Wu Ting
How would you interpret “she couldn’t understand why” in the last sentence?
How would you interpret “she couldn’t understand why” in the last sentence?
Does it mean she couldn’t understand why she went right on telling the children those stories?
Or does it mean she couldn’t understand why those stories scared the children?
Thank you.
PS: the excerpt is taken from “A Souvenir of Hell” written by an Israeli author, Etgar Keret.
the context:
Ever since the opening disappeared, it became harder to make ends meet, and also much more tired and serene. Her grandfather died, she married the fishmonger’s son, and the two shops merged. They had several children, and she loved to tell them stories, especially ones about the people who used to walk into the shop smelling of sulfur. Those stories would scare them, and they’d start to cry. But still, even though she couldn’t understand why, she went right on telling them.
2019年6月23日 15:14
回答 · 4
Thank you.
2019年6月24日
Judging by the title of the story, I think that the stories she is telling are obviously stories that would scare children, so she doesn’t need to understand why, she already understands this. Therefore, what she doesn’t understand is why she kept on telling the stories.
2019年6月23日
This means she didn't understand why she continued telling the stories.
But still, even though she couldn’t understand why, she went right on telling them.
=> But still, ..., she went right on telling them.
=> But still, she went right on telling [stories], even though she couldn't understand why [she did this].
2019年6月23日
In my opinion, it means that she doesn't understand why she keeps telling the stories.
2019年6月23日
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