[Drama 2011] A Thousand Days' Promise 천일의 약속

[baduy]

its happy & sweet at the beginning ......

So it looks at first glance. But what's being said, even in those opening sequences, keeps an ominous note sounding under the surface jollity, helped out by the melancholy ballad on the soundtrack.

That's particularly noticeable in the restaurant sequence. SY's display of childish glee at the dessert is as much a piece of (over-)acting for JH's benefit as it is genuine reaction, and he, for once, doesn't play along, but sits looking at her, absorbed in his own sad thoughts, as if he was observing her from another room through a one-way mirror.

That close-up of JH cuts to a shot of SY alone at night typing into her laptop, then repeating back to herself a single-word phrase which epitomizes all that resists translation about this drama. In fact, I just finished scraping masses of mud from my shoes, because in my daily power-walk in the the park I was so pre-occupied with the problem of how to translate that phrase into English without losing its simple yet many-layered desolation that I plodged straight into a quagmire left by the thawed-out overnight snowfall. 아득하다, she writes and says over and over. It's an adjective (more elevated in tone than the more commonly found 멀다, but with the same basic meaning) that can be used to say that something is far off in the past (It's part of the phrase used when starting a story with the Korean equivalent of "Long, long ago in a far-off land... etc), but it can also be employed to say that the (metaphorical) road stretching ahead is long, too. So at one and the same time, it expresses her sense that her own past is slipping away, but it also hints at her knowledge that worse things lie ahead to be faced before her life is gone altogether. Getting the color of this across into English is complicated by the fact that one of the phrases in which the word is most commonly used is 아득한 추억 되었다 -- "It's become just a distant/faded memory" and the mood of that phrase gets dragged in along with the bare word itself, especially in a context like this. The best I can manage so far is "It's a long way off" Not much to show for my involuntary mudbath, but I'll keep worrying away at it in the hope of hitting something that does the Korean better justice.

In case anyone's wondering what it is that shatters this surface, what JY overhears from the bedroom is SY yelling at MG for laughing at her (or it could just be "smiling": it's the same word in Korean, and we didn't get to see the actual incident that triggered her fury, though we immediately gather it's another "slip" she made and we guess right away that MG tried to hide his concern by making light of it, and that he certainly wasn't, as SY now furiously alleges, "making fun of her"). JH emerges and tries to calm her down, but she turns even more ferociously on him, accusing him of secretly enjoying the spectacle of her deterioration, too. "Do you really think I didn't know you were tailing me all the way to the bathhouse?" she asks, followed by the soundbite that got into last week's treasers, where she screams "I'm not an idiot yet, you know!".

But we know only too well, having been privy to her thoughts during that walk, that she was having to repeat to herself, over and over "I'm going to meet Auntie at the bathhouse" as she went along, devasted by the realisation, not that this engagement has "slipped her mind" as she, apparently casually, told her Aunt on the phone (thus unintentionally hurting her Aunt deeply by this apparent evidence of how little her Aunt meant to her now she's married, a hurt that the Aunt will later share with JM, increasing his quandary at not being able to explain to his mother why SY, formerly so devoted to her Aunt, now seems to have treated her so casually) but that even now, with hindsight, she cannot dredge up even the faintest recollection of having made such an arrangement. That's new, and frightening, and it's her desire to hide that fright from JY and MG, and maybe herself, too, that makes her lash out at them that way.

[tessieroo]

For me, watching him follow her all the way to meet her Aunt was heartbreaking. Does anyone else know she's pregnant yet? (like her brother?) I also have to admit I am really tired of her prickly, snappish behavior towards everyone, especially her brother. I realize it's part of her character, it's written into the script, it's in her nature, she's scared, doesn't want to be seen as an idiot, she's always been that way towards her brother...blah, blah, blah. I'm just expressing my disappointment that it keeps happening over & over again. Maybe I just feel sorry for the brother, poor kid. She treats him like crap with continuous verbal abuse. (I also realize it's because she loves him, wants the best for him, needs to push him, it's written into the script, it's in her nature...blah, blah, blah)

Having said all that, I also know that anger and frustration are a huge part of her disease, Alzheimer's patients lash out angrily at those around them. And from the little I'm getting from subs I'm thinking she's been experiencing symptoms for a long time.

EDIT: Thanks for your insights again, baduy! I wait for your comments to help me understand the real meanings behind things.

[baduy]

[...] her prickly, snappish behavior towards everyone [...]

Towards everyone, that is, apart from Jae Min. It is very striking that, when she realizes she's made the "big mistake" which she said, several episodes ago, would mean her putting a voluntary end to her professional career, it's not JH (or MG) she tries to call to tell him what she's about to do, but JM. He can't take the call because he's giving a presentation, but we see that she is about to leave him a voicemail, though the scene cuts out before we can hear what she says (or be absolutely sure that she does indeed record and send it, though we do know she's waited till the lead-in message to the voicemail system has finished, rather than hanging up immediately after the words "After the tone, you may..." as is the normal Kdrama practice). If she did leave JM a message, presumably we'll get to know what it was tomorrow.

One of the first things we saw JM say to her in ep 1, after he called her out on discovering about her affair with JH and its ending, was "you needn't pretend". He meant she needn't pretend nothing had happened, because he knew it all. But towards JH, as we know from her thoughts at the start of her honeymoon, SY does feel an obligation to pretend, even though he's now seeing through her pretense, a fact the infuriates rather than reassures her. Presumably that's why, arriving at this grim milestone in her decline, it's JM that she turns to.

[tessieroo]

Towards everyone, that is, apart from Jae Min. It is very striking that, when she realizes she's made the "big mistake" which she said, several episodes ago, would mean her putting a voluntary end to her professional career, it's not JH (or MG) she tries to call to tell him what she's about to do, but JM. He can't take the call because he's giving a presentation, but we see that she is about to leave him a voicemail, though the scene cuts out before we can hear what she says (or be absolutely sure that she does indeed record and send it, though we do know she's waited till the lead-in message to the voicemail system has finished, rather than hanging up immediately after the words "After the tone, you may..." as is the normal Kdrama practice). If she did leave JM a message, presumably we'll get to know what it was tomorrow.

One of the first things we saw JM say to her in ep 1, after he called her out on discovering about her affair with JH and its ending, was "you needn't pretend". He meant she needn't pretend nothing had happened, because he knew it all. But towards JH, we know from her thoughts at the start of her honeymoon, SY does feel an obligation to pretend, even though he's now seeing through her pretense, a fact the infuriates rather than reassures her. Presumably that's why, arriving at this grim milestone in her decline, it's JM that she turns to.

I didn't catch all that but you're right, she did call JM first. (I forgot about him telling her not to pretend) Interesting.  Didn't she also cry on JM's shoulder when she collapsed while the two men were confronting her? (forgot what EP that was in) JH tried to help her up but it was JM that she clung on to and sobbed.

And I need to amend my statement to her snappy behavior towards her brother. (and now JH) I can't stand watching her brothers face fall (or tears from him) when she's nasty & verbally abusive. But she's been doing that for a LONG time! (as we've seen from the flashback when she first saw JH, she was yelling/arguing with her brother) I also know this is somewhat normal between siblings. I just find the way she talks to him sometimes hard to take and it brings me to tears every single time she lashes out at him. (even if it doesn't seem to bother him - IT BOTHERS ME) Odd that her lashing out at JH in that same scene didn't bother me at all.

[Guest jdkk09]

[ I just find the way she talks to him sometimes hard to take and it brings me to tears every single time she lashes out at him. (even if it doesn't seem to bother him - IT BOTHERS ME) Odd that her lashing out at JH in that same scene didn't bother me at all.] 

I heartily agree with you here.  For me it's because he truly adores her and he seems to be flayed when she berates him.  I truly can't stand it.  It seems to emphasize the pain he feels for being a burden to her in the past.  I feel like something went off kilter in these last 2 episodes.  Don't understand Korean so can't say from the conversations.  I don't understand why HG's brother was introduced this late in the drama.  Any comments?

[Guest cococrust]

ep 15 c-sub

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7h6h5x

OST 4

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y8ovxi

[71e]

Thousand Day Promise: Episode 15 is up !!!

Dramabeans

[TRAN]

Why do I feel so very sorry for Seoyeon, feel like her time is running out, will she able to have the baby or not? If not, then it would be even sadder. What a fate that she has and now even sadder for Moon Kwon, losing his sister as well. The actor playing Moon Kwon should get the award for this year newbie!

If she keeps on having episodes like last night, will JiHyung get tired and give up?

[71e]

"A Thousand Days' Promise" still stays on top after decrease

Drama "A Thousand Days' Promise" remained in top place despite the fall in viewer percentage.

According to AGB Nielsen Media Research on the 6th, SBS TV drama on the 5th rated 15.6%. this is 1.2% lower than the previous record.

On "A Thousand Days' Promise" this day, Seo-yeon (Soo-ae) worried her family and husband as her Alzheimer's condition worsened when she stopped taking her pills due to her pregnancy. Also, her emotions burst out at herself and couldn't pull herself back together.

Meanwhile, MBC TV "Lights and Shadows" and KBS 2TV "Brain" rated 9.0% and 10.9%.

CR : HanCinema

What happen with the ratings

[irilight]

In the original Korean, it's a truly wonderful touch of the lighter tones this astonishing writer can mix in from her enormous palette of hues and moods. But those English subs kill most of the tone.

My version of the three lines there would be

Don't you dare fart!

I don't want to be gassed.

My biological weapons pack quite a punch, don't they?

That brings home to me that it won't be long before fansubbed videoclips of the wedding vows start to appear, and since the people who make such clips seem often to work from c-subs, I want to get in a pre-emptive strike here. The vows the couple make in unison, rather than exchange, are as simple and eloquent as can be imagined.

"I JH / I SY/ vow, in the presence of all those gathered here, to live our whole lives together, for better, for worse, as husband and wife.

That's it. (The "I love you. Thank you for accepting me" is just a chaser.)

But I just took a look at what the c-subs make of that, and oh boy, they've piled on a whole package of trimmings taken from apparently similar scenes in other dramas. Not only does the simple brevity get lost, but there's one expression in particular that is completely out of place here, and it would be a disaster if it leaked into English subs. The c-subs include a pledge to live together 白头偕老, literally "till our hair turns white." That's actually just an idiom here, equivalent of "till death us do part", but it's completely out of place, because it's very obvious that SY and JH have weeded out any explicit references to old age, longevity, or death when deciding what their marriage promise should be. The author has plainly given an enormous amount of thought to all her characters' exact choice of words, here and everywhere else, and it falls to subbers to take similar care themselves, otherwise they present viewers with a version of the dialogue which is distorted or impoverished, and sometimes both.

Thank you so much baduy... I so much appreciate your helping us understand the drama in the Korean way.. and your correct translations.. It makes a world of difference...!

I sometimes watch on different venues and see different translations too..

[Guest Fidelity]

For me, watching him follow her all the way to meet her Aunt was heartbreaking. Does anyone else know she's pregnant yet? (like her brother?) I also have to admit I am really tired of her prickly, snappish behavior towards everyone, especially her brother. I realize it's part of her character, it's written into the script, it's in her nature, she's scared, doesn't want to be seen as an idiot, she's always been that way towards her brother...blah, blah, blah. I'm just expressing my disappointment that it keeps happening over & over again. Maybe I just feel sorry for the brother, poor kid. She treats him like crap with continuous verbal abuse. (I also realize it's because she loves him, wants the best for him, needs to push him, it's written into the script, it's in her nature...blah, blah, blah)

You may not enjoy witnessing her hypersensitive behaviours, but you're not supposed to. The point of the drama isn't to stir simple emotions of sympathy and feel-good sadness towards an Alzheimer's patient. This is like a raw footage of person trying to not break apart at the disease while slowly and helplessly unraveling. The drama's occasional ugliness is its realistic strength. Soo Ae's acting and the drama's dialogue go well with that too.

[irilight]

TRAN' date='01 December 2011 - 12:32 PM' timestamp='1322742778' post='17507189']

*quoted image*

Thank you, TRAN.. Love all these hug photos put together.. so precious...

Here's another one... right after he spoke to his mom, before the wedding, and his mom told him to cherish the times with his new bride...

[71e]

[best 1:10.00] 'one thousand and one' Soo Ae's symptoms worsened over the moment, 18.5% viewership

[TV news reports, JYP] aired the last 5 SBS TV 'one thousand and one promises "(a play Kim Soo-hyun, director jeongeulyoung) In a further worsening illness appearance of Soo Ae scored the highest ratings of the moment.

Ratings of six days, according to research firm AGB Nielsen Media Research, "the promise of one thousand days' 15 minute episode recorded the highest ratings of dementia due to pregnancy, drugs became disconnected seoyeon (Soo Ae) do not understand that the behavior is repeated, this publisher This was a strange scene in my family.

Seoyeon day cover of the new book, volume number, and accidentally ended representation. Back to bother anyone can do it as a mistake, but the mangyeonjasilhal seoyeon had to be done. Plus, the shoes worn without a seoyeon toured the office. Then he made a surprise to employees have to go to the bathroom.

Seoyeon a terrible face a still stood. And your brother Jaemin (Lee Sang Woo) phoned to. She quietly organize his thoughts, and eventually the company had submitted his resignation.

18.5% based on the scene the moment the country has gained viewership ratings after 30 minutes the lights were entered as 17%. 15.6%. Ttuk with average ratings also dropped 15.6 percent. 16.4% 0.8% 16.4% of the previous bangsongbun shame fell 0.8 percentage points.

CR : NewsNate

[71e]

Thousand Days Promise English Sub Episode 14

Episode 14 [Download]

by Drama Fever

[irilight]

"A Thousand Days' Promise" Soo-ae finally writes a letter of resignation

Lee Seo-yeon (Soo-ae) finally gave in her letter of resignation.

On the fifteenth episode of SBS drama "A Thousand Days' Promise", Lee Seo-yeon made a mistake at work at the publisher's and decided to write a letter of resignation.

She had made a mistake. Her boss told her, "It's lucky we got it on the cover otherwise we would have completely ruined the 50,000 copies out there right now. I just don't understand how this is your mistake" and the other team members were also shocked at the mistake perfect-Ms. Lee caused.

She also walked around the office bare feet. Her junior staffs were shocked when they saw her going to the bathroom with her toothbrush and toothpaste in hand but without shoes. She managed to excuse herself saying, "My feet were uncomfortable, maybe I'm putting on weight".

Her team mates noticed something was wrong with her. They argued saying she should go for a medical checkup. While they were doing this, she had given up her resignation.

She said with tears, "Thank you for all this while. I want to quit. I am sick and I think I might be trouble for you. It's Alzheimer's". She honestly confessed to her boss who had always trusted her and he was just flabbergasted.

She said with tears, "Thank you for all this while. I want to quit. I am sick and I think I might be trouble for you. It's Alzheimer's". She honestly confessed to her boss who had always trusted her and he was just flabbergasted.

Source : news.nate.com/view/20... ( Korean )

Source: Hancinema

[baduy]

SBS just put the ep 16 text preview up.

After resigning her job, SY decides that she can no longer keep her condition hidden from her aunt and her family. She asks Jae Min to tell them on her behalf, and he consequently does so.

Meanwhile, JH's mother has invited JH and SY to dinner...

[71e]

CR : forums2.popcornfor2

[Guest Middy]

SBS just put the ep 16 text preview up.

After resigning her job, SY decides that she can no longer keep her condition hidden from her aunt and her family. She asks Jae Min to tell them on her behalf, and he consequently does so.

Meanwhile, JH's mother has invited JH and SY to dinner...

Many many thankss ~~ baduy ^^

WOw ~~ you're Amazing ~~ a GeM indeed ~~~ ...enJOYed reading your insights, clarification, & everything ~~

cant thank you enough for helping us understand & appreciate this one-of-a-kind drama even more in depth ~~~

EPisode 16 preview (chinese-subbed) ----

*watch it here ----

http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1311888779

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by chuan / raewonisland.com

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[Guest flydolesqueue]

This content has been removed by a moderator.

[baduy]

I think most of the main points of today's episode will be clear enough even to people who can't follow the dialogue, apart from maybe one thing, namely how and why HG's mother and brother showed up. They weren't invited of course. As JH's aunt explained to SY while they were going up in the elevator, this is a private dining club, strictly members only and each group dines discreetly in a room of its own. Unfortunately, HG's parents are members too, and HG's mother had found out that JH's mother was dining in another room and so came to investigate.