Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Would you please explain these ideas to me?

TEXT:

The first swallow said: "I had grown so fond of the place that when the time came, I hung back and let the others go without me. For a few weeks it was all well enough but afterwards, O the weary length of the nights! The terrible sunless days! The air so chill! And no insect.
No, it was not good; my courage broke down and one cold, stormy night I took wing. It was snowing hard as I flew through the passes of the great lakes that lay so blue and placid below me and the taste of my first fat insect. The past was like a bad dream; the future was all happy holiday as I moved southwards week by week by week, easily, lazily."

"Oh, yes, the call of the south!" twittered the other swallows dreamily. "Its songs, its radiant air!"


1) hang back = stayed and let the others migrate?
2) all happy holiday = the future appeared to me like a great feast, a happy event because I am (the swallow) going south?

3) radiant air = a) air = sky or tune or sthg else?
b) radiant = shining or sthg else?

I would like to know if I can get a French translation of this book (or any other English book) on the web. Any addresses known?

Many thanks,
Hela

[LucentShade]

1) You're right on this--"to hang back" means to stay in a certain place, usually in a context where other people are leaving and the speaker is staying: "The veteran hung back at the bridge while the rest of the troops retreated."

2) "all happy holiday"--sounds very British (not that that's bad), it means generally that the future is bright and full of promise.

3) "its radiant air" is still referring to "the south," so the phrase is a comment on the weather and the climate in general--that it is bright, sunny and/or happy.