Col. Weber quotes from Arrival (2016)

Col. Weber

How would you approach translating this? You hear any words? Phrases?

Dr. Louise Banks

I do not... I do not know.

Col. Weber

So what can you tell?

Dr. Louise Banks

I can tell you that it is impossible to translate an audio file. I would need to be there to interact with them.

Col. Weber

You did not need that for Farsi translation.

Dr. Louise Banks

I did not need because I already knew the language, but this is...

Col. Weber

I know what you're doing.

Dr. Louise Banks

Tell me what I'm doing.

Col. Weber

I'll not take you to Montana. It's all I can do to keep it turning into a tourist site for everybody who has a clearance.

Dr. Louise Banks

I'm just telling you what it would take to do this job.

Col. Weber

It is not a negotiation. If I leave here... your chance is gone. Good day.

Dr. Louise Banks

Colonel...You mentioned Berkeley. Are you going to ask Danvers next?

Col. Weber

Maybe.

Dr. Louise Banks

Before you commit to him...ask him the Sanskrit word for "war" and its translation.

Col. Weber

Good Morning.

Dr. Louise Banks

Colonel?

Col. Weber

Gravisti.

Dr. Louise Banks

That's the word, but what did he say it means?

Col. Weber

He said it means an argument. What does it really mean?

Dr. Louise Banks

A desire for more cows.

Col. Weber

Pack your bags.

Col. Weber

I don't want to take away from your success, but Dr. Banks, is it really the right approach? Try to teach them how to speak and read? That's gonna take long.

Dr. Louise Banks

You're wrong! Its faster.

Col. Weber

Everything you do here, I have to explain to a room full of men, whose first and last question is how can this be used against us. So you'll have to give me more than that!

Dr. Louise Banks

Kangaroo.

Col. Weber

What is that?

Dr. Louise Banks

In 1770, Captain James Cook's ship ran aground off the coast of Australia and led a party, where they found the aboriginal people. One of the sailors pointed to the animals that hop around and put their babies in their pouch, And he asked what they were. The Aborigines said "kangaroo".

Col. Weber

And your point is?

Dr. Louise Banks

It wasn't until later that they learned that "kangaroo" means "I don't understand". So...I need this so that we don't misinterpret things in there, otherwise it is going to take 10 times as long.

Col. Weber

I can sell that for now. But I need you to submit your vocabulary of words before the next session. Remember what happened to the Aborigines. A more advanced race, nearly wiped them out.

Ian Donnelly

It's a good story.

Dr. Louise Banks

Thanks. It's not true, but it proves my point.

Col. Weber

You have a vocabulary list for me?

Dr. Louise Banks

I do.

Col. Weber

You're gonna teach them, your name, and Ian's?

Dr. Louise Banks

Yes, so that we can learn their names, if they have names, and then introduce pronouns later.

Col. Weber

These are all grade-school words. Eat. Walk. Help me understand.

Dr. Louise Banks

Okay, this is where you want to get to, right?

Col. Weber

That is the question.

Dr. Louise Banks

Okay. So, first, we need to make sure that they understand what a question is. The nature of a request for information, along with a response. Then, we need to clarify the difference between a specific "you"...and a collective "you", because we don't want to know why 'Joe Alien' is here, we want to know why they all landed. And purpose requires an understanding of intent. We need to find out: do they make conscious choices, or is their motivation so instinctive that they don't understand a "why" question at all. And biggest of all, we need to have enough vocabulary with them, that we understand their answer.

Col. Weber

I get it. Stick to your list. Just...Don't add anything to it.

Dr. Louise Banks

God... are they...? They are using a game to communicate with the Heptopods?

Col. Weber

Maybe... why?

Dr. Louise Banks

Let's say I taught them chess instead of English. Every conversation would be a game, every idea expressed through opposition. Victory... defeat. You see the problem? If all I ever gave you was a hammer...

Col. Weber

Everything's a nail. We need to ask the big question. Ready or not.