Donate SIGN UP

a translation of a phrase

Avatar Image
mankak | 05:13 Tue 26th Jun 2007 | Quotes
3 Answers
How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?

This comes from the Old Man and the Sea.

Could you explain the meaning to me or paraphrase it for mr?
And it is another question why the verb is used as intransitive verb here.
In my dictionary the verb is used only as a transitive verb.
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by mankak. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Hemingway's central character, Santiago, is using a colloquialism common to hunters and fisherman, especially those seekin larger game animals or, in this case fish.
A fish (or game animal) freshly caught will weigh considerably more than when it is prepared for eating. A "dressed" fish is one that has at least had the entrails removed, possibly had the skin and head removed and will lose significant weight. Santiago is simply saying that a fish that weighs 1,000 pounds after being so "dressed" would have probably been several 10's if not more pounds in weight and would have been an impressive fish indeed.
The answer to the last part of your question lies in the quality of informal speech used by the native Santiago. Additionally, "dressed out" is actually a compound verb and as such, takes no direct object...
One of my favorite Hemingway works... often seen as somewhat autobiographical by this unique author...
Question Author
Thank you so much for your kind answer Clanad.

Let me confirm my understanding about your answer.
Then in the sentence , one- a fish - is a subject of the compound verb "dressed out" ?
That's really the thing I want to verify.
I am not sure but I still think it is supposed to be "is dressed out."

With best regards

Mankak.
Clanad's reply is excellent - I think the problem is with Hemingway's tendency to ellipsis (missing out words he felt unnecessary). Most writers would have used "dressed out at over a thousand pounds". His use of dress intransitively follows colloquial rather than dictionary use, again one of his trademarks.

1 to 3 of 3rss feed

Do you know the answer?

a translation of a phrase

Answer Question >>