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Some Like It Hot · 1959 — 第 19 / 19 章 · 3'13" · C1

Spats Gets a Birthday Cake, Explained：to err is human

Little Bonaparte gives a banquet speech that is really a hit list. He remembers dead members, praises Spats as a man who'll "go far," then notes he let two witnesses get away twice. "But I say, to err is human, to forgive divine," he says — and has a birthday cake brought out four months early.

あらすじ

At a banquet of mobsters, the self-appointed president gives a speech. He praises the organization, holds a minute of silence for seven murdered members, then turns to Spats: some say he's too big for his spats, but he'll go far — though he did let two witnesses escape. Then a birthday cake arrives early.

SpeechesPartiesComplimentingThreateningBoss & employeeC1mediumamericanClean
IMDb ↗

注目の表現

to err is humankeep a good man downfill my shoestoo big for his spats

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このシーンの表現

to err is human

everyone makes mistakes

Little Bonaparte excuses his men's blunder with to err is human, and the mercy sounds like a warning.

To err is human, so don't be too hard on yourself.

このシーンの他の表現

  • keep a good man down

    hold a capable person back

  • fill my shoes

    take my place

  • too big for his spats

    getting too arrogant

  • go far

    succeed greatly

  • as good as dead

    certain to die

このシーンのメモ一覧

38 行のセリフに 26 件のメモ

表現 · B2elect oneself something

appoint oneself

It's been ten years since I elected myself president of this organization.
表現 · B2if I say so myself

though I say so

And if I say so myself, you made the right choice.
表現 · B2pay no taxes

owe no tax

Only we ain't pay no taxes.
発音ain't pay

The t in ain't drops before pay.

Only we ain't pay no taxes.
スラング · A2ain't

do not — Nonstandard speech; keep it out of writing.

Only we ain't pay no taxes.
表現 · B2a little misunderstanding

a minor disagreement

Of course, like in every business, we had our little misunderstandings.
表現 · B2let us ...

let us now

Uh, let us now rise and observe one minute
スラング · C1rubbed out

killed — Mob slang for killed; never use it lightly.

of silence in memory of seven of our members from Chicago, north side chapter, who are unable to be here with us tonight on account of bein' rubbed out.
表現 · B1come out

appear

- You know when you come out? - Yeah.
表現 · B1mess something up

ruin

And don't mess up the cake.
表現 · A2bring back something

carry back

I promised to bring back a piece to my kids.
表現 · B2there comes a time when ...

a moment arrives

there comes a time in the life of every business executive when he starts thinking about retirement.
文法 · B2when he starts thinking about retirement

relative clause: The when-clause describes which time is meant: when thoughts turn to retirement.

there comes a time in the life of every business executive when he starts thinking about retirement.
表現 · B2fill someone's shoes

take my place

Little Bonaparte says he is looking for someone to fill his shoes, testing who wants his seat.

In lookin' around for somebody to fill my shoes, I've been considerin' several candidates.
文法 · B2In lookin' around for somebody to fill my shoes

participle phrase: The in-doing phrase marks the activity during which he has been weighing candidates.

In lookin' around for somebody to fill my shoes, I've been considerin' several candidates.
スラング · B2a certain party

a certain person — Old hoodlum talk for a person, used to avoid naming names.

For instance, there's a certain party from Chicago, south side chapter.
スラング · C1spats

shoe coverings, also a pun — A pun on too big for his boots, meaning arrogant.

Now, some people say he's gotten a little too big for his spats!
表現 · B2keep someone down

hold a capable person back

Little Bonaparte says you can't keep a good man down, praising Spats while marking him as too ambitious.

But I say, you can't keep a good man down.
文法 · B1you can't keep a good man down

modal negation: Can't plus the base verb states an impossibility, here as a proverbial claim.

But I say, you can't keep a good man down.
表現 · A2get away

escape

And lettin' them two witnesses get away, that sure was careless.
文法 · B2lettin' them two witnesses get away

gerund subject: The gerund phrase is the subject, repeated by that, stressing how careless the escape was.

And lettin' them two witnesses get away, that sure was careless.
表現 · B2as good as ...

certain to die

When the witnesses worry him, the boss says they are as good as dead, condemning them on the spot.

Don't worry about those two guys. They're as good as dead.
表現 · C1to err is human, to forgive divine

forgiveness is divine

But I say, to err is human, to forgive divine.
発音to err is

To err is links into er-ris.

But I say, to err is human, to forgive divine.
表現 · B2what's a few ... between friends

nothing between friends

So we're a little early. So what's a few months between friends?
発音what's a

What's a weakens into whatsa.

So we're a little early. So what's a few months between friends?

「Spats Gets a Birthday Cake」を読み解く

What's really going on

This is a murder disguised as a roast. Every line of the speech is a threat wrapped in politeness: the "minute of silence" for members "rubbed out," the mock praise of Spats as a man who'll "go far" right after the joke that he's "too big for his spats." The boss even lists Spats's failures — the Saint Valentine's Day massacre, letting the witnesses escape — as if reviewing an employee. The punchline turns forgiveness into a weapon: "to err is human, to forgive divine." Having said he forgives, he hands over a birthday cake four months early, and the toast is a signal. The scene's comedy and horror come from the same source: gangland violence delivered with the manners of a board meeting.

Theme

PowerThe banquet shows power as theater: a self-appointed president controls the room, and a compliment can be a death sentence.
Dark humorMurder is delivered as a birthday joke and a proverb about forgiveness, which is exactly what makes it chilling.

このチャプターで学べること

  • The speech praises and threatens in one breath.
  • A birthday cake arrives as a warning.
  • Kind words cover a list of failures.
  • Spats smiles while the room decides his fate.

発音のポイント

  • ain't pay — The t in ain't drops before pay.
  • to err is — To err is links into er-ris.
  • what's a — What's a weakens into whatsa.
But I say, to err is human, to forgive divine.

A famous proverb used as cover: since everyone errs, the boss 'forgives' Spats's failures — right before the cake, which is anything but forgiveness.

But I say, you can't keep a good man down.

Backhanded praise: it sounds like a compliment about Spats's talent, but in this room it doubles as a threat that he is finished.

So we're a little early. So what's a few months between friends?

The polite line that seals the hit: the 'birthday' is four months away, so the early gift is really an excuse to bring the killers in.

Now, some people say he's gotten a little too big for his spats!

A pun on Spats's name and a jab at his ego: the 'some people' push the criticism while the speaker pretends to defend him.

You mean, you let 'em get away twice?

The accusation behind the calm voice: letting the witnesses escape twice is not bad luck but incompetence — or betrayal — worth acting on.

このシーンについての質問

Why is the banquet's birthday cake a trap?

Because Spats's birthday is four months away. The cake is an excuse to gather the men and signal the attack, wrapped in a friendly joke: "So what's a few months between friends?"

What does "to err is human, to forgive divine" mean here?

It is a proverb about forgiving mistakes, but the boss uses it sarcastically: he pretends to pardon Spats for losing the witnesses, then has him killed anyway.

Who is Spats being punished for letting escape?

The two witnesses from the Saint Valentine's Day incident. The boss says letting them get away was careless, and Spats replies, "I almost caught up with them today."

Why are they celebrating Spats's birthday so early?

Spats points out his birthday is four months away. The boss jokes that they are just a little early, and the cake turns out to be the setup for the killing.

お熱いのがお好き · 全 19 章

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第 1 章up the creekCops Raid the Speakeasy第 2 章flip your wigJoe and Jerry Decide to Be Girls第 3 章bump someone offSpats Wipes Out Toothpick Charlie第 4 章get away with itJoe and Jerry Dress as Women第 5 章fuzzy end of the lollipopJoe and Jerry Meet Sugar第 6 章get a load ofJerry's First Night as Daphne第 7 章in cahootsSugar Climbs Into Daphne's Berth第 8 章have a thing aboutSugar's Weakness for Sax Players第 9 章the natives are getting restlessSugar Dreams of a Rich Husband第 10 章more than you can shake a stick atOsgood Courts Daphne第 11 章wave a red flagJerry Is Sick of Being a Woman第 12 章for a larkSugar Meets the Man in Glasses第 13 章fat chanceSugar Falls for Joe's Millionaire Act第 14 章leave someone coldJoe Invents a Mental Block第 15 章get away with somethingJerry Gets Engaged to Osgood第 16 章be caught deadMulligan Grills Spats at the Convention第 17 章high financeThe Millionaire Breaks Up With Sugar第 18 章crawl withMobsters Plot to Kill Little Bonaparte再生中 · 第 19 章to err is humanSpats Gets a Birthday Cake
この作品の 19 章はここまでです