Go on. Have another one.

(by viking3814)

어여 한점 더 먹어봐

 

Kadena AB, Okinawa, 1979-80

가데나 공군기지, 오키나와, 1979~80년

 

Okinawa is not a very large island. Think it’s about 67 miles long and 2-17 miles wide. While I was stationed there, a bunch of us would take a small ferry to Tokashiki Island for an alcohol fueled weekend away.

오키나와는 그리 큰 섬이 아니야. 길이는 대략 107km, 폭은 3~27km 정도거든.

내가 거기서 복무했을 때, 우린 주말마다 토카시키섬으로 작은 페리를 타고 가서 술을 퍼마시곤 했어.

 

We would have a Japanese worker in the squadron call and make reservations for us at a small hotel/guest house there so we would have some place to sleep. Western style eating utensils were not exactly prevalent. Have you ever tried eating a fried egg with chopsticks? It takes a bit of a knack.

우리 비행대대에서 근무하는 일본인 직원한테 부탁해서, 작은 호텔이나 게스트하우스에 예약을 잡곤했지. 그런 곳에 서양식 식기는 거의 전무했어. 젓가락 들고 계란후라이 먹어본 적 있어? 약간의 요령이 필요해.

 

One such trip and I was having a meal at the hotel, and a plate of sushi is set down ion front of me. All sorts of seafood delicacies (mostly raw) were on it as well as a small pot of green sauce similar to mustard. The idea being you put a small dap on your plate and thinned it out with soy sauce which you then used as a dip for the seafood.

한번은 토카시키섬으로 놀러가서 호텔에서 밥을 먹고 있었는데, 스시 한 접시가 내 앞에 놓이더라고. 온갖 별미 해산물들(대부분 날 것)이 올려져있었고, 겨자랑 비슷한 녹색 소스가 작은 종지에 담겨있었어. 그 녹색 소스를 네 접시에 덜어서, 간장으로 희석한 다음 해산물을 거기에 찍어먹는거래.

 

I duly coated the first three pieces of fish with the sauce and thought it wasn’t too bad. Maybe a little hot to my tastes so I decided to forgo it with the fourth piece of fish. As I was chewing away on this, my taste buds suddenly informs my brain “Boy you have a raw piece of fish in your mouth!”. The next two pieces were lathered with that sauce.

처음 세 조각에는 소스를 발라서 먹었는데, 의외로 나쁘지 않더라고. 내 취향보다 살짝 맵긴 해서 네번째 조각엔 바르지 않기로 했어. 내가 그걸 씹고 있는데, 내 미각이 갑자기 내 뇌에 말하는거야 “야 임마, 니 지금 날생선 씹고 있어!”. 다음 두 조각엔 소스를 듬뿍 발라먹었지.

 

That night after a buddy and I wandered back to the hotel area after consuming large quantities of alcohol, we happened upon a group of Japanese men sitting around a table drinking and partaking of a dish of shredded meat, dipping the bits in soy sauce before popping them in their mouths.

그날 밤, 친구랑 술 듬뿍 마신 뒤 호텔로 돌아가고 있었는데, 우연히 테이블에 앉아서 뭘 먹고 있는 일본인 남성 한 무리를 만났어. 술 마시면서 잘게 썬 고기를 간장에 찍어서 먹고 있었어.

 

They motioned for us to join them and indulge in the snacks. We both tried it and asked what we were eating. They did not speak English and we did not speak Japanese so communication was poor. They kept saying “Yagi. Yagi”. One who could say a little English said something that sounded like “Cheep. Cheep”.

우리한테 합석해서 먹어보라고 손짓하더라고. 둘 다 한 점씩 먹은 다음 우리가 방금 뭘 먹은건지 물어봤어. 그들은 영어를 몰랐고 우린 일본어를 몰랐기 때문에 소통이 수월하진 않았어. 계속 “Yagi, yagi”이랬어. 그들 중 영어를 할 수 있는 한 사람이 “Cheep. Cheep” 이러는거야.

 

I happened to have a tourist phrase book with me and he used it to find the correct word. He was trying to say “Sheep”, I turned to my buddy and said, “Hey Steve, we’re eating raw goat meat!”. (Yagi = goat in Japanese)

내게 마침 여행객용 회화책이 있어서, 그걸로 그 일본인은 자기가 원하는 단어를 찾아냈어. 그는 “양”이라고 하려했던거야. 난 친구에게 돌아서서 말했습니다. “야 스티브, 우리 지금 염소 사시미 먹고 있어!” (yagi=일본어로 염소)

 

Steve said, “Hmm, actually you know it’s not that bad”

스티브 왈: “흠, 이거 의외로 괜찮은데?”

 

 

댓글:

That's how I ate dog meat while stationed in Korea!

나도 그렇게 한국에서 개고기 먹었어!