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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #2
The narrator recalls his adolescence.
His grand aunt and her insane distant relative Mr. Dick came to London after her going bankrupt.
He works as the secretary for Doctor Strong in his spare time, who was the head master of the school the protagonist went to.
When someone told the Doctor his suspiction his wife had a love affair with her cousin, and then there were awkwardness between them, Mr. Dick intervened between them
....................................................
He[Mr. Dick] had proudly resumed his privilege, in many of his spare hours, of walking up and down the garden with the Doctor; as he had been accustomed to pace up and down The Doctor's Walk at Canterbury. But matters were no sooner in this state, than he devoted all his spare time (and got up earlier to make it more) to these perambulations. If he had never been so happy as when the Doctor read that marvellous performance, the Dictionary, to him; he was now quite miserable unless the Doctor pulled it out of his pocket, and began. When the Doctor and I were engaged, he now fell into the custom of walking up and down with Mrs. Strong, and helping her to trim her favourite flowers, or weed the beds. I dare say he rarely spoke a dozen words in an hour: but his quiet interest, and his wistful face, found immediate response in both their breasts; each knew that the other liked him, and that he loved both; and he became what no one else could be - a link between them.
When I think of him, with his impenetrably wise face, walking up and down with the Doctor, delighted to be battered by the hard words in the Dictionary; when I think of him carrying huge watering-pots after Annie; kneeling down, in very paws of gloves, at patient microscopic work among the little leaves; expressing as no philosopher could have expressed, in everything he did, a delicate desire to be her friend; showering sympathy, trustfulness, and affection, out of every hole in the watering-pot; when I think of him never wandering in that better mind of his to which unhappiness addressed itself, never bringing the unfortunate King Charles into the garden, never wavering in his grateful service, never diverted from his knowledge that there was something wrong, or from his wish to set it right- I really feel almost ashamed of having known that he was not quite in his wits, taking account of the utmost I have done with mine.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "if" means "though."
2. I'd like to know what "beasts" means here.
3. I'd like to know if "a delicate desire" is the object of "expressing."
4. I think "that better mind" is the object of "addressed to."
So I was wondering why it is "that better mind, not "that worse mind."
Thank you in advance for your help.
His grand aunt and her insane distant relative Mr. Dick came to London after her going bankrupt.
He works as the secretary for Doctor Strong in his spare time, who was the head master of the school the protagonist went to.
When someone told the Doctor his suspiction his wife had a love affair with her cousin, and then there were awkwardness between them, Mr. Dick intervened between them
....................................................
He[Mr. Dick] had proudly resumed his privilege, in many of his spare hours, of walking up and down the garden with the Doctor; as he had been accustomed to pace up and down The Doctor's Walk at Canterbury. But matters were no sooner in this state, than he devoted all his spare time (and got up earlier to make it more) to these perambulations. If he had never been so happy as when the Doctor read that marvellous performance, the Dictionary, to him; he was now quite miserable unless the Doctor pulled it out of his pocket, and began. When the Doctor and I were engaged, he now fell into the custom of walking up and down with Mrs. Strong, and helping her to trim her favourite flowers, or weed the beds. I dare say he rarely spoke a dozen words in an hour: but his quiet interest, and his wistful face, found immediate response in both their breasts; each knew that the other liked him, and that he loved both; and he became what no one else could be - a link between them.
When I think of him, with his impenetrably wise face, walking up and down with the Doctor, delighted to be battered by the hard words in the Dictionary; when I think of him carrying huge watering-pots after Annie; kneeling down, in very paws of gloves, at patient microscopic work among the little leaves; expressing as no philosopher could have expressed, in everything he did, a delicate desire to be her friend; showering sympathy, trustfulness, and affection, out of every hole in the watering-pot; when I think of him never wandering in that better mind of his to which unhappiness addressed itself, never bringing the unfortunate King Charles into the garden, never wavering in his grateful service, never diverted from his knowledge that there was something wrong, or from his wish to set it right- I really feel almost ashamed of having known that he was not quite in his wits, taking account of the utmost I have done with mine.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "if" means "though."
2. I'd like to know what "beasts" means here.
3. I'd like to know if "a delicate desire" is the object of "expressing."
4. I think "that better mind" is the object of "addressed to."
So I was wondering why it is "that better mind, not "that worse mind."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. "If" is a meaningless, idiomatic word which can be deleted without affecting the meaning. the Dictionary, to him;", is essentially meaningless and can be deleted without affecting the meaning.
- 1.
- "If" is a meaningless, idiomatic word which can be deleted without affecting the meaning.
- the Dictionary, to him;", is essentially meaningless and can be deleted without affecting the meaning.
- in love with her," can be deleted without affecting the meaning.
- 2.
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2 Answers
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1. "If" is a meaningless, idiomatic word which can be deleted without affecting the meaning. In fact, the entire first part of the discourse, "If he had never...the Dictionary, to him;", is essentially meaningless and can be deleted without affecting the meaning. Another example of this kind of usage: "If I had never been so in love with her, I was now totally, hopelessly infatuated with her."
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park sang joon1. I'd like to know if "if" means "though."I would paraphrase it as "Considering that".
park sang joon2. I'd like to know what "breasts" means here."*******" are very different from "beasts". It refers to their inner feelings and understanding of each other.
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