Sample Translations
Hye-sook Kang Do It for Me, Catbot E ng l i s h
Book Information
Do It for Me, Catbot (네가 해 줘, 캣봇) Prunsoop Publishing corp. / 2012 / 5 p. / ISBN 9788971849033 77810 For further information, please visit: http://library.klti.or.kr/node/772
This sample translation was produced with support from LTI Korea. Please contact the LTI Korea Library for further information. library@klti.or.kr
Do It for Me, Catbot Written by Kang Hye-sook
Somewhere way out in the middle of the blue ocean there was an island full of cats. One cat named Calico was taking a nap in the warm sunlight.
“Squawk, squawk!” A loud noise woke him up. His friend Blacky was being chased by seagulls. Calico rushed to help and chased away the seagulls.
Blacky thanked Calico by sharing her fish with him. “How great would it be if we could eat yummy fish like this every day?” “If only we could swim, then we could catch all the fish we want.” “Hey, I have an idea!” Blacky shouted. “Let’s go visit Dr. Fuzzy-Fur!”
Dr. Fuzzy-Fur was a genius scientist who could make anything. His lab was a shipwreck that lay on the seashore. “Excuse us, Dr. Fuzzy-Fur.” Calico and Blacky said as they opened the door. The lab was full of amusing things the doctor had invented. “Oh, come in! I just finished making a machine to catch mice!” “Mice again? Fish are a lot tastier than mice, you know.” Blacky said, disappointedly. “Doctor, can you come up with some way to catch lots of fish all at once?” Calico asked. “Hummm, fish…” Dr. Fuzzy-Fur thought for a moment and then declared “I’ve got a great
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idea!”
Dr. Fuzzy-Fur started working right away. He drew a blueprint, Tac-tac went the hammer! Zing-zing went the saw! He worked on the invention all day long. Calico and Blacky helped by cooking and cleaning.
“Eureka!” Finally Dr. Fuzzy-fur’s new invention was finished “Again I have proved my genius.” “Doctor, does this mean we can eat all the fish we want?” “Certainly! My invention is perfect! Everything I make is the best!” “Hurray!” Blacky and Calico jumped up and down with excitement.
All of the cats gathered on the beach to see Dr. Fuzzy-Fur’s new invention. “Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to introduce my greatest invention. A robot that will effortlessly catch all the fish we can eat. Behold! Catbot” Blacky pulled away the curtain to unveil a robot that looked just like a giant cat. “Wow, amazing!” The crowd cheered, their mouths hanging wide open.
“Go Catbot! Go to the ocean! Catch us many fresh and delicious fish!” Dr. Fuzzy-Fur pressed a red button on Catbot’s back. Catbot’s eyes shined, and then it dove into the ocean with a big splash.
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Opening its mouth wide Catbot caught everything in its path.
The cats stayed on the beach and waited for Catbot to return. Finally Catbot came back. Dr. Fuzzy-Fur pressed a green button. A flood of fish poured out of Catbot’s mouth. “Hurray for Catbot! Hurry for Dr. Fuzzy-Fur!” The cats cheered.
The cats enjoyed a great feast. They held fish in their mouths and danced around in a circle. Blacky and Calico danced and sang and played all night long.
Now the cats ate fish every day and got very fat. They needed more and more Catbots over time So they built one after another to catch their fish.
The Catbots caught so many fish. The cats no longer hunted their own food. They ate their fill and lazed about all day long. Half-eaten fish began to pile up all over the island.
Soon the ocean was full of garbage and broken Catbots. No more fish lived there anymore. The Catbots went hunting deep into the sea and did not return for a long time. One day, Calico asked Blacky, “Where did all the Catbots go?”
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“Perhaps they all broke and sank to the bottom of the ocean?” Calico and Blacky decided to go visit Dr. Fuzzy-Fur.
It had been a while since Dr. Fuzzy-Fur invented anything. His lab was full of rotting fish, instead of inventions. “Doctor, all the Catbots have disappeared.” Calico reported. “Don’t worry about it. We can easily build new ones. Not a big deal.” Dr. Fuzzy-Fur said lazily and rolled over.
The Catbots were gone so long that the cats had to hunt food for themselves. But now fat and slow, the cats couldn’t catch anything. If somebody got lucky and caught a mouse, all the cats fought over it. Everyday the sea got darker and darker, and a horrid stink began to fill the air.
One day, storm clouds covered the sky and rain fell fiercely. Huge waves rolled over the beach as if they were trying to erase the island. The terrified cats ran around in a panic. At that moment, somebody shouted. “Catbots! The Catbots are coming!” The Catbots that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean were riding the fast and furious waves. Kaboom! The waves dropped all the Catbots on the island, crushing the cat town. “Somebody help us!” The cats screamed and ran.
The storm had destroyed the cat island. The cats barely survived and had no choice but to leave. Calico and Blacky cried as they left their home.
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Only the broken and shattered Catbots were left. A long time passed.
Calico and Blacky returned to the island one day. “Look at this! A playground!� their kittens said as they curiously investigated the broken Catbots. Someday, will there be another cat town in the middle of the blue ocean?
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