having sworn to tell the truth
Sir Wilfrid makes sure Christine understands she will be sworn before testifying.
You're aware that when you're in the witness box you will be sworn - and you will testify under oath? - Yes.Witness for the Prosecution · 1957 — 第 10 / 27 章 · 3'05" · B2
Christine Denies She's His Wife, Explained：worships the ground I walk on
Christine is not there to defend her husband so much as to put him at arm's length. Asked if she loves him, she stalls, then drops "He is not my husband." The woman who promised an alibi has just told the court the marriage may not count.
あらすじ
At Sir Wilfrid's chambers, Christine Vole is questioned about her love for Leonard. Instead of answering, she asks whether she is already under oath, then states flatly that she is not his wife: she had a husband still living in East Germany. Before leaving, she promises Leonard an alibi.
注目の表現
under oathgive testimonya form of marriageworships the ground I walk on
00:00 / 03:05Space 再生 · ← → セリフ移動 · R リピート
いま
このシーンの表現
worships the ground I walk on
adore someone completely
Asked if her husband loves her, Christine says he worships the ground she walks on.
She worships the ground he walks on.
このシーンの他の表現
- under oath
having sworn to tell the truth
- give testimony
testify in court
- a form of marriage
a marriage ceremony without validity
- up to something
secretly planning something
- have something to go on
have some evidence to work from
このシーンのメモ一覧
43 行のセリフに 25 件のメモ
time clause: The when-clause fixes the moment at which the swearing happens.
You're aware that when you're in the witness box you will be sworn - and you will testify under oath? - Yes.Link under and oath as under-roath.
You're aware that when you're in the witness box you will be sworn - and you will testify under oath? - Yes.only the truth
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Is that better?testify in court
Sir Wilfrid explains that under British law a wife cannot be called to testify against her husband.
Whatever your gambit may be, do you know that, under British law, you cannot be called to give testimony damaging to your husband?noun clause: The that-clause is what the listener is asked to know about the law.
Whatever your gambit may be, do you know that, under British law, you cannot be called to give testimony damaging to your husband?a crime punishable by death
We are dealing with a capital crime.a marriage ceremony without validity
Christine reveals she and Leonard only went through a form of marriage, which was not valid.
Leonard and I went through a form of marriage,abandoned to go hungry
He would not have married me and I'd have been left to starve in the rubble.unreal conditional: Would not have married describes a past that did not happen.
He would not have married me and I'd have been left to starve in the rubble.feel thankful
Don't you think you should be grateful?grow weary of
One can get very tired of gratitude.adore someone completely
Asked if her husband loves her, Christine says he worships the ground she walks on.
Leonard? He worships the ground I walk on.provide an alibi for someone
Do not worry, Sir Wilfrid. I will give him an alibi and I shall be very convincing.damned (strong emphasis) — Mild profanity; avoid it in formal or polite settings.
- I'm damned if I'm satisfied! - Care for a whiff of those smelling salts?a quick sniff — Casual for a quick smell or sniff, common around remedies.
- I'm damned if I'm satisfied! - Care for a whiff of those smelling salts?secretly planning something
Once Christine leaves, Sir Wilfrid says that woman is up to something, but he cannot tell what.
That woman's up to something. But what?Reduce to to tuh and run something lightly.
That woman's up to something. But what?wear someone down
The prosecution will break her down in no time when she's in the witness box.very quickly
The prosecution will break her down in no time when she's in the witness box.completely unbalanced
This case is going to be rather like the charge of the Light Brigade or one of those Japanese suicide pilots. Quite one-sided.have some evidence to work from
Sir Wilfrid admits he has not much to go on, then says he has nothing at all.
I haven't got much to go on, have I?Link to go on so it flows as one run.
I haven't got much to go on, have I?try as hard as one can
Caught off guard, Brogan-Moore apologises and promises Sir Wilfrid he will do his best.
Oh, I'm sorry, Wilfrid. Of course, I'll do my best.an account about something
I have called Dr Harrison and given him a report on your shocking behaviour.「Christine Denies She's His Wife」を読み解く
What's really going on
Christine answers every question about love with a question of her own, and that deflection is the whole performance. When Sir Wilfrid tells her the prosecution means to hang her husband, she replies, "He is not my husband," calmly wielding the very point that could save him. Her marriage was only "a form of marriage"; back in the Russian zone she may already have a husband. So her promised alibi is not simple loyalty — it is a woman making sure she owes Leonard nothing, and saying so in language the court cannot easily punish. Sir Wilfrid senses it: "That woman's up to something. But what?"
Theme
LiesChristine's true marital status is a lie kept for survival, now turned into a courtroom weapon.
TrustNeither Sir Wilfrid nor the audience can tell whose side Christine is really on.
このチャプターで学べること
- Five words can void a marriage in court.
- Gratitude can wear out when it is demanded.
- A confident promise of an alibi is its own warning.
- The lawyers end the scene with nothing to go on.
発音のポイント
- under oath — Link under and oath as under-roath.
- up to something — Reduce to to tuh and run something lightly.
- much to go on — Link to go on so it flows as one run.
He is not my husband.Her flat refusal to be Leonard's wife. It shields her from testifying against him and hints she was never legally bound.
One can get very tired of gratitude.Her answer to being told she should be grateful. Gratitude, in her mouth, is a debt she has decided she no longer owes.
Do not worry, Sir Wilfrid. I will give him an alibi and I shall be very convincing.Her goodbye promise. It sounds helpful, but the confidence of 'very convincing' is exactly what makes Sir Wilfrid uneasy.
Leonard? He worships the ground I walk on.She says he adores her completely, yet the tone is contemptuous, as if his devotion is a weakness she has outgrown.
このシーンについての質問
Is Christine actually Leonard's wife?
By her account, no. She says they only went through a form of marriage, and that she still had a husband living in the Russian zone of East Germany.
Why does Christine say she will give Leonard an alibi?
She claims she can back up his whereabouts and be very convincing about it. Sir Wilfrid, however, suspects she is up to something else entirely.
Does Christine still love Leonard?
She never answers directly. Asked point-blank, she deflects, and describes his love for her while revealing nothing about her own feelings.
Why does Sir Wilfrid distrust Christine?
Her answers are all evasions, and her promise to provide an alibi sounds too controlled. He tells Brogan-Moore that she is up to something but he cannot tell what.
Why does Christine's testimony matter so much for Leonard?
He faces a capital charge. If she will not stand by him, or if her testimony is discredited, the prosecution's case to hang him becomes far stronger.
情婦 · 全 27 章
すべて見る →
次のチャプター · 第 11 章on the chance thatWilfrid Photographs Vole in Prison
第 1 章put it in mothballsSir Wilfrid Goes Home
第 2 章when her back is turnedSir Wilfrid Hides Cigars in His Cane
第 3 章circumstantial evidenceVole Tries to Hire Sir Wilfrid
第 4 章in the hands ofLeonard Tells Sir Wilfrid His Story
第 5 章not cricketHow Vole Met Mrs French
第 6 章a hot potatoLeonard Recounts the Night of the Murder
第 7 章with flying coloursInspector Hearne Arrests Leonard
第 8 章call it what you likeChristine Vole Meets the Lawyers
第 9 章a way with womenChristine and the Green Socks
再生中 · 第 10 章worships the ground I walk onChristine Denies She's His Wife
第 11 章on the chance thatWilfrid Photographs Vole in Prison
第 12 章gave someone ideasLeonard Meets Christine in Hamburg
第 13 章clutching at a razor bladeVole Tells How He Married Christine
第 14 章to a pointLeonard Vole Pleads Not Guilty
第 15 章take someone by surpriseHearne Testifies About the Prints
第 16 章account forThe Bloodstained Jacket in Court
第 17 章hither and thitherJanet McKenzie Takes the Stand
第 18 章a scheming rascalWilfrid Cross-Examines the Housekeeper
第 19 章an accomplice toChristine Testifies Against Vole
第 20 章a chronic and habitual liarMyers Destroys Christine on the Stand
第 21 章shed new light onSir Wilfrid Calls Leonard Vole
第 22 章establish an alibiMyers Cross-Examines Leonard Vole
第 23 章wild-goose chaseThe Call About the German Wife
第 24 章on the slySir Wilfrid Buys the Letters
第 25 章a pack of liesSir Wilfrid's Blue Letter Trap
第 26 章dispose ofVole Is Found Not Guilty
第 27 章call someone namesChristine Reveals Leonard Was Guilty第 10 / 27 章 · 残り約 60 分