Analytical reading-Part 6

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

By Ambrose Bierce

H

e closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. The water, touched to gold by the early sun, the brooding mists under the banks at some distance down the stream, the fort, the soldiers, the piece of drift—all had distracted him. And now he became conscious of a new disturbance. Striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality. He wondered what it was, and whether immeasurably distant or nearby—it seemed both. Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell. He awaited each stroke with impatience and—he knew not why—apprehension. The intervals of silence grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening. With their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife; he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch.

            He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. “If I could free my hands,” he thought, “I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods, and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest distance.”

            As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it, the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.

Lexical analysis:

The sky was touched with/to gold.¾Небето имаше златист оттенък.

religion touched with superstition¾вяра, размесена със суеверие

to touch bottom¾стигам (стъпвам на) дъното (при плуване); прен стигам до най-ниското ниво, изпадам много ниско (в морално отношение)

to touch the spot¾правя точно това, което е нужно; постигам необходимия ефект/въздействие

to brood over things¾потъвам в (обзет съм от) черни мисли (to keep thinking about something in a distressed or troubled way; to worry: often with on, over, or about

She sat there brooding on whether life was worth living.

to brood over the fire¾замислено гледам огъня

Night broods over the scene.¾(in this context: to hover or hang low)Нощта обгръща всичко в мрак./Нощта разстила тъмнина.

drift¾дървени клони, носени по течението на река; речен нанос (syn drift-wood)

I caught the drift of what he said.¾Схванах значението на това, което той каза.

The general drift of affairs was towards war.¾Нещата водеха към война.

The boat drifted out to sea.¾Вълните отнесоха лодката навътре в морето.

to drift apart¾отчуждаваме се, отдалечаваме се един от друг

drifter¾амер. разг. непостоянен (слабохарактерен) човек; скитник

drift ice¾плаващи ледени блокове

drift sand¾подвижни пясъци

to evade pursuit¾отървавам се (измъквам се) от преследване

This is a feeling that evades definition.¾Това чувство не може да се определи точно.

evasive¾ambiguous, deceptive, devious, indecisive, oblique, roundabout, shifty¾уклончив

to take to drinking¾отдавам се на пиянство

to take to flight¾удрям на бяг

They took to the mountain.¾Избягаха в планината./Хванаха планината.

to take to the open sea¾излизам в открито море

as yet¾досега

and yet¾и все пак

but yet¾но все пак

strange and yet true¾невероятно, но факт

some…, others…, yet others…¾едни…, други…, трети…

not yet¾още не

never yet¾никога досега

yet once more/yet again¾(в случаите на емфаза) още веднъж, отново и отново

beyond compare¾несравним (syn. incomparable)

beyond all bearing¾нетърпим, непоносим

beyond belief¾невероятен

beyond doubt¾несъмнен

beyond debate/dispute¾безспорен

beyond hope¾безнадежден

beyond retrieve¾безвъзвратно

beyond someone’s ken¾неразбираем

from the back of beyond¾бог знае откъде, от не знам къде си