Capitán Riley 02_07

Question 1

1. un traje de dos piezas de verde que REALZABA el color de su piel COBRIZA (realzar)
2. tras el CHAPARRÓN de la noche anterior
3. se ha puesto el uniforme DE GALA
4. Si NO LLEGA A SER POR el senador McMillan …

Answer 1

1. a green two piece suit that ENHANCED the COPPER colour of her skin (vb = to enhance + to highlight, ie give a lift to including breasts)
2. after the DOWNPOUR of the night before (clue: not aguacero)
3. he had put on his DRESS uniform
4. IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR Senator McMillan …

Question 2

1. Me temo que eso a ellos les trae sin cuidado (me + trae sin cuidado)
2. Menudo nido de serpientes.
3. ¿Seguimos en la OIN o NOS HAN ECHADO A PATADAS? (echar a patadas a alguien)
4. comandante de la segunda división ACORAZADA

Answer 2

1. I’m afraid that they couldn’t care less about that (I couldn’t care less)
2. What a vipers nest.
3. Are we still in the OIN or HAVE WE BEEN KICKED OUT? (loc vb = to kick someone out)
4. commander of the second ARMOURED division

Question 3

1. DARÁN CARPETAZO A la investigación (dar carpetazo a)
2. un ataque de CURSILERÍA (cursi)
3. al APEARSE Carmen leyó la placa de bronce atornillada a la pared
4. Alex SE estaba ABROCHADO los botones de la chaqueta (abrocharse)

Answer 3

1. THEY WILL SHELVE the investigation (loc vb = to mothball, to shelve, to ditch ie leave unfinished)
2. an attack of CHEESINESS (cheesy - adj)
3. while ALIGHTING Carmen read the bronze plaque screwed to the wall (vb - to get off, always from transport)
4. Alex was DOING UP the buttoms of his jacket (vb - to zip up, do up, button up, as in TO FASTEN)

Question 4

1. Fue su manera de DARle el PÉSAME (le/te doy el pésame)
2. Tras FRANQUEAR la VERJA del COMPOSANTO
   3a. ascendía por una LOMA salpicada de LÁPIDAS,
   (loma = colina alargada)
   3b. ALINEADAS bajo la sombra de CASTAÑOS y SICOMOROS
3. Caminaban UNO AL LADO DEL OTRO

Answer 4

1. It was her way of EXPRESSING HER CONDOLENCES (loc. vb)(say when person crying, alt to te/le acompaño en el sentimento)
2. After PASSING THROUGH the IRON GRILLED GATE of the CEMETARY (vb - to pass through, ONLY building/place= to allow access)
   3a. he went up by a RISE dotted with GRAVESTONES,
   3b. LINED UP under the shadow of CHESTNUT TREES and SYCAMORES
3. They walked SIDE BY SIDE

Question 5

1. Alex aún se despertaba a media noche ENVUELTO EN SUDORES
2. Me sentaba en SU REGAZO y me contaba historias
3. como si se dispusiera a ZAMBULLIRSE hasta el fondo del océano as (zambullirse)
4. como si PRETENDIERA dejar MERIDIANAMENTE CLARA su postura hacia él
5. el motivo por el que he DUDADO EN + inf

Answer 5

1. Alex was still waking up in the middle of the night IN A SWEAT
2. I would sit on HIS LAP and he’d tell me stories
3. as if preparing TO DIVE to the bottom of the ocean (vb - to dive, as in to jump in water)
4. as if she INTENDED to make her position towards him CRYSTAL/ABUNDANTLY CLEAR (vb - to intend, as in to plan to do)
5. the reason that I HESITATED IN + inf

Question 6

1. durmiendo AL RASO en cubierta (raso = flat, level eg land)
2. como única forma de soportar el BOCHORNO
3. La SINGLADURA de aquellas setecientas millas
4. PARA TAL EFECTO, habían dispuesto en cubierta un TABURETE

Answer 6

1. sleeping OUT IN THE open on deck (loc. prep)
2. as the only way to bear the SWELTERING HEAT
3. that 700 mile VOYAGE (clue: diff word order)
4. FOR THIS PURPOSE they had put a stool on deck

Question 7

1. los EMBADURNÓ con la harina y la MELAZA (embadurnar)
2. como COLOFÓN a la ceremonia
3. una OPÍPARA comida
4. una corriente de agua FANGOSA sembrada de detritus (fango = mud + silt + sludge, both land and water)

Answer 7

1. he SMEARED them with flour and MOLASSES (vb ¡ to smear, to daub, as in cover in a substance)
2. as the CLIMAX-CULMINATINO of the ceremony
3. a SUMPTUOUS meal (fml, plentiful)
4. a current of MUDDY water strewn with detritus (muddy -> N)

Question 8

1. Buff … DE ESO hace ya una eternidad
2. ¿Y de qué va?
3. solo un agujero por el que asomaba la punta de una cuerda A MODO DE + PICAPORTE
4. He visto cantinas deprimentes en mi vida, pero esta SE LLEVA LA PALMA (llevarse la palma)

Answer 8

1. Buff … THAT WAS an eternity ago.
2. And what’s it about? (eg asking about a book, movie)
3. only a hole through which the end of a rope was sticking out LIKE [a] DOORHANDLE.
4. I’ve seen some depressing canteens in my life, but this [one] TAKES THE CAKE (loc vb, always ironic)

Question 9

1a. con EL ESTADO DE ÁNIMO + A JUEGO CON el local
1b. me compré unos zapatos negros A JUEGO CON la camisa
2. Pues en ese caso, razón DE MÁS para que vayamos a buscarlos
3. las orillas de un AFLUENTE del río Congo that

Answer 9

1. a with the MOOD + THAT MATCHED the bar (as in sombrio)
   1b. I bought some black shoes TO MATCH my shirt (as in, combinan bien)
2. In that case, ALL THE MORE reason for us to go looking for them.
3. the banks of a TRIBUTORY of the Congo river

Question 10

1a. El inglés meneó la cabeza CON ABATIMIENTO.
1b. N -> abatir = to take down, eg a tent -> abatirse = to become downcast/downhearted
2. Es como si MENCIONAR Klein fuera MENTAR al diablo
3. No hay modo alguno de DARles ALCANCE (dar alcance a alguien)
4. un belga BONACHÓN casado CON una vietnamita

Answer 10

1. The Englishman shook his head DEJECTEDLY (N form)
   1b. Origin dejection -> vb -> vbse
2. It’s as if TO MENTION Klein was TO MENTION the devil (2 diff vbs = to mention)
3. There’s no way TO CATCH UP WITH/TO them (vb)
4. a GOOD-NATURED Belgian married TO a Vietnamese woman