Analytical reading-Part2

S.O.S.

by Agatha Christie

T

wenty minutes earlier Mortimer Cleveland had stood in the driving rain and mist surveying his car. It was really cursed bad luck. Two punctures within ten minutes of each other, and here he was, stranded, miles from anywhere, in the midst of these bare Wiltshire downs with night coming on, and no prospect of shelter. Serve him right for trying to take a short cut. If only he had stuck to the main road! Now he was lost on what seemed a mere cart-track on the hillside, with no possibility of getting the car further, and with no idea if there were even a village anywhere near.

            He looked round him perplexedly, and his eye was caught by a gleam of light on the hillside above him. A second later the mist obscured it once more, but, waiting patiently, he presently got a second glimpse of it. After a moment’s cogitation, he left the car and struck up the side of the hill.

            Soon he was out of the mist, and he recognised the light as shining from the lighted window of a small cottage. Here, at any rate, was shelter. Mortimer Cleveland quickened his pace, bending his head to meet the furious onslaught of wind and rain which seemed to be trying its best to drive him back.

            Cleveland was in his own way something of a celebrity though doubtless the majority of folks would have displayed complete ignorance of his name and achievements. He was an authority on mental science and had written two excellent text books on the subconscious. He was also a member of the Psychical Research Society and a student of the occult insofar as it affected his own conclusions and line of research.

Lexical analysis:

driving rain¾пороен дъжд

back-seat driving¾прен. намеса в чужди дела

to drive into a corner¾прен. поставям натясно, притискам до стената

to drive someone into doing something¾принуждавам някого да направи нещо

He won’t be driven.¾Той не допуска да му се налагат (да го принуждават).

to drive someone mad/crazy¾влудявам някого

What are you driving at?¾Какво целиш?/Накъде биеш?/Какво искаш да кажеш?

driven snow¾навят сняг, пряспа

Drinking was his curse.¾Пиенето (пиянството) беше бич за него.

to be under a curse¾страдам от проклятие

to take a short cut¾минавам по пряк път

a road cut up by the rains¾шосе, изорано от дъждовете

to be cut out for¾създаден/роден съм само за

to cut down smoking¾намалявам цигарите

That cuts no ice with me!¾Такива не ми минават!

to cut short¾съкращавам, спирам, прекратявам (разказ, изложение и пр.)

stick-in-the-mud¾прен. тъп, инертен, изостанал от времето си човек

a stick¾сух/скучен/скован човек

poor stick¾ сиромах, завалия

Friends should stick together.¾Приятелите трябва да се поддържат.

on the track of¾по следите на

to be on the right track¾на прав път съм

to be off the track¾на погрешен път съм, греша; отклонявам се от въпроса

to track somebody/something down¾откривам, намирам, проследявам и хващам (дивеч, престъпник и пр.)

to perplex¾to baffle, to befuddle, to bewilder, to confound, to disconcert, to confuse, to puzzle

a catchy bit of work¾трудна/заплетена/завързана работа

a catch/catchy question¾коварен въпрос, подвеждащ въпрос

a catch of the breath¾секване на дъха

a catch in one’s voice¾прекъсване/секване на гласа

It is not much of a catch.¾Това не е бог знае каква печалба (какъв келепир).

She is no great catch.¾Тя не е кой знае каква партия (за женитба).

to catch at an opportunity¾възползвам се от случая

to gleam¾to glitter, to glimmer, to flicker, to glint, to glisten, to glow, to shine, to glare, to dazzle, to twinkle, to shimmer, to scintillate, to sparkle

a gleam of hope¾лъч на надежда

an occasional gleam of humour¾случаен проблясък на хумор

lost in the mist of time¾потънал в бездната на времето

to be in a mist¾объркан съм, оплел съм конците, не знам какво да правя/предприема

insofar as¾дотолкова доколкото

to draw a line between¾разграничавам, поставям граница

One must draw the line somewhere.¾прен. Всяко търпение си има граници.

to go over the line¾прекалявам (to go too far)

Drop me a few lines.¾Драсни ми няколко реда.

to stand in line¾чакам в редица, правя опашка

to read between the lines¾прен. чета между редовете