The Prison Notebooks

Zermatt told me that there were many open house free events at the Kennedy Center this Saturday, so we went there together. Thanks to the ambivalent weather, it was not too crowded, and we could get into two concerts there (one by Macia Ball and the other by The Blind Boys of Alabama). Their performances were fantastic and we really enjoyed their jazz and gospel. But there is another thing I was fascinated by: sign language interpreters.

I had never seen sign language interpretation at music concerts before. They sat or stood at the side of the stage, making an important part of the whole show. They make great expressions and move their bodies according to the rhythm, just like dancing on the stage. I think this is a brilliant idea.

We told Colm and Lilian how fascinating those sign language interpreters were at (their) home. All of us are studying a foreign language, so we wondered if it is easier to learn the sign language than learning a foreign language. And then Colm got the most wonderful idea I have ever heard:

“If you know Chinese characters, it might be easier to learn the sign language…!”

Sorry for laughing so much, Colm.

Although Chinese characters are not that helpful in order to learn the sign language, I think they are the most useful invention in Asia, and I could not appreciate them more. Whenever I read official documents in Chinese or/and in Korean, it feels like Chinese characters save my life. Michi just showed me 반민족행위처벌법 (反民族行為処罰法）, and it really looks like Japanese. I pasted the first four articles here. It is, of course, not deliberaly written like Japanese, which is obvious from the fact that this law is intended to punish those who collaborated with the Japanese:

第1章 罪
第1條 日本政府와 通謀하여 韓日合倂에 積極協力한 者, 韓國의 主權을 侵害하는 條約 또는 文書에 調印한 者와 謀議한 者는 死刑 또는 無期懲役에 處하고 그 財産과 遺産의 全部 或은 2分之 1以上을 沒收한다.

第2條 日本政府로부터 爵을 受한 者 또는 日本帝國議會의 議員이 되었던 者는 無期 또는 5年以上의 懲役에 處하고 그 財産과 遺産의 全部 或은 2分之 1以上을 沒收한다.

第3條 日本治下獨立運動者나 그 家族을 惡意로 殺傷迫害한 者 또는 이를 指揮한 者는 死刑, 無期 또는 5年以上의 懲役에 處하고 그 財産의 全部 或은 一部를 沒收한다.

第4條 左의 各號의 1에 該當하는 者는 10年以下의 懲役에 處하거나 15年以下의 公民權을 停止하고 그 財産의 全部 或은 一部를 沒收할 수 있다.
1.襲爵한 者
2.中樞院副議長, 顧問 또는 參議되었던 者
3.勅任官以上의 官吏되었던 者
4.密偵行爲로 獨立運動을 妨害한 者
5.獨立을 妨害할 目的으로 團體를 組織했거나 그 團體의 首腦幹部로 活動하였던 者
6.軍, 警察의 官吏로서 惡質的인 行爲로 民族에게 害를 加한 者
7.飛行機, 兵器 또는 彈藥等 軍需工業을 責任經營한 者
8.道, 府의 諮問 또는 決議機關의 議員이 되었던 者로서 日政에 阿附하여 그 反民族的 罪跡이 顯著한 者
9.官公吏되었던 者로서 그 職位를 惡用하여 民族에게 害를 加한 惡質的 罪跡이 顯著한 者
10.日本國策을 推進시킬 目的으로 設立된 各團體本部의 首腦幹部로서 惡質的인 指導的 行動을 한 者
11.宗敎, 社會, 文化, 經濟 其他 各部門에 있어서 民族的인 精神과 信念을 背反하고 日本侵略主義와 그 施策을 遂行하는데 協力하기 爲하여 惡質的인 反民族的 言論, 著作과 其他 方法으로써 指導한 者
12. 個人으로서 惡質的인 行爲로 日帝에 阿附하여 民族에게 害를 加한 者

All you have to do is to learn a few particles (equivalent to Japanese てにをは) in order to fully understand these documents.