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나비효과 (더 열심히 공부해야겠다) 중국 초등학생의 에세이입니다.똑똑하고 귀엽고 ... 글을 읽으며 오랜만에 마구 웃었습니다.우리 아이들은 무슨 생각으로 더 열심히 공부해야한다고 생각할까요?
아이들에게 읽혀보면 좋을 것 같아요.
이글을 보여주기 전에 일단 아이들에게 "왜? 공부하냐?" 한번 쯤 물어보는 것도 좋을 것 같아요.
우리집 둘째에게 물어보니 공부 밖에는 할 것이 아무것도 없다고 해요..
밥,공부,잠,봉사활동 오로지 4가지 뿐인 평범한 한국 고등학생의 답변입니다.^^
우리 애들의 경우 고등학생 시절이 가장 아무 생각도 없고 창의력도 떨어지는 암울한 시기인 것 같아요.
그러나 어린 시절 독서와 토론을 많이했던 저력은 대학가서 빛을 발하는 것 같습니다.
이제 돌아와 생각해 보니 왜? 어린 시절 아이들과의 다양한 대화가 중요한지...이해할 것 같아요.
에세이에 대한 웹 유저들의 논평도 좋네요.
입력 : 2012.12.04 23:30 | 수정 : 2012.12.05 10:39
'나비 효과'란 나비가 날갯짓한(flap its wings) 것이 지구 반대편에 태풍을 일으킬 수도 있다는 이론이다. 미세한 변화(a subtle change)가 나중 어떤 단계에선 큰 차이를 야기한다는(result in large differences to a later state) 얘기다. 중국 웨이보에 소개된 한 초등학생 글이 나비 효과를 연상케 해 화제가 되고 있다.
"시간이 화살처럼 어느덧 지나간다(steal by like an arrow). 더 열심히 공부해야겠다. 그러지 않으면 점수가 올라가지 않을 것이고, 점수가 오르지 않으면 부모님께 꾸중을 듣게 된다. 꾸중을 들으면 자신감을 잃게 된다(lose self-confidence). 그러면 성적이 더 떨어져 대학에 못 갈 것이다. 대학을 못 가면 좋은 직업을 얻을 수 없고, 돈을 벌 수 없게(won't be able to make money) 된다.
돈을 못 벌면 세금을 못 낸다. 그러면 나라에서 선생님들 월급 주기가 어려워진다. 그렇게 되면 선생님들은 교육에 전념하지(devote themselves to teaching) 못 하게 되고 나라 발전이 영향을 받게 된다. 나라가 발전하지 못 하면 야만 인종으로 퇴화되고(degenerate into a barbaric race), 그리되면 미국은 야만적인 중국이 대규모 살인무기를 보유할(have large-scale murderous weapons) 것이라며 전쟁을 일으켜 제3차 세계대전이 촉발될 것이다.
세계대전이 벌어져 힘에 부치게 되면(be beyond their powers) 양국은 핵무기를 사용할 것이다. 핵무기 사용은 지구 환경을 파괴해(destroy the global environment) 대기층에 큰 구멍이 생기고 지구온난화(global warming)가 급격히 진행될(drastically escalate) 것이다. 그리되면 남·북극 빙하(the glaciers at both poles)가 녹을 것이고, 빙하가 녹으면 지구의 수위(the global water level)가 높아지고, 그러면 전 인류가 물에 빠져 죽게(drown and die) 될 것이다.
내가 공부하는 것은 전 인류의 생존·안전과 관련돼(relate to the survival and security of the entire human race) 있다. 따라서 시험을 잘 보기 위해 남아 있는 며칠을 시험공부에 쏟아부어야(spend the remaining next few days on cramming for the exam) 한다. 내가 점수를 잘 받아야 비극이 일어나는 것을 막을(prevent a tragedy from happening) 수 있다."
이 초등학생 과제물 말미에 담당 교사는 "큰소리로 웃었단다(laugh out loud)"라고 적었다. 외신들의 반응은 달랐다. "어린이는 좀처럼 비꼬아 말하지 않는다(rarely speak ironically). 어린이들이 불쑥 하는 말(off-hand comments)은 잠재의식 차원에서 사회에 배어들고(pervade a society at a subconscious level) 있는 현상을 반영한다. 자신의 행위가 인류 미래에 영향을 미칠 수 있다는 이 어린이의 생각은 중국인 의식 속에 움트기 시작한 변화를 방증하는(throw a sidelight on a shift coming into bud in Chinese consciousness) 것이다."
Taking the "butterfly effect" to its logical conclusion
On Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, user @土豆 posted this photograph. Within several days of its appearance, it had been retweeted over 4,800 times and attracted over 500 comments, with a number of other media outlets picking up on the essay and declaring it "hot." A full translation:
"Time passes very quickly. It's midterm season soon, I already began nervously preparing for the test, I must begin working harder, because if I don't work hard and review well, then my grades will not go up, and I will be scolded by my parents, and if I get scolded by my parents then I will lose self-confidence, if I lose self-confidence then I will not finish my studies, if I do not finish my studies then I will not graduate [from university], if I can't graduate from university then I will not find a good job, if I don't find a good job then I won't be able to make money, if I don't make money then I can't pay taxes, if I don't pay taxes then it will be difficult for the country to pay salary to teachers, if teachers can't get paid then they will not be dedicated to teaching, if they are not dedicated to teaching, then this will impact our nation's future, if our nation's future is impacted, then it will be difficult for China to advance and develop, and the Chinese people will degenerate into a barbaric race. If the Chinese people degenerate into a barbaric race, then the USA will begin to suspect that our nation has large-scale murderous weapons, if our nation has large-scale murderous weapons, then the USA will start a war with China and World War III will erupt, if WWIII erupts, both the strengths of both the USA and China will not be enough, if their strengths are not enough then they will use nuclear weapons, if they use nuclear weapons then they will destroy the environment, if the environment is destroyed then this will create a big hole in the atmosphere, if there is a big hole in the atmosphere then global warming will escalate and the glaciers at both poles will melt, if the glaciers melt then the global water level will rise, if the global water level rises then the entire human race will drown and die. Because it relates to the survival and security of the entire human race, therefore I must spend the remaining next few days on review in order to do well on the test, and thus prevent a tragedy from happening."
......................................
The teacher commented at the end of the essay, "Haha I laughed out loud when I read this!"
This absurdly comical essay didn't just make Chinese web users laugh. It also prompted many to reflect. One web user was quoted by People's Daily as writing, "After I read this, I felt ashamed of myself. This elementary student's mentality is something we should all learn from." Another web user wrote, "I went back to my books [after reading this]."
Children rarely speak ironically; their off-hand comments often reveal ideologies or anxieties that pervade society at a sub-conscious level. This elementary school student, who worries aloud that his behavior could affect the future of the human race, reflects a shift in Chinese consciousness: A growing sense of responsibility as a global citizen, an increasing interest in the world outside China, and the realization that China, as an influential nation, must contribute to world peace.
The student's concern that China's decisions "relate to the survival and security of the entire human race" is not as ridiculous as it first seems. China is now the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide; China's future policies in environmental protection can, and will, influence the fate of the world's environment. This essay expresses an awareness of the consequences of China's decisions.
Chinese web users' reactions to the essay also reveal a shift in Chinese consciousness. Why did this essay make so many Chinese people laugh, and what does this laughter mean? While a certain degree of irony can be expected in any corner of the Chinese Internet, much of the laughter appeared to signify acceptance and respect.
Despite its hopefulness, the essay also touches upon a dark side of China's education system. At no point does the student signify he is "nervously preparing for the test" because he finds his studies enjoyable or interesting. Most striking is the sheer amount of pressure the young writer places on himself. For him, ensconced in China's hyper-competitive education system, the consequences of bad grades may seem to loom so large that the human race might as well be at stake. At least this young student appears to take that responsibility seriously -- and now has thousands of web users cheering him on.
하니비님의 초/중등 영어 이야기 칼럼글 모두보기
김용 세계은행 총재가 10월 16일 관악 캠퍼스에서 서울대인들을 만났다. 
