working at one's post
I'm on duty of a sort, you know.The Letter · 1940 — 第 2 / 15 章 · 3'41" · B2
Leslie Recounts the Night Hammond Died, Explained：put my back up
Leslie tells the story of the night Hammond visited, painting him as a pushy flirt and herself as calm and harmless. "Well, that rather put my back up" is the key note: every detail is chosen to make her sound provoked, never seductive — a rehearsal of self-defense dressed up as memory.
あらすじ
After the killing, Withers asks Leslie to describe exactly what happened that night at the plantation. She recalls Robert being away in Singapore, Hammond arriving on foot, his compliments about her eyes and hands, and her cool replies. "Remember, we're all friends here," she is told, as she builds the account that will become her defense.
注目の表現
put my back upmake a fussa little complimentflattered
00:00 / 03:41Space 再生 · ← → セリフ移動 · R リピート
いま
このシーンの表現
put my back up
annoy or offend me
Recounting Hammond's flattery, Leslie admits the remark is what finally angered her.
His smug tone put my back up straight away.
このシーンの他の表現
- make a fuss
make a scene or complain
- a little compliment
a small nice remark
- flattered
pleased by praise
- get used to
become accustomed to
- we're all friends here
we are friends, so speak
このシーンのメモ一覧
83 行のセリフに 21 件のメモ
obliged to do something
Mrs. Crosbie, I know it sounds brutal, but I'm afraid it's my duty to ask you some questions.what took place
Then suppose you tell us exactly what happened, Leslie.no rush
Take your time, Mrs. Crosbie.as you are aware
Well, as you know, Robert was spending the night in Singapore.staying by oneself
I never mind being alone.become accustomed to
Leslie shrugs off being alone, saying a planter's wife simply grows used to it.
A planter's wife gets used to that.The d and t in used to often vanish, so it sounds like use-to.
A planter's wife gets used to that.while we drove
Your houseboy noticed it as we were driving here.for a very long time
We hadn't seen him for ages, had we, Robert?visit someone
He said, "oh, I'm so sorry, but I was feeling rather lonely so I thought I'd come over and see how you were getting on."something rather foolish
Well, we went on chatting, and then suddenly he said something rather silly.not care at all literally two pennies; here it means not at all
Of course. I said, "I don't care two pence what you think about me."object clause: The what-clause is the object of care, meaning how you see me does not matter.
Of course. I said, "I don't care two pence what you think about me."stupid, foolish — An insult for someone foolish; too rude for polite company.
"Well, in that case," I said, "I can only think you half-witted."annoy or offend me
Recounting Hammond's flattery, Leslie admits the remark is what finally angered her.
Well, that rather put my back up.Link there and then into one run and stress the final then.
But, Mrs. Crosbie, I wonder you didn't throw him out there and then.make a scene or complain
When asked why she did not throw Hammond out, Leslie says she simply did not want a scene.
Well, I didn't want to make a fuss.relative clause: The who-clause narrows men down to those who believe flirting is their duty.
You know, there are men who think it's their duty to flirt with women whenever they have the chance.a despicable person — A heavy insult; avoid saying it to anyone's face.
Swine.any notice at all
He's never paid me the smallest attention.「Leslie Recounts the Night Hammond Died」を読み解く
What's really going on
On its surface this is a witness giving a careful account of a quiet evening. Underneath, it is a performance built for the people in the room. Leslie casts Hammond as the aggressor and herself as bored and untouchable — "Well, that rather put my back up" — while quietly admitting he professed love and tried to take her hand. The lawyers keep steering her: "I think perhaps you'd better tell us exactly what he said," pressing for the words that will make the story convincing. Even her pauses are strategic; she says the compliment is "hardly worth repeating" before repeating it in detail. Every gentle detail — the lace, the spectacles, the husband far away — is chosen to make her seem safe, and to make the man who came to her door seem dangerous. The scene is less a memory than a rehearsal.
Theme
DeceptionLeslie's calm account is carefully shaped to sound like self-defense while hiding what really happened that night.
MarriageRobert sits beside her, trusting and protective, while her story quietly rewrites their marriage and his friend's death.
このチャプターで学べること
- Leslie's calm retelling is itself a kind of armour.
- Every flattering line here is also a small threat.
- The questioner smiles, but his timing is an interrogation.
- She explains her silence as a choice, not weakness.
発音のポイント
- gets used to — The d and t in used to often vanish, so it sounds like use-to.
- there and then — Link there and then into one run and stress the final then.
A planter's wife gets used to that.Leslie frames her loneliness as routine, making an absent husband and a solitary evening sound ordinary rather than resentful.
Remember, we're all friends here.A reassurance from the questioners that is really pressure: speak freely because everyone present is friendly, not because she is on trial.
Well, that rather put my back up.The compliment about her hands annoyed her, and she offers this irritation as proof she never welcomed Hammond's advances.
You know, there are men who think it's their duty to flirt with women whenever they have the chance.She generalizes Hammond's behavior into a type of man, making his flirting routine and herself an unwilling target.
Well, I didn't want to make a fuss.She explains why she did not throw Hammond out, presenting calm patience rather than encouragement.
このシーンについての質問
Why does Leslie tell the story so slowly and in such detail?
She is building a defense. By describing the lace, the compliments, and her calm replies, she makes the evening look innocent and Hammond look like the aggressor.
Why do the listeners keep asking for Hammond's exact words?
They need her testimony to sound precise and credible. Exact quotes like 'don't you know I'm awfully in love with you?' make her version of events feel reliable to a jury.
Does Robert believe his wife's account?
He seems to. He interrupts to defend her and calls her hands lovely, showing he trusts her story and still sees her as a victim rather than a suspect.
Why does Leslie say she didn't throw Hammond out?
She claims she wanted to avoid a scene. Saying 'I didn't want to make a fuss' helps explain why she stayed calm instead of reacting to his advances.
The Letter · 全 15 章
すべて見る →
次のチャプター · 第 3 章the last strawLeslie Describes Shooting Hammond
第 1 章riddled with bulletsLeslie Confesses After the Shooting
再生中 · 第 2 章put my back upLeslie Recounts the Night Hammond Died
第 3 章the last strawLeslie Describes Shooting Hammond
第 4 章like grim deathJoyce Questions Leslie About the Body
第 5 章go to blazesOng Brings Joyce a Delicate Matter
第 6 章put a different complexion onOng Brings Joyce the Letter
第 7 章a hairsbreadthHoward Confronts Leslie Over a Letter
第 8 章talk very plainlyHoward Confronts Leslie About the Letter
第 9 章save your neckHoward Refuses to Buy the Letter
第 10 章go to the devilOng Chi Seng Names His Price
第 11 章get hold ofHoward Tells Bob to Buy the Letter
第 12 章put all your eggs in one basketRobert Announces the Move to Sumatra
第 13 章throw cold water onRobert Learns What the Letter Cost
第 14 章in love withLeslie Confesses Loving Hammond
第 15 章good sportLeslie's Party After the Trial第 2 / 15 章 · 残り約 43 分