Phrasal verb: hold true (held true)

[toefl]

I need an explanation of the following sentence from the book: "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway.

"They were moving slowly now and the glow of Havana was not so strong, so that he knew the current must be carrying them to the eastward. If I lose the glare of Havana we must be going more to the eastward, he thought. For if the fish's course held true I must see it for many more hours".

Please explain what does it mean: "For if the fish's course held true I must see it for many more hours".

Thank you.

[Yankee]

Hi toefl

As I understand things, there is a fish pulling the boat and the fish has been pulling the boat in a certain direction (but not eastward). If the fish doesn't change direction (i.e., remains/continues on the same "non-eastward" course as before), then the glare of Havana will also remain visible for many more hours.

phrasal verb: hold true = remain valid, applicable or unchanged

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Van Khanh]

Hi all,

Please read my example:

Regrettably, these things do not hold true for you.
=Regrettably, these things are not valid for you.

Bye
Van Khanh

[Mister Micawber]

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Hold true has a couple of meanings, though the online dictionaries seem to list only Van Khanh's. I think that Yankee's (hold true = remain valid, applicable or unchanged) applies here. (It helps that I have been reading The Old Man and the Sea over and over with students for the past several years. I know that dumb boat and fish backwards and forwards!-- 'I think the great DiMaggio would be proud of me today'. )
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_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[toefl]

Thank you so much both of you for quick answers.

Explanation does make sense.

I like this book so much that I have decided to the best of my abilities translate it into Serbian language. I may need your assistance again with certain sentences.

[toefl]

Here is another one:

"When the old man had gaffed her and clubbed her, holding the rapier bill with its sandpaper edge and clubbing her across the top of her head until her colour turned to a colour almost like the backing of mirrors, and then, with the boy's aid, hoisted her aboard, the male fish had stayed by the side of the boat".

Sad story

The old man was holding onto what while clubbing her? I guess to her "sword", "rapier bill", how about this sandpaper edge of the "sword" right? And what would be the meaning of this backing of mirrors, what kind of colour is that? It must be an idiom?

Thank you again for your help.

[Yankee]

Hi toefl (Teufel? )

[toefl]

Thank you for your explanation.

Let's wait for Mr. Mic and his expert opinion about this.

[Mister Micawber]

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Eh? If I don't pop in with an 'expert opinion', then you have probably already received one.
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_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[toefl]

Since Mr. Mic is so familiar with this book, here is another passage for his "expert opinion"

So the boy has joined another boat and he no longer fishes with the old man. The story continues...

"Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this current", he said.
"Where are you going?" the boy asked.
"Far out to come in when the wind shifts. I want to be out before it is light".
"I'll try to get him to work far out". the boy said. "
Then if you hook something truly big we can come to your aid".
"He does not like to work too far out".
"No", the boy said. "But I will see something that he cannot see such as a bird working and get him to come out after dolphin".
"Are his eyes that bad"?
"He is almost blind".
"It is strange", the old man said. "He never went turtle-ing. "That is what kills the eyes".
"But you went turtle-ing for years off the Mosquito Coast and your eyes are good".

Who is almost blind? I am guessing that man with who the boy is fishing now. There was not a single discription of this man in the book, and they do sometimes talk about "HE", and I am not sure who this "HE" is?

[Mister Micawber]

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Yes, 'he' is the fisherman the boy is now fishing with. But he may not be as blind as the boy suggests-- Manolin is belittling him somewhat out of respect for the Old Man.
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_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[toefl]

...the old man remembers one occasion when he cought a female marlin and how the male marlin stayed with her until the end. The story continues...

"That was the saddest thing I ever saw with them, the old man thought. The boy was sad too and we begged her a pardon and butchered her promptly.

Mr. Mic, how would you explain this expression: "begged her a pardon". I understand that they felt so sorry for the fish they cought that they as a figure of speach asked her to forgive them, or something like that...

Do you have any other explanation?

Thank you again.

[Mister Micawber]

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Your interpretation is absolutely correct. The phrase, I believe, is begged her pardon (no a), though.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[toefl]

[toefl]

I am still on the same topic, the old man and the fish...I'd like to ask Mr. Mic to explain the following "idiom".

"The bird looked at him when he spoke. He was too tired even to examine the line and he teetered on it as his delicate feet gripped it fast".

"It's steady," the old man told him. "It's too steady. You shouldn't be that tired after a windless night. What are birds coming to?"

The hawks, he thought, that come out to sea to meet them. But he said nothing of this to the bird who could not understand him anyway and who would learn about the hawks soon enough.

What would be the meaning of this questions: What are birds coming to? Following the context, I would think that what the old man meant was: What do the birds afraid of? Or what is hunting them? Am I close enough? Please explain. Thank you.