중학교 영어 2 (천재교과서 이상기) 연계 글

Last Saturday, my class visited a science museum to see an exhibit about Jang Yeong-sil, a scientist and engineer who worked for King Sejong in the 1400s. Before the trip, I knew only his name.

The first room was about his early life. Jang Yeong-sil was a slave who worked for the local government office in Dongnae. However, he was so skillful that his talent was noticed by the royal court. When King Sejong decided to give him an official position, some officials were against the idea because of his background. The king gave him the position anyway.

In the second room, a large model of the Jagyeongnu was displayed. Its name means "a water clock that strikes by itself." The original clock was built by Jang Yeong-sil and other experts, and it was first used in 1434. A guide, Mr. Ahn, showed us how it worked. As water flowed into a tall jar, a rod floated up. At set times, the rod let small metal balls roll down. The rolling balls pushed the arms of wooden figures, and the figures struck a bell, a drum, or a gong to announce the time. The model was so detailed that I could see the tiny balls through the glass.

Mr. Ahn also explained why the king wanted such a clock. Before then, people announced the time themselves, and the king worried that they might make mistakes. The new clock did the job without human help.

The last room was the saddest. In 1442, the king's sedan chair broke. Jang Yeong-sil had been in charge of making it, so he was punished and lost his position. After that year, the records tell us nothing more about his life.

His story was so moving that I thought about him all evening. Now, whenever the school bell rings, I remember the wooden figures and the man behind them.