a lengthy period
Oh, ha, ha. It's certainly been a long time.Lolita · 1962 — 第 5 / 30 章 · 2'55" · B2
Quilty Meets Humbert, Explained：keep the lights on
A writer at the party keeps telling Humbert he knows him, then asks about his daughter: "Didn't you have a daughter with a lovely name?" He supplies the name himself — Lolita — and Humbert, who has been polite, realizes he is being played with.
あらすじ
At the party, a man introduces himself as the local authority on Humbert and recalls a talk Humbert once gave to his club. Then he asks whether Humbert had a daughter with a lovely name, answers his own question with "Lolita," and explains it is a diminutive of Dolores. Humbert stays polite.
注目の表現
keep the lights onthe tears and the rosesdiminutive ofcolumnist
00:00 / 02:55Space 再生 · ← → セリフ移動 · R リピート
いま
このシーンの表現
keep the lights on
leave the lights on, i.e. keep watch
John teases that his wife's 'supervising' really just means keeping the lights on.
Just keep the lights on until I get back.
このシーンの他の表現
- the tears and the roses
sorrow and beauty in one name
- diminutive of
a shortened pet form of a name
- columnist
a newspaper column writer
- lyrical, lilting
poetic and singsong
- Perhaps we should
a soft, hedging suggestion
このシーンのメモ一覧
55 行のセリフに 23 件のメモ
object clause: The whole clause after 'do you know' is the object and keeps statement order.
Do you know I've been the local authority on you ever since?that's kind of you
Is that so? That's very sweet of you, thank you.always remember
I'll never forget that intellectually stimulating talk...let me ask you something
A magnificent club, really magnificent. Tell me one thing, are you a columnist?well, what do you know
Well, how about that. Ha-ha-ha.a probing negative question
Listen. Listen, didn't you have a daughter?'Didn't you' often fuses into 'didn-chu' in fast speech.
Listen. Listen, didn't you have a daughter?what was it again
Yeah, what was it now? A lovely, lyrical, lilting name like....'What was it' links into 'wha-wa-zit' in quick speech.
Yeah, what was it now? A lovely, lyrical, lilting name like....a shortened pet form of a name
Charlotte explains that Lolita is a diminutive of Dolores, turning a pet name into a small lecture.
Lolita, that's right. Lolita, diminutive of Dolores...extremely bored
Aw, you poor man, I'll bet you're bored to tears.a sympathetic sigh — A sympathetic interjection; keep it casual.
Aw, you poor man, I'll bet you're bored to tears.quite the opposite
On the contrary, I find it most interesting.a mild exclamation — A soft substitute for God, safe in most company.
Oh, gosh.an informal music session
...and a couple others are having a jam session, or whatever it's called.provided that
I don't see why not, as long as you have her home by midnight.condition clause: 'As long as' sets a condition, with present tense standing for the future.
I don't see why not, as long as you have her home by midnight.sleep at someone's place
Why don't you have Lolita stay over with Mona?tag question: A tag at the end turns the statement into a request for confirmation.
John can bring her back in the morning, can't you?a trivially easy matter
- Of course not. - No, it's the easiest thing in the world.Stress 'easiest' to hear how hard she is pushing the offer.
- Of course not. - No, it's the easiest thing in the world.the young ones — An affectionate word for young people; use young people formally.
Well, I guess we'd better say good night to you two kids.「Quilty Meets Humbert」を読み解く
What's really going on
The scene is a quiet threat dressed as small talk. The writer claims to have followed Humbert's career — "Do you know I've been the local authority on you ever since?" — and then, very gently, produces the one thing Humbert wants kept hidden: the daughter. He does not accuse him of anything. He simply names Lolita and Dolores and lets the meaning hang, adding that she has a dentist appointment on Wednesday, as if he knew her schedule. The politeness is the weapon. Humbert can only answer "Yes" and "Lolita," because to react would be to admit what the writer already knows. The party around them, all music and good nights, is the cover under which the knowledge is handed over.
Theme
DeceptionThe writer hides a threat inside polite small talk, letting Humbert know the daughter is known without ever saying what he means.
SecretsHumbert's hidden life is spoken aloud by a near-stranger at a party, and his only defense is to keep smiling and say yes.
このチャプターで学べること
- Flattery here is a way to reopen an old acquaintance.
- The sleepover talk is a contest of who says less.
- A pet name becomes a small lecture on Latin roots.
発音のポイント
- didn't you — 'Didn't you' often fuses into 'didn-chu' in fast speech.
- what was it — 'What was it' links into 'wha-wa-zit' in quick speech.
- the easiest thing — Stress 'easiest' to hear how hard she is pushing the offer.
Do you know I've been the local authority on you ever since?The writer's opening move: he claims to have studied Humbert for years, which turns friendly small talk into a quiet declaration of knowledge.
Didn't you have a daughter with a lovely name?The question that changes the scene: after all the chit-chat, the writer brings up the one subject Humbert cannot afford to discuss.
Aw, you poor man, I'll bet you're bored to tears.Jean's teasing sympathy for Humbert at the party, assuming he is suffering through a social evening he does not enjoy.
You know, what she means is keep the lights on.A joke that translates the polite supervision: keep the lights on is a wink at making sure the young couple is not left alone.
このシーンについての質問
Who is the writer who approaches Humbert at the party?
Clare Quilty, the playwright. He introduces himself as an old acquaintance and an admirer, then shows that he already knows about Humbert's daughter, Lolita.
Why does the writer mention Lolita's name?
To let Humbert know he is not safe. Nothing is accused outright; the name, and the detail about her dentist appointment, are enough to show the writer has been paying attention.
What does 'keep the lights on' mean in the party scene?
It is a joking way of saying the parents will be watching. When the young people are invited to stay over, someone explains that keeping the lights on is the real condition.
Why does Humbert stay polite when he is threatened?
Because reacting would confirm what the writer suspects. Humbert answers with the smallest possible words — yes, Lolita — and keeps the conversation going rather than expose himself.
What is being arranged at the party?
A get-together at Mona's house, and whether Lolita and Kenny may come. Charlotte agrees if Lolita is home by midnight, and the Farlows suggest she stay over.
ロリータ · 全 30 章
すべて見る →
次のチャプター · 第 6 章joie de vivreCharlotte and Humbert Dance
第 1 章overcome with powerHumbert's Roman Ping-Pong With Quilty
第 2 章last wordsHumbert Kills Quilty
第 3 章Happily divorcedCharlotte Shows Humbert the House
第 4 章go steadyCharlotte Plays Matchmaker at the Party
再生中 · 第 5 章keep the lights onQuilty Meets Humbert
第 6 章joie de vivreCharlotte and Humbert Dance
第 7 章a dragLolita Sneaks Back for a Sandwich
第 8 章a long faceHumbert Reads Poe to Lolita
第 9 章stroke of geniusCharlotte Sends Lolita to Camp
第 10 章no alternativeCharlotte's Letter Kicks Humbert Out
第 11 章feel insecureA Jealous Wife Questions Humbert
第 12 章sacred and profaneCharlotte Shows Humbert the Gun
第 13 章every game has its rulesCharlotte Confronts Humbert Over Candy
第 14 章a dupeCharlotte Finds Humbert's Diary
第 15 章darkest before the dawnThe Farlows Comfort Humbert
第 16 章bide our timeHumbert Picks Up Lolita
第 17 章tied up in knotsHumbert Checks Into the Hotel
第 18 章a normal guyHumbert Meets the Normal Guy
第 19 章Russian rouletteLolita Wakes Humbert With a Prank
第 20 章cut it outHumbert Tells Lolita Her Mother Died
第 21 章cross your heartLolita Makes Humbert Promise
第 22 章a fine one to talkHumbert Forbids Lolita to Date
第 23 章the facts of lifeThe School Psychologist Visits Humbert
第 24 章have a nerveHumbert Grills Lolita After the Play
第 25 章come betweenHumbert and Lolita's Big Fight
第 26 章a fine pairHumbert and Lolita Are Followed
第 27 章since whenHumbert Visits Lolita in Hospital
第 28 章by any chanceLolita Leaves in Care of Her Uncle
第 29 章old flameHumbert Finds the Married Lolita
第 30 章the past is the pastLolita Confesses Her Love for Quilty第 5 / 30 章 · 残り約 83 分