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She held a razor in her hand. 

Even her hand was exquisite. 

It was dangerous and rare like a freshly caught ice goby wiggling with a razor in its mouth. 

I closed my eyes, thinking that it would be way more pleasant to suddenly feel her pretty hand wielding the razor on my cheek rather than watch her hand approach my face. 

나의 얼굴 위에는 감은 눈을 통하여

그 여자의 얼굴이 왔다갔다 하는 것이 보인다.

뺨을 쓰다듬는다.

비단결 같은 손이 나의 얼굴을 시들도록 문지르고

잘라진 꽁지가 발딱발딱 뛰는 도마뱀 같은 손가락이

나의 얼굴 전면에서 제멋대로 댄스를 한다.

I could sense her face move above mine through my closed eyelids. Her silky hands caressed my cheeks. 

Her fingers danced across my face like a jumping lizard, as if they had minds of their own. 

그리고는 몰약을 사르는 듯한 입김이

나의 콧속으로 스쳐 들어오고

가끔가끔 가다가 그의 몽실몽실한 무릎이 나의 무릎을 스치기고 하고

어떤 때 거의 나의 무릎 위에 올라앉을 듯이 가까이 왔다.

And her breath smelling like myrrh tickled my nostrils, her plump knees sometimes sweeping so close to mine that she looked as if she was almost sitting on my lap. 

# Interview with SNU Korean literature professor Bang Min-ho

This scene where the female barber shaves the main character’s face is the most interesting and descriptive part of the story. The young man, who doesn’t have much experience with women, feels sexual tension with the woman barber. The passages describe how all his senses are geared toward her hands and how he interprets her smile as a sign of friendly interest in him. This story is quite humorous for Na Do-hyang’s work.  

눈이 뜨고 싶어 못 견디었다.

그의 정성을 다하여 나의 털구멍과 귓구멍을 들여다보는 눈이

얼마나 영롱하여 나의 영혼을 맑은 샘물로 씻는 듯하랴.

그리고 나의 입에서 몇 치가 못 되는 거리에 있는 

그의 붉은 입술이 얼마나 나의 시든 피를 끓게 하고 타게 하는 듯하랴.

I wanted to open my eyes so bad. Her eyes that looked deep into my pores and ears would be so radiant that my soul would feel as if it is being washed with clear spring water. And her red lips, only a few centimeters away from my own, would make my sluggish blood boil up. 

But I couldn’t open my eyes. I had never felt such pleasure and delight in front of a woman wielding a razor. 

그러나 나는 눈을 뜨지 못하였다.

칼 든 여성 앞에서 이렇게 쾌감을 느끼고

넘치는 희열을 맛보기는 처음이다.     

But I couldn’t open my eyes. I had never felt such pleasure and delight in front of a woman wielding a razor.    

나는 기막히게 좋다.

나는 활개를 치고 걸어온다.

그리고는 그 여자가 

자기와 그 여자 사이에 무슨 낙인이나 쳐놓은 것처럼

그 무엇이 연결되어진 듯하였다.

I was ecstatic. I walked away proudly. I felt as if there was a connection between the two of us. 

그리고는 말할 수 없는 만족이 어깻짓 나게 하여 활갯짓이 나게 한다.

얼른얼른 가서 같은 하숙에 있는 K군에게 

자랑을 하리라 하고서  겅정겅정 걸어온다. 

An indescribable feeling of satisfaction made my shoulders shimmy excitedly. I trotted toward the boarding house to boast about this encounter to K, another young man living in the same building. 

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Na Do-hyang (Born in Naju, Mar. 30, 1902~Aug. 26, 1926)

Debuted with novel “A Young Man’s Life” in 1922