable.
*Idioms from afar: (literary) from a long distance away
3.
As she flopped down on an old purple couch in the counseling room, a dust cloud billowed from the impact. She gave a dry cough into her clenched fist, clearing her throat, Ahem, in a small voice.
그녀는 주먹손을 쥐며 콜록거리더니 작은 목소리로 캐햄, 하고 헛기침을 했다.
4.
Here, she was a teacher, but at home, she might be the doted-on youngest daughter.
여기서는 선생님이지만 어쩌면 집에선 귀염받는 막내딸쯤 될지 모른다.
5.
But no one seemed to be impressed, because the names she had diligently memorized were followed by remarks like “be quiet” or “please sit down.”
그녀가 수고롭게 외운 아이들의 이름은, 누구야 조용히 해, 누구야 좀 앉아줄래, 따위로밖에 쓰이지 않았으니까.
6.
The kids' reaction was lukewarm. Most of them only pretended to clap, but a few genuinely cheered, so I heard some applause at least. But the clapping waned quickly, leaving dozens of their eyes fixed on me in complete silence.
아이들의 반응은 미적지근했다... 박수는 짧게 사그라들었다.
*lukewarm: not interested or enthusiastic
*wane: [intransitive] to become gradually weaker or less important
- Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly.
- Their popularity waned during that period.
- Demand for the product shows no signs of waning.