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English & TV
Learn with JOAN OF ARCADIA
In this section, we analyze parts of the TV show script to learn and understand the use of daily English language.
Read the passages and try to understand them. Then, read the vocabulary explanation. Finally, read the passage again.
From the episode 'Do the math'
Piano teacher: What do you want?
Joan: Piano lessons.
Piano teacher: Why? Are your parents forcing you?
Joan: No.
Piano teacher: Then, why?
Joan: Because I used to play when I was little, and I miss it. Because someone very important thought I was good at 'Eensie Weensie Spider'. How many reasons do you need?
Piano teacher: Fifty. You got fifty bucks?
Joan: Fifty?
Piano teacher: Yeah. That'll barely cover the scotch I'll need after listening to another kid butcher Bach.
Joan: Fifty bucks might be a little bit of a problem...
Joan: Piano lessons.
Piano teacher: Why? Are your parents forcing you?
Joan: No.
Piano teacher: Then, why?
Joan: Because I used to play when I was little, and I miss it. Because someone very important thought I was good at 'Eensie Weensie Spider'. How many reasons do you need?
Piano teacher: Fifty. You got fifty bucks?
Joan: Fifty?
Piano teacher: Yeah. That'll barely cover the scotch I'll need after listening to another kid butcher Bach.
Joan: Fifty bucks might be a little bit of a problem...
| piano lesson | clase de piano |
| used to | solía |
| to miss something/somebody | echar de menos algo/a alguien |
| Eensie Weensie Spider | canción tradicional infantil |
| buck | dólar. Es usado solamente en lenguaje coloquial informal. |
| barely | apenas |
| scotch | whisky escocés |
| to butcher | masacrar. Como sustantivo, butcher es carnicero. |
Will: Was someone playing the piano? I thought I heard...
Kevin: Pounding? You heard pounding.
Joan: I'm doing a lot better.
Kevin: At pounding.
Will: I thought you hated the piano.
Joan: You want me to do well in math, don't you?
Helen: See? This is why I don't ask.
Luke: Well, all music is based on the mathematical certainty that vibrations change when the ratio between whole numbers change.
Joan: Ah! And Joan flunks math. So what's wrong with you, anyway?
Will: Something wrong?
Kevin: No. I'm fine. Everything's fine.
Kevin: Pounding? You heard pounding.
Joan: I'm doing a lot better.
Kevin: At pounding.
Will: I thought you hated the piano.
Joan: You want me to do well in math, don't you?
Helen: See? This is why I don't ask.
Luke: Well, all music is based on the mathematical certainty that vibrations change when the ratio between whole numbers change.
Joan: Ah! And Joan flunks math. So what's wrong with you, anyway?
Will: Something wrong?
Kevin: No. I'm fine. Everything's fine.
| to pound | machacar, dar golpes |
| to do better | mejorar |
| to be based on something | estar basado en algo. Notar el uso de la preposición on. |
| ratio | proporción |
| whole number | número entero |
| to flunk | suspender, abandonar (una asignatura o un examen) |
Joan: No, I'm sorry. This was supposed to be an F sharp. I know, I know. I practiced. It's just that scales are so hard.
Teacher: Those aren't scales. That's Bach.
Joan: Then I guess I'm not good at Bach.
Teacher: Well, if you can't play Bach, you can't play anything. He's the foundation. What you're destroying is nothing more than a G major triad. Sometimes it's inverted but the notes are always the same. 1-3-5. 1-3-5.
Joan: A squared plus B squared equals C squared. Pythagoras.
Teacher: What are you mumbling?
Joan: I just... I get it.
Teacher: You can't just get it. It takes years of practice. This lesson is over!
Joan: Well, I still have five minutes.
Teacher: Now, start clearing out that closet.
Joan: What about all these old albums?
Teacher: Just toss them.
Joan: You don't listen to any of them?
Teacher: I can't even see what's on them. The radio's all I need now.
Teacher: Those aren't scales. That's Bach.
Joan: Then I guess I'm not good at Bach.
Teacher: Well, if you can't play Bach, you can't play anything. He's the foundation. What you're destroying is nothing more than a G major triad. Sometimes it's inverted but the notes are always the same. 1-3-5. 1-3-5.
Joan: A squared plus B squared equals C squared. Pythagoras.
Teacher: What are you mumbling?
Joan: I just... I get it.
Teacher: You can't just get it. It takes years of practice. This lesson is over!
Joan: Well, I still have five minutes.
Teacher: Now, start clearing out that closet.
Joan: What about all these old albums?
Teacher: Just toss them.
Joan: You don't listen to any of them?
Teacher: I can't even see what's on them. The radio's all I need now.
| F | Nota musical equivalente al español fa. Las notas en inglés son: C (do), D (re), E (mi), F (fa), G (sol), A (la), B (si). |
| sharp | sostenido (en música) |
| scale | escala musical |
| G major triad | tríada en sol mayor |
| squared | al cuadrado (en matemática) |
| to mumble | farfullar, hablar entre dientes. Para aprender distintas formas de hablar, ver Ways of speaking. |
| to toss something | tirar algo |
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