Translation advice

[AndrejP]

Hello everybody
I am doing a translation of F. Chappel for school (into slovak) and i got stuck at these sentences:

"I was out the door like a spinter off his chock and down through the yard. Suddenly the trees had shadows and my own shadow was fleet before me. They had snapped on the lights in the house..." - does fleet before me mean the shadow was way before me or that it was really close?

and

"Uncle Luden began chewing his mustache. First he nibbled at the patch beneath his nose but it obviously wasn´t altogether satisfying and he dragged the left side of his lip down and his lower teeth went along the gray-black bristles like pinking shears. - How am i supposed to understand this? Could anyone describe it a bit more clearly? I just can´t think of any appropriate metaphor.

Thank you

[Anglika]

Welcome to the forums.

Originally Posted by AndrejP

Hello everybody
I am doing a translation of F. Chappel for school (into slovak) and i got stuck at these sentences:

"I was out the door like a sprinter off his chock and down through the yard. Suddenly the trees had shadows and my own shadow was fleet before me. They had snapped on the lights in the house..." - does fleet before me mean the shadow was way before me or that it was really close? It was running fast in front of me

and

"Uncle Luden began chewing his mustache. First he nibbled at the patch beneath his nose but it obviously wasn´t altogether satisfying and he dragged the left side of his lip down and his lower teeth went along the gray-black bristles like pinking shears. - How am i supposed to understand this? Could anyone describe it a bit more clearly? I just can´t think of any appropriate metaphor. Pinking shears are scissors used in tailoring and dressmaking, which have jagged edges. This is a vivid description of someone nibbling at his upper lip and moustache, whose teeth are probably a bit uneven. Try doing it and you will see!

This link shows pinking shears: http://tinyurl.com/6gmk26

Thank you

.

[David L.]

"I was out the door like a spinter off his chock and down through the yard. Suddenly the trees had shadows and my own shadow was fleet before me.

He starts with a reference to how fast he was off and running. When he refers to shadows, he transfers this sense of how quickly he was running to his shadow, how quick and nimble his shadow was. It is a literary device, and saves having to repeat himself by again in some way referring to how quickly he was running. Also, there may be a reason why the author now wants to concentrate the reader's attention to 'out there' rather than on himself personally. The next paragraph would show.

[AndrejP]

Ok thank you. You helped me. Pity I don´t have moustache...

[AndrejP]

Could you make this a bit more clear please:

"Oh, brother, you´ve got a telephone call," my mother would say, and Uncle Luden would rise slowly from his chair and amble to the instrument. "Well, howdy now, honey," he would say. "Where´s the party going on?" Those were the words if it had been Winston Churchill on the line. - what does the last sentence mean? That W.Ch. would say the same??

Thanks for any advice

[David L.]

Can you imagine him meeting the Queen of England and saying, "Well, howdy now, honey," Let anyone ring his house and he doesn't stand on ceremony(= insist on the observance of formalities), let it be a neighbour, the Queen - or as the writer uses for his example - Winston Churchill. His standard greeting to all and sundry is "Well, howdy now, honey,"

Those were the words if it had been Winston Churchill on the line.

That was his standard greeting , even if somebody like Winston Churchill were to ring.

[AndrejP]

Thanks a lot.