...In Translation

"...In Translation"

Plot

Jin has flashbacks of when he started working for Sun's father, Mr. Paik. The latter is the head of a Korean chaebol (a large, typically family-owned corporation — in this case, a car company) and a man who is not above using violent methods to get what he wants. Jin worked for Mr. Paik to prove his commitment and worthiness to marry Sun, claiming he would do anything to marry her. Sun's father gives Jin the task of conveying a message of his displeasure to the Under-Secretary for Environmental Safety. Jin relays the message verbally and seems confused when the visibly terrified man gives him a puppy (the same puppy we saw Jin bring to Sun in a previous episode). However, upon finding Jin has not done what was implied for him to do, Mr. Paik reprimands him and directs him to return to the Secretary's home with a hit man who will demonstrate how to properly deliver a message. Jin returns to the Secretary's house, but before the hit man can act, he beats up the Secretary in front of his family, to give him "the message" as Sun's father originally intended and essentially save him from being murdered.

The raft Michael had been building is burned. Immediately Michael suspects Jin, due to their disagreements in the past. However, Sawyer finds Jin first, roughs him up, and brings him down to the beach with his hands tied behind his back. Later Sawyer releases Jin on the beach and he and Michael fight each other. The rest of the survivors watch the fight, hesitant to stop it until Sun yells out in English for them to stop. The survivors are dumbfounded that she speaks their language and has been keeping it from them the whole time. Jin is obviously distraught at this revelation.

Later, Locke sits down to play a game of backgammon with Walt, and asks him bluntly, "Why did you burn the raft, Walt?" Walt then says that he is tired of always moving and he likes it on the island. Locke agrees with him.

In the cave, Jin has another flashback, revealing that his father is not dead (as he told Mr. Paik), but a poor fisherman of whom Jin was obviously ashamed. His father asks Jin why he works for Mr. Paik, and advises him to complete the latest task he has been given — delivering watches to Sydney and Los Angeles — then remain in America with Sun to escape Mr. Paik. Back on the island, Jin disregards his father's advice and tells Sun that it is too late for them to start over, and goes to help Michael build a new boat...

Trivia

• Hurley can also be seen on the television that the threatened man's daughter is watching. He seems to be on a news show, possibly chronicling his lottery win.
• The song Hurley listens at the end is "Delicate" by Damien Rice, though it ends abruptly when his CD player's battery dies out.