The analyses of a text #4

Question

The narrator recalls his adolescence.Because the narrator's old friend Mr. Micawber who was the clerk for Uriah Heep, the partner of Mr.Wicfield, who is the narrator's great aunt's old friend and a local lawyer, exposed the illegal deeds, the narrator's great aunt came to get back her investment which Heep took.But now Mr. Micawber is jobless and very poor, so the narrator's aunt suggested he should emigrate to Australasia with her financial help.Now the narrator and her aunt visited Mr. Micawber.Chapter 54 Mr. MICAWBER'S TRANSACTIONS.................................'In reference to our domestic preparations, madam,' said Mr. Micawber, with some pride, 'for meeting the destiny to which we are now understood to be self-devoted, I beg to report them. My eldest daughter attends at five every morning in a neighbouring establishment, to acquire the process - if process it may be called - of milking cows. My younger children are instructed to observe, as closely as circumstances will permit, the habits of the pigs and poultry maintained in the poorer parts of this city: a pursuit from which they have, on two occasions, been brought home, within an inch of being run over. I have myself directed some attention, during the past week, to the art of baking; and my son Wilkins has issued forth with a walking-stick and driven cattle, when permitted, by the rugged hirelings who had them in charge, to render any voluntary service in that direction - which I regret to say, for the credit of our nature, was not often; he being generally warned, with imprecations, to desist.'[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]1. I'd like to know if "have" is omitted before "been brought."2. I'd like to know what "within an inch of being run over" means.3. I'd like to know if "it" is omitted before "was."4. And I'd like to know "but" is omitted before "was."

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

park sang joon1. I'd like to know if "have" is omitted before "been brought."

No. It's there. ... they have, on two occasions, been broughthome ...

park sang joon2. I'd like to know what "within an inch of being run over" means.

Very nearly run over. I'm a little unclear about who or what could be running over them. Maybe the cows?

park sang joon3. I'd like to know if "it" is omitted before "was."

No. "which" is as the subject of that clause. It refers to allowing Wilkins to drive cattle.

park sang joon4. And I'd like to know "but" is omitted before "was."

No. Wilkins sometimes drove cattle if the hired hands allowed it, which was not often. In fact, they usually told him to stop doing it.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, CalifJim, for another so very helpful answer from you.

a pursuit from which they have, on two occasions, been brought home, within an inch of being run over.

1-1. I was wondering why it is "from," not "in."
1-2. And I was wondering why despite there being two occasions, it is "a pursuit," not "pursuits."

which I regret to say, for the credit of our nature, was not often; he being generally warned, with imprecations, to desist.'

4-1. Then I was wondering if "say" is intransitive here.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonI was wondering why it is "from," not "in."
And I was wondering why despite there being two occasions, it is "a pursuit," not "pursuits."

Hmm. There must be something you're not completely understanding.

They have been brought home twice from places where they were engaged in the [pursuit / activity] of observing the pigs and poultry. They came home from the farm (actually, farm-like places in the poorer parts of the city). (By the way, I think now that they were nearly run over by the horses in the city. Remember that they were small children, and this was before cars were invented, so the city would have been full of horses used for the transportation of people and goods.)

"pursuit" in this context is an activity. The author is referring only to the pursuit of tending farm animals. If a person sometimes spends time learning to play a musical instrument and sometimes spends time gardening, we can say that he is involved in two pursuits, but the author of that passage regards the children's learning about farm life as one pursuit.

park sang joon4-1. Then I was wondering if "say" is intransitive here.

It's not. He's saying, in effect, "I regret to say [that Wilkins was not often permitted to help drive cattle]".

We don't put "that" after a parenthetical clause when it's after a relative pronoun. Maybe the following will help, but you may need to look at it for a while.

The book was on the table.
... the book which was on the table.
I said "The book was on the table".
I said that the book was on the table.
The book (I said) was on the table.
... the book which I said that was on the table. < Not used.
... the book which (I said) was on the table.
... the book which I said was on the table.

CJ

The analyses of a text #4

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