YOYO-ISG 100507 Novel / The Lovely Bones ch1 - ch8

[Michael-liu]

[quote="chiron"]Guys: This book is not easy to read. To facilitate your reading, I pick up obscure parts of ch1-2, pls help us figure them out, and be sure not to repeat others' reply.

1. What does this sentence on p.5 mean: I had a quote from a Spanish poet my sister had “turned me on to”?
turn somebody on (to) : to interest someone, or to make someone become interested in something
2. What does this sentence on p.5 mean: not being some dopey quote from a “rock group”? 指"搖滾樂團"
3. What does this sentence on p.6 mean: which were rusty way “before I had him”?
4. What does this sentence on p.6 mean: but it would stink to high heaven once a heat wave hit?
5. What does this sentence on p.7 mean: Although the eldest in my family and good at “acing a science quiz”?
6. What does this sentence on p.8 mean: to our neighbor Mrs. Stead, who was a therapist and “whose take on it he wanted to hear”?
7. What does this sentence on p.9 mean: but they usually didn’t lose their “marbles” over me when I was wearing my royal blue parka?
8. What does this sentence on p.9 mean: I was no longer cold or “weirded out” by the look he had given me?
這裡應該是指覺得奇怪, 覺得疑惑的意思, weird在字典上沒有當動詞的用法, 這裡可能是口語或作者自己發明的
9. What does this sentence on p.11 mean: and brought it home with a “telling” corn husk attached to it?
1. having a great or important effect [= significant] 2. showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended
10. What does this sentence on p.11 mean: to look down at the “goings on” on Earth?
11. What does this sentence on p.11 mean: to comb the cornfield along with the cops? 可能是指對玉米田進行地毯式搜索吧
12. What does this sentence on p.12 mean: He stood up and did his hunchback number by the six dug-in steps that led to the world?
13. What does this sentence on p.15 mean: I felt the corners of my body were turning in on themselves and out, like in “cat’s cradle”?
14. What does this sentence on p.17 mean: I would “wear my hair feathered” or up in a bun? 可能是把頭髮紮起來的意思
15. What does this sentence on p.18 mean: I was beyond “reproach”. I would “overtake high school in a matter of days, not years”, or, inexplicably, earn an Oscar for Best Actress during my junior year?
above/beyond reproach: impossible to criticize [= perfect], "overtake" : to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become more successful, more important, or more advanced than them
16. What does this sentence on p.21 mean: thank you, “brain central”?
17. What does this sentence on p.25 mean: there was an obvious area where the earth had been freshly manipulated?
有塊區域很明顯地有泥土在最近被翻動的痕跡
18. Why does it say, “their answer literally falling out of the sky from a tree,” on p.29?
19. What does this sentence on p.32 mean: He mounted the stairs, thinking of Holiday on the rug “in the study”?
20. Why does it say, “sofas send the wrong message,” on p.34? What wrong message?
21. What does this sentence on p.35 mean: show her the boxers you have on with the little devils eating hot dogs on them?
22. What does this sentence on p.36 mean: Mr. Caden had held back his big finish?
23. What does this sentence on p.37 mean: Mr. Dewitt had told her about the kind he had done in the Marines, head-up, or one-handed, “clapping between”?

Hi, Chiron

Some questions here are hard to answer, so you can post questions for other chapters.

Thanks

[chiron]

8. What does this sentence on p.9 mean: I was no longer cold or “weirded out” by the look he had given me?
這裡應該是指覺得奇怪, 覺得疑惑的意思, weird在字典上沒有當動詞的用法, 這裡可能是口語或作者自己發明的

Yeah, I feel "weirded out" used here has the meaning of "freaked out".

9. What does this sentence on p.11 mean: and brought it home with a “telling” corn husk attached to it?
1. having a great or important effect [= significant] 2. showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended

Here, "tell" takes the meaning of "distinguish". So, the author used gerund form as adj. directly. BTW, Rock last time asked me, when one said, "tell lies". He wants to tell lies from truth, or to deceive. Funny, ha~

11. What does this sentence on p.11 mean: to comb the cornfield along with the cops? 可能是指對玉米田進行地毯式搜索吧

Yeah, agree with you. This sentence is quite genius. Comb 是"梳理"的意思, 用 cops 來 comb(v) cornfield 是啥意思? 簡單的說, 作者把 cornfield 比喻成頭髮, cops 比喻成梳齒.

14. What does this sentence on p.17 mean: I would “wear my hair feathered” or up in a bun? 可能是把頭髮紮起來的意思

feathered (a) 似羽毛的, 把頭髮剪成 feathered, 也就是"羽毛剪", 換句話說, 就是把頭髮打薄了

15. What does this sentence on p.18 mean: I was beyond “reproach”. I would “overtake high school in a matter of days, not years”, or, inexplicably, earn an Oscar for Best Actress during my junior year?
above/beyond reproach: impossible to criticize [= perfect], "overtake" : to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become more successful, more important, or more advanced than them

Yeah, agree with you. Here, "overtake" has the meaning of "take over". So, it means she would take over the high school in few days, not years.

[Michael-liu]

Hi, Chiron

1. When I write answers in English, they are from an English English dictionary, not my personal opinion. So, it would be flattering to me if you say you "agree with" me

2. "tell lies" can mean tell lies from truth? Is this a joke? If not, I doubt it can mean that

3. Look forward to your questions for other chapters.

[chiron]

3. What does this sentence on p.6 mean: which were rusty way “before I had him”?

Well, the author ommited few words. Here, it means "before I had him as my teacher". In other words, before I took his course, he already used those rusty jokes (老掉牙的笑話).

12. What does this sentence on p.12 mean: He stood up and did his hunchback number by the six dug-in steps that led to the world?

I really don't know, any idea?

13. What does this sentence on p.15 mean: I felt the corners of my body were turning in on themselves and out, like in “cat’s cradle”?

Below is "cat's cradle".

16. What does this sentence on p.21 mean: thank you, “brain central”?

Here, "brain central" has the meaning of "Sir". Salmon used this "sarcastic" word to tease Franny by playing the role of their "central brain".
Below is the picture of "central brain".

18. Why does it say, “their answer literally falling out of the sky from a tree,” on p.29?

I really don't know, any idea?

[Kooper]

4. What does this sentence on p.6 mean: but it would stink to high heaven once a heat wave hit?
當熱浪來襲時, 會非常臭, 但這裡為何說"to high heaven", I don't know

Well, here, it's a metaphor indicating stink smell would reach the height of heaven. Namely, very stink!

Here are two other sentences from a Longman dictionary.
1. The room smelled to high heaven. (= had a very bad smell)
2. The toilets stank to high heaven. (=stank very much)

12. What does this sentence on p.12 mean: He stood up and did his hunchback number by the six dug-in steps that led to the world?

I got the hint from the word "hunchback." Hunchback is used to refer to people who have a large hump on the back. Because of the hump, hunchback need to bend all the time. As the height of the tunnel Mr. Harvey dug is not high, when he stood up he need to bend, just like the posture of hunchback. My guild guess is Mr. Harvey stood up, bending, and moved backwards to block the passage toward the outside world.

14. What does this sentence on p.17 mean: I would “wear my hair feathered” or up in a bun? 可能是把頭髮紮起來的意思

feathered (a) 似羽毛的, 把頭髮剪成 feathered, 也就是"羽毛剪", 換句話說, 就是把頭髮打薄了

Here I have a different idea about it. "Feathered" means having feathers and "feather" as a verb means to put feather on something. Besides, here Susie is talking about two different hairstyles she would like to wear in senior high school. Having one's hair 打薄了 is not really an hairstyle. I reckon that "wear my hair feathered" means 在頭上裝飾羽毛.

18. Why does it say, “their answer literally falling out of the sky from a tree,” on p.29?

I really don't know, any idea?

The whole sentence is "It would have been so easy, so magical, (if) their answer literally fail out of the sky from a tree."
Remember that shreds of Ray's love note were found on a tree? If Ray were the culprit, the love note would provide sufficient clues to who the murderer is.

[chiron]

12. What does this sentence on p.12 mean: He stood up and did his hunchback number by the six dug-in steps that led to the world?

I got the hint from the word "hunchback." Hunchback is used to refer to people who have a large hump on the back. Because of the hump, hunchback need to bend all the time. As the height of the tunnel Mr. Harvey dug is not high, when he stood up he need to bend, just like the posture of hunchback. My guild guess is Mr. Harvey stood up, bending, and moved backwards to block the passage toward the outside world.

I consulted the Chinese version, and I guessed the original sentence should be, "He stood up with his back hunched and stood (did) by the number six dug-in steps that led to outside."

14. What does this sentence on p.17 mean: I would “wear my hair feathered” or up in a bun? 可能是把頭髮紮起來的意思

feathered (a) 似羽毛的, 把頭髮剪成 feathered, 也就是"羽毛剪", 換句話說, 就是把頭髮打薄了

Here I have a different idea about it. "Feathered" means having feathers and "feather" as a verb means to put feather on something. Besides, here Susie is talking about two different hairstyles she would like to wear in senior high school. Having one's hair 打薄了 is not really an hairstyle. I reckon that "wear my hair feathered" means 在頭上裝飾羽毛.

Yeah, probably you are right. I google the pictures of "feathered hair", here is what I found, it could be a hair style at that time since this book was done decades ago:

18. Why does it say, “their answer literally falling out of the sky from a tree,” on p.29?

The whole sentence is "It would have been so easy, so magical, (if) their answer literally fail out of the sky from a tree."
Remember that shreds of Ray's love note were found on a tree? If Ray were the culprit, the love note would provide sufficient clues to who the murderer is.

OMG, you are really observant.

[Gloria Lo]

You guys are awesome!

[chiron]

You guys are awesome!

You are not bad, too!

[Cindy]

[quote="Kooper"][quote="Kooper"]Assignment 1: Please list one to five words, phrases or idioms from the chapter you're allocated and provide the definitions, usages, and examples. We'll practice sentence making during the meeting.

Ch1: Timothy, Dabby
Ch2: Chiron, Michael Liu
Ch3: Cindy
Ch4: Janet
Ch5: Gloria
Ch6: Kooper, Sherry
Ch7/ch8: Ivy

Note: Chapters were allocated to each person following a sequence generated by excel RAND function.


Here comes the word/phrases list of Chapter 3
P.43
Moon over
to spend time thinking about sb that you love, especially when other people think this is silly or annoying

**Quote from the book** I’d dubbed Brian” the scarecrow” because even though he had incredible shoulders that all the girls mooned over, his face reminded me of a burlap sack stuffed with straw.

Penchant
for sth a special liking for sth FONDNESS: She has a penchant for champagne.

**Quote from the book** Clarissa’s penchant for baby blue eye shadow was an early warning sign, but I’d always liked her for just this reason.

P.45
Bleary
adj. (of eyes) not able to see clearly, especially because you are tired: She had bleary red eyes from lack of sleep.

**Quote from the book** Her eyes bleary from using the flashlight…
P.49
discarded
[VN] ~ sb/sth (as sth) to get rid of sth that you no longer want or need: The room was littered with discarded newspapers. He had discarded his jacket because of the heat.

**Quote from the book** My flowered hippo lay among the sheets and pillows, and so did an outfit I’d discarded before I chose the yellow bell-bottoms.
P.51
In a giant whoosh
noun [usually sing.] (informal) the sudden movement and sound of air or water rushing past: a whoosh of air There was a whoosh as everything went up in flames.

**Quote from the book** If he did it improperly, the ship would be ruined, or, worse still, the tiny paper sails would catch on fire and suddenly, in a giant whoosh, I would be holding a bottle of flames in my hands.

[Michael-liu]

Words and phrases in Chapter 2

p.16 "lumbering woman throwing shot put"

lumber : to move in a slow, awkward way

p.18 "But that day it rolled right off her tongue"

trip/roll off the tongue (informal) : if a name or phrase trips or rolls off your tongue, it is easy or pleasant to say

p.21 "they drifted off and woke guiltily at the same time"

drift off : to gradually fall asleep

p.22 "It was a hard sock in the stomach"

sock: (informal) a hard hit, especially with your hand closed

p. 25 "The Ostracized: One Man Alone"

ostracize: if a group of people ostracize someone, they refuse to accept them as a member of the group (=排擠某人)

p.35 "The song reverberated until Holly, ......"

reverberate: if a loud sound reverberates, it is heard many times as it is sent back from different surfaces [= echo]

[chiron]

Guys, the following is the rest of my detailed questions for you, and I will post my meeting quesions by Fri. Let's work together to solve them (if possible, before Fri. is better), and don't repeat other's answers unless you have different opinions.

24. What does the sentence on p.41 mean: "I couldn't calculate my steps."?
25. What does the sentence on p.41 mean: "not-so-standard-issue" teenage girl?
26. What does the sentence on p.42 mean: Ruth was the girl "who got chosen next to last in gym"?
27. What does the sentence on p.43 mean: "Ruth took our accidental meeting in the school parking lot and went underground."?
28. What does the sentence on p.48 mean: "I looked at what I had never seen as anything but Mom" …?
29. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I thought I had my whole life to understand them, but that was the only day I had" … "my fascination 'held in check' by wanting her …"?
30. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I knew when she turned the knob to my room it would give"?
31. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: … "heatedly despised balls" …?
32. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: …, "where my father had gone to school."?
33. What does the sentence on p.50 mean: "The first time I broke through, …"?
34. What does the sentence on p.51 mean: "But when this sense failed her, my job was to hold the bottle for him."?
35. What does the sentence on p.51 mean: "One ship in a bottle was equal to any other as far as the rest of my family was concerned."?
36. What does the sentence on p.53 mean: "I had wanted to 'steep myself in' wildlife photography."?
37. What does the sentence on p.55 mean: "After the house changed hands", …?
38. What does the sentence on p.60 mean: He fingered it, the fleshy pad of his index finger finding the smooth gold metal of the Pennsylvania keystone, the back of the ballet slipper, the tiny hole of the minuscule thimble, and the spokes of the bicycle with wheels that worked?
39. What does the sentence on p.60 mean: His excuse was prepared in the unlikely event that he needed one?
40. What does the sentence on p.62 mean: …, "my father gave back what the ritual demanded."?
41. What does the sentence on p.68 mean: "He though of the curtain falling between him and Mr. Harvey, how a certain capture, a lovely blame, was lost to him."?
42. What does the sentence on p.70 mean: "There was a knock down 'low' on the door."?
43. What does the sentence on p.74 mean: "This went to his strangeness by the standards of many in the neighborhood but not by my father's own standards."?
44. What does the sentence on p.74 mean: " 'Save' Buckley, no one wanted anything anyway."?
45. What does the sentence on p.76 mean: "I heard you mad gifted."?
46. What does the sentence on p.76 mean: …, and she "switched on her autopilot hostess."?
47. What does the sentence on p.79 mean: Buckley kept the shoe on his dresser, until one day it wasn't there anymore and "no amount of looking for it could turn it up."?
48. What does the sentence on p.88 mean: "Soon she noted that teachers 'in subjects' besides gym didn't report her if she cut."?
49. What does the sentence on p.90 mean: "made a little camp of the cement shot-put circle"?

[Sherry Liao]

24. What does the sentence on p.41 mean: "I couldn't calculate my steps."?

I think it means she couldn't focus herself on her directions.

25. What does the sentence on p.41 mean: "not-so-standard-issue" teenage girl?

A standard –issue thing is the common or usual type of that thing. [Longman]
So I think it means Susie thought Ruth was not an ordinary girl like most of her peers.

26. What does the sentence on p.42 mean: Ruth was the girl "who got chosen next to last in gym"?

"next to last" is next preceding the last; that is, Ruth was chosen in gym, but her performance/score was only better than the last one who had been chosen.

27. What does the sentence on p.43 mean: "Ruth took our accidental meeting in the school parking lot and went underground."?

I think it means at that time (Susie's father run in and out on his errands of responsibility) Ruth met Susie's spirit and started to investigate.

29. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I thought I had my whole life to understand them, but that was the only day I had" … "my fascination 'held in check' by wanting her …"?

Susie thought she had a lot of time to understand her mother as "Abigail", but her mother only appeared it on that day.
And she refrained her interest in this part because she wanted her mother to be her mother.

[Sherry Liao]

30. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I knew when she turned the knob to my room it would give"?

I think it means when Lindsey was about to enter Susie room, Susie was sure that something was going to be changed.

32. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: …, "where my father had gone to school."?

Does that mean Indiana University was Susie’s father’s alma mater?

34. What does the sentence on p.51 mean: "But when this sense failed her, my job was to hold the bottle for him."?

When her mother’s sixth sense failed, she would not call Susie and her father to dinner when they built the ships. And Susie would hold the bottle for her father to raise the sail in the bottle.

[chiron]

26. What does the sentence on p.42 mean: Ruth was the girl "who got chosen next to last in gym"?

"next to last" is next preceding the last; that is, Ruth was chosen in gym, but her performance/score was only better than the last one who had been chosen.

You know, you are almost correct. Here, "next to last" is next one following the last one; that is, no one would like to choose her as their team member.

27. What does the sentence on p.43 mean: "Ruth took our accidental meeting in the school parking lot and went underground."?

I think it means at that time (Susie's father run in and out on his errands of responsibility) Ruth met Susie's spirit and started to investigate.

Right, here, "meeting" is the gerund of "meet" as a verb, meaning "to be in the same place as somebody by chance and talk to them."

29. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I thought I had my whole life to understand them, but that was the only day I had" … "my fascination 'held in check' by wanting her …"?

Susie thought she had a lot of time to understand her mother as "Abigail", but her mother only appeared it on that day.
And she refrained her interest in this part because she wanted her mother to be her mother.

Not exactly. "I thought I had my whole life to understand 'them'", here, "them" doesn't refer to her mother, or the author would use "her". "Them" means her mother's eyes, plural.
In addition, hold in check means "to keep something or someone under control, usually to stop them becoming too large or too powerful."

[chiron]

30. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: "I knew when she turned the knob to my room it would give"?

I think it means when Lindsey was about to enter Susie room, Susie was sure that something was going to be changed.

Here, "it would give" means "my room door would give in", so Lindsey could enter Susie's room.

32. What does the sentence on p.49 mean: …, "where my father had gone to school."?

Does that mean Indiana University was Susie’s father’s alma mater?

I agree.

Hey, guys, doesn't anyone want to answer the rest questions?