Jang Youngsil：The Slave Who Was an Inventor

Jang Youngsil: The Slave Who Was an Inventor

张永锡:一个奴隶发明家

During a time before there were clocks, a slave boy named Jang Youngsil was born. Even though Youngsil was a slave, he was very talented and bright. He could fix anything, and even better, he made fantastic inventions. By the time he was ten years old, so many people had heard of his talent that the government office of Busan decided to hire him. One summer there was a terrible drought in Busan.

在时钟出现之前的一段时间里，一个名叫张永锡的奴隶男孩出生了。 尽管张永锡是个奴隶，但他很有才华，很聪明。 他能修理任何东西，更妙的是，他做出了奇妙的发明。 到他十岁的时候，很多人都听说了他的才华，釜山衙门决定聘用他。 一年夏天，釜山发生了严重的干旱。

Youngsil thought to himself, “ If only there was a way to get water from the mountains to the fields! ” Suddenly he had an idea. That was it! He could make a long pipe that would direct the water from the mountain streams to the farms! Everyone was amazed. Youngsil had invented an irrigation pipe. King Sejong heard of Youngsil’s amazing pipe.

张永锡想：“要是有办法把山上的水引到田野里就好了！” 突然他有了一个主意。就是这样！ 他可以做一根长长的管子，直接将山涧里的水引到田野！ 每个人都很惊讶。张永锡发明了一种灌溉管。 世宗王听说了张永锡惊人的管道。

“ This boy must be a genius! ” the king thought. “ I must meet him! ” King Sejong summoned Youngsil to court. When the king met Youngsil, he saw great potential. “ But first he must learn more, ” the king said to himself. The king asked the great astrologer Yoon Saung to be Youngsil’s mentor. When the king saw that Youngsil was a quick learner, he sent him to China to study astrology.

“这个男孩一定是个天才！”大王想。“我必须见见他！” 世宗王召见了张永锡到朝廷。 当大王见到张永锡时，他看到了巨大的潜力。 “但首先他必须多学点东西，”国王说自言自语。 大王请伟大的占星家尹·桑担任张永锡的导师。 当大王看到永锡是一个快速的学习者时，他把他送到中国学习占星术。

Youngsil studied how the Chinese built water clocks, astrolabes, and sundials. He was amazed at the advances in science that the Chinese had made. “ I must use what I have learned here to help advance Korean science, ” Youngsil thought. When Youngsil returned from China, the king told his state ministers that he wished to give Youngsil a government position. The ministers protested and cried out, “ But Your Majesty, a slave cannot take a government position! ”

永锡学习了中国人如何建造水钟、星盘和日晷。 他对中国在科学方面取得的进步感到惊讶。 “我必须利用我在这里学到的知识来帮助推进朝鲜科学，”永锡想。 当永锡从中国回来时，大王告诉他的国务大臣，他希望给永锡一个朝廷职位。 大臣们抗议并大声喊道：“但是陛下，奴隶不能担任朝廷职位！”

Hwang Hui, the minister of culture and education, stepped forward and said, “ Talent is more important than social status. Youngsil deserves this honor! ” The ministers saw the truth in Hwang Hui’s statement. In 1423, Youngsil became a government official. Youngsil vowed to use this honor to help his people and his king.

文化教育大臣黄辉站出来说：“人才比社会地位更重要。张永锡值得获得这个荣幸！” 大臣们在黄辉的陈述中看到了真相。 1423年，永锡成为朝廷大臣。 永锡发誓要用这份荣誉来帮助他的人民和他的大王。