Very British Problems, une série télévisée sur Channel 4, est amusante à regarder et idéale pour pratiquer l'écoute et l'expression orale en anglais. Il est particulièrement utile à ceux qui se préparent à IELTS, Cambridge FCE, CAE et CPE.
Ce clip est issu du premier épisode de Very British Problems (Saison 1 – Épisode 1 – Autres personnes).
Nigel Havers et Rich Hall discutent de l'utilisation de l'expression « bonne journée » en Grande-Bretagne.
Transcription
Having tried to inject a little Continental sophistication into our interactions and failed, we certainly won’t be making the same mistake with our over-friendly American cousins.
« Have a nice day »?
I say, « Please, that’s up to me to have a nice day. I don’t need you to tell me to have one. I’m having a very nasty day at the moment. I don’t know how it’s going to go, but it’s nothing to do with you. »
Of course that was never going to work. And with good reason!
Most Brits see right through that because they know it’s not possible to have a nice day.
You could say, « Have a nice quarter of an hour, » and Brits would go, « Thank you very much, » because that’s manageable.
You can have a good 15 minutes in this country without anything screwing up, but… minute 16, something’s going to happen.