6 minute - Robin Hood

[00:00.30] This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.Com

[00:04.55] Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and with me

[00:08.80] today is Kate, hello Kate.

[00:10.13] Hello Callum.

[00:11.73] Today we're going to be talking about an English legend.

[00:14.38] A man who, according to the legend, stole from the rich and gave to the poor.

[00:19.96] Who am I talking about?

[00:21.55] That's got to be Robin Hood.

[00:23.68] Yes, it is, Robin Hood.

[00:25.81] What do you know about Robin Hood, or the legend of Robin Hood?

[00:30.58] Well I know that he lived in Sherwood Forest and he was the enemy of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

[00:36.69] He was an outlaw, or a bandit, and a great archer.

[00:40.16] He was also a good swordsman and was the leader of a gang of forest people

[00:44.95] otherwise known as his 'band of Merry Men'.

[00:44.95] And there have been lots and lots

[00:48.46] of films and television series about him.

[00:54.83] Yes, that's right.

[00:56.43] In fact from what I can tell there have been over 100 different film and television versions of his story.

[01:00.41] And that's the topic of today's question.

[01:02.54] When was the first film version of the Robin Hood story?

[01:08.27] Was it:

[01:09.60] a: 1908

[01:11.28] b: 1918

[01:14.19] c: 1928

[01:17.11] Oh, that's a difficult one.

[01:18.99] I've got no idea so I'm going to guess at b: 1918

[01:22.18] We'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme.

[01:25.40] If you were to describe Robin Hood, what would you say?

[01:30.44] Well what springs to mind is that he was always dressed in green and that he wore tights which are close-fitting clothes for the legs.

[01:38.05] At least that's how he was often seen in films.

[01:41.07] The latest film version has just been released.

[01:45.06] It stars Russell Crowe as Robin Hood and he wasn't happy with this image of Robin Hood dressed in green tights.

[01:53.33] He joked that it would be difficult to fight a battle wearing tights in an English forest

[01:58.65] because you'd be worried about tearing your tights.

[02:02.10] He doesn't use the word 'tearing'.

[02:04.76] What word is used for when tights get torn?

[02:09.01] Well we often use the expression 'getting a ladder in your tights', 'a ladder'.

[02:14.05] Let's listen now to Russell Crowe talking about fighting in the forest in tights.

[02:20.43] ♪

[02:21.76] What is it that he says he wanted to give the character of Robin Hood?

[02:25.21] Russell Crowe

[02:26.27] You've got to ask yourself the practicality of romping through the English forest wearing a

[02:29.19] pair of green tights.

[02:30.79] The proximity and number of gorse bushes and brambles and everything.

[02:34.24] Tights just don't seem to be a practical thing to wear.

[02:37.16] Hold on, stop the battle.

[02:39.02] Got a ladder, I've got a ladder again – and I just wanted to give the guy some dignity.

[02:44.61] So Kate, what did he want to give the character?

[02:48.07] He said he wanted "to give the guy some dignity" – "to give the guy some dignity."

[02:53.91] 'Guy' is another word for 'man'.

[02:56.30] And I think we can hear just that part again.

[02:58.98] Russell Crowe:

[02:59.77] … and I just wanted to give the guy some dignity.

[03:02.16] And could you explain a little about what he means by giving him some dignity?

[03:06.71] Well, I think he sees Robin Hood as a warrior, a fighter.

[03:11.02] And the image of him in other movies, in coloured tights doesn't really fit in with that.

[03:16.33] The image from other movies doesn't seem to take the character seriously, it doesn't give

[03:21.11] him enough respect.

[03:23.24] So I think Crowe wanted to play him in a more gritty, realistic way.

[03:26.69] Let's listen in more detail to what he was saying.

[03:31.21] He isn't being completely serious here so some of the language he uses is interesting to look at.

[03:36.26] Here's the first part:

[03:38.11] Russell Crowe

[03:38.65] You've got to ask yourself the practicality of romping through the English forest wearing a

[03:42.65] pair of green tights.

[03:44.24] So he questions the practicality of "romping through the English forest wearing

[03:49.82] a pair of green tights."

[03:52.74] Yes, it's almost a comedy scene he describes.

[03:54.86] Romping is a word not normally used for brave and dramatic actions.

[03:59.38] And the verb 'to romp' describes playing or moving in a lively and energetic way and is more often used for animals or children rather than warriors.

[04:09.49] He goes on to talk about some of the dangers of the English forest.

[04:13.74] Well dangers to your tights, anyway.

[04:16.40] He mentions gorse bushes and brambles.

[04:19.32] What are they?

[04:20.38] Yes, these are kinds of plants that are common in English forests and they have small, sharp bits that can easily cut you, not a big cut, more of a scratch really.

[04:29.41] So they could certainly do some damage to a pair of tights!

[04:32.60] Here's Russell Crowe

[04:34.75] Russell Crowe

[04:35.29] The proximity and number of gorse bushes and brambles and everything.

[04:38.74] Tights just don't seem to be a practical thing to wear.

[04:41.93] Hold on, stop the battle.

[04:42.72] Got a ladder, I've got a ladder

[04:44.85] again.

[04:46.18] Kate, what's he saying here?

[04:48.30] He's joking about the 'proximity and number' of gorse and brambles,

[04:52.02] which means that there are lots of these plants and you are always close to them so

[04:55.74] that would be a problem if you have tights.

[04:57.87] You might get a ladder and have to

[05:00.52] stop the battle to fix your tights.

[05:02.65] Well I think that would be an important thing to think about.

[05:04.80] But I don't imagine that we will be seeing Russell Crowe wearing tights anytime soon.

[05:09.85] No, I doubt it very much.

[05:11.71] Let's listen again to the whole comment from Russell Crowe:

[05:13.83] You've got to ask yourself the practicality of romping through the English forest wearing a

[05:18.35] pair of green tights.

[05:19.94] The proximity and number of gorse bushes and brambles and everything.

[05:23.40] Tights just don't seem to be a practical thing to wear.

[05:26.58] Hold on, stop the battle.

[05:27.65] got a ladder, I've got a ladder got a ladder again – and I just wanted to give the guy some dignity.

[05:33.76] That's about all we have time for in this week's programme.

[05:36.68] Before we go, the answer to this week's question which was – when was the first film about the

[05:44.40] Robin Hood story?

[05:45.46] ♪

[05:46.26] a: 1908

[05:47.60] b: 1918

[05:48.13] c: 1928

[05:50.26] Kate you said:

[05:51.58] I said b: 1918

[05:52.11] And you were absolutely wrong.

[05:53.18] It was 1908, Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

[05:54.24] Well that's all from today's programme, but do join us next time for another 6

[05:57.69] Minute English.

[05:59.82] Goodbye.

[06:00.35] Goodbye.