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Sitcom English Lesson [日本語サポート付]

THE BIG BANG theory

Learn English through comedy scenes.
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Sheldon Figures Out Howard's Magic Trick

Howard Wolowitz performs a simple card magic trick that completely mystifies his genius, hyper-logical friend, Sheldon Cooper. Incapable of accepting that he cannot see through a basic illusion, Sheldon goes to extreme scientific lengths—including using thermal imaging, supercomputers, and trying to acquire nuclear materials—to reverse-engineer the "magic," while Howard and Raj secretly enjoy messing with his mind.


Sheldon Cooper - An incredibly smart theoretical physicist who lacks street smarts and hates being outsmarted.


Howard Wolowitz - An aerospace engineer and amateur magician who loves messing with Sheldon.


Raj Koothrappali - Howard's best friend and accomplice in keeping the magic trick a secret.


Leonard Hofstadter - Sheldon's roommate who tries to warn him about committing federal crimes.

  • Scene 1: The Lab Overkill
    Howard: "Pick a card, Sheldon. Now look at it and put it back in the deck. Do you remember your card?"
    Sheldon: "Well, of course I do. I have an eidetic memory."
    Leonard: "What's up with the infrared cameras?"
    Sheldon: "I'm measuring residual heat levels on the playing cards to determine which one's been touched... I'm using Oak Ridge National Laboratory's supercomputer to analyze shuffling patterns."
    Leonard: "Sheldon, hacking into it is a federal crime!"
    Scene 2: High-Tech "Showmanship"
    Sheldon: "I figured out your magic trick. In fact, I improved upon it... Pick a card. Bippity boppity boo."
    Howard: "What's with the wand and the beep?"
    Sheldon: "The wand is called showmanship, and the beep is none of your business. Oh, look, my dry cleaning's ready—and your card was the five of spades! Ta-da!"
    Howard: "These cards have barcodes on them. The wand is a reader transmitting to your phone. That's pathetic. Let me show you how a real magician does it."
    Scene 3: Getting Caught
    Leonard: "Why so glum, chum?"
    Sheldon: "Apparently, you can't hack into a government supercomputer and then try to buy uranium without the Department of Homeland Security tattling to your mother."
    Howard: "Want me to tell you how to do it?"
    Sheldon: "No! I'll show you one more time, Raj, but hang on... this time do it with me so I can make sure there's no monkey business."
    Howard: "Two of hearts."
    Sheldon: "I hate you."
  • Eidetic (Memory) [アイデティック]: Ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with great precision.

  • Residual [レジデュアル]: Remaining after the greater part or quantity has gone.

  • Reverse-engineer [リバース・エンジニア]: To disassemble and examine a product or device to discover how it works.

  • Pathetic [パセティック]: Miserably inadequate; making you feel pity, contempt, or boredom.

  • Showmanship [ショーマンシップ]: The ability to present something in an entertaining and dramatic way.

  • Transmitting [トランスミッティング]: Broadcasting or sending out an electrical or digital signal.

  • Tattling [タトリング]: Revealing secrets or reporting someone's misbehavior to an authority.

Useful Phrases


"Reverse engineering" リバースエンジニアリング(仕組みの逆解析)
Taking something apart to see how it works in order to duplicate or modify it.
Example: The company used reverse engineering to replicate their competitor's technology.


"None of your business" あなたには関係ない、余計なお世話
An informal, direct way to tell someone that they do not need to know certain information and shouldn't ask about it.
Example: What I spent my money on is none of your business.


"Why so glum, chum?" 何をしょげてるんだい、友よ?
A playful, rhyming expression used to ask a friend why they look sad, disappointed, or downcast.
Example: Why so glum, chum? Did your favorite team lose the match?


"Tattling to [someone]" (~に)告げ口をする、言いつける
Means reporting someone's wrongdoings or secrets to an authority figure (like a parent or teacher) to get them into trouble.
Example: Stop tattling to our manager about every tiny mistake I make.


"Monkey business" 不審な行動、インチキ、いたずら
An idiom meaning mischievous, deceitful, or dishonest behavior.
Example: The teacher came back into the classroom to make sure there was no monkey business.

Who did the Department of Homeland Security contact after tracking Sheldon's suspicious online activities?

(シェルドンの不審なネット活動を追跡した国土安全保障省は、誰に連絡しましたか?)

How did Howard instantly figure out Sheldon's "improved" magic trick?

(ハワードは、シェルドンの「改良版」マジックの種をどうやって即座に見抜きましたか?)
  • Sheldon is a genius physicist, but he falls for a very simple prank because he overcomplicates it. Why do highly intellectual people sometimes struggle with simple, everyday scenarios?
  • Howard tells Raj that he might explain the trick to Sheldon "when it stops being fun—so never." Is it harmless fun to trick a friend like this, or does it cross the line into being mean?
  • Sheldon resorted to using a government supercomputer and looking for radioactive materials on Craigslist to solve a problem. Have you ever gone to ridiculous lengths to solve a minor problem or win an argument?

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