Hi
guys!
UNFUNNY
JOKE
I
don't know how to start so I will treat you to a little joke. It's a
conversation really:
Me:
We're going to the cinema tonight.
Mum:
What movie are you going to watch?
Me:
The Dictator
Mum:
Well, I don't know about that. Isn't it a little bit brutal
for you?
Me:
Mum, you know Borat, the guy in the mankini. He's in it.
Mum:
Oh, ok.
to
treat somebody to – zafundować (to give/ to buy)
I
don't know about that – sama nie wiem (I'm not sure about that.)
a
mankini – a male bikini
TALK
SHOWS
So
with the introduction out of the way, we can move on to
today's topic – American TV shows. I know what you're going to say:
they're too happy and contrived and they sugar-coat the
reality. I know that and to that I say – who cares? I'll still
watch them ;)
out
of the way – za nami (done/ finished)
contrived
– sztuczne, wymuszone (fake, insincere)
to
sugar-coat – upiększać (to make something seem more positive and
pleasant that it really is)
But
seriously, if you ever think about improving your listening or
speaking skills (I mean everyday conversation), TV shows are the best
option for you. Although they're scripted, they're usually
fast-paced and there's a lot banter and humour to keep
you entertained. If you have problems getting all the
jokes and cultural
references, don't worry. You don't have to get them all at first.
But I can promise you that the ones you get will get stuck in your
head for a long time and that's a good thing of course.
scripted – odgrywane wg
scenariusza (planned and written in advance)
fast-paced – dynamiczny, szybki
(dynamic, fast)
banter – przekomarzanie się
(conversation which is funny and not serious)
to keep somebody entertained –
zabawiać kogoś (to make somebody have a good time)
to get (a joke) – zrozumieć
(understand)
a cultural reference –
nawiązanie do kultury danego kraju (a mention of a fact related to
the culture of a given country)
to get stuck in your head –
pozostawać w pamięci/ głowie (to stay in your memory)
ELLEN
My
favourite TV show of the moment is the Ellen DeGeneres Show. If you
doubt that a female host can be funny, you should check Ellen
out. Ironically, it's the moments when she decides to just stay
silent (not saying anything) and make a face instead that are
the funniest to me. Also, Ellen has this “I don't take myself
too seriously” vibe, which is very attractive and puts her
guests at ease. Her clothes are a good manifestation of
that too. (She's a tomboy.) And I can't go without mentioning
that she's very generous both to her guests and the audience,
showering everybody who visits the studio with gifts.
a
host – gospodarz
to
make a face – zrobić minę
to
have this “I don't take myself too seriously” vibe – wydaje
się, że ktoś nie traktuje siebie zbyt poważnie (to seem to not
take oneself too seriously)
to
put somebody at ease – sprawiać, że ktoś czuje się z nami
swobodnie (to make somebody feel comfortable)
be
a manifestation of something – być przejawem, oznaką czegoś (a
sign of something, proof of something)
a
tomboy – chłopczyca (a boyish girl)
generous
– hojny (willing to share with others)
to
shower somebody with gifts – obdarowywać (to give a lot of
presents to someone)
I've
been subscribed to her YouTube channel for quite some time now and I must
say I really enjoy the videos that get posted. I don't watch all of
them (a couple of videos are posted on most days). I just watch my
favourite segments and interviews that are of interest to me.
I'm going to share a few of them so that you can get an idea of
what Ellen's like and maybe some of you will decide to give
her show a try too ;)
of
interest to – interesujące dla (interesting to)
to
get an idea of what Ellen's like – przekonać się, jaką
prowadzącą jest Ellen (to see what kind of person Ellen is)
to
give something a try – spróbować czegoś (to try something new)
GAMES
Now
that's my favourite segment. Ellen is very keen on playing
games with her guests and she's quite a competitive player ;)
In
the following vid, Ellen plays Last Word with Vince Vaughn. In the
game, you get a category and you take turns saying words
related to that category for 30 seconds. The person who gets to say
the last word wins. The categories in this vid are: summer activities
and things you see on the beach. Watch the vid to hear Ellen say
“butt cracks” and Vince say “undesirables in a speedo”.
to
be keen on something – lubić coś (to like, to enjoy)
competitive
– lubiący rywalizację (wanting to win)
to
take turns doing something – robić coś na zmianę (when one
person does something and then, when he/ she finishes, another person
does the same thing)
a
butt crack – rowek;) (I can't believe I'm translating this – the
middle of one's butt)
undesirables
– osoby niepożądane (people whose behaviour or appearance makes
them unacceptable in society or at a particular occasion)
In
this vid Ellen plays Taboo with Katy Perry. Taboo is about guessing
secret words that are known and explained by one player. The only
twist is that some words are taboo – they can't be used to
describe the secret words. Watch the vid to see how difficult it is
to explain the words “tickle” and “skinny-dip”.
a
twist – nieoczekiwany zwrot, komplikacja (a complication)
to
tickle – łaskotać (to touch someone lightly with your
fingers, making them slightly uncomfortable and often making them
laugh)
to
skinny-dip – pływać nago (to swim naked)
In
the following video, Ellen and Carrie Underwood play Guess the Animal Noise – a
game in which one player imitates animal sounds and the other needs
to guess the animal. Watch for the giggles because the video
is quite funny.
for
the giggles – dla śmiechu (in order to laugh)
CUTENESS
OVERLOAD
Ellen
loves discussing babies and animals with her guests. Watch the
following clip of her interviewing Charlize Theron, in which Charlize
talks about how her dogs help her out with her baby boy. She
mentions how one dog steals the baby's pacifiers and the other
joins the baby in crying.
overload
– nadmiar (too much of something)
a
baby boy – synek
a
pacifier – smoczek
In
the following clip, Ellen talks to Will Smith, who discusses his
kids, Jaden and Willow, and the many animals his family owns : cats, boa
constrictors, dogs, fish, tortoises and birds. He also tells a
funny anecdote about a visit to the White House and the aliens.
a
boa constrictor – boa dusiciel
the
aliens – kosmici (UFO)
AUTOCORRECT
FUN
Another
funny segment is Clumsy Thumbsy, in which Ellen shows
text message conversations go wrong. All because of AutoCorrect,
which is supposed to help you save time but doesn't save you the
embarrassment.
clumsy
– niezdarny (awkward)
a
thumb – kciuk
to
save the embarrassment – zaoszczędzić wstydu (to prevent someone
from feeling ashamed)
 | ||
| MANKINI |
 |
| SPEEDO |
 | |
| TOMBOY |
 |
| PACIFIER |
 |
| TICKLING |
Ok,
I guess that's all about Ellen for now. Let me know which vid is your
favourite. I could also link similar game posts on my Facebook, so
let me know if you would like that.
Have
a great rest of the week!
Karola
Didn't know Borat's costiume is called a mankini. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :)
Delete