Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,922
[MUSIC PLAYING]
2
00:00:13,979 --> 00:00:16,020
If you're going to have
your characters talking
3
00:00:16,020 --> 00:00:20,670
to one another, it should
be for some reason,
4
00:00:20,670 --> 00:00:23,460
not just to have
them chattering away.
5
00:00:23,460 --> 00:00:25,410
When people talk,
there's usually
6
00:00:25,410 --> 00:00:29,400
quite a lot of padding
and verbiage, pauses
7
00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:30,000
and ums and uhs and
you know and like,
8
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,759
and ums and uhs and
you know and like,
9
00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,750
a lot of stuffing in the
conversation like that.
10
00:00:36,750 --> 00:00:38,850
And if you put all
of that into a book,
11
00:00:38,850 --> 00:00:45,510
it can get either
unintentionally comical or very
12
00:00:45,510 --> 00:00:47,290
boring.
13
00:00:47,290 --> 00:00:54,170
So dialogues in books are
much, much more selective.
14
00:00:54,170 --> 00:00:56,400
And they're usually trying
to find out something
15
00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,000
from the other person or
they're making some social move.
16
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,880
from the other person or
they're making some social move.
17
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:07,310
They're making some power
play of a social nature
18
00:01:07,310 --> 00:01:10,730
or trying to
ingratiate themselves,
19
00:01:10,730 --> 00:01:15,050
or they may even be
attempting to be seductive.
20
00:01:15,050 --> 00:01:17,690
So how people talk
and what they say
21
00:01:17,690 --> 00:01:20,510
in a book is indicative of
who they are, of course.
22
00:01:20,510 --> 00:01:23,000
It has to be consistent
with who they are.
23
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,530
But it's also telling
the reader things
24
00:01:27,530 --> 00:01:30,000
that the reader needs to
know, but most particularly,
25
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,050
that the reader needs to
know, but most particularly,
26
00:01:33,050 --> 00:01:36,410
what their intention
is in talking
27
00:01:36,410 --> 00:01:38,820
to this other character.
28
00:01:38,820 --> 00:01:40,610
What are they trying to achieve?
29
00:01:40,610 --> 00:01:42,210
What is their goal?
30
00:01:42,210 --> 00:01:43,670
And what are they
trying to avoid?
31
00:01:43,670 --> 00:01:46,580
[MUSIC PLAYING]
32
00:01:50,470 --> 00:01:53,460
What people say to
one another and what
33
00:01:53,460 --> 00:01:56,570
they're thinking while
they're saying those things
34
00:01:56,570 --> 00:01:58,610
may be quite different.
35
00:01:58,610 --> 00:02:00,000
What the person listening
hears, what they understand
36
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,020
What the person listening
hears, what they understand
37
00:02:04,020 --> 00:02:06,820
by what the first
person has said,
38
00:02:06,820 --> 00:02:10,479
which can be something
like, that person
39
00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:13,890
is trying to be quite rude
to me although, they've
40
00:02:13,890 --> 00:02:15,780
put it in a polite way.
41
00:02:15,780 --> 00:02:19,950
I get it that they're being
dismissive and condescending
42
00:02:19,950 --> 00:02:21,540
to me.
43
00:02:21,540 --> 00:02:22,980
You can do it like that.
44
00:02:22,980 --> 00:02:26,390
You can hear a veiled threat.
45
00:02:26,390 --> 00:02:30,000
For instance, you can
hear some information
46
00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,970
For instance, you can
hear some information
47
00:02:31,970 --> 00:02:36,120
that the first person wasn't
intending to give you.
48
00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,120
Maybe they're attempting
to be seductive
49
00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,940
and the other person just
thinks they're an idiot.
50
00:02:40,940 --> 00:02:44,450
All of these can happen.
51
00:02:44,450 --> 00:02:51,260
Pickup lines-- what the person
says, what the recipient hears,
52
00:02:51,260 --> 00:02:53,840
those can be two quite
different things.
53
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,940
It might be fun
sometimes to have
54
00:02:55,940 --> 00:03:00,000
to have your character
overhearing two other people.
55
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:00,960
to have your character
overhearing two other people.
56
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,690
So that's another kind
of use of dialogue,
57
00:03:05,690 --> 00:03:08,770
an overheard dialogue.
58
00:03:08,770 --> 00:03:12,290
And if you do that, usually the
person doing the overhearing
59
00:03:12,290 --> 00:03:16,900
is either learning a secret
or hearing something quite
60
00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:20,890
unpleasant about themselves,
so that experience people
61
00:03:20,890 --> 00:03:26,640
may have had in wash rooms,
say, wash rooms in high school
62
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,080
about overhearing other
people discussing you
63
00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:30,000
behind your back.
64
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,240
behind your back.
65
00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,180
Because it is true
in society in general
66
00:03:34,180 --> 00:03:37,210
that people will say things
about you behind your back
67
00:03:37,210 --> 00:03:39,339
that they would not
say to your face.
68
00:03:39,339 --> 00:03:41,684
[MUSIC PLAYING]
69
00:03:45,910 --> 00:03:49,240
It's hard to speak about
someone's tone of voice
70
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,140
or their voice apart from
what's happening to them
71
00:03:53,140 --> 00:03:55,190
and who they are.
72
00:03:55,190 --> 00:03:57,490
So you need to
know who they are.
73
00:03:57,490 --> 00:04:00,000
You need to know
where they're living,
74
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,840
You need to know
where they're living,
75
00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,960
what their social level
is, what sort of vocabulary
76
00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,380
would be available to
them, how they talk.
77
00:04:08,380 --> 00:04:11,480
What's their level of speech?
78
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,920
What is their local dialect?
79
00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,880
I just watched a film
called "Bad Grannies."
80
00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,380
I see these on planes.
81
00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:23,050
So they're all
talking southern--
82
00:04:23,050 --> 00:04:25,030
southern dialect,
and they're putting
83
00:04:25,030 --> 00:04:29,260
in a lot of
vernacular expressions
84
00:04:29,260 --> 00:04:30,000
because that's who they are.
85
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,950
because that's who they are.
86
00:04:31,950 --> 00:04:36,450
They're not New York
sophisticates, OK?
87
00:04:36,450 --> 00:04:40,920
Shakespeare was criticized
by French literary people
88
00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,920
of the time because
in his plays there
89
00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,440
are people who speak
in an elevated manner,
90
00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,110
namely the aristocrats,
usually speak
91
00:04:49,110 --> 00:04:52,500
in blank verse in a
rather convoluted way,
92
00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:55,380
and then there's always
some comic characters.
93
00:04:55,380 --> 00:05:00,000
And they speak in
vulgar vernacular,
94
00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:00,210
And they speak in
vulgar vernacular,
95
00:05:00,210 --> 00:05:04,920
so the grave digger in Hamlet,
the gatekeeper in Macbeth.
96
00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,740
There was obviously
an actor or a couple
97
00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:10,980
of actors who specialized
in this kind of part.
98
00:05:10,980 --> 00:05:13,650
But the other reason
that Shakespeare
99
00:05:13,650 --> 00:05:16,830
mixes these kinds
of speech is that he
100
00:05:16,830 --> 00:05:19,170
was playing to an
audience that consisted
101
00:05:19,170 --> 00:05:24,150
of everybody, whereas
French drama of that era
102
00:05:24,150 --> 00:05:26,340
was court drama.
103
00:05:26,340 --> 00:05:30,000
So they were doing plays based
on Greek mythological figures,
104
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,830
So they were doing plays based
on Greek mythological figures,
105
00:05:31,830 --> 00:05:35,940
all of whom spoken
beautiful Alexandrians.
106
00:05:35,940 --> 00:05:42,000
There weren't any clowns, vulgar
people, bad sex jokes, puns
107
00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,560
that were really pretty rude.
108
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,900
But Shakespeare put all of
that in because his audience
109
00:05:48,900 --> 00:05:51,270
consisted of people
who'd only paid a penny
110
00:05:51,270 --> 00:05:54,300
to stand in the pit and
other people who were having
111
00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:57,030
a fine time in the
better seats and were
112
00:05:57,030 --> 00:05:58,810
from the upper classes.
113
00:05:58,810 --> 00:06:00,000
So he put in
something for everyone
114
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:00,300
So he put in
something for everyone
115
00:06:00,300 --> 00:06:03,720
and he always did
that in his plays.
116
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,050
And he knew perfectly
well what he was doing.
117
00:06:07,050 --> 00:06:13,790
And if you go onto
YouTube and find
118
00:06:13,790 --> 00:06:17,380
a thing called "Shakespeare
Original Pronunciation,"
119
00:06:17,380 --> 00:06:20,190
you will realize
just exactly how many
120
00:06:20,190 --> 00:06:23,378
vulgar puns you have missed.
121
00:06:23,378 --> 00:06:26,372
[MUSIC PLAYING]
122
00:06:29,870 --> 00:06:30,000
Words and phrases come
in and out of fashion.
123
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,110
Words and phrases come
in and out of fashion.
124
00:06:33,110 --> 00:06:39,410
So again, if you're setting
your dialogue in the past,
125
00:06:39,410 --> 00:06:41,900
you should--
126
00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:45,110
you should be accurate to
something people would actually
127
00:06:45,110 --> 00:06:47,660
have said then.
128
00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:49,670
This is "Alias Grace."
129
00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:51,980
And the passage that
I'm going to read
130
00:06:51,980 --> 00:06:54,530
is the moment when
Grace Marks, who
131
00:06:54,530 --> 00:06:57,260
is a convict in
the penitentiary,
132
00:06:57,260 --> 00:06:59,540
first meets Dr.
Simon Jordan, who
133
00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:00,000
is trying to recover
her lost memory in order
134
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,110
is trying to recover
her lost memory in order
135
00:07:03,110 --> 00:07:05,030
to prove whether
she is a murderer
136
00:07:05,030 --> 00:07:06,590
or whether she is
not a murderer.
137
00:07:09,380 --> 00:07:11,690
"He has brought
with him an apple.
138
00:07:11,690 --> 00:07:14,480
He smiles his lopsided smile.
139
00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,050
What does Apple make
you think of, he says.
140
00:07:18,050 --> 00:07:19,700
I beg your pardon, sir, I say.
141
00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:21,890
I do not understand you.
142
00:07:21,890 --> 00:07:23,910
It must be a riddle.
143
00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:25,940
I think of Mary
Whitney and the apple
144
00:07:25,940 --> 00:07:27,860
peelings we threw
over our shoulders
145
00:07:27,860 --> 00:07:30,000
that night to see
who we would marry.
146
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:30,890
that night to see
who we would marry.
147
00:07:30,890 --> 00:07:34,500
But I will not tell him that.
148
00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:38,590
I think you understand
well enough, he says."
149
00:07:38,590 --> 00:07:41,820
So how people spoke
at that time--
150
00:07:41,820 --> 00:07:44,260
so she says, I beg
your pardon, sir,
151
00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:45,701
which you wouldn't say today.
152
00:07:45,701 --> 00:07:47,200
You wouldn't say,
I beg your pardon,
153
00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,370
unless you were
being very formal.
154
00:07:51,370 --> 00:07:54,940
Some people today say, pardon?
155
00:07:54,940 --> 00:07:59,090
But even that seems to
be going away a bit.
156
00:07:59,090 --> 00:08:00,000
They're more likely to
say, what did you say?
157
00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,410
They're more likely to
say, what did you say?
158
00:08:02,410 --> 00:08:04,060
Or something like that.
159
00:08:04,060 --> 00:08:06,380
Or, I don't get it.
160
00:08:06,380 --> 00:08:09,890
The conversations and books
need to be specific to the time
161
00:08:09,890 --> 00:08:15,650
that you're writing in without
being overly researched.
162
00:08:15,650 --> 00:08:22,040
That is, you can't go too
much in that direction
163
00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:26,950
or it's going to sound
quite artificial and wooden.
12196
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.
Afrikaans
Akan
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bemba
Bengali
Bihari
Bosnian
Breton
Bulgarian
Cambodian
Catalan
Cebuano
Cherokee
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Esperanto
Estonian
Faroese
Finnish
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Guarani
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Kazakh
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Kongo
Korean
Krio (Sierra Leone)
Kurdish
Kyrgyz
Laothian
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luganda
Luo
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Maltese
Maori
Mauritian Creole
Moldavian
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Montenegrin
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese (Brazil)
Portuguese (Portugal)
Quechua
Romanian
Romansh
Russian
Samoan
Scots Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Setswana
Seychellois Creole
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhalese
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Swedish
Tajik
Thai
Tigrinya
Tonga
Turkish
Turkmen
Ukrainian
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Wolof