Английский язык на слух. Gladiator. Episode 01.

TLDR;

This video provides an in-depth English language lesson centered around a dialogue from the movie "Gladiator." The instructor breaks down the conversation between Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Maximus, explaining grammar, vocabulary, and cultural context. The lesson covers verb tenses, idiomatic expressions, pronunciation nuances, and even delves into the historical accuracy of certain phrases.

Focus on detailed analysis of English grammar and vocabulary used in the movie "Gladiator".
Explanation of the cultural and historical context behind certain phrases and expressions.
Pronunciation tips and accent observations to improve spoken English.

смотрим оригинал [0:00]

The video starts with a greeting and an introduction to the dialogue from the movie Gladiator that will be analyzed. The speaker expresses hope that viewers will enjoy the analysis of this legendary film.

смотрим с замедленной скоростью и субтитрами [5:59]

This chapter replays the dialogue between Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Maximus at a slower speed with subtitles. This allows viewers to more clearly understand the pronunciation and intonation of the actors.

разбор [13:02]

The instructor begins by analyzing Maximus's question, "You sent for me, Caesar?" noting the omission of the auxiliary verb "did," common in spoken English. The verb "send" is identified as irregular, with past and past participle forms being "sent." The expression "send for" is explained to mean "to summon." "Caesar" is identified as referring to the Roman Emperor.

The Emperor's response, "Tell me again, Maximus, why are we here?" is examined. "Again" is simply translated as "one more time." The question "Why are we here?" is presented as a common phrase. Maximus's answer, "For the glory of the Empire, sir," is dissected, with "for the glory of" being a set phrase. "Glory" means "splendor," and "the Empire" uses a definite article because it refers to a specific empire. "Sir" is noted as an antiquated term of respect.

The Emperor's line, "Yes, yes, I remember," is straightforward. He then asks, "You see that map, Maximus?" where "that" acts as a demonstrative pointing to a specific map, a geographical one. The Emperor continues, "That is the world which I created," with "create" meaning "to make or invent."

The Emperor reflects on his reign: "25 years I have conquered, spilled blood, expanded the empire." The phrase "25 years" indicates duration. The present perfect tense "I have conquered" is used to emphasize the present relevance of past actions. "Conquer" means "to take control of a place or people by use of military force". "Spilled blood" is an idiom, and the verb "spill" is irregular, with "spilled" being both the past and past participle in British English, but "spilt" is also acceptable. "Expand" means "to increase in size or volume."

The Emperor continues, "Since I became Caesar, I've known four years without war, years of peace in twenty. For what?" The phrase "since I became Caesar" marks a starting point. "I've known" uses the present perfect, implying "experienced." The instructor explains that the full phrase would be "It was four years of peace in twenty," with "peace" meaning "tranquility." "For what?" is presented as a template phrase.

The Emperor states, "I brought the sword, nothing more." This is interpreted metaphorically, with the sword symbolizing war and conquest. "Bring" is an irregular verb, and "sword" symbolizes war and power. "Nothing more" means "nothing besides the sword/war."

The Emperor says, "Caesar, your life, please, don't call me that." "Call" means "to name." The Emperor then says, "Please, come sit," with "come" meaning "approach" as an invitation. "Let us talk together now" is analyzed, with "let us" being a formal version of "let's." "Together now" is a common phrase meaning "at this moment." "Very simply, as men" is examined, with "as" meaning "in the capacity of." The Emperor wishes to speak plainly, without titles.

The Emperor describes the situation: "5,000 men are out there in the freezing mud. 3,000 of them are bloodied and cleaved. 2,000 will never leave this place." "Out there" means "not here." "Freezing mud" uses a participle to describe the mud. "Mud" means "slush." "Bloodied and cleaved" is in the passive voice. "Bloodied" means "wounded," from "bloody," and "cleaved" means "split," from "cleave." "Leave" means "to depart."

The Emperor continues, "I will not believe that they fought and died for nothing. And what would you believe? For you, and for what is Rome, Maximus?" "Fight" means "struggle," and "die" means "to pass away." "For nothing" means "in vain." The Emperor asks, "What is Rome?"

The Emperor reflects, "I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark. Rome is the light. Yet you have never been there. You have not seen what it has become. I am dying, Maximus." "I've seen" uses the present perfect to indicate life experience. "Much of" means "a large part of," and "the rest of the world" means "the remaining part." "Brutal" means "harsh," "cruel" means "heartless," and "dark" means "gloomy." "Yet" indicates strong contrast. "You have never been there" uses the present perfect to express a lack of life experience. "You have not seen" also uses the present perfect, and "what it has become" refers to changes in the past that are important now. "I am dying" is in the present continuous tense, showing an ongoing process.

The Emperor continues, "When a man sees his end, he wants to know there was some purpose to his life. How will the world speak my name in years to come? Will I be known as the philosopher, the warrior, the tyrant? Or will I be the emperor who gave Rome back her true self?" "Purpose" is interpreted as "meaning" in this context. "How will the world speak my name?" uses "speak" to mean "what will they say about me?" "In years to come" is a set phrase meaning "in the future." "Will I be known as?" uses the passive voice in the future tense. "As" indicates a role or image. "Give back" is a phrasal verb meaning "to return." "Her true self" refers to Rome, with the feminine pronoun "her" used because Rome was personified as a goddess. "True self" means "true essence."

The Emperor says, "There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper, and it would vanish. It was so fragile, and I fear that it will not survive the winter." "There was once a dream" means "once upon a time there was a dream." "Dream" is translated as "mechta". "You could only whisper it" means "you could only say it quietly." The instructor explains that the full sentence would be "If it was anything more than a whisper, it would vanish," a type 2 conditional describing a hypothetical situation. "Vanish" means "to disappear." "Fragile" means "easily broken."

The instructor digresses to discuss accents, noting that Richard Harris (Emperor) was Irish and tried to adopt a British accent, while Russell Crowe (Maximus) was a New Zealander who hid his Australian accent in favor of an American one. The instructor shares his own experience of adopting an American accent for videos but sometimes using British pronunciations due to early exposure to British-accented audiobooks. He reassures viewers that having a mixed accent is fine and that native speakers are generally accepting. He encourages focusing on correct pronunciation and not worrying too much about accent, as it will naturally shift over time.

The Emperor says, "Maximus, let us whisper now together, you and I. You have a son. Tell me about your home." "Let us" is a formal way of saying "let's." "You have a son" is a simple statement. "Tell me about your home" is a request.

Maximus replies, "My house is in the hills above Trujillo, a very simple place. Pink stones that warm in the sun. A kitchen garden that smells of herbs in the day, jasmine in the evening. Through the gate is a giant poplar. Figs, apples, pears. The soil, Marcus, black, black like my wife's hair. Grapes on the south slopes, olives on the north. Wild ponies play near my house. They tease my son; he wants to be one of them. When was the last time you were home? Two years, 264 days, and this morning." The instructor notes that "there are" is omitted from the beginning of the sentences describing Maximus's home. "Kitchen garden" refers to a small garden near the house. "Smells of" means "has the scent of." "Herbs" is pronounced differently in American and British English. "Through the gate" means "beyond the gate." "Giant" means "huge." "Soil" means "earth." "Slopes" means "inclines." "Wild ponies" are "feral horses." "Tease" means "to playfully provoke."

The Emperor responds, "I envy you, Maximus. That is a good home. It is worth fighting for. There is one more duty that I ask of you before you go home. What would you have me do, Caesar? I want you to become the protector of Rome after I die. I will empower you to one end alone: to give power back to the people of Rome and end the corruption that has crippled it. Won't you accept this great honor that I have offered you?" The instructor notes that "it is" is omitted from "it is worth fighting for." "Worth" requires a gerund (verb + -ing). "Duty" means "obligation." "Ask" means "to request something from someone." The phrase "what would you have me do?" is formal and could be replaced with "what do you want me to do?" "Protector" means "guardian." "After I die" means "after my death." "Empower" means "to authorize." "One end alone" is a literary phrase meaning "for one purpose only." "Give back" is a phrasal verb meaning "to return." "Corruption" is "dishonest or fraudulent conduct". "Crippled" uses the present perfect tense, indicating a past action with present consequences. The instructor notes that the actor says "it" instead of "her" when referring to Rome, possibly referring to the physical state of Rome. The instructor also notes that the subtitles incorrectly use "will you accept" instead of "you accept." "Honor" means "respect." "Offered" uses the present perfect tense, emphasizing the present relevance of the offer.

Maximus replies, "With all my heart." The Emperor asks, "Maximus, that is why it must be you. Surely a prefect, a senator, somebody who knows the city, who understands her politics. But you have not been corrupted by her politics. And Commodus? Commodus is not a moral man. You have known that since you were young. Commodus cannot rule; he must not rule. You are the son that I should have had. Commodus will accept my decision. He knows that you command the loyalty of the army. I need some time. By sunset, I hope you will have agreed. Now embrace me as my son, and bring the old man another blanket." "That is why" means "that's the reason." "It must be you" uses the modal verb "must" to emphasize necessity. "Surely" means "certainly." "Prefect" and "senator" are Roman officials. The instructor notes that Maximus refers to the city as "her." "Corrupted" uses the present perfect in the passive voice, indicating a current state resulting from past actions. "Moral" means "ethical." "Since you were young" marks a starting point. "Cannot rule" and "must not rule" use modal verbs to express prohibition. "The son that I should have had" uses "should have" to express regret about the past. "Decision" means "resolution." "Command the loyalty" means "to have the army's devotion." "I need some time" is a common phrase. "By sunset" means "before sunset." "You will have agreed" uses the future perfect tense, indicating an action that will be completed by a specific time in the future. "Embrace" means "to hug." "As my son" means "in the role of my son." "Bring" means "to carry."

The instructor concludes by thanking viewers for watching and encouraging them to persevere in their English studies.