Ang Lee: Six Years of Waiting
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EN: Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used here to describe birth. Since 'born' is a past participle, we use 'was born' to indicate the event happened in the past.
She was born in a small village in 1995.
EN: Phrasal Verb 'Grow up': This means to spend one's childhood and become an adult. It is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object.
I grew up in a busy city, so I love the noise.
EN: Ang Lee is a world-renowned director. Mentioning Hualien and Tainan highlights his roots in different parts of Taiwan, which often influences the cultural depth in his films.
EN: Appositive: A noun or noun phrase that sits next to another noun to rename or describe it. Here, 'a strict principal' provides more information about 'His father'.
My friend, a talented artist, painted this mural.
EN: Expect + Object + to-infinitive: A common verb pattern used to express what someone wants or believes another person should do in the future.
The teacher expects the students to finish their homework.
EN: In many traditional East Asian cultures, including Taiwan during Ang Lee's youth, parents often placed high value on stable, prestigious academic careers like being a professor, viewing them as a sign of success and social status.
EN: The correlative structure 'not once, but [number]' is used for emphasis to highlight that something happened more than expected. It creates a contrast between a single occurrence and the actual higher frequency.
She won the championship not once, but three times.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'to one's [emotion]' (e.g., to his disappointment, to my surprise) is used to describe the emotional result of an action or event.
To our surprise, the plan worked perfectly.
EN: In many East Asian cultures, especially during the era described, the University Entrance Exam was seen as a critical 'make-or-break' moment for a young person's future and a reflection of family honor. Failing it was often considered a significant source of shame for the parents.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used here in a non-restrictive relative clause to refer back to the entire preceding idea (choosing art), rather than just the noun 'art'.
She passed the exam, which made her parents very happy.
EN: The verb 'find' is used in the pattern 'find + object + adjective' to express an opinion or perception about something.
I find this movie extremely boring.
EN: In traditional Taiwanese and East Asian cultures, parental expectations often lean heavily toward stable, prestigious professions like medicine or academia. Pursuing art was historically seen as a risky or less 'respectable' path, leading to the generational conflict described in Ang Lee's life.
EN: The 'to + infinitive' (to study) is used here as an infinitive of purpose, explaining why the subject performed the action of moving.
She went to the library to borrow some books.
EN: Prepositions of place: 'To' indicates direction/movement toward a destination, while 'at' indicates a specific location or institution where an activity happens.
He traveled to Japan to study at a language school.
EN: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a prestigious public research university. For many international students, moving to the U.S. for higher education in the arts was a common path to global recognition, though it often involved significant cultural and linguistic challenges.
EN: The phrase 'go on to + infinitive' is used to describe a sequence of events, meaning to do something after completing a previous action or stage.
After finishing her undergraduate degree, she went on to study medicine.
EN: The present participle phrase 'barely speaking English' functions as a reduced relative clause or a supplementary clause describing the subject's state or simultaneous action.
He sat by the window, watching the rain fall.
EN: NYU (New York University) is home to the Tisch School of the Arts, one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. Ang Lee's journey from a non-native speaker to an Oscar-winning director at NYU is a classic example of the 'American Dream' and the power of visual storytelling over language barriers.
EN: The use of 'even then' functions as an adverbial phrase of time, emphasizing that a quality existed earlier than expected or despite certain circumstances (like his limited English).
He was only five years old, but even then, he played the piano like a professional.
EN: Compound Sentence with 'and': This sentence uses the coordinating conjunction 'and' to join two independent clauses, showing a cause-and-effect relationship between his talent and the public's reaction.
The movie was very moving, and many people cried.
EN: In the context of film industry, 'visual storytelling' refers to the ability to convey a narrative through images and camera work rather than relying solely on dialogue. This was crucial for Ang Lee, who was still mastering English at the time.
EN: Apposition (Appositive Phrase): A noun or noun phrase placed next to another noun to explain or identify it. Here, 'a sign of great things to come' renames and explains the significance of the 'award'.
She visited Paris, the city of lights.
EN: The Infinitive as an Adjective: The phrase 'to come' acts as an adjective modifying 'things', indicating something that will happen in the future.
There are many challenges to face.
EN: NYU (New York University) is world-renowned for its Tisch School of the Arts. Winning a 'best director' award there is a significant achievement that often launches professional careers in Hollywood.
EN: The semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. It functions as a stronger break than a comma but a weaker break than a period.
She loved the movie; he thought it was boring.
EN: The preposition 'as' is used here to indicate a person's role, job, or function. It is followed by a noun phrase.
He works as a software engineer at a tech company.
EN: In many cultures, including Taiwan, there is significant social pressure on men to be the primary breadwinners. Ang Lee's period as a 'house-husband' while his wife supported him was a departure from traditional expectations, which adds depth to his eventual success story.
EN: The sentence uses a Present Participle Phrase (supporting...) as a 'reduced relative clause' or 'adverbial participle' to describe an action happening simultaneously with the main verb (stayed). It provides more information about how he spent his time.
She sat by the window, reading a book.
EN: The preposition 'as' is used here to indicate the role or capacity of a person. It identifies the function he served during those six years.
He works as a software engineer.
EN: In traditional East Asian cultures, the concept of a 'house-husband' was historically rare and sometimes stigmatized due to patriarchal expectations. Ang Lee's story is often cited as an inspiring example of breaking gender roles and the importance of spousal support in achieving long-term dreams.
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used here to show contrast between two simultaneous actions or situations occurring in the past. It highlights the reversal of traditional gender roles in this specific context.
She likes to read books while her brother prefers playing video games.
EN: Parallel structure (parallelism) involves using the same grammatical form for multiple items in a list. Here, 'cooked', 'cleaned', and 'cared' are all in the past simple tense to maintain consistency.
He opened the door, entered the room, and sat down.
EN: In traditional East Asian cultures of the 1980s and 90s, the concept of a 'house-husband' was very rare and often carried a social stigma. Ang Lee's story is frequently cited as an example of modern partnership and the sacrifice required for artistic success.
EN: The sentence uses 'Repetition for Emphasis' (Anadiplosis). By repeating the noun 'screenplays' and following it with a relative clause, the author emphasizes the specific object and its unfortunate status.
She loves her garden, a garden that she spent years building.
EN: The 'Relative Clause' starting with 'that' acts as an adjective to describe the noun 'screenplays'. In this case, 'that' is the object of the verb 'buy'.
He found a book that nobody had ever read.
EN: In English storytelling, repeating a word at the end of one clause and the beginning of the next is a rhetorical device used to create rhythm and emotional weight, often highlighting a sense of struggle or persistence.
EN: The adverb 'nearly' is used to indicate that something was very close to happening but did not actually occur. It is often placed before the main verb.
I nearly missed the train because of the heavy traffic.
EN: The 'to-infinitive' (to + verb) is used here as an infinitive of purpose, explaining 'why' the action in the main clause was performed.
She studied hard to pass the exam.
EN: The term 'real job' reflects a common cultural expectation in many societies, including Taiwan, where stable professions like engineering or medicine are prioritized over creative arts, which are often seen as unstable or hobbies.
EN: The use of 'saying' is a present participle phrase acting as an adverbial modifier. It describes an action happening simultaneously with the main verb 'encouraged', often used to introduce direct speech or additional details.
She walked out of the room, smiling at everyone.
EN: The imperative mood 'Don't forget' is used to give a strong suggestion, command, or piece of advice. It is formed by using 'Do not' (or 'Don't') followed by the base form of the verb.
Don't give up on your goals.
EN: In many cultures, including Taiwan, the support of a spouse is often seen as a crucial factor in an artist's success, especially during long periods of financial instability. This sentence highlights the emotional labor and belief that sustained Ang Lee's career.
EN: The phrase 'That very same' is used as an emphatic adjective to stress that the time or thing mentioned is exactly the same one, often highlighting a surprising coincidence.
I ran into my old friend at that very same cafe.
EN: The Past Simple tense (won) is used here to describe a completed action that took place at a specific point in the past.
She won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.
EN: The screenplay mentioned is 'Pushing Hands' (推手), which won a competition organized by Taiwan's Government Information Office. This was a pivotal moment in Ang Lee's career, as it provided the funding for his first feature film after six years of unemployment.
EN: The semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. It functions like a period but suggests a stronger connection between the two ideas.
The rain stopped; the sun began to shine.
EN: Compound adjectives (e.g., 'six-year') are formed by joining words with a hyphen. When used before a noun, the noun within the adjective (year) remains singular.
He went on a ten-mile run this morning.
EN: In many cultures, especially in East Asian contexts like Ang Lee's, the 'turning point' often follows a long period of quiet perseverance (like his six years as a house-husband), which is highly respected as a sign of character.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To move to the next stage or activity after finishing something else.
A man who stays at home to cook, clean, and take care of the children while his wife works.
A time when a decisive change in a situation occurs, especially one with a beneficial result.
Used to emphasize that something happened more than once, often unexpectedly.
The person who oversees the creative aspects of a film, including directing actors and technical staff.
A written work by screenwriters for a film, television program, or video game.
The process of telling a story through the use of visual media (images, video, etc.) rather than just words.