ویل اسمیت - در جستجوی خوشبختی

Our method for helping you understand fast –speaking natives is simple.

First, you will WATCH the scene with subtitles, then you will LEARN all of the most important vocabulary, expressions, pronunciation, cultural context, etc. and finally you will TEST learning by watching it a final time without subtitles.

Our goal is for you to understand almost 100%!

I just had to show him

I was good with numbers and good with people.

Good morning, Mr Twistle.

Good morning, Jade.

Mr Twistle, Chris Gardner.

Hi.

Hey, I wanted to drop this off personally and make your acquaintance.

I thought I’d catch you on the way in.

Ah, okay.

I’d really love the opportunity to sit and discuss what may seem like weaknesses on my application.

Okay, well, we’ll start with this, Chris, and we’ll call you if we want to sit down.

Yes, sir, you have a great day.

You too.

Mr Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

How are you? Good morning.

Chris Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

Good to see you again.

Chris Gardner, Pleasure.

I’ve been sitting out there for the last half-hour trying to come up with a story that would explain my being here, dressed like this.

And I wanted to come up with a story that would demonstrate qualities that I’m sure you all admire here, like earnestness or diligence, and Team-playing.

Just something.

And I couldn’t think of anything.

So the truth is I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets. Parking tickets?

And I ran all the way here from the Polk Station, the police station.

What were you doing before you were arrested?

I was painting my apartment.

Is it dry now?

I hope so.

Jay says you’re pretty determined.

He’s been waiting outside the front of the building with some 40-pound gizmo for over a month.

He said you’re smart.

I like to think so.

And you want to learn this business?

Yes, sir, I wanna learn this business.

Have you already started learning on your own?

Absolutely.

Jay?

Yes, sir.

How many times have you seen Chris?

I don’t know.

One too many, apparently.

Was he ever dressed like this?

No, no.

Jacket and tie.

First in your class in school?

High school?

Yes, sir.

How many in the class?

Twelve.

It was a small town.

I’ll say.

But I was also first in my radar class in the Navy, and that was a class of 20.

Can I say something?

I’m type a person if you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer, I’m going to tell you that I don’t know.

But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer, and I will find the answer.

Is that fair enough?

Chris.

What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on, and I hired him? What would you say?

He must’ve had on some really nice pants.

Mr Twistle, Chris Gardner.

Hi.

Hey, I wanted to drop this off personally and make your acquaintance.

I thought I’d catch you on the way in.

Drop (something/someone) off

To leave someone or something at the destination to which one has transported it.

I need to drop this off before going to work.

I’m going to drop off the kids at school.

Acquaintance

Someone you know, but who is not a close friend.

It’s a small town. Almost everybody is an acquaintance.

Chris here uses make your acquaintance, which is a more formal way to say “to meet (someone)”.

It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Catch you on the way in

In this case, catch is to reach or be in a place in time to see (a person, performance, programme, etc.)

By catching him on the way in Chris Gardner, Will Smith’s character refers to meeting him right before he walks into the office.

I’m glad I caught you before you left for work.

We have to get home in time to catch the premiere of the new season of game of Thrones.

I’d really love the opportunity to sit and discuss what may seem like weaknesses in my application.

Weakness

Features or aspects of a thing or person that prevent them from being effective or useful.

The opposite of your weaknesses are your strengths.

When employers review applications, they analyze the candidates’ weaknesses are strengths.

Okay, well, we’ll start with this, Chris, and we’ll call you if we want to sit down.

Sit down

Besides the meaning of physically sitting down, this phrasal verb also means to meet and discuss something.

When this is the case, we more commonly use this word as a noun, sit-down (with a hyphen).

We had a sit-down with the new employees and discussed the terms of contract.

Chris Gardner.

Good to see you again.

Goo-duh see you again

I’ve been sitting out there for the last half- hour

I’ve been- si- di- now there fir the last half- hour

Trying to come up with a story

Tryin’ to co-mup wi-tha story

That would explain my being here

That wou-dex- plain my being here

I’ve been –si-di-now there fir the last half-hour

Tryin’ to co-mup wi-tha story

That wou-dex- plain my being here

Dressed like this.

Come up (with something)

To think of something, such as an idea, answer, plan, etc.

We need to come up with a good plan.

I’ve been sitting out there for the last half-hour trying to come up with a story that would explain my being here … dressed like this.

My being here

Here, we use the gerund from of the verb to be to make the verb something we can possess.

All he means by this is the fact that he is there (dressed how he is).

Some other examples are:

He asked me about my having broken up with her (the fact that I broke up with her)

I can’t explain my going to the party even though you told me I couldn’t. (the fact that I went to the party)

And I wanted to come up with a story that would demonstrate qualities that I’m sure you all admire here, like earnestness or diligence, and… Team-playing. Just something.

Admire

To regard something or someone with respect or approval.

Elon Muck is an amazing entrepreneur. I really admire him.

We really admire that she was able to teach herself English.

Earnestness, diligence, team playing

Chris defines these words as qualities; that is, things that are part of one’s character (personality).

There are good qualities, like intelligence; and bad ones, like selfishness.

Let’s now define the three positive qualities mentioned in this scene.

Earnestness is the quality of being serious and sincere.

An earnest person does not treat his or her job like it is a game or with lack of care.

I like Lucy, but she’s too young and distracted.

I think Jenny would be a more suitable babysitter because see seems more earnest and dedicated.

Diligence is the noun form of diligent.

A diligent person is someone who consistently works hard and is careful and thorough.

He’s a diligent worker with a ton of attention for detail.

Team playing or teamwork refers a situation where a group of people work cooperatively toward a common goal.

If you make an effort towards achieving the goals your team, rather than acting in a selfish or self-fulfilling way, you’re a good team player.

Even though it was his idea, and he did a lot of the work, he gave credit to the entire department.

He’s a real team player.

Practice your English!

What are some qualities that you admire in other people or would like to cultivate in yourself?

Comment below.

I will correct many of you!

So the truth is

So-thuh tru-thiz

… I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets. Arrest

To take someone into custody by legal authority.

He was arrested for selling drugs.

Failure to (do something)

If you fail to do something, you don’t do it because you can’t, don’t want to, forget, etc.

He’s failed to pay the fee for two months in a row.

My aunt never fails to phone me on my birthday.

We’ve seen so far a couple of words that will take their noun, adjective or verb form depending on how they are used in a sentence.

For example, with the earnestness

Noun Form

His earnestness and hard work made him climb up to the position of CEO of the company.

Adjective Form

He’s an earnest and hardworking employee.

Take a look at

Failure to (noun)

I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets.

Fail to (verb)

I was arrested because I failed to pay parking tickets.

It’s important for your fluency that you’re able to use all the different forms of a word with relative ease.

I was painting my apartment.

Is it dry now?

I hope so.

He said you’re smart.

I like to think so.

I hope so/ I think so

Chris here uses so to avoid repeating what the other person just said.

In I hope so, ‘so’ refers back to “is it dry?”

This is better than saying “I think it is dry,” as it would be redundant.

A: our team is definitely going to win this year’s championship.

B: I really hope so. Jay says you’re pretty determined.

He’s been waiting outside the front of the building.

He’s ben-wai-ding outside the frunna-the buiding

Jay says you’re pretty determined.

He’s ben-wai-ding outside the frunna-the buiding with some 40-pound gizmo for over a month.

Determined

Having made a decision and being resolved not to change it.

He was determined to get accepted to Harvard law school.

And you want learn this business?

Yes, sir, I wanna learn this business.

Jay?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir

We use sir to reply or say something respectfully to someone who we consider our superior.

This can be polite to use in a formal situation such as a job interview.

Did you write the report?

Yes, sir. I’ll email it to you in just a moment.

Have you already started learning on your own?

Uh-vyou already star-did learning on yir own

Absolutely.

Jay?

Yes, sir.

How many times have you seen Chris?

I don’t know.

One too many, apparently.

One too many

We use too many when we had or did something more times than required, desired, etc.

I think I had a few drinks too many.

This is a humorous way to say that you got drunk.

Was he ever dressed like this?

Wuh-zeever dressed like this?

No, no.

Jacket and tie.

Jacket and tie

Dressed formally with the two pieces of clothing seen here.

First in your class in school?

First in your class

Refers to the ranking someone had out of all the students of her level at a certain school or university.

She was second in her class at Columbia.

But I was also first…

Bu-d I wuhz also first

In my radar class in the Navy, and that was a class of 20.

Radar

A piece of equipment that uses radio waves to find the position of things and watch their movement.

The Navy is the part of a country’s military forces that fights at sea.

If you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer, I’m going to tell you that I don’t know.

I’m –unna tell you tha-d I don’t know.

But I bet you what.

Bu-d I beh-chyu what

I know how to find the answer, and I will find the answer.

Is that fair enough?

Bet you what

We use bet to talk about something we are sure is going to happen.

I bet it’ll rain tomorrow.

I bet no one here knows how to do it.

The perhaps bet you what? has the same meaning , but it conveys more emphasis.

He won the election, but bet you what, everybody will regret having voted for him in a few months from now.

Fair enough

Used to say that you understand and accept what someone says.

I think we should split the bill. – Fair enough.

In this case, Chris used Fair enough to ask if what he just said seems appropriate and reasonable.

What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on,

Walk in

To enter

In becomes into when it’s immediately followed by the place you are entering.

In

Maybe we’ll find you a good dress in this shop. Let’s walk in.

Into

Let’s walk into the shop.

He must’ve had on some really nice pants.

He musta ha-don some really nice pants.

Have on

When we talk about what someone is wearing, we always need to use the preposition on, otherwise it is incomplete and we might be expressing something else.

For example, if we say “what did he have on?” we’re asking about someone’s clothes.

But if we say “what did he have?” we might be asking about what he was carrying or had in his hands.

I just had to show him

I was good with numbers and good with people.

Good morning, Mr Twistle.

Good morning, Jade.

Mr Twistle, Chris Gardner.

Hi.

Hey, I wanted to drop this off personally and make your acquaintance.

I thought I’d catch you on the way in.

Ah, okay.

I’d really love the opportunity to sit and discuss what may seem like weaknesses on my application.

Okay, well, we’ll start with this, Chris, and we’ll call you if we want to sit down.

Yes, sir, you have a great day.

You too.

Mr Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

How are you? Good morning.

Chris Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

Good to see you again.

Chris Gardner, Pleasure.

I’ve been sitting out there for the last half-hour trying to come up with a story that would explain my being here, dressed like this.

And I wanted to come up with a story that would demonstrate qualities that I’m sure you all admire here, like earnestness or diligence, and Team-playing.

Just something.

And I couldn’t think of anything.

So the truth is I was arrested for failure to pay parking tickets. Parking tickets?

And I ran all the way here from the Polk Station, the police station.

What were you doing before you were arrested?

I was painting my apartment.

Is it dry now?

I hope so.

Jay says you’re pretty determined.

He’s been waiting outside the front of the building with some 40-pound gizmo for over a month.

He said you’re smart.

I like to think so.

And you want to learn this business?

Yes, sir, I wanna learn this business.

Have you already started learning on your own?

Absolutely.

Jay?

Yes, sir.

How many times have you seen Chris?

I don’t know.

One too many, apparently.

Was he ever dressed like this?

No, no.

Jacket and tie.

First in your class in school?

High school?

Yes, sir.

How many in the class?

Twelve.

It was a small town.

I’ll say.

But I was also first in my radar class in the Navy, and that was a class of 20.

Can I say something?

I’m type a person if you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer, I’m going to tell you that I don’t know.

But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer, and I will find the answer.

Is that fair enough?

Chris.

What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on, and I hired him? What would you say?

He must’ve had on some really nice pants.