Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Smee]

Dear friends.
I've read the following sentence in a work by *beep*: "Telson's Bank had a run upon it in the mail." I can't find out a meaning that suits it.
Could it be that "to have a run upon sth" means to have an impression or a kind of dreamy feeling?
I look forward to your help.
Thanks.
Jorge

[Corey]

I would say that in this example "run upon something" means to find something by accident. Although I haven't heard this expression so it could be something else.

Good luck,

Corey
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[dduck]

I did a quick google search; the expression quite uncommon and the definition is as Corey said.

Iain
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Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.
--Chinese Proverb

[bud]

When a bank has a run on it, it means that the bank's customers have lost confidence in it and are lining up at the doors to withdraw their money. I imagine that your example is referring to something similar.

[Smee]

Dear friends.
I've checked your suggestions I'm afraid that none of those fits though.
Therefore I managed to get a copy of the source book in my own language.( It is "A Tale of Two Cities" By Charles D.i.ckens)(I think that it is a bit silly to censor the surname of that great author just because it begins with d.i.c.k.).
As I was saying, I found out that the translator in that issue of the book made out the excerpt as that Telson's Bank had moved into the mail in an imaginary way. You know how traslators work. They often include in their translations their own ideas (It isn't a critic). Do you agree with this meaning?.
Thanks.
Jorge

[Corey]

[Smee]

Thank you Corey. I'm afraid that writing styles follow unknown ways, at least as far as I can see in this case. I've asked my teachers and the answers ranged from a complete lacking of interest to a honest acknowledging of their ignorance. They told me the problem is that the book was written in the 18th century and I have to address to a specialist.
Anyway, I won't give up and, perhaps, I could get a better translation someday.
Regards.
Jorge

[bud]

Jorge, if you could quote more of the section in another post, we might be able to tell you what *beep* meant.

I agree with Corey that your explanation makes no sense.

And what do you mean that *beep*' name was censored? I've never heard of that. Maybe some filtering program bans it? Tsk Tsk!

[bud]

Ahh, now I see what you meant. Replace *beep* with "D i c k e n s" in my previous post.

[Smee]

Bud, this is the complete paragraph of the book by D i c k e n s:

"What time, the mail-coach lumbered, jolted, rattled, and bumped upon its tedious way, with its three fellow-inscrutables inside. To whom, likewise, the shadows of the night revealed themselves, in the forms their dozing eyes and wandering thoughts suggested.

Tellson's Bank had a run upon it in the mail. As the bank passenger-- with an arm drawn through the leathern strap, which did what lay in it to keep him from pounding against the next passenger, and driving him into his corner, whenever the coach got a special jolt--nodded in his place, with half-shut eyes, the little coach-windows, and the coach-lamp dimly gleaming through them, and the bulky bundle of opposite passenger, became the bank, and did a great stroke of business. The rattle of the harness was the chink of money, and more drafts were honoured in five minutes than even Tellson's, with all its foreign and home connection, ever paid in thrice the time. Then the strong-rooms underground, at Tellson's, with such of their valuable stores and secrets as were known to the passenger (and it was not a little that he knew about them), opened before him, and he went in among them with the great keys and the feebly-burning candle, and found them safe, and strong, and sound, and still, just as he had last seen them."

I agree that it's a bit large for this forum but I hope you can get the idea.
I want to thank you for your concern.
Regards.
Jorge
P.S. I thought it was this forum who censors the names of the authors that way. It has happened to me in another occasion with the name of Phillip K. D i c k who is a famous SF author but I could'n help reacting this time because I'm kind of fan of Charles D i c k e n s.

[Corey]

What does "it" refer to?

Corey
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[bud]

Okay, now it makes sense. A bank representative was a passenger on the mail-coach, and he had a package (of money or other valuables) that he was delivering to the bank. In this context, "to have a run upon it" means "the run" (the process of delivering the package) was being made upon "it" (the mail-coach, not Tellson's Bank). Here, you could think of "a run" as similar to "an errand."

Yes, CD is one of the greatest English authors. It's been a long time since I read him, though, but I applaud you for tackling such a difficult writer.

Regarding the censorship, don't blame the websites where it occurs. I'm sure it is not their intention, but rather the software they are using.

[Smee]

Bud; Corey; Dduck
I think your interpretation is the right one and now I can clear a lot of details of the work that had remained dark in my mind. I don’t think that the issue you sorted out for me is the bedrock of the book but from my humble point of view is closely related to D i c k e n s style.
I was a keen reader of the classical works in my own language and I had started reading the English ones (translated into Spanish) when I realized that loads of lovely ideas from the original simply are left in oblivion because a careless translation or just because they have no translation at all, as it is in the most of cases. This is why I took on learning English five years ago and it has brought me great joy and pleasure.
Thank you a lot.
Jorge

[Corey]

Good call bud.

Corey
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[bud]

Thanks, Corey.

You're amazing, Jorge.