Study Korean Through Drama: Deep Rooted Tree EO6 쇠팔찌metal bracelet

Chae Yoon is now in charge of the investigation to find who is murdering the scholars in the palace. In this scene from episode 6, he is questioning the court lady So Yi about what she was doing in the printing house right before the scholar was murdered. And he wants to know why the assassin let her live even though she saw his face. She says she doesn’t know. Chae Yoon is frustrated. He needs more information about the assassin but So Yi isn’t being very helpful. He doesn’t seem to trust her.

Finally So Yi draws in detail the bracelet that the assassin was wearing. But Chae Yoon is not convinced. How could she possibly remember such a complicated design? She tells him that she only has to see something once to remember it…

time: 08:20 – 09:40

[So Yi draws the pattern on paper and hands it to Chae Yoon.]

채윤: 이게 무엇 입니까?
Chae Yoon: What’s this?  

서이: 그 자는 쇠팔찌를 차고 있었고 이건 그 문양이오. 
So YI: The man was wearing a metal bracelet and this is the pattern (on it).  

vocabulary: 팔찌를 차다, wear a bracelet (see also 시계를 차다 wear a watch) 문양 pattern

채윤: 아. 그 짧은 순간에 이렇게 복잡한 그림을 전부 외웠단 말이오?
Chae Yoon: Huh? You’re saying that in that brief moment you could memorise this complicated picture?

vocabulary: 짧다 brief/short, 복잡하다 complicated, 그림 picture, 외우다 memorise,

서이: 난 한번 본 것은 모두 외울수있소.
So Yi: I see something once then I can memorise it.  

note:외울수있소 this ending is old Korean. These day = 외울수있어.

채윤: 뭐라? 이걸 지금 나보러 믿으란 말입니까?
Chae Yoon: What?  You’re expecting me to believe that? 

vocabulary: 믿다 believe

So Yi simply glares at Chae Yoon and starts to write in hanja (Chinese characters). She hands the list to Chae Yoon and he realises that it is the list of guards names on the notice board – she must have glanced at it as she came into the guards office to be questioned. He rushes out to look at the notice board. Of course the list is the same and Chae Yoon is shocked – she really does have a photographic memory …