Analytical reading-Part 30

William Faulkner

From A Fable

S

o when the regiment, unarmed, unshaven, hatless and half-dressed, began to coalesce without command into the old sheeplike molds of platoons and companies, it found that nobody was paying any attention to it at all, that it had been deserted even by the bayonets which had evicted it out of doors. But for a while it continued to shuffle and grope for the old familiar alignments, blinking a little after the dark barracks, in the glare of sunset. Then it began to move. It was not a regiment yet but rather a shapeless mass in which only the squads and platoons had any unity, as the coherence of an evicted city obtains only in the household groups which stick together not because the members are kin in blood but because they have eaten together and slept together and grieved and hoped and fought among themselves so long, huddling immobile and blinking beneath the high unclimbable wire and the searchlights and machine-gun platforms and the lounging scornful guards, all in silhouette on the sunset as if the lethal shock which charged the wire ten minutes ago had at the same instant electrocuted them all into inflexible arrestment against the end of time.

                They were still huddled there when the new tumult began in the city. The sun had set, the bugles had rung and ceased, the gun had crashed from the old citadel and clapped and reverberated away, and the huddled regiment was already fading into one neutral mass in the middle of the parade ground when the first faint yelling came across the plain. But they did nothing at first, except to become more still, as dogs do at the rising note of a siren about to reach some unbearable pitch which the human ear will not hear at all.

Notes and comments:

to coalesce-to merge-to be one with = сраствам се, сливам се, съединявам се; сдружавам се, обединявам се, коалирам се

coalition—коалиция

a coalition government—коалиционно правителство

to form a coalition—формирам коалиция (между различни политически сили)

The small banks were merged into one large organization.

Twilight merged into darkness.

His fear was gradually merged in curiosity to know what was happening.

to evict-to turn somebody out by authority of the law = изпъждам, изгонвам, изваждам (от квартира)

They were evicted for not paying the rent.

an evicted city-прокуден град

an evicted tenant-изваден наемател

to sparkle-to shimmer-to shine-to gleam-to glare-to twinkle-to glitter-to scintillate-to glisten-to glimmer-to glister-to flicker-to radiate-to glint = светя, блестя, сияя, огрявам, осветявам, лъщя, бляскам, блещукам, трепкам, трептя (за светлина)

to sparkle-to emit in what appears to be sparks

Her diamonds sparkled in the bright light.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

to shine-expresses the general idea

The moon is shining.

The sun shone out.

to glare-to shine in a dazzling or disagreeable way

The tropic sun glared down on us all day.

a car with glaring headlights…

glaring neon lights…

to glitter-to shine brightly with flashes of light

stars glittering with the frosty sky. . .

glittering with jewels. . .

the glitter of the Christmas tree decorations

glitter (n.)-intermittent and irregular shining

to radiate-to emit in rays

a stove that radiates warmth. . .

to cohere-to stick-to cling-to adhere-to cleave = слепвам се, свързвам се, съединявам се, прилепвам се, образувам цяло

“to cohere” implies a sticking together to produce a homogenous whole

“to stick” is the general (generic), informal verb

These stamps have stuck together.

“to cling” suggests dependence

to cling to one’s possessions

to cling to one’s money

Ivy clings to the walls.

to cling to a hope of being rescued

They clung together when the time came to part.

The ship clung to the coast.

The child clung to her mother’s skirt.

“to adhere” figuratively implies deliberation

to adhere to one’s plans

to adhere to an opinion

to adhere to a political party

to adhere to a promise

We decided to adhere to the program.

“to cleave” now mostly literary implies a strong and devoted attachment

to cleave to one’s wife or husband = be faithful to

tumult-uproar-disturbance-turmoil = глъчка, шум, врява, суматоха; безредици, вълнение, възбуда

the tumult of bottles…

The meeting ended in an uproar.

Were there many political disturbances in the country last year?

The town was in a turmoil during the elections.

to vociferate-to shout-to yell-to bawl-to clamour = викам, кряскам, вдигам врява/глъчка, надавам вой, шумно протестирам

a vociferous/yelling crowd-a clamorous mob = шумна/креслива тълпа

He bawled out a curse.

He bawled to me across the street.

The frightened child bawled for help.

to yell with fright/laughter