250414 입트영 Gray Hair

Gray Hair

I am a woman in my late 40s.

I've been feeling down lately because I've been getting more and more gray hairs over the past years.

I have lots of gray hairs around my sideburns(구레나룻) now.

They are even growing like mushrooms after the rain in areas where they are highly noticeable, like my crown.

I now have to visit the salon more frequently to cover up my gray hair.

I used to go just once every five or six months to get a perm.

But now, I go every three months just to dye my hair.

I've heard that genes play a major role in gray hair.

It's clear that I've inherited this from my parents. 

Aging itself is already difficult to accept★, but seeing more gray hairs makes me feel even sadder.

 

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"Aging itself is already difficult to accept, but seeing more gray hairs makes me feel even sadder."

여기서 "itself" 는 "aging" 이라는 단어를 강조하는 역할이야.

✔ 그럼 왜 쓰는 걸까?

• "itself" 를 붙이면, "노화 그 자체만으로도 이미 받아들이기 힘들다" 는 식으로 다른 요인이 없더라도, 오직 그 자체만으로도 어렵다는 뜻이 돼.
• 즉, 노화라는 개념 그 자체가 이미 힘든데, 흰머리까지 보이면 더 슬프다는 의미를 강조하는 거야.

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👉 비교해볼게:

• Without "itself":
  "Aging is already difficult to accept..."
  → 그냥 일반적인 진술. "노화는 받아들이기 어려운 것이다."
• With "itself":
  "Aging itself is already difficult to accept..."
  → "노화라는 것 자체만으로도 이미 받아들이기 힘들다"
  → 더 강한 표현, 감정이 더 강조돼.

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🔍 해석:

"Aging itself is already difficult to accept"
→ "노화라는 것 자체가 이미 받아들이기 힘든데..."

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✅ 예문 1

The journey itself was not difficult, but the weather made it hard.
→ 여행 그 자체는 어렵지 않았지만, 날씨 때문에 힘들었다.
(여행이라는 본질적인 요소는 괜찮았는데, 다른 요인 때문에 힘들었다는 의미)

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✅ 예문 2

The book itself isn't very long, but it takes time to understand.
→ 책 그 자체는 길지 않지만, 이해하는 데 시간이 걸린다.
(책의 길이 말고 내용이 어려운 걸 강조)

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✅ 예문 3

The problem itself is simple, but people make it complicated.
→ 문제 자체는 단순하지만, 사람들이 복잡하게 만든다.

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✅ 예문 4

The decision itself was not bad, but the timing was wrong.
→ 결정 그 자체는 나쁘지 않았지만, 타이밍이 안 좋았다.

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✅ 예문 5 (비슷한 느낌으로 네 문장 바꿔보기)

Aging itself is already difficult to accept, but seeing more gray hairs makes me feel even sadder.

비슷한 구조로:
Getting old itself is hard enough, but the signs like gray hair make it even harder.
→ 나이 드는 그 자체만으로도 충분히 힘든데, 흰머리 같은 징후가 더 힘들게 만든다.

 

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Study Group Questions

1. When do you feel that you are getting older? Does it bother you? Or why not?

Your version:
This question is a little sad.
I'm feeling more tired easily as I get older.
And also, if I get hurt, it's hard to treat fast.
I've been getting more and more gray hairs, too.
When I'm feeling ill in my joints, I'm feeling down.

Corrected version:
This question feels a little sad.
I get tired more easily as I get older.
Also, when I get hurt, it takes longer to heal.
I've been getting more and more gray hairs, too.
When I feel pain in my joints, I get a little down.

해석:
이 질문은 조금 슬프게 느껴져요.
나이가 들수록 쉽게 피곤해져요.
또 다치면 회복이 더 오래 걸려요.
흰머리도 점점 늘고 있어요.
관절이 아플 때는 기분이 조금 우울해져요.

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2. Describe how you care for your hair. How do you wash, style, and cut it?

Your version:
I wash my hair with conditioner after shampoo every morning, dry my hair, and do styling with a curling iron by myself.
I try to keep my hair long because I think it looks good on me.
Sometimes if my hairs get damaged, I get my hair cut a little.

Corrected version:
I wash my hair with shampoo and then use conditioner every morning. I dry it and style it with a curling iron by myself.
I try to keep my hair long because I think it looks good on me.
Sometimes, if my hair gets damaged, I trim it a little.

해석:
저는 매일 아침 샴푸 후에 컨디셔너를 사용해 머리를 감고, 말린 후 혼자서 고데기로 스타일링해요.
긴 머리를 유지하려고 노력하는데, 그게 저한테 잘 어울리는 것 같아서요.
가끔 머릿결이 상하면 조금 잘라요.

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3. What are some things you do to maintain or improve your day-to-day appearance?

Your version:
I think it's important to try to keep eyebrows clear.
So I often tidy up my eyebrows with an eyebrow knife, and even pull out my eyebrows.
I do my makeup and do styling every day before leaving home.

Corrected version:
I think it's important to keep my eyebrows neat.
So I often tidy them up with an eyebrow razor and sometimes pluck them.
I do my makeup and style my hair every day before I leave home.

해석:
눈썹을 깔끔하게 유지하는 게 중요하다고 생각해요.
그래서 눈썹칼로 다듬거나 가끔 뽑기도 해요.
집을 나서기 전에 매일 메이크업을 하고 머리도 손질해요.