백의민족 (白衣民族)

Listen and Learn #2

Overview

• Content Background Information.

1. Listening Comprehension - Listen without watching.

2. Vocabulary - Understand and memorize as many vocabulary as possible.

3. Fill in the blanks, without looking at the screen. Repeat and try not to refer to the vocabulary list in early attempst.

4. Korean script - Check your answers, read and understand the Korean script, then check with the English script.

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Background (and random information.)

One in three cars in Korea is white. When I picked up my rental, the parking lot was a sea of white cars. Curious, I asked my Korean friend why, and she casually replied, “White cars are easier to resell—no one wants a colored one.”

Then, she joked, “Because we are 백의민족 (the people of white clothing)!”

This got me curious about Koreans being called white clothing people since they wear a lot of black jackets, even during weekends. Or subconsciously they strive to be the tall dark handsome 白马王子.

1. LISTENING COMPREHENSION

2. VOCABULARY 어휘

Korean	English Meaning
-을/를 통해	through; by means of
-이라는 것	the thing called ~
3세기	3rd century
가공	process
경우	case; instance; situation
구경하다	to watch; to observe
굳이	is there a need to ~
그대로	as it is;
근본	fundamental
기록	record; documentation
기록화	historical painting; recorded narrative
꾸며지다	to be decorated; to be adorned
누에고치의 명주실	silk thread from a silkworm cocoon
다듬질하다	to refine;
단순하다	to be simple
단순히	simply; merely
당시	at that time
대부분	majority
뜻하다	to mean
모시	ramie fabric
목화섬의 무명실	cotton thread from the cotton plant
민족	nation; ethnic group
백성	commoners
변질된 색	altered color
복식	clothing style
본연	original
부여	Buyeo (ancient Korean state)
삼베	hemp fabric
선비	scholar (Confucian gentleman)
선조들	ancestors
소색	natural undyed color
손질하다	to trim; to refine
실제	actual; real
앵커	anchor (news anchor)
에 대해서	about; regarding
에 의하면	according to
여학생	female student
염료	coloring agent
염색	dyeing; coloring
예전	the past; old times
오히려	rather; instead
옷색깔	clothing color
유물	artifact; relic
의미	meaning
일부	some; a part of
입증하다.	to prove; to demonstrate
자연의 색	color of nature
장터거리	market street
재현하다	to reproduce; to reenact
전하다	to convey
정갈하다	to be neat; to be tidy
주로	mainly; primarily
주장	assertion; claim
즐겨 입었다	wore frequently; enjoyed wearing
최초	first; earliest
탈색	bleaching; decolorization
토대로	based on; on the foundation of
한자리	in one place; altogether

3. FILL IN THE BLANKS 빈칸 채우기

4. KOREAN & ENGLISH SCRIPTS 한국어와 영어 대본

Cars Are Becoming Less Colorful

While preparing this, I looked up on white cars’ popularity. In Singapore, white cars are popular but not in the majority like in Korea. There is a growing white car trend worldwide too. The internet offer various reasons like white cars get less hot in the summer, lower accident rates or the car-makers market them more due to its lower manufacturing costs.