每日10分鐘韓語聽說 【每日10分鐘韓語聽說| 中韓雙語字幕】-389 文明與選擇 （適用於韓國語中級/ TOPIK II/韓國語日常生活場景）

This is Every Day Korean Podcast. Hello. I'm Jihun, your Korean friend in your daily life. Hello. I'm Soyeon, your energetic Korean language partner. Welcome, everyone, to Every Day Korean Podcast. Yes, nice to meet you. Miss So-yeon, did you decide on the lunch menu before coming to the studio today? Oh, leave it alone! Why are you asking me that? The truth is, I haven't decided yet. I think I spent about 30 minutes pondering whether to eat kimchi stew or a sandwich. In the end, I didn't have time, so I just bought one triangle rice ball on my way here from a convenience store. That's right. Our daily lives are actually made up of big and small choices at every moment. From minor choices like lunch menus to major decisions that determine the course of one's life. You're right. Now that I think about it, that's really true. Everything—what to wear in the morning, whether to listen to a podcast now or not—is just a matter of choice, isn't it? That's exactly it. Therefore, the topic we will discuss today is precisely fate and choice. Fate and choice—what a philosophical and profound theme. Yes, it might sound a bit that way, but in fact, it's a story very closely related to our lives. Is there such a thing as a predetermined fate? Or do our choices shape our destiny? I would like to explore these kinds of questions together through three brief stories. Oh, that sounds fun. The first story is about a boy who got lost, the second is about two paths, and the last is about a girl who changed her fate. The lesson we can draw from these stories today is that our choices shape our destiny. Yes. Then, are you ready? Everyday Korean Podcast: Let's begin the story about the choices that will shape our destiny. Now, the first story is about a boy who got lost. The subtitle reads: "The boy finds his way again through choice." Have you ever, in your life, felt like, "Oh no, I think I'm lost"? Yes, indeed. There are far too many. Actually, that's how it was when I first entered society after graduating from university. I wasn't even sure what I should do, which company I should go to, or whether it was right to use my major. It felt like walking alone through a fog. Everyone around me seems to be finding their own way so effortlessly, while I feel like I'm the only one standing still. Oh, I completely understand that feeling. Many people will surely relate. That sense of helplessness and uncertainty can be seen as similar to that of a boy lost on a journey in a story. The boy got lost in the forest. He has no idea which direction to go—north, south, east, or west. Just imagining it is terrifying. In such moments, ordinary people would probably be so frightened that they'd be paralyzed and unable to do anything. You're right. The easiest choice is not to choose anything at all. But the boy in the story was different. He did not sit quietly waiting for someone to save him, nor did he blame fate. Instead, you begin making very small choices. A small choice? For example, what kind of thing? Let's head toward the largest tree over there! Or, I can hear the sound of flowing water; let's follow the water of the deity! It's the same thing. There was no guarantee that that choice would be the right answer. It might have been the wrong choice to go deeper into the forest. You must have needed the courage to take the first step, even though you didn't know how it would turn out? That's exactly it. The boy kept moving, believing in his small choices. After repeated choices, I finally emerge from the forest and discover the village's lights. If the boy had been overcome with despair upon realizing he was lost and had sat down right there, his fate would have been different. It seems really similar to my story. I was also feeling utterly lost back then, so I decided to sign up for a broadcasting speech class at the neighborhood cultural center, just to do something. I never even imagined that it would change my life. It was just a tiny choice, thinking it was better than staying at home. And that small choice ultimately led you, Mr. Boy, to this path—becoming a podcast host? You're right. I happened to meet our current broadcasting PD in that class, and that's how I got this great opportunity. If I had just stayed at home back then, thinking, "What's the point of even trying?", I wouldn't be who I am today. It's really chilling. Rather than trying to devise grand and perfect plans when we feel lost in life's direction, It is important to make one small choice that you can take right now. Those small choices, when gathered together, ultimately guide us toward a new path. The story of the boy who got lost is precisely telling us that very point. Shall we now move on to the second story? There are two paths. At the moment you choose one of the two paths, your fate changes. Has Ms. Soyeon ever been at a truly important crossroads in life? Well... yes. I had the opportunity to go abroad as an exchange student during university. One place was a culturally rich European city I've truly wanted to visit for a long time. The other school was in the United States, directly related to my major and advantageous for employment. Ah, that must have been a really difficult choice. It could be called a fork in the road between dreams and reality. Yes, that's right. I couldn't sleep for several days, racked with worry. When I ask my friends, their opinions are evenly split. I was too afraid of having to give up all the opportunities and experiences I might have had by choosing the other path. That is precisely the weight of choice. You know, in economics there's a term called opportunity cost. It refers to the value of the alternative choice that must be given up when making a selection. We are, in effect, paying this opportunity cost with every passing moment. Oh, opportunity cost. I've heard of that before. If I choose to go to the United States, the romantic experience I could have in Europe becomes the opportunity cost. Choosing to go to Europe means forgoing the experience that would have helped my career in the United States. That's correct. Many people delay making choices or try to shift the responsibility onto others out of fear regarding this opportunity cost. But the protagonist in the story was different. He pondered for a long time at the crossroads of two paths, but ultimately he listened to the voice of his own heart and chose one of the paths. And without looking back, I silently walk forward along that path. I think it's really important not to look back. I ultimately chose the United States for practical reasons. But sometimes I think: if I had gone to Europe back then, how would my life have been different? Everyone has such thoughts from time to time. But the important thing is that no matter which path you choose, that path inherently carries its own meaning, lessons, and new opportunities. It's more important to strive to make the path I've chosen the best one than to linger on regret for the roads not taken. The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said this. Life is the C between B and D. C between B and D? What does that mean? B stands for birth, D stands for death, and the C in between is precisely choice. In other words, our lives consist of countless choices between birth and death. It carries a very powerful message: destiny is not predetermined, but shaped by the choices we make. Wow, life is the C between B and D. That's a truly wonderful saying. Suddenly, the path I chose in America feels even more precious to me. If it weren't for the friends I met there and the experiences I had back then, I wouldn't be who I am today. Shall we briefly talk about Korean culture here? In Korea, particularly among third-year high school students, the College Scholastic Ability Test, commonly known as the Suneung, is a major examination. It is regarded as a crucial moment in life when deciding between two or even several important paths. Yes, that's right. The college and major you can apply to are determined solely by your college entrance exam score. You feel immense pressure, thinking that a single day's exam can determine your future life, career, and even the people you'll meet. Yes, so many students endomed after the college entrance exam, thinking their fate has been decided by this. But as time goes by, you come to realize that that choice wasn't the entirety of your life. Because no matter which university you attend, you can create your own new path through further choices within it. The story of the two roads emphasizes exactly that point. The moment of choice is important, but it is how we carry our lives afterward that truly determines our fate. Well then, this is the last story. The girl who changed her fate. A courageous choice transforms the girl's life. This story makes my heart race just listening to it. Yes. While the previous two stories focused on the process and outcomes of choice, this story is about the attitude and courage required to make choices. The girl in the story was born in a very poor village. Everyone in the village lived with the resigned belief that we were destined to remain poor for our entire lives. Ah, so it's a situation where your environment or the people around you arbitrarily define your destiny. It probably won't be easy to overcome that. Yes, but the girl was different. Every night, she would gaze at the stars and think. Is my fate really going to end here, in this tiny village? No, I want to see a broader world. I really empathize with that feeling. I sometimes feel the same way when studying Korean. Learning Korean? In what aspect? Shall I memorize some words? Review grammar again? Or practice speaking with shadowing? There are too many options, aren't there? Then, what is the most efficient method? Isn't it just wasting time by studying the wrong way? I often end up unable to start anything at all because of such worries. Many Chinese language learners will probably relate to this. I wish there were a fixed, predetermined method of studying. Ah, truly insightful advice. You're in a situation where the pressure of wanting to make the perfect choice is actually preventing you from moving forward. There is a connection point with the girl's situation that changed her fate. The fate bestowed upon the girl was to spend her entire life in a poor village. The safest choice would have been to accept that fate and live like everyone else. But the girl chose a different path. Yes, the girl mustered her courage. Everyone in the village laughed, but she began studying writing all by herself. And I saved money and secretly left for a big city. It was a very risky and lonely choice, with no guaranteed outcome. That courage is truly amazing. That's right. Thanks to that courageous decision, the girl was able to go to the city and learn new skills. Become the owner of a large business by working hard. In the end, he changed not only his own fate but also that of the people from his hometown who had once mocked him. This story微妙ly suggests that fate is not determined by external circumstances, but rather by something deeper within. It demonstrates that it can be changed by courageous choices that strive to transcend it. It seems like the answer to my earlier concern about studying Korean is also here. Rather than seeking a predetermined destiny of a perfect and ideal study method Let's just memorize 10 words today. It's important to make that courageous little choice. That's exactly it. That small choice might be wrong too. There might be a better way.