Cultural English 423 - The Silence of the Lambs; The Erie Canal; Q&A

Complete Transcript

You’re listening to ESL Podcast’s English Café number 423.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast’s English Café episode 423. I'm your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Today we’re going to talk about one of the most well-known American movies of the last 30, 40 years or so: The Silence of the Lambs. We’re also going to talk about one of the most famous American building projects, the Erie Canal. And, as always, we’ll answer some of the questions you have sent to us. Let's get started.

Let's begin this Café with The Silence of the Lambs. The Silence of the Lambs was released, or first shown, in movie theaters on February 14th, 1991. The film became an instant or immediate success with both audiences – people watching the movie – and critics – people who write about movies and give their opinions about movies. The movie was based on a book by Thomas Harris, which is also called The Silence of the Lambs.

A “lamb” (lamb) is an animal that we usually associate with the material “wool,” made from the hair of a lamb. A “lamb” is also something that used to be sacrificed in many ancient religions. They would sacrifice an animal. A lamb was one of those animals that you will find, for example, in the Old Testament of the Bible – where the Jewish people wanted to offer a sacrifice to God, they would often use a lamb. And by “sacrifice,” I mean kill the lamb. So, there is a symbolism to the word “lamb” – the idea of the lamb – and it’s that symbolism which is probably more closely related to this novel, which is about someone who murders women.

Two well-known actors played in the movie version of The Silence of the Lambs. One of them was the British actor Anthony Hopkins. He played the evil Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The other famous actor was Jodie Foster. She played Clarice Starling, an FBI agent who was in training. The “FBI” stands for the “Federal Bureau of Investigation.” It's part of the national government that sort of acts like a police force for the United States. Clarice is in training, meaning she's learning how to do something. In this case, she's going to school to become an FBI agent, or officer.

In the film, there is a serial killer by the name of Buffalo Bill. A “serial (serial) killer” is a person who murders many different people, often in the same way over a certain period of time, sometimes years. Usually, the victims – people who are murdered – have something in common with each other. They might all be women, or in some cases they might be children or young boys. The most common victims, I would guess, of serial killers would be women.

The FBI is trying to find Buffalo Bill. They try to find him by using a technique called “profiling.” “To profile” (profile) someone is to find out what his personality is like, to try to understand a person, the kind of person who would commit this sort of crime. “Profiling” is a way of thinking about the kind of person and then trying to find someone who fits that description. Profiling is somewhat controversial nowadays, because people associate the word with identifying potential terrorists in the United States and the risks that that involves in terms of civil liberties and freedom.

However, from a police perspective – thinking of it as a police officer, for example – profiling is an important tool to try to understand the criminal, understand the person who they are trying to catch. The FBI agents are interviewing other serial killers in the movie in order to figure out who this serial killer might be, to understand his personality. I should mention that Buffalo Bill was a famous person in the nineteenth century that has nothing to do with serial killing. We’ll talk about him on some other episode. Here, it's just the name given to the serial killer.

Jack Crawford, played by Scott Glenn in the movie, is the head or the leader of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. This is the part of the FBI that is in charge of profiling and understanding people who are killers or who are criminals. Jack asks Clarice to help his team by interviewing the most notorious, or famously bad, serial killer of all time in the movie, Doctor Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal Lecter is a former psychiatrist. A “psychiatrist” (psychiatrist) is a doctor who listens to people and tries to help them, tries to help them with mental and emotional problems. Hannibal Lecter is very smart and, therefore, very dangerous.

Clarice goes to visit Hannibal in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Baltimore is a city located in the eastern part of the United States, in the state of Maryland. It's a hospital for the “criminally insane.” “Criminally” means you’ve broken the law. You’re a criminal. You've done something wrong. “Insane” (insane) means that you are sick not in your body, but in your mind, in your brain. “To be insane” is the opposite of “to be sane” (sane), which means to be thinking correctly – to be “mentally healthy,” I guess we might say.

Hannibal promises to help Clarice and the FBI find Buffalo Bill if Clarice will talk to him about her traumatic, or emotionally difficult, childhood. Clarice has had a difficult childhood – when she was growing up. She agrees to talk to Hannibal about her own past. Over the rest of the movie, Clarice and Hannibal meet several times. Each time, Clarice learns more about the serial killer Buffalo Bill, and Hannibal learns more about Clarice. So, the two develop a relationship, not just as a criminal and FBI agent, but as a therapist and a patient. A “therapist” (therapist) is another word, in this case, for “psychiatrist,” or someone who talks to you to help you through your mental and emotional problems.

During the film, Clarice and those of us watching the movie – the audience – come to understand just how dangerous Hannibal Lecter is. He manipulates or controls the minds of everyone around him, usually without those around him knowing that he is in control of the situation. His ability to manipulate leads to a very surprise ending, which I of course won't tell you if you haven't seen the movie. You will want to be surprised yourself.

The Silence of the Lambs was not only a very popular movie; it also won five Oscar awards in 1992. The Oscar is the highest award a movie can receive. It's also called an “Academy Award.” It is given out every year here in Los Angeles. The Silence of the Lambs won the Oscar for best picture – best movie of the year – best director, best actor (Anthony Hopkins), best actress (Jodie Foster), and best adapted screenplay. “Adapted” (adapted) means that the script for the movie – the screenplay or story for the movie – was based on some other source. In this case, it was based on a book. Silence of the Lambs is only the third film in Oscar history to win all five of the top five awards.

A “sequel” – a story that follows the original story – to Silence of the Lambs called Hannibal was released 10 years later, in 2001. There was also a “prequel” (prequel), which is a story that takes place before the original story. That prequel was called Hannibal Rising and was released in 2007. Both Hannibal and Hannibal Rising were based on other books written by the same author, Thomas Harris. Neither film, that is neither the prequel nor the sequel, did very well at the “box office,” we would say. When someone says a movie “didn’t do well at the box (box) office,” they mean that it didn't sell many tickets. The “box office” is the place where you buy tickets at a movie theater.

Nevertheless, many people who loved The Silence of the Lambs – and I was not among them – really liked the prequel and sequel movies as well. So, if you like movies about crazy people killing other people, then please go see The Silence of the Lambs.

Our next topic is the Erie Canal. The Erie (Erie) Canal (Canal)” is one of the most important construction and engineering projects in the history of the United States. It's a place that most Americans know about and learned about when they were in school. When I say it was one of the most important engineering projects, I'm referring to the process of using math and science to design and build things like roads, bridges, and buildings. The person who does that is an “engineer,” and there are many different kinds of engineers.

The Erie Canal remains to this day one of the largest and most influential engineering projects ever completed in the United States. Until 1825, the only way for people to get from the eastern part of the United States to the western part was by horse and carriage. A “carriage” (carriage) is something a horse pulls, that people or things can ride in. The roads were very bad back in the early nineteenth century, and it was therefore very difficult to get goods or items to sell from one part of the country to another.

So, in 1808, the government of the state of New York paid for a survey to be done. A “survey” (survey) is a close look at something – in this case, at roads and rivers. The survey measures the area and tries to understand what changes can be made. The government of New York wanted the survey to find out if it was going to be possible to build a canal in the state of New York that would connect the eastern part of the U.S. with some of the places in the western part of the U.S., or at least what was then the western part of the United States.

A “canal” is a path that is built that forces water to go in a certain direction. In this case, the canal would be used by boats that would be able to go down the canal and transport people as well as things that they were selling: goods. The survey that was done said that a canal would be possible, and a few years later, in 1817 – on the 4th of July, which is America’s Independence Day – the governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton (no relation to President Clinton) started construction on the project. The Erie Canal would take several years to build. It went from Lake Erie – one of the five Great Lakes of North America – in the west to the Hudson River in the east.

Why go to the Hudson River? Because the Hudson River went to New York City, in the southern part of the state, and therefore by building the Erie Canal, you could connect New York City to the western states. You could make it possible for people to go easily from the city of New York to other cities in the state of New York, such as Buffalo, Albany, and others. Buffalo, for example, is 372 miles – that's 598 kilometers – northwest of the city of New York. So, building the canal would help people travel that long distance more quickly.

Many people were skeptical of the Erie Canal while it was being built. When we say someone is “skeptical” (skeptical), we mean he doesn't believe something. In this case, people didn't believe that the canal would actually be successful. The original canal cost $7 million dollars to build. That would be approximately $170 million dollars in today's money.

The canal was completed on October 26th, 1825. It wasn't very big. It was only four feet deep – that is 1.2 meters – and about 40 feet wide, or 12 meters or so. There was a path, a little road, that was built next to the canal called a “tow path” (tow path). This was a place where horses and other animals could walk to pull the boats. This was a time, of course, before there were any engines, and so you had to actually pull the boats with animal power – horses and other animals.

In addition to building the canal, engineers also built “aqueducts.” An “aqueduct” (aqueduct) is something that controls the path of water to make sure that it can travel long distances. “Aqueducts” have been used for thousands of years to move water from one place to another. The engineers also built a number of locks. A “lock” (lock) here refers to a system that controls the height of the water so that boats can move from one part of the canal to another even though the water may be at different levels.

Once the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, it very quickly became one of the most respected and widely used passageways, or ways for people to travel, especially from New York City to the western parts of the state and the country. The canal was eventually expanded – made bigger – several different times. The connection that the canal allowed between New York City and other places to the west really made a huge difference in the growth of New York City. New York City became an economic center in part because of the building of the Erie Canal; because you were able then to move people and supplies from the east to the west, New York City became the entry point, the starting point, for a lot of this trade, a lot of this commercial activity.

Technology eventually changed the way people got from one place to another, and by the late nineteenth century, everyone was using trains to get from the eastern part of the U.S. to the western parts. Eventually, of course, we had airplanes and cars. So canals really lost their popularity in the middle and late nineteenth century and never really became popular again. However, as a symbol, the Erie Canal is still very important to Americans. As a symbol of American engineering and construction, the Erie Canal continues to be an important part of our history.

There have been plays and poems and books written about the Erie Canal. There have been also several famous songs, including one called “Low Bridge.” It’s also sometimes called “The Erie Canal Song.” It’s a song that American school children often learn to sing. I learned to sing this song when I was in seventh grade, from our seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Deck. Not sure whatever happened to Mrs. Deck, but if you're listening, Mrs. Deck, thank you for teaching me that song about an important part of American history. Maybe some other time when we have more time, we'll talk about the song itself, because it is rather interesting.

But now, let's answer some of the questions you have sent to us.

Our first question comes from Mahdi (Mahdi) in Iran. Mahdi wants to know the difference between a “depression” (depression) and a “recession” (recession). Both of these terms are economic terms – at least that's one of the uses of these terms – to describe the way the economy is going, how much money people are making, and so forth. A “recession” and a “depression” are very similar. The only difference is in how long and/or how serious the economic problems are.

Both a recession and a depression refer to a time when the economy is bad, when people don't have a lot of money and are losing their jobs, perhaps. These are conditions in which we would say that we are in a recession. If it's a very serious recession, a very long recession, then we might call it a “depression.” Typically, when we talk about the “Depression” in English, at least in the United States, we’re referring to one of the worst economic periods in twentieth century America, which was the decade of the 1930s. That is often called the “Great Depression,” because it was such a bad time for the American economy.

Politicians avoid the word “depression” when talking about economic problems, especially if they are caused by or happened during the time that their own political party is in power. If you are in the minority – if your political party is not in power – then of course you might want to describe bad times as being a “depression,” because that's considered much more serious. I'm guessing that economists – people who study the economy – don't really have a precise or specific way of finding the difference between a recession and depression.

One American politician who later became president, Ronald Reagan, while he was trying to become president in 1980, said that a “recession” is when your neighbor is out of work – that is, when your neighbor doesn't have a job. A “depression” is when you are out of work – when you don't have a job – and therefore, it seems much more serious.

Alberto (Alberto) in Brazil wants to know the meaning of the expression “if you will.” We talked a little bit about this in a previous Café, especially since I sometimes use this expression on the Café. You may have heard me say it.

Sometimes it means “please,” especially if you are asking someone to do something. We might say, for example, “Think, if you will, of how much money we will have if we win the lottery.” You're not asking someone to do something specific, so it isn't like giving someone directions to accomplish a task. Usually, we use it in that sense when we are asking someone to imagine something, to think about something almost as if it were just a hypothetical – something that we are just imagining is true.

“If you will” can also be used to mean “for example” or “like” when you are giving someone a description of something and perhaps it's not the most exact description, or perhaps you are speaking a little politically or metaphorically. “The eyes are mirrors, if you will, of a person's feelings.” The phrase “if you will” is a way of asking the other person to go along with you in this description. It's a way of almost asking permission from the other person to allow you to describe something in a certain way.

We can also use “if you will,” especially at the end of a sentence, when we are using a description of something that perhaps is not something that we agree with 100 percent or are willing to say is absolutely correct. For example, “He wasn't a very honest person – a liar, if you will.” I'm giving another way of describing this person even though I might not agree that's completely accurate, but you might think that it's accurate. The idea is that even though I – the person speaking – doesn't necessarily think it's true, you might think it's true, and so I'll just say it, but I'll use this phrase “if you will” to indicate that perhaps I don't agree completely with that description.

“If you will” is one of those expressions that is common in English but somewhat difficult to explain. It helps to have a lot of examples, and eventually you'll begin to see what the expression means. I’ve tried to give you a general idea here in my discussion of it.

Finally, Rafael (Rafael) in Spain wants to know the meaning of a term he saw: “all-in-one tax advisor.” A “tax advisor” is someone who would give you advice or suggestions or information about how you pay your taxes. “Taxes” (taxes) is the money you give the government, and the government takes the money and spends it and you never know exactly what happened to your money. Well, that's the way it works here in the United States, anyway.

“All-in-one” is used in a lot of different circumstances. Basically, it means that someone or something has all of the different functions, all the different things, that you would want to have in a single person or in a single thing. Something that is “all-in-one” includes many different uses – all the possible functions or uses that you would need from that thing. It can also be used, of course, to describe a person who can do all sorts of things. You don't need to go to anyone else; this person can do everything you need to have done about a certain issue or problem.

Here, we’re talking about giving advice on paying your taxes, and an “all-in-one tax advisor” would be able to tell you, perhaps, how to lower your taxes – how to pay less money to the government. I would like to do that. The “all-in-one tax advisor” might give you advice about investments, might give you advice about how to save your money, or simply how best to pay your taxes at the end of the year. All of these things might be topics that an “all-in-one tax advisor” would know about.

From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on the English Café.

Glossary

serial killer – a person who uses the same way to kill many different people, usually with those people having something in common

*The serial killer used a knife to kill 10 women, who were all tall with blond hair.

to profile someone – to create a description of someone’s personality and mind to better understand why they act the way that they do

* The FBI profiles killers to understand why they hurt and kill people.

psychiatrist – a doctor who talks to patients about their mental and emotional problems

* Juanna saw a psychiatrist after her accident because she was having trouble sleeping and was always scared.

criminally – related to having broken a law; related to having done a crime

* When the police stopped the car that John was driving, they found out that he was criminally drunk.

insane – mentally sick; suffering from serious emotional or mental problems

* The insane man ran down the street yelling that aliens were following him.

traumatic – emotionally difficult; mentally or emotionally painful

* For many soldiers, fighting in a war is a traumatic experience and they never completely forget it.

engineering – the process of using math and science to design and build roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures

* The Brooklyn Bridge and the Hoover Dam are two of the finest examples of engineering in the United States.

survey – a very careful examination of an area and what is on it so that one can create a map, plan, or description of it

* The government did a survey of the land to be sure that it was possible to build a straight and smooth road here.

canal – a body of water, like a river, that is built by people to carry boats from one area of water to another

* The Suez Canal is a water passage in Egypt that allows ships to travel from the Mediterranean Sea into the Red Sea.

aqueduct – a path that is built by people to carry water from one place to another and around existing mountains, rivers, and other things

* The Romans built many aqueducts to bring water into cities from the countryside without disturbing the roads and mountains that were already there.

lock – a section of a waterway with gates and machines that raises and lowers the water level to allow boats to travel through it

* Locks were needed in the Erie Canal because the Hudson River was 568 feet lower than Lake Erie.

marvel – something good and amazing; something great that is hard to believe

* The Pyramids of Egypt are considered a marvel because they were built without machines.

recession – a temporary period when the condition of the economy is not good or is going down, during which trade and production are down

* During the recession, people lost their jobs and some lost their homes.

depression – a very long and very serious recession in an economy or market; the Great Depression (1929 to late 1930’s/early 1940’s); a medical condition of the mind where people feel very sad and hopeless over a long period of time

* The depression lasted over 10 years and very few small businesses survived.

if you will – if you will allow me to use this imprecise or incomplete term; so to speak; please, kindly; if you want to call it that

* She was the sun in his sky, if you will, so when she died, he felt very lost.

all-in-one – able to do or perform more than one function; having many or multiple uses

* This is an all-in-one kitchen appliance: it chops, slices, and blends.

tax adviser/or – a financial expert who knows tax laws and can give advice or perform tasks related to taxes

* Let’s talk to a tax advisor before we write our wills to see how best to leave our money to the children without them having to pay unnecessary taxes.

What Insiders Know

Buffalo Bill

William Frederick Cody, called “Buffalo Bill,” was an American “soldier” (fighter for the government), “hunter” (person who looks for and kills animals), and “showman” (person who entertains other people). He became famous for organizing Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, a touring performance that included performances related to “cowboys” (men who ride horses and moves cattle (cows) across large areas of land). Cody was born in Le Claire, Iowa, on February 26, 1846.

His parents were Canadians who “opposed” (did not agree with) “slavery” (the owning of other people as property). These beliefs “led to” (resulted in) his family being in danger. His father gave a speech about “antislavery” (with opinions against slavery) in a meeting that mainly included people who were “proslavery” (with opinions supporting slavery). The people did not like what his father said and one person in the audience “stabbed” (used a knife to hurt) his father, almost killing him. There were many “attempts” (tries to kill Buffalo Bill’s father, which were all unsuccessful, but when Buffalo Bill was only 11 years old, his father died as a result of medical problems that “stemmed from” (began with) the stabbing.

This meant that Buffalo Bill had to start working at an early age. He joined the army in 1868 and it was there that he got his nickname. Cody earned the nickname “Buffalo Bill” after he had hunted and killed 4,280 American “bison” (a large animal, similar to a very large cow, with hair all over the body) to get meat for the other soldiers.

In 1872, he made his “stage debut” (appeared on stage for the first time) with a performer named Texas Jack Omohundro. They performed all over the country for over 10 years. Cody started Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1883, which became a big show that toured every year. The shows included “mock” (fake) battles between cowboys and Indians, but without most of the violence. It also showed that Indians, apart from being “fierce” (strong and mean) “warriors” (fighters), also valued their own families.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West became so famous that it reached Europe and was seen by members of the royal family, including Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.