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 Mon Jul 09, 2007 15:24 pm Expressions "broken upon" |
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I'm not sure what you mean, HH. My effort:
They were like uncovered tree roots (tree roots with no soil over them); as if the earth had been temporarily removed, revealing a thick, writhing, smelly tangle of dark, violated/desecrated life.
I am guessing that he is speaking of a pile of dead bodies?
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ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber |
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Mister Micawber
Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 3924
Location: Yokohama, Japan
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| Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:14 am Expressions "broken upon" |
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Thank you so much, MM, and now it is made as clear as a bell to me.
The author was describing a group of very poor people with awful smell. The context is as follows:
| Quote: | | The smell of them, of their bodies, seemed to ebb and flux in the still hot air. They seemed to be musing as one upon something remote, inscrutable. They were like a single octopus. They were like the roots of a huge tree uncovered, the earth broken momentarily upon the writhen, thick, fetid tangle of its lightless and outraged life. "Come," Basket said. "You know our errand. Is he whom we seek gone?" |
HH |
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Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1297
Location: Japan
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| Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:00 am Expressions "broken upon" |
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Well, I was close. If the homeless here are any indication, they probably smelled dead.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber |
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Mister Micawber
Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 3924
Location: Yokohama, Japan
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| how to use 'This means to...' | Text correction: "Presentation of the xyz company" |
