Feb 24, 2022 17:15
2 yrs ago
17 viewers *
Swedish term

Vid döden hejdade han sig

Swedish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
I'm currently transalting a short mystery novel and need help with this sentece. I include the context:


Han öppnar ögonen. Låter fingertopparna löpa i de
guldpläterade skårorna i stenen. Vid döden hejdar han
sig. Huvudet börjar gunga fram och tillbaka och orden
fortsätter strömma över hans läppar medan han långsamt
sluter handen runt gravstenens kant.

What kind of reaction does the author mean when he says "hejdade han sig"?

Thanks

Discussion

Marta Riosalido (asker) Mar 7, 2022:
Hi, Deane. So now I've reached page 200 and know a bit more about this first chapter. The man the author is talking about is a patient of a mental facility. He's sitting by his mother's grave and figuring out how to escape from his guards. It is possible that he was kind of overwhelmed, by i don't know.
Deane Goltermann Mar 7, 2022:
I'll go with the Swedish teacher on this one... the term asked says nothing about the subject dying or dropping. I implies he's thinking about death, but what else do you do running through a cemetery?
Anna Herbst Feb 25, 2022:
A mystery indeed...
Marta Riosalido (asker) Feb 25, 2022:
I samma ögonblick som han uttalar de sista orden häver
han sig upp. De svarta, hårt snörade kängorna gräver sig
krasande ner i stenarna under honom. Han tar sats. Och
springer. Bakom honom sprutar gruset och smattrar ner
mot marken likt stormande hagel. Det dunkar i bröstet.
Lungorna flämtar väsande efter luft och för varje meter
han lägger bakom sig dånar det allt högre i huvudet.
Marta Riosalido (asker) Feb 25, 2022:
Nope, he doesn't die. He simply takes a break and then continues running from whoever is chasing him
Christopher Schröder Feb 25, 2022:
The issue is whether or not he is dead after this, which surely is clear from the story Marta??
Marta Riosalido (asker) Feb 25, 2022:
Michele: That's wht I thought too at first, but...
Marta Riosalido (asker) Feb 25, 2022:
Here's more context:

The guy is running from something and my guess is that he takes a break before running again, but it's just a guess.
This is the beginning of this first chapter:


Han sitter framåtlutad över gravstenen med en svag
doft av rosor dröjande kvar i andetagen. Solen bränner
i nacken och tröjan klistrar mot ryggen medan
han stirrar in i den svarta graniten, hård och solvarm
under
hans hand. En svag bris rasslar genom trädkronorna
och bär med sig ljuden från staden in i kyrkogårdens stillhet.
Han sluter ögonen. Börjar sjunga lågt för sig själv.
”Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to
whisper I love you, birds singing in the sycamore trees, dream
a little dream of me.”
Han öppnar ögonen. Låter fingertopparna löpa i de
guldpläterade skårorna i stenen. Vid döden hejdar han
sig. Huvudet börjar gunga fram och tillbaka och orden
fortsätter strömma över hans läppar medan han långsamt
sluter handen runt gravstenens kant.
Anna Herbst Feb 25, 2022:
Could well be, Michele, but as you say, we need more context.
Michele Fauble Feb 25, 2022:
Really need more context, but maybe when his fingers reached the date of death engraved on the gravestone, he paused?

Proposed translations

+2
7 hrs
Selected

he paused at death

He was tracing the writing on the gravestone and paused when death reached him....
Peer comment(s):

agree Michele Fauble : Really need more context, but maybe when his fingers reached the date of death engraved on the gravestone?
1 hr
I had the same thought, but then - it says it is mystery story...
agree Deane Goltermann
8 hrs
Thanks, Deane!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
1 hr

He didn't stop until he dropped

As an epitaph on a tombstone, you could imagine that it might be something like this.
Peer comment(s):

agree Adrian MM.
20 hrs
Thanks. Maybe I should contact a funeral parlour and offer them an epitaph copywriting service?
agree Kitty Korner (X) : dropped dead
5 days
Thanks. I wanted a punch epithath and the rime hielps towards that
Something went wrong...
5 days

He paused when he saw the deceased

Another possibility -- did he recognize the name of the dead person all of a sudden?
Something went wrong...
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