Australia Network - English Bites - Series 9

Contact Us

Mailing Lists

Episode 3: Art Market

Episode 3: Art Market
Gustave shows what it means to set up and give something a shot.

Transcript

Gustave is trying to sell his paintings at Fremantle Markets:

This is the place to see where my art can take me. Hopefully we can sell some paintings and yeah, I really don't know what's going to happen but smile's on my face, confidence in my strokes and all will go well.

Well, we're setting up early and we're going for the whole day, so, hopefully people will take an interest in what I do because it's pretty different.

He's setting up early - to set up is to prepare.

It started in secondary school, high school, where one of my science teachers, his name is Mr Chong, he sort of pulled us aside, and he just announced in the class, 'Who would like to learn Chinese brush painting?' and I thought, 'Okay, I'll probably give it a shot because I'm Chinese.

He decided to 'give it a shot' - he decided to try it. Listen again:

...one of my science teachers, his name is Mr Chong, he sort of pulled us aside, and he just announced in the class, 'Who would like to learn Chinese brush painting?' and I thought, 'Okay, I'll probably give it a shot… This is Kevryn. We met earlier this year and yeah, she'll be here helping me deal with the non-artistic aspects of setting up the booth and selling paintings.

The 'non-artistic' aspects. You can use the prefix 'non-' to mean not. Kevryn is not going to be doing any painting.

This is my signature painting, well, it's my signature flower I guess. These are actually chrysanthemums. Now chrysanthemums don't normally come in green or blue but well, if Mr Chong has taught me anything, it's you know, don't be a copycat, don't, you know, don't do things the way they've always done it because then you're not an artist, you're just... yeah, you're just a copycat. You're a good replicator, not an artist.

A replicator and a copycat are the same thing - someone who copies. To replicate something is to make a copy the same as the original. Copycat is an informal word for someone who copies, or does the same as someone else. But you would usually say imitator and not replicator.

But it needs to have birds in it.

More birds?

More if you want but at least two, yeah.

Okay, I could do this one right here for you if you want.

The customer said she wanted 'at least' two birds. She means not less than two.

Yeah, loved the birds. They are not for me. They are for my girlfriend. She is crazy about birds and when and when I saw him doing that I thought about her straight away. I said, 'Ooh, that's good for her.'

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Right, enjoy the painting.

Her friend is 'crazy about' birds. This just means that she likes birds. And she thought about her 'straight away', which means immediately. Listen again:

Yeah, loved the birds. They are not for me. They are for my girlfriend. She crazy about birds and when and when I saw him doing that I thought about her straight away. I said, 'Ooh, that's good for her.'

Thank you.

Right, enjoy the painting.

He showed people how to do Chinese brush painting, but listen for the form of 'show' he uses with have - have shown:

Thank you.

The crowd here has been so supportive. They are asking questions.

I'm very pleased with the interest that people have shown, and wow, I could definitely see myself doing this again.

English Bites is an informative and entertaining way to improve your knowledge of the English language.