Thread: America's Next Top Model

Originally Posted by Lena

Thank you, Rockzmom. The subtitles were helpful as in your previous link. I was amused by the phrase:

“Which are only obtained through intercourse...forgive me, through the intercourse."

I somehow managed to catch the meaning and humor of it. It’s so amazing how the article "the" makes the difference. I wish I could feel that. I looked it up in the Russian version of the movie to make sure of my surmise and it turned out to be much more bulkier and awkward:

“Которые приятней всего получать посредством сношений…прошу прощения, посредством дружеских сношений и обмена любезностями”.

I can imagine how long the translator puzzled over it.

Yes, that line is a very funny line and a great example of how one word being left out can make a huge difference in the meaning of your sentence. It is punctuated by the fact that Mr. Collins is such a proper and upstanding character and therefore when he does say it, he is taken aback by what he has said and even more so that he has said it during his own sermon for which he has practiced so diligently.

The English language sadly uses the same words for so many things, I really don't know how non-natives learn the language.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Yes, that line is a very funny line and a great example of how one word being left out can make a huge difference in the meaning of your sentence.

The most amazing thing about this line is that it is the article that makes the difference. The article, an unnecessary, insignificant and wothless part of speech from my Russian point of view. I’ve known articles for years yet it is often so difficult to make the proper choice. I think that the problem of using articles and the Present Perfect in English can be compared with that of using verb aspects in Russian. One can learn that for all their life and yet make mistakes.