제24부 해방의 기쁨과 고민. 두 번째 Part 24 The joys and troubles of liberation. The second

제24부 [...] 해방의 기쁨과 고민. Part 24 [...] The joys and troubles of liberation. 두 번째

우리가 춘천에 도착하여 여관을 잡아 든 시간은 밤 10시였다. It was 10 p.m. when we arrived in Chuncheon and grabbed an inn. 서울 용산 사단에 징병으로 끌려갔던 삼척출신의 한 청년이 일본인 분대장을 때려눕히고 탈영했다가, 삼척에서 징용을 살던 유학생들이 여관에 들었다는 소식을 듣고 찾아왔다. A young man from Samcheok who had been conscripted into the Yongsan Division in Seoul, Korea, deserted after beating up a Japanese squad leader, and then came to the inn when he heard that international students who had been conscripted in Samcheok were staying there. 그는 자신이겪었던 병영생활을 얘기하면서 우리 청년들은 앞으로 어떻게 하는 게 좋겠느냐고 물었다. He talked about his own experience in the barracks and asked what we young people should do in the future.

손을 비롯한 여럿이서 그에게 조언을 해주었지만, 나는 아직 내 진로도 결정하지 못한 처지이기도 해서 그저 가만히 있었다. Hand and others gave him advice, but I hadn't even decided on my own path yet, so I stayed put. 일행은 모두 징용에 나간 것을 무슨 대단한 공로나 세운 것처럼 이해하고 있었다. Everyone in the group understood that he was being drafted as if it was some kind of great accomplishment. 그리고 무엇보다도 지식인으로서 장차 대단한일을 할 수 있을 것처럼 들떠있었다. And most of all, as an intellectual, I was excited to do great things in the future.

다음날 우리는 전동차를 타고 서울로 올라갔는데, 나는 전동차를 조선사람들이 운행하는 데에 감동을 받았다. The next day we took the electric train up to Seoul, and I was impressed by how the electric cars are operated by Koreans. 하지만 서울에 도착해서는 크게 실망했다. However, when I arrived in Seoul, I was sorely disappointed. 경찰서와 파출소에 일본경찰들이 기관총을 걸어 놓고 시내 치안을 완전히 장악하고 있었기 때문이다. Japanese police officers had machine guns hanging in police stations and police boxes, and they had taken complete control of the city's security. 해방만 되면 우리 세상이 되리라고 생각했던 나는 아직도 일본경찰이 치안을 담당하고 있는 것이 왠지 씁쓸했다. I was bitter that the Japanese police were still in charge of security, as I thought it would be our world once we were liberated.

손을 비롯해서 남쪽이 고향인 학생들은 다른 숙소로 가고, 나는 고향친구들을 따라 그 친구의 형님집으로 가서 신세를 졌다. The students from the south, including Son, went to another hostel, and I followed my hometown friends to his brother's house to pay my debt. 학교 이름은 잊었는데, 그 친구의 형은 어느 단과대학의 교수로 있었다. I forget the name of the school, but his brother was a professor at one of the colleges. 그 집에 있는 동안 친구는 형과 함께 여운형 씨를 만나러간다, 누구를 만나러 간다 했지만, 나는 그들을 따라다니기도 싱거워서 혼자 평양으로 돌아가기로 하고 평양으로 떠났다. While I was at the house, my friend told me that he and his brother were going to see Mr. Yeo Un-hyong, or to meet someone, but I didn't feel like following them, so I decided to go back to Pyongyang alone and left for Pyongyang.