The Man from Earth · 2007 — 第 7 / 10 章 · 4'49" · C1

Will's Wife Just Died, Explained:on the ropes

On the surface they keep testing a man who may not die: wives who died, a funeral, even a vampire. Underneath, "Will you come to my funeral, John?" lands before the room hears the fact that makes it cruel. His wife died yesterday.

あらすじ

A small group cannot leave the subject of dying. Questions to John move from a father, to wives and children, and to whether he has been stealing lives. They reach a funeral, a vampire, and a gun. One person leaves to grade papers rather than stay. After the gun questions, someone tells John he was on the ropes. Then Mary passed away yesterday: his wife, pancreatic cancer.

ArgumentsAccusationsConfrontingThreateningFriendsC1mediumamerican
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注目の表現

the flip sidea vacancy in your lifeIt should have been meI'm not saying

00:00 / 04:49
Space 再生 · ← → セリフ移動 · R リピート
いま
  1. ❝ 独白denial that accuses5 行練習ページ ↗
  2. ❝ 独白invitation to the funeral5 行練習ページ ↗
セリフをタップするとそこから再生

このシーンの表現

on the ropes

cornered and close to losing

Right after someone asks where the gun came from, a line tells John he was on the ropes: pushed to the edge, close to not holding on. Earlier questions mentioned a funeral, a vampire, and a graveyard. This line itself only says he was on the ropes.

Two sharp questions and she had the spokesperson on the ropes.

このシーンの他の表現

  • the flip side

    the other side of the same matter

  • a vacancy in your life

    an empty place a person left behind

  • It should have been me

    the wish to have died in their place

  • I'm not saying

    I am not saying this

  • of no importance

    not the issue that matters here

このシーンのメモ一覧

89 行のセリフに 34 件のメモ

表現 · B1change the subject

switch away from the current topic

Hey, how about changing the subject, Will?
表現 · C1the flip side of something

the other side of the same matter

After lines about changing the subject and stopping the dying, someone tells Harry this is the flip side of his coin. The phrase puts the talk back as the other side of the same matter. Nothing calls that side bitter.

But this is the flip side of his coin, Harry.
文法 · C1prefer I asked

past subjunctive: The past form marks a present preference, not a question already asked.

Would you prefer I asked him about his father?
表現 · C1a social father

a man who fills a father's role not a biological parent, an older man in that role

I seem to remember a figure, Perhaps an older brother, a social father, maybe.
発音no matter

Between the vowels in matter, let the t tap through.

Well, no matter.
表現 · C1a vacancy in something

an empty place a person left behind

A figure, an older brother, or a social father is named, and a father is scarcely remembered. Someone then asks John if he feels a vacancy in your life about that, without calling the empty place a father's seat.

Do you feel a vacancy in your life about that, John,
表現 · C1at this late date

far too late for it to matter now

Not at this late date.
発音Not at this

Move through Not at without stopping on the t.

Not at this late date.
文法 · B2probably many

parenthetical: The dash pauses to upgrade one person into many.

There must be someone - probably many- that you valued intensely.
表現 · B1age and die

grow old and then die where you can see it

You saw them age and die - a friend, a colleague, a wife.
表現 · B1move on

set this aside and keep going

I had to move on.
表現 · C1history's biggest + noun

history's most outrageous bigamist

Making him history's biggest bigamist.
表現 · C1steal someone's life

take the years that belonged to others they feared he lived on by using up their years

Yeah, Art has told me that some of your early fellows feared you were stealing their lives.
表現 · B2not quite something

almost a person, but not fully

There have always been legends of such a thing, a creature not quite human
表現 · C1life force

the energy that keeps a being alive set against blood; what is taken is life itself

taking not the blood, but the life force itself?
表現 · B2of no importance

not the issue that matters here

Asked "So you believe me now?" the next line is "I'm only exploring what you have said." Then belief is called of no importance, with no yes and no no.

Whether I believe it or not is of no importance.
文法 · B2Whether I believe it or not

subject clause: The whether-clause is the subject, and belief itself is dismissed.

Whether I believe it or not is of no importance.
発音of no importance

Keep of and no light, and save the weight for the noun.

Whether I believe it or not is of no importance.
表現 · B1go too far

crossed the line others can bear

You've gone too far.
文法 · B2if it were true

unreal conditional: Were sets up a present hypothesis, so the envy is imagined.

But if it were true, is there one among us who would not feel envy,
表現 · B2a touch of something

a small but real amount of

even perhaps a touch of hatred?
文法 · B2while we most assuredly will

contrastive while: While means whereas here, setting our death against his living on.

Since you may not die, while we most assuredly will...
発音most assuredly will

Let assuredly take the weight; will should not compete.

Since you may not die, while we most assuredly will...
スラング · B2sure as hell

absolutely, and angrily — Use it only when you are openly angry, not in polite talk.

Look, I don't know what John is doing, But I sure as hell don't like what you're doing.
スラング · B2goddamn

damned, as a raw intensifier — Only in raw anger, and never in polite or formal company.

Give me that gun or I'm gonna break your goddamn arm.
表現 · B2as much as someone dislikes something

even though the dislike is real

As much as I dislike that job, it'll be preferable to this.
文法 · C1As much as I dislike

concessive clause: The opener concedes dislike, then ranks that job above staying.

As much as I dislike that job, it'll be preferable to this.
スラング · B2Jesus Christ

a shocked oath, not a prayer — Shock, not prayer; it offends in devout or solemn company.

Jesus Christ.
スラング · B2What the hell

what on earth, said in shock — Blurted when shocked or furious; leave it out of formal talk.

What the hell was that all about?
発音Where'd he get

Treat Where'd as one piece; did is not sitting there separately.

Where'd he get a gun?
表現 · B2have someone on the ropes

cornered and close to losing

Right after someone asks where the gun came from, a line tells John he was on the ropes: pushed to the edge, close to not holding on. Earlier questions mentioned a funeral, a vampire, and a graveyard. This line itself only says he was on the ropes.

He had you on the ropes, John.
スラング · B2damn

damnably, here as sarcasm — Sarcasm between people who know you, not a real compliment.

Are you really so damn smart?
表現 · B1pass away

died, said in a softened way

Mary passed away yesterday.
表現 · B2hit someone

strike someone emotionally not a physical blow; the news lands on him

I'm sorry. I can see how this might have hit you.

「Will's Wife Just Died」を読み解く

What's really going on

The talk opens with a plea to change the subject and stop the dying. It continues anyway: people who age and die, then "Have you ever in your life thought 'It should have been me'?" "I'm not saying you would do such a thing deliberately" denies only that it was deliberate, after talk of stealing lives and a creature that takes the life force. "Would you?" comes later. Belief is brushed aside: "Whether I believe it or not is of no importance." The split is stated, "We will die. You will live," and then made personal, "Will you come to my funeral, John?" Others say it has gone too far. A gun appears. One person leaves, calling grading papers preferable to staying. After "Where'd he get a gun?" someone says, "He had you on the ropes, John." Then Mary passed away yesterday, his wife, pancreatic cancer. The apology meets "Please, permit me to be infantile by myself." The harshest questions came before anyone explained the death from yesterday.

Theme

Death & griefA wife who died yesterday is named only after the funeral question, the vampire charge, and the gun.
IdentityThe room asks what he is: not quite human, a taker of life force, a vampire, someone who did not ask to be what he is.

発音のポイント

  • no matter — Between the vowels in matter, let the t tap through.
  • Not at this — Move through Not at without stopping on the t.
  • of no importance — Keep of and no light, and save the weight for the noun.
  • most assuredly will — Let assuredly take the weight; will should not compete.
Have you ever in your life thought "It should have been me"?

Thrown at the man who watched a friend, a colleague, and a wife age and die. It asks whether he ever wanted the death to be his. The next line is only "Maybe."

Do you stand alive and tall in a graveyard that you helped to fill?

It comes right after the vampire question, including "Even an unknowing one." The picture matches the charge: alive and upright in a graveyard he helped to fill.

Will you come to my funeral, John?

Said to John by name. It turns "We will die. You will live" into one man's funeral. The next lines turn on Will and call that too far.

Whether I believe it or not is of no importance.

Comes after "So you believe me now?" and "I'm only exploring what you have said." Belief is pushed out of the discussion. The questioning is not.

Please, permit me to be infantile by myself.

The reply to "I'm sorry. I can see how this might have hit you." It asks to be left alone. The next line is "Will, please."

As much as I dislike that job, it'll be preferable to this.

"That job" is the papers just named. He dislikes the work and still prefers it to this. Then: "I leave you with it."

このシーンについての質問

Why does a gun come out?

It comes after the funeral question and the vampire question. Someone is told to hand the gun over or have an arm broken. The person holding it asks John about a shot to the arm, "Perhaps we could watch it heal," and about a bullet in the head. Afterwards the others ask where he got a gun and say it is not like Will.

What do they say happened to Mary?

Mary passed away yesterday. Asked who she was, someone answers "His wife." She had pancreatic cancer. Someone then says they did not know about Mary, and that they can see how this might have hit him. That is the whole account.

Does anyone admit they believe him?

No. Asked "So you believe me now?" the reply is "I'm only exploring what you have said," then "Whether I believe it or not is of no importance." The scene never gives a yes or a no.

Why is the apology turned away?

The apology is "I'm sorry. I can see how this might have hit you." What comes back is "Please, permit me to be infantile by myself." It asks to be left alone rather than comforted. The next line is "Will, please."

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