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Lission Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Meaning of word in bold
Hi everybody,
Could someone please explain to me what the underlined words mean? Thank you very much.
Mr Bose gave his private tuition out on the balcony, in the evenings, in the belief that, since it faced south, the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold that his wife had placed precariously on the balcony rail, to cool him, fan him, soothe him. But there was no breeze: it was hot, the air hung upon them like a damp towel, gagging him and, speaking through his gag, he tiredly intoned the Sanskrit verses that should, he felt, have been roared out on a hill-top at sunrise.
'Aum. Usa va asvasya medhyasys sirah...'
It came out, of course, a mumble. Asked to translate, his pupil, too, scowled as he had done, thrust his fist through his hair and mumbled:
'Aum is the dawn and the head of a horse...'
Mr Bose protested in a low wail. 'What horse, my boy? What horse?'
The boy rolled his eyes sullenly. 'I don't know, sir, it doesn't say.'
Could someone please explain to me what the underlined words mean? Thank you very much.
Mr Bose gave his private tuition out on the balcony, in the evenings, in the belief that, since it faced south, the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold that his wife had placed precariously on the balcony rail, to cool him, fan him, soothe him. But there was no breeze: it was hot, the air hung upon them like a damp towel, gagging him and, speaking through his gag, he tiredly intoned the Sanskrit verses that should, he felt, have been roared out on a hill-top at sunrise.
'Aum. Usa va asvasya medhyasys sirah...'
It came out, of course, a mumble. Asked to translate, his pupil, too, scowled as he had done, thrust his fist through his hair and mumbled:
'Aum is the dawn and the head of a horse...'
Mr Bose protested in a low wail. 'What horse, my boy? What horse?'
The boy rolled his eyes sullenly. 'I don't know, sir, it doesn't say.'
Top answer
the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold that his wife had placed precariously on the balcony rail, to cool him, fan him, soothe him = the breeze from the river would make the balcony a cooler place to teach. = should have been read loudly and devoutly
- the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold that his wife had placed precariously on the balcony rail, to cool him, fan him, soothe him = the breeze from the river would make the balcony a cooler place to teach.
- = should have been read loudly and devoutly
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4 Answers
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the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold that his wife had placed precariously on the balcony rail, to cool him, fan him, soothe him = the breeze from the river would make the balcony a cooler place to teach.
should have been roared out on a hill-top at sunrise.= should have
should have been roared out on a hill-top at sunrise.= should have
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Thanks, Mister Micawber.
the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold
Does 'washing' mean that the water from the breeze washed the roof and the pots of plants?
the river Hooghly would send it a wavering breeze or two to drift over the rooftops, through the washing and the few pots of tulsi and marigold
Does 'washing' mean that the water from the breeze washed the roof and the pots of plants?
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The breeze comes from the river and goes through the sheets and clothes that people had washed and hung out to dry. The washing would cause evaporative cooling of the breeze .
He wife had planted flowers in pots, and placed them on the balcony's railing. Perhaps these will make the breeze smell sweet.
He wife had planted flowers in pots, and placed them on the balcony's railing. Perhaps these will make the breeze smell sweet.
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