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22살 벤 맥마혼은 교통사고로 인해 일주일동안 혼수상태로 지냈다. 그가 혼수상태에서 깨어난 것도 기적이지만 더 놀라운 일은 그가 모국어인 영어를 잊고 학교에서 잠깐 배운 중국어에 능통해졌다는 것이다.
맥마혼이 깨어나고 간호사에게 던진 첫 말은 “죄송하지만 이곳이 매우 아픕니다.”였다. 물론 유창한 중국어로 말이다. 그 후 간호사에게 펜과 종이를 부탁한 후 중국어로 “나의 엄마, 아빠를 사랑한다. 나는 곧 회복할 것이다.”라는 문구를 썼다.
맥마혼이 학교에서 중국어를 잠깐 배웠었을 뿐 유창했던적은 한번도 없었다.
불행한 사고로 인해 인생을 되찾을 뿐만 아니라 제 2외국어도 터득한 맥마혼은 현재 상하이에서 무역 공부를 하며 중국어 TV쇼의 호스트이기도 하다. 그가 영어를 되찾은건 사고 후 3개월이었다.
이런 기이한 일은 이번이 처음이 아니다. 2010년에 크로아티아의 13세 소녀는 혼수상태에서 깨어난 후 유창한 독일어 실력을 소유자가 되었으며 미국의 어느 남자는 의식을 잃은 후 자신이 누군지 모르는 동시에 유창한 스웨덴어를 할 줄 알았다.
(코리아헤럴드 조한나 인턴기자 hnncho@heraldcorp.com)
(사진 출처: 유투브 캡쳐)
<관련 영문 기사>
British man speaks fluent Mandarin after waking up from coma
A young man was able to speak fluent Mandarin after waking up from a coma, according to the Daily Mail.
The 22-year-old Ben McMahon who woke up from a one-week long coma, forgot how to speak English, his native language, and started to speak fluent Mandarin. The only time he learned Mandarin was at school but he was never fluent in it.
The first words after waking up from the coma were: “Excuse me nurse, I feel really sore here” -- in perfect Chinese. He then asked for a paper and pen and wrote “I love my mum, I love my dad, I will recover,” also in Chinese.
McMahon, who wasn’t only lucky to get his life back but also lucky because he was fluent in a new language. He is currently studying commerce in Shanghai and hosting a Mandarin television program.
It took McMahon three months until he could speak English again.
But it’s not the first time that such strange occurrences have occurred. “In 2001, a 13-year-old Croatian girl woke up and was able to speak fluent German. A U.S. navy veteran who was found unconscious, woke up and was able to speak perfect Swedish, while he had no recollection of himself.
By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)
British man speaks fluent Mandarin after waking up from coma
A young man was able to speak fluent Mandarin after waking up from a coma, according to the Daily Mail.
The 22-year-old Ben McMahon who woke up from a one-week long coma, forgot how to speak English, his native language, and started to speak fluent Mandarin. The only time he learned Mandarin was at school but he was never fluent in it.
The first words after waking up from the coma were: “Excuse me nurse, I feel really sore here” -- in perfect Chinese. He then asked for a paper and pen and wrote “I love my mum, I love my dad, I will recover,” also in Chinese.
McMahon, who wasn’t only lucky to get his life back but also lucky because he was fluent in a new language. He is currently studying commerce in Shanghai and hosting a Mandarin television program.
It took McMahon three months until he could speak English again.
But it’s not the first time that such strange occurrences have occurred. “In 2001, a 13-year-old Croatian girl woke up and was able to speak fluent German. A U.S. navy veteran who was found unconscious, woke up and was able to speak perfect Swedish, while he had no recollection of himself.
By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)
