57 replies to this topic

[DirePenguin]

When Walder said "match you son for son" does he mean just pair them up? Or kill them off equally?

[Lummel]

more kill them off equally.  If one of yours is killed for one of mine I'll still be left with many sons.  He's not proposing that they actually fight to the death, just making a point about how many children he has.

[DirePenguin]

What is rank on rank?

(long list of Freys) leading a long column of pikemen, rank on rank of shuffling men in blue steel ringmail and silvery grey cloaks.

[Lummel]

row by row (or line by line).  If you have a column of soldiers then rather than saying that they stood in rows you can say that they stood in ranks (or in this case marched in ranks).

[DirePenguin]

What is "knick"? Couldn't find it in dictionary. Chop off heads?

Quote

Since when do they knick traitors on the steps of the Great Sept?

[Angalin]

Punish or behead traitors, I'd say.  Is it not spelt "nick"?  That would mean to cut (the traitor's head off), in this case.

[DirePenguin]

Thanks Angalin. This one really has a "k". Miss type then I guess.

[DirePenguin]

what would a hard pike of a man look like? Very thin, sharp features?

Quote

At his side stood the Lord Hos Blackwood, a hard pike of a man with close-cropped salt-and-pepper whiskers and a hook nose.

[Lummel]

Yes, exactly that kind of thing!

[DirePenguin]

Does marry has other meaning other than man-woman marrying?

Quote

Why shouldn’t we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead

[Horza]

DirePenguin, on 03 July 2012 - 07:42 AM, said:

Does marry has other meaning other than man-woman marrying?

It can also be used as a metaphor for binding things together. In this case, the North is 'married' into the Targaryens project of a united Seven Kingdoms.

[DirePenguin]

Hi Everyone.

Finally I'll say I have completed the first book. And understand it the way I never did during my first read (alone). Thank you so much everyone. The amount of help I've received was . . . I don't know what word would be appropriate, but it was unbelievable

Before this thread, I've completed book 2 on my own too and still can't decide if I should skip ahead to book 3, or start another English help thread for book 2

Edited by DirePenguin, 05 July 2012 - 03:38 AM.

[Horza]

I can't speak for the others but it's been my pleasure, DirePenguin, It's not often a native-speaker gets to think about their language from the outside. Your questions have been fun to answer and in answering I got to think about GRRM's writing style and taught myself a bit about English as well.

Whatever you choose to do next, you'll have at least one person writing back.

[tijde]

I found your first English thread while searching for something else, and I just read through both. Loved them. If you decide to do this again for another book, could you post here to let us know please? I'll try to help answer your questions too.

[DirePenguin]

Thanks Tijde
After a short break and concentrating on my job, I decided to start reading book 3. Just started today and already have a few questions lol. Once I create a thread I'll make sure to post it here!

[JimWolf]

Surely you won't be posting quotes from book 3 in this forum.  Surely you'll stick them in the SoS Still Reading forum.

[DirePenguin]

yea I started a new thread a few days ago http://asoiaf.wester...english-please/

[Joe11093]

You guys are seriously awesome. I sometimes find difficulties reading it too. It's nice to see that people are willing to help.