Hi,
Don't worry, it's no trouble for me.
1. Doctor Steffano (Count Olaf) talks with Doctor Montgomery about his experience as a (fictitious) scientist:
Well, I am a fan, if I may gush. Your work has profoundly influenced my research up at the Monterey Bay Aquarium... on the sea snake. It's a very volatile animal. I've been bitten 43... 700 times. Mostly on the face.
What does volatile mean here? I've translated it as "unpredictable". Am I right? Yes. Unstable, lively.
2. When running into one of the orphans in the market Count Olaf blurts out "Lord thundering jumped-up Jehovah". The orphans' guardian (their aunt) screams
"The black plague! Is it the black plague?"
a). I understand that this is some sort of Eastern Canadian talk... Really? I didn't know there was an Eastern canadian aspect to this movie, I assumed it was standard USA fare. Good. but as I have to translate it into my native language, I should have some idea... What does "thundering" and "jumped-up" mean here? Is there any similar synonyms? 'Thundering' is perhaps a unique intensifier. I associate it with Newfoundlanders. A well-known Newfoundland expresssion, instead of 'Jesus!' is 'Lord thundering (t'underin') Jesus ('Jeezus'). 'Thundering' can mean not only 'loud' but 'excessive or huge', as in 'a thundering error'. 'Jumped-up' refers to someone who is newly in a position of importance/authority, and believes themselves to be important. There's a certain amusing irony in using these adjectives for Jehovah.
b). Why the black plague? What is so funny about it? And what does it have in common with Lord Jehovah? I don't think the Black Plague has anything to do with Jehovah. Jehovah's name is just invoked to show surprise at meeting the orphans. It's like exclaiming 'MyGod' in surprise.
I don't have enough context to understand why the Black Plague is mentioned here. Perhaps Olaf shows so much surprise that the guardian thinks something improtant, like the Plague, is happening?
3. Trying to warm his way into the confidence of the orphans' new guardian (their aunt that is a grammar freak), Count Olaf says:
Count Olaf: Why, perhaps it's just the ramblings of an expert fisherman, but grammar is the number-one most important thing in this here world to me. (A man after my own heart!)
Aunt: It is?
Count Olaf: It's the whole ball of wax. The entire kit and caboodle. Why, without your good grammar, the whole darn shooting match could go a.r.s.e. over tea kettle.
Olaf is ironically using bad grammar and unspohisticated vocabulary here. 'Darn' means 'damned'. 'The whole shootingmatch' means 'everything'. '***' means 'ass'. To go 'Ass over tea kettle' means 'to fall badly, completely', 'to collapse', as you say.
Aunt: Well, you can certainly turn a phrase.
Count Olaf: I can flip it up and rub it down too. Of course, that would be entirely up to you, mum. These phrases are exaggerated synonyms for 'turn', which was used in 'turn a phrase'. Olaf is, ironically, turning wild and clever phrases.
a) Well, what is he referring to with the whole darn shooting match? Go *** over tea kettle is to collapse?
b) turn a phrase is say smth in a clever, etc. way. But flip it up and rub it down? What does he mean?
4. Horrid Harbor. Horrid means here horrible, terrible, etc ,right? Yes
Curdled Cave. What exactly does curdled means here? Some synonym? 'Curdle' means as in your dictionary. I think the word is used here only because of the alliteration with 'cave'. There is also humour in that it is a strange word to juxtapose with 'cave', it's unexpected.
I have two thoughts. One is that you have listened to the dialogue in this move with a very good and accurate ear. The other is that it sounds like a great movie, with a lot of very clever verbal play. I want to see it!
Write again if you have any more queries, OK?
Clive