Expression: "Women could not remove..."

Tom · Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:43 am *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi

Could you please explain to me the lines in red? They have been taken from a Chinese story!

"Women could not remove the binding cloths even when they were adults, as their feet would start growing again. The binding could only be loosened temporarily at night in bed, when they would put on soft-soled shoes. Men rarely saw naked bound feet, which were usually covered in rotting flesh ans stank when the bindings were removed. As a child I can remember my grandmother being in constant pain."

Tom

Yankee · Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:53 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi Tom

I don't think the sentence is that hard to understand if you are familiar with/have read about the old custom of binding feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding

bound feet = the feet of women whose feet were bound
naked = bare i.e., without the bindings (from the sentence: "when the bindings were removed")

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

Tom · Sat Sep 16, 2006 16:32 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Conchita · Mon Sep 18, 2006 13:21 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Yankee · Mon Sep 18, 2006 14:41 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi Tom

As I understand things, the word bound is used two ways in this case. It is used to describe the fact that there are bindings on the feet or it is used as an adjective for feet that have suffered the practice of foot-binding.

Did you look at my Wikipedia link? There are some lovely pictures of "bound feet" there (but the feet do not have bindings on them).

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

FangFang · Mon Sep 18, 2006 14:47 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi, Tom:
Amy is right!!!!!!! I wonder if you have some knowledge about that "terrible" custom , which was very popular and common for ancient Chinese women, even it could be seen before our liberation in 1949. I'd say it is very terrible for women. They had suffered much from that, not only the constant pain but hurt in mind, women must have their feet bound when they were very young. They did that mainly for men's "evil" and "traditional" taste. Evil or Very Mad

I think the "naked bound feet" in your sentence could be understood that , their feet looked very abnormal, bound feet =boundfeet, like a triangel. Of course, man couldn't see them because the writer said their were still covered with long fleshes.
This sentence was easy to understand , it was the story itself that man can't understand! Exclamation

FangFang · Mon Sep 18, 2006 14:50 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Yankee · Mon Sep 18, 2006 15:02 pm *Lovely bound feet*

Hi FangFang

A good illustration for the word irony? Wink

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

FangFang · Mon Sep 18, 2006 15:09 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi, Amy!

I just feel very shocked that you think it "lovely" Exclamation

Yankee · Mon Sep 18, 2006 18:18 pm *Expression: "Women could not remove..."*

Hi FangFang

I wonder if you'd be even more shocked if you could hear me say that sentence and hear just how emphatically I pronounce the word "lovely". Wink

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

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