a winter gauk

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mulberry

#498626 Wed, 09 Apr 08 05:42 PM

I don't understand these words and phrase in a short story written by H.C. Andersen. Could you please explain to me, Thank you very much

the snowdrop is "a winter gauk"

the snowdrop stretched itself within the thin rind "which the water had softened from without"

i feel a " a stirring and striving within me"

mulberry

Joined on Wed, Apr 9 2008

New Member (02)

Avangi

#498659 Wed, 09 Apr 08 07:26 PM

Hi mulberry, WELCOME TO THE FORUMS !

Do you happen to know if this is a translation? "Snowdrop" isn't part of my vocabulary, and I spent many years in snow country. "Snowflake" is common, but doesn't seem to fit your phrases.

The gauk I know is spelled "gawk." My dictionary defines it as an awkward, oafish person; and gives an "informal" usage as to stare, like an awkward, oafish person. (We only used it this second way.)

Are we possibly talking about a flower, or a candy? If you could give us a longer portion of the text, it might help.

I guess a stirring would be some kind of gut feeling - an undefined emotional sensation - a sense of movement from within. Stirring can be simply mixing or agitating something, as with a spoon, or it can be sort of coming to life after a period of inactivity.

A striving would perhaps be a feeling that you need to be doing something special.

Edit. Okay, "snowdrop" is a spring flower (eurasian) which resembles an awkward, oafish person. (sorry, no picture.)

Avangi

Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007

Senior Member (3,026)

". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

Vocabulary, Translation

Feebs11

#498725 Wed, 09 Apr 08 11:56 PM

A snowdrop is a flower that grows from a bulb and is in flower in the winter.

http://tinyurl.com/6ohfyy

The translation that is being used looks old and is using archaic words. "gauk" is a word that is no longer in use. It may be connected with the dialect word "gowk", which means a cuckoo [ which is a short summer visitor in North Europe], and has an extended meaning of "a simpleton". I think the first meaning is more likely in this context as the snowdrop only flowers during a short period.

the snowdrop stretched itself within the thin rind "which the water had softened from without" = The rind is the outer surface of the bulb, which has been softened by the water from the melting snow.

i feel a " a stirring and striving within me" = I feel that within me are the feelings of growth that make me want to grow upwards towards the light.

Feebs11

Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006

Senior Member (4,813)

Dialects, Translation

Avangi

#498746 Thu, 10 Apr 08 02:27 AM

That's great, Feebs. So this is the flower/plant speaking!

Avangi

mulberry

#499017 Thu, 10 Apr 08 04:13 PM

Thank you very much, Avangi and Feebs Love

. Your explanation helps me understand the story much more thoroughly Smile

As Feebs has mentioned, snowdrop is a beautiful flower which blossoms in the end of winter, when the snow still lies upon the ground. Rose The blossom is as white as snow with several tiny green stripes. When it is still a bud, it looks like a water drop swinging on the top of its thin stalk- like a girl bending her head shily and gracefully.

The translation is old because this is a short story named "snowdrop" written by Hans Christian Andersen in the 19th century. In this story he compared a snow drop with Danish poem Ambrosius Stub who was "a summer fool too, a poet fool; he came too early, before his time, and therefore he had to taste the sharp winds, and wander about as a guest from one noble landed proprietor to another, like a flower in a glass of water, a flower in rhymed verses! Summer fool, winter fool, fun and folly- but the first, the only, the fresh young Danish poet of those days "

I found this story on http://hca.gilead.org.il/snowdrop.html and I think it is great Star .

mulberry

Translation