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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #1
The narrator recalls his adolescence.
The narrator came to know his great aunt Betsey Trotwood would give a man some money.
His aunt tells him about the man.
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'Betsey Trotwood don't look a likely subject for the tender passion,' said my aunt, composedly, 'but the time was, Trot, when she believed in that man most entirely. When she loved him, Trot, right well. When there was no proof of attachment and affection that she would not have given him. He repaid her by breaking her fortune, and nearly breaking her heart. So she put all that sort of sentiment, once and for ever, in a grave, and filled it up, and flattened it down.'
'My dear, good aunt!'
'I left him,' my aunt proceeded, laying her hand as usual on the back of mine, 'generously. I may say at this distance of time, Trot, that I left him generously. He had been so cruel to me, that I might have effected a separation on easy terms for myself; but I did not. He soon made ducks and drakes of what I gave him, sank lower and lower, married another woman, I believe, became an adventurer, a gambler, and a cheat. What he is now, you see. But he was a fine-looking man when I married him,' said my aunt, with an echo of her old pride and admiration in her tone; 'and I believed him - I was a fool! - to be the soul of honour!'
She gave my hand a squeeze, and shook her head.
'He is nothing to me now, Trot- less than nothing. But, sooner than have him punished for his offences (as he would be if he prowled about in this country), I give him more money than I can afford, at intervals when he reappears, to go away. I was a fool when I married him; and I am so far an incurable fool on that subject, that, for the sake of what I once believed him to be, I wouldn't have even this shadow of my idle fancy hardly dealt with. For I was in earnest, Trot, if ever a woman was.'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "the time was" means "at the time I was so."
2. I'd like to know what "right well" means.
3. I'd like to know if after "for the sake of what I once believed him to be," "if not" is implied."
4. I'd like to know why it is "if ever," not "if ever."
Thank you in advance for your help.
The narrator came to know his great aunt Betsey Trotwood would give a man some money.
His aunt tells him about the man.
................................................
'Betsey Trotwood don't look a likely subject for the tender passion,' said my aunt, composedly, 'but the time was, Trot, when she believed in that man most entirely. When she loved him, Trot, right well. When there was no proof of attachment and affection that she would not have given him. He repaid her by breaking her fortune, and nearly breaking her heart. So she put all that sort of sentiment, once and for ever, in a grave, and filled it up, and flattened it down.'
'My dear, good aunt!'
'I left him,' my aunt proceeded, laying her hand as usual on the back of mine, 'generously. I may say at this distance of time, Trot, that I left him generously. He had been so cruel to me, that I might have effected a separation on easy terms for myself; but I did not. He soon made ducks and drakes of what I gave him, sank lower and lower, married another woman, I believe, became an adventurer, a gambler, and a cheat. What he is now, you see. But he was a fine-looking man when I married him,' said my aunt, with an echo of her old pride and admiration in her tone; 'and I believed him - I was a fool! - to be the soul of honour!'
She gave my hand a squeeze, and shook her head.
'He is nothing to me now, Trot- less than nothing. But, sooner than have him punished for his offences (as he would be if he prowled about in this country), I give him more money than I can afford, at intervals when he reappears, to go away. I was a fool when I married him; and I am so far an incurable fool on that subject, that, for the sake of what I once believed him to be, I wouldn't have even this shadow of my idle fancy hardly dealt with. For I was in earnest, Trot, if ever a woman was.'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "the time was" means "at the time I was so."
2. I'd like to know what "right well" means.
3. I'd like to know if after "for the sake of what I once believed him to be," "if not" is implied."
4. I'd like to know why it is "if ever," not "if ever."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. "the time was ... when she believed in that man most entirely" = there was a time (in the past) when she believed ...
- 1.
- "the time was ...
- when she believed in that man most entirely" = there was a time (in the past) when she believed ...
- etc.
- 2.
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4 Answers
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1. "the time was ... when she believed in that man most entirely" = there was a time (in the past) when she believed ... etc.
2. She loved him a great deal.
3. No. I don't see how it would make sense to put "if not" in that place. If not what?
4. I think you mistyped your question?
2. She loved him a great deal.
3. No. I don't see how it would make sense to put "if not" in that place. If not what?
4. I think you mistyped your question?
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Thank you, GPY, for your so very helpful answer. 
3. Then I was wondering what is the implicit conditional clause of the ma
3. Then I was wondering what is the implicit conditional clause of the ma
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park sang joonI'd like to know why it is "if ever," not "as if."Is GPY still around at this time? Well, I'll **** in until he comes back with his reply.
park sang joonFor I was in earnest, Trot, if ever a woman was.If there ever was a woman who was in earnest, I was in earnest.
If there existed at any time a woman who
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park sang joon3. Then I was wondering what is the implicit conditional clause of the main clause "I wouldn't have even this shadow of my idle fancy hardly dealt with."There is no implicit conditional. "wouldn't" expresses the speaker's volition.
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