Content
Page No: 13
1. Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
honing our seafaring skills
ominous silence
Mayday calls
pinpricks in the vast ocean
a tousled head
Answer
honing our seafaring skills: this refers to the efforts made by the author and his wife, to perfect or sharpen their seafaring skills.
ominous silence: the silence here refers to an impending danger.
Mayday calls: Mayday calls are radio-telephonic words which signal aircrafts or ships stuck in a disastrous situation.
pinpricks in the vast ocean: this phrase expresses the search for two small islands in the vast ocean.
a tousled head: this refers to hair in disarray or the disarranged hair of the author’s son, Jonathan
Page No: 18
Understanding the Text
1. List the steps taken by the captain
(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.
(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
Answer
(i) In order to protect the ship from rough weather, the capitan decided to slow it down. So he dropped the storm jjb and lashed heavy mooring rope in a loop across the stern. Then they doubled fatened everything and went through their life-raft drill
(ii) To check the flooding of water in the ship, he put waterproof hatch covers across the gaping holes which diverted the water to the side. When the two hands pump blocked and electric pump short circuited, he found another electric pump, connected it to an outpipe and started it.
2. Describe the mental condition of the voyagers on 4 and 5 January.
Answer
On January 4 and 5, the voyagers felt relieved after rigorous practice of continuous pumping. They had their first meal in almost two days. Their respite was short-lived. They faced dangerous situation on January 5. Fear of deah loomed large. They were under great mental stress.
3. Describe the shifts in the narration of the events as indicated in the three sections of the text. Give a subtitle to each section.
Answer
The first section: The first section opens on a cheerful note. The narrator and his family are all set for their ultimate dream- to take up an around-the-world voyage like Captain James Cook did. They have perfected their seafaring skills. They begin the voyage and despite of the bad weather, they celebrate Christmas on the ‘Wavewalker’.
The second section: This part of narration covers the hazards faced by the voyagers. There is a shift in the narration from cheerful to intense. They find themselves in an extremely fatal and disastrous situation. A huge wave hits their boat and the narrator is thrown overboard. Despite getting injured, he maintains his composure and applies every possible way to tackle the critical situation. They manage to pump out maximum amount of water out of the boat in about 36 hours. But as they continue to face bad weather conditions the narrator loses hope. The children remain fearless, courageous and optimistic throughout.
The third section: The children provide moral support to the narrator and he continues with his efforts. Under the captaincy of the narrator, they manage to reach Ile Amsterdam. The narrator proves his seamanship and receives the title of “the best daddy” and “the best captain” from his children.
The above three sections can be subtitled as follows:
a) The first section: Round-the-world voyage begins
b) The second section: The attack of the big wave
c) The third section: Ultimate victory
Talking about the Text
1. What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when faced with danger?
Answer
There was lot of difference between the way in which the adults and children reacted when faced danger. The adults lose hope and wait for their end with a heavy heart. At this point, they are motivated by the children. The children offer moral support to the adults. They display maturity and tolerance. Jonathan expresses his fearlessness and courage when he says that they are not afraid of dying if they all can be together. Sue expresses her love and gratitude for her parents by making a greeting card. She is strong enough to not let her parents know about her serious injuries. She did not want to bother her parents in the times of crisis.
2. How does the story suggest that optimism helps to endure “the direst stress”?
Answer
Optimism is a determination to overcome difficulties. It raises one’s spirits and helps one overcome stress and difficulty with ease. The story displays courage and optimism throughout. Survival happens only because of the optimistic struggle that the family carries on with.
The level of perseverance in the author rises when Jonathan says, “we’re not afraid of dying if we can all be together. Besides, the caricatures of him and Mary, drawn by Sue, helps his determination and optimism to grow many folds. The positive outlook of the children infuses positivity in the narrator. He rigorously calculates their position and finally asks Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. Though he had lost all hope by then, he did not show it and optimistically told Larry that they would spot the island by about 5 P.M. Fortunately, their struggle and optimism pays off and they manage to find Ile Amsterdam by evening.
Such experiences teach us the potential that courage, perseverance and tolerance hold. It explains how one must react in the direst of the situations. It teaches us that one must never lose hope and try to find reasons to stay positive in the face of adversity. In such situations one must try his/her best to remain calm and composed and understand the power of unity and team work. Moreover, the importance of common sense, putting continuous efforts to overcome the catastrophe and the significance of being extra cautious and careful are learnt from such hazardous experiences.
4. Why do you think people undertake such adventurous expeditions in spite of the risk involved?
Answer
The spirit to experience unique elements of nature, undaunted passion and willingness to accept challenges drive people to take up adventurous expeditions. The people who involve themselves in such activities are very well aware of the risk involved in them. But due to their passion and enthusiasm to do something unique and great, they willingly accept such challenges. Also, their desire to be in the lap of nature and experience its beauty pushes them to such expeditions.
Thinking about Language
1. We have come across words like `gale’ and `storm’ in the account. Here are two more words for `storm’: typhoon, cyclone. How many words does your language have for `storm’?
Answer
In Hindi, ‘storm’ is known as ‘aandhi’, ‘toofan’ ‘andhad’, etc.
Page No: 19
2. Here are the terms of different kinds of vessels: yacht, boat, canoe, ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.
Answer
‘Naav’, ‘Nauka’, ‘Jahaaz’ and ‘Kishti’ are some of the various words used in Hindi for the word ‘boat’.
3. ‘Catamaran’ is a kind of a boat. Do you know which Indian language this word is derived from? Check the dictionary.
Answer
The word ‘Catamaran’ is derived from Tamil word ‘Kattumaram’.
4. Have you heard any boatmen’s songs? What kind of emotions do these songs usually express?
Answer
Yes, Boatmen’s songs usually express love and nostalgia. It revolves around the longing to meet a loved one. It may also express their love for the sea.
Working with Words
1. The following words used in the text as ship terminology are also commonly used in another sense. In what contexts would you use the other meaning?
Knot stern boom hatch anchor
Answer
b) a group of persons.
Stern: firm, strict, uncompromising, harsh, hard etc.
Boom: a) deep, prolonged, resonant sound
b) to progress or flourish
c) to hit hard
Hatch: a) to bring forth, produce.
b) derive, concoct
c) to draw, cut, or engrave lines
Anchor: a) a person or thing that can be relied upon for support
b) host of an event.
2. The following three compound words end in-ship. What does each of them mean?
Answer
| Take on sth: | to begin to have a particular quality or appearance; to assume sth |
| take sb on: | to employ sb; to engage sb to accept sb as one’s opponent in a game,contest or conflict |
| Take sb/sth on: | to decide to do sth; to allow sth/sb to enter e.g. a bus, plane or ship; to take sth/sb on board |
Airship: It is a self-propelled lighter-than-air aircraft with the means of controlling the direction of the flight.
Flagship: It is a ship carrying the flag officer or the commander of a fleet, squadron. It displays the officer’s flag.
Lightship: It refers to a ship anchored in a specific location flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships, as in avoiding dangerous areas.
3. The following are the meaning listed in the dictionary against the phrase `take on’. In which meaning is it used in the third paragraph of the account:
Answer
In the third paragraph, in lines: “… we took on two crewman to help us tackle … roughest seas…”, the word “took on” suggests to take somebody on i.e., to employ or engage somebody.
Content
Content
Summary of the Chapter We’re Not Afraid To Die…If We Can All Be Together
This is the story of a 37 year old businessman who went to repeat the round the world vogue made 200 years ago by Captain James Cook. He along with his family which includes narrator, his wife Marry, his son Jonathan 6 year old, his daughter Suzanne, 7 year old.
They were accompanied by two crewmen, an American Larry and a Swiss Herb in order to help them in roughest seas of Indian Ocean. He and his wife were enhancing their skill for their dream of sailing across the world. Save water, the name of the ship they had, been professionally built and been tested in the roughest weather it could face.
The first leg of their journey was planned for 3 years, 105000 kilometer journey. On their second day out of cape town, they started getting encountered by strong winds. The situation continued until next few weeks. They enjoyed on Christmas despite bad weather hoping for some improvement in weather in New Year. But on January 2nd, the situation got worse. The huge waves were there to haunt them. There was endless sea rolling toward them. Then they prepared themselves with lift raft drills, life jackets etc and double lashed everything.
Now the situation came were wind dropped, and sky immediately grew dark. A wave that was perfectly vertical and initially appeared like a cloud stroked their ship. He was hurt badly. Everywhere there was water on the ship. Both crewmen were pumping out like mad people. Suzzane was hurt badly but the aim of the narrator at this point in time was to save the life of his family. He was consistently working to fix the holes and repairing the ship otherwise it would have surely sunk. He was facing a lot of problems when their hand pumps started to block up with garb ages and other stuff were floating and blocking the pumps and the short circuits were creating an additional problem.
Despite several hindrances, he kept on trying for the survival of his family. He was also supported by his family members during this. Sue, despite being hurt badly was not expressing her pain, as she did not want her father to worry about this at that point in time. He remembered about a spare pump he had, and it worked in order to pump out water from the ship. He gets that he would not be able to sail the ship to Australia, and so calculated for nearby islands there were two small islands in the east direction, few hundred kilometers. They were getting no signals on the radio.
Next morning Jan 3rd, the pumps had made water level under control, but still, somewhere there was a big leakage. On January 4th night weather started again to deteriorate and on next morning on 5th, It became worse. Jonathan told that if his all family members are together he is not afraid of dying. Marry got some beef and biscuits. They were now hoping for the best. The narrator made some calculations. It was difficult as the compass was not working properly.
Finally, at 2 p.m., He came to the conclusion that they could get an island at 185 degrees, he asked Larry to go accordingly. Then narrator went for a nap. He woke up at 6 and was thinking he missed the island, but Jonathan showed him the nearby island where they had reached. They were happy and cheerful as they got what they had been fighting for, their Survival.
Content
| Padding transient |
Now look up the dictionary to see if your inference is right.
Paddling: To move a boat by means of paddles.
Transient: Something that stays at a place for a short time-period.
‘Cardboard’ refers to the photograph only. This word has been used because photograph it lost it colur and also clarity of its images.
2. What has the camera captured?
Answer
The camera has captured some happy moments from the childhood of the poet’s mother. It was a scene taken from a beach where she had gone with her cousins and her uncle for a sea holiday. The girls were paddling in the water.
3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Answer
The sea has not changed over the years. It is still the same. The sea symbolizes eternity.
4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
Answer
This laugh indicates her remembering her past. She looked back to her childhood with nostalgia and remembered the innocent joys of her childhood days.
5. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease of loss”.
Answer
The line refers to the sea holiday as remembered by her mother and the poet remembering her mother’s laughing face. Both these now belong to the past. Her mother is no more now.
6. What does “this circumstance” refer to?
Answer
‘This circumstance’ refers to the present situation of the poet wherein the poet is absorbed in the painful memory of her dead mother. Looking at the photograph and thinking of her mother’s laughter, the poet also realises that it has been the same number of years since her mother died as her mother’s age in the photograph.
Content
यह कविता 19 लाइन का हैं जिसमे कोई stanza नहीं हैं बल्कि meaningful segments हैं जो इस कविता को आसानी से समझने के लिए बनाया गया हैं। ये कविता first person के हिसाब से बनाया गया हैं जिसका ये मतलब हैं की कवियत्री अपने से बात कर रही हैं।
Lines 1 – 4:
The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling
Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,
And she the big girl – some twelve years or so.
इन पंक्तियों में, कवियत्री एक फोटो एलबम की ओर देखता है। वह फोटो एल्बम कार्डबोड का बना हुआ था। उस फोटो एल्बम में एक फोटो की तरफ देखता है। इस फोटो में तीन लड़कियाँ होती हैं। सबसे लम्बी एवं बड़ी लड़की बिच में कड़ी हुई थी जबकि दो छोटी लड़किया उसके अगल बगल उसके हाथ पकड़ के खड़ी हुई थी। कवियत्री के अनुसार बिच वाली लड़की उसकी माँ की फोटो है और अगल बगल माँ की बहने हैं। जब यह फोटो लिया गया था उस वक्त कवियत्री के अनुसार उनकी माँ की उम्र 12 साल के लगभग होगी। और यह फोटो उस दिन लिया गया था जब वे समुद्र तट पर घूमने गई थी।
Lines 5 – 9:
All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera, A sweet face
My mother’s, that was before I was born
And the sea, which appears to have changed less
Washed their terribly transient feet.
इन पंक्तियों में कवियत्री उस समय के बारे में और भी विस्तार से बताती है जब उनकी माँ और उसकी बहनो का फोटो लिया गया था। कवियत्री के अनुसार ये फोटो उनकी माँ के uncle ने लिया था। उन्होंने तीनो लड़कियों को पोज़ देने बोला होगा और लड़कियों ने वैसा ही किया होगा। तीनो लड़कियों ने अपने भीगे ज़ुल्फो को खुला रखा था जिससे उनके चेहरे की कुछ भाग ढक जा रहे थे। यधपि की बालो से उनका चहेरा ढक जा रहा था लेकिन इसके बाद में उनका मुस्कुराना साफ़ नजर आ रहा था। उनके हस्ते हुए चेहरों में से एक चहेरे ने कवियत्री की ध्यान को खींचा था। वो उनकी माँ का चहेरा था जो कवियत्री के हिसाब से बहुत प्यारी थी। उनके हिसाब से ये फोटो उनके जन्म के बहुत पहले ली गई थी और इसी कारण वश अब उनकी माँ बहुत चेंज हो चुकी है जो की इस फोटो से नहीं मिलती है। लेकिन इसके विपरीत समुद्र जहां ये फोटो लिया गया था वो आज भी वैसा ही है उसमे उसमे अपेक्षाकृत कम बदलाव आया है। जिस समय यह फोटो लिया गया था उस समय समुद्र की लहरे बार कवियत्री की माँ और उनकी बहनो की पैरो को धो रही थी। कवि ने उन पैरो को अस्थाई बताया है क्युकि वो ज्यादा दिन तक वैसे नहीं रहे और सभी लड़किया बड़ी होगी। और इस तरह उनका बचपन ज्यादा दिन तक नहीं चल पाया।
Lines 10 – 13:
Some twenty- thirty- years later
She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday
इन पंक्तियों में, कवित्री फोटोग्राफ को देखना बंद कर देती है और यह याद करती है कि उसकी मां ने तस्वीर के बारे में क्या कहा था। कवि यह सुनिश्चित नहीं कर पा रही है की यह तस्वीर कितनी पुरानी है, 20 साल या फिर 30 साल। लेकिन उन्हें अपनी माँ की कही हुई बात की उनकी बहने बचपन में कैसे दिखती थी यह याद है। कवित्री की माँ ने उन्हें ये भी बताया था की कैसे उनके माता पिता ने उन्हें उस दिन तैयार किया था घुमाने के लिए। उन्हें लगता है की उनके माता पिता ने पहले ही उनके फोटो लेने का निर्णय कर लिया होगा। इसलिए उन्हें इस तरह तैयार कराया गया था।
Lines 14 – 15:
was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss
कवियत्री बताती हैं की उनके माँ इन तस्वीरों को अतीत की यादो को फिर से जीने का एक जरिया समझती थी जो की पीछे छूट चूका था। दूसरे ओर कवियत्री अपने माँ के बारे में सोचती हैं की कैसे वो हस्ती थी और हर एक समय वो उनको याद करती हैं।दोनों महिलाएं ही एक तस्वीर को देख कर अपने बीतें हुआ कल को याद कर करती हैं जो उनको और वापस नहीं मिल सकता।
Lines 16 – 19:
Now she has been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all,
Its silence silences.
इन पंकितयों में कवियत्री कहती हैं की उनके माँ को मरे हुआ 12 साल हो गए हैं और वो एकदम वही उम्र हैं जो उस फोटो में उनकी माँ के थे। वह अपने माँ के मृत्यु के बारे में सोच तो पा रही है लेकिन वो ये नहीं बता सकती की कैसे उनके माँ की मृत्यु ने उनके जीवन को प्रभावित किया। सच तो यह है की जिस मृत्यु के कारण उनकी माँ चुप हो गई हमेशा की लिए उसी कारण वश कवित्री के पास भी कोई शब्द नहीं रहे बोलने के लिए।
Content
A photograph describes 3 stages. In the first stage, the photograph shows the poet’s mother standing at the beach enjoying her holiday with her two girl cousins. She was 12 or so at that time. The second stage takes us twenty or thirty years later. The mother would laugh at the way she and her cousins Betty and Dolly were dressed up for each holiday. In the third stage, the poet remembers the mother with a heavy heart. The photograph revives a nostalgic feeling in the poet.
 |
| A Book by Shirley Toulson |
The poet is looking at her mother’s photograph which is indeed an old one. With it she can see how her mother looked when she was a little girl of twelve. THe photo shows her on a beach with her two girl cousins ho are younger than her, holding her hand. It might have een windy at that time that their hair was flying on their faces when the uncle took the photograph. All the three as smiling through their flying hair. Looking at the photograph, the poet says that her mother had a sweet face, but it was a time before the poet was born. The sea was washing their feet. The poet says that the sea has changed only a little but change has come about who’s feet it was washing.
After 30 or 40 years, the mother would take out the photograph and take a look at it. By that time, she was married and had a daughter. She would laugh a little and says “Look at Betty and Dolly, see how they have dressed for the beach”. By now, she can only remember those days. A huge change has come about her and she is no longer that small innocent girl of twelve.
After some years, the poet’s mother dies. Now the poet remembers her mother’s laughter, for her, it is a thing of past.
That’s why she says “the sea holiday as her past and mine is her laughter”. Because just like the mother remembers her old days, now the poet can remember her in that way only. However, in course of time, the two of them learned to live with their losses. The pay of the losses had made a permanent impression in their wry faces. The poet says that her mother had been dead and no she feels herself in a situation that there is nothing to be said about but only emptiness. The silence of this situation silences her. In other words, she is left speechless. The fate has killed all the feelings in her.
Content
Summary of the Chapter The Portrait of a Lady in Hindi
कथाकार खुशवंत सिंह ने इस कथा में एक महिला का चित्रण किया है। ये महिला और कोई नहीं बल्कि उनकी दादी है. कथाकार जब एक अबोध बालक थे तब उनके माता -पिता उन्हें दादी के पास छोड़ कर शहर चले गए। कथाकार ने दादी का वर्णन करते हुए कहा की वो एक वृद्ध महिला थीं जिनकी मुख पर अनेक झुर्रिया थीं। वो मोटी और थोड़ी से झुकी हुई थीं। कथाकार केलिए ये मानना कठिन था की एक समय उनकी दादी एक जवान और खूबसूरत युवती रहीं होंगी, जैसा की उनके आसपास के लोगों का कहना था। कथाकार फिर अपनी दादी के साथ अपने सम्बन्ध के विषय में बताते हैं। कथाकार का अपने दादी का सम्बन्ध मैत्रीपूर्ण था। उनकी दादी उन्हें विद्यालय केलए प्रत्येक दिन तैयार करती थीं। उसके बाद उन्हें विद्यालय छोड़ने जाती थीं। विद्यालय के समीप एक मंदिर था जंहा वो धार्मिक पुस्तकों का अध्यन करती थीं। फिर दोनों घर चले जाते और गली के कुत्तों को रोटियां खिलाते थैं।
फिर एक दिन कथाकार के माता -पिता ने उन्हें और उनकी दादी को शहर बुला लिया। कथाकार ने इस घटना को अपने और दादी के मैत्रीपूर्ण सम्बंधों केलए मोड बिंदु कहा है। अब भी उनका और दादी का कमरा एक ही था पर अब दोनों मे बातें काम होती थीं। दादी जब कथाकार से उनके शहर के नए विद्यालय के पाठ्यक्रम बारे मे पूछते तो वे कहते आधुनिक विज्ञानं और अंग्रेज़ी साहित्य , जिसपे उनकी दादी दुखी होती की उन्है धार्मिक ग्रंथों की शिक्षा नहीं दी जाती थी | उन्हें इस बात पर भी आपत्ति होती की उन्हें संगीत की भी शिक्षा दी जाती है जिसे वो सभ्य पुरुष केलए उचित नहीं मानती थीं। अब दादी का समय पूजा पाठ मे बीतने लगा। वो पंछियों को दाना खिलाया करती थीं। ये समय उनके लिए दिन का सबसे पंसंदीदा समय हुआ करता था। जब कथाकार विश्यविद्यालय मे पढ़ने लगे तब उनका कमरा अलग हो गया और उनकी अपनी दादी से दोस्ती का नाता तटूट सा गया। उन्होंने हालात से समझौता कर लिया।
जब कथाकार ने विश्यविद्यालय की पढाई पूरी कर ली तब उन्होंने आगे की पढाई केलए विदेश जाने का निर्णय लिया। उनकी दादी इस बात से उदास थीं पैर उन्होंने अपनी भावनायों को नहीं दर्शया। वे उन्हें छोड़ने स्टेशन पर गयीं और कथाकार के माथे पर चुम्बन देके विदा किया। कथाकार ने इस स्पर्श को उनका अंतिम स्पर्श समझा। पर जब कथाकार घर वापस ए तो उनकी दादी उनका इंताजर कर रही थीं। उस दिन भी दादी ने अपना सबसे अच्छा वक़्त पंछियों के साथ बिताया। एक दिन के बात है, जब उन्होंने पूजा पाठ नहीं की बल्कि आस पडोश की महिलाओं के साथ एक फटा हुआ ढोल लेके भजन कृतं करने लगीं अर कई समय तक गाने गाये। एक दिन वो बीमार पड़ीं अर अपने अंतिम समय को अपने पास पाया। इस दौरान घरवलों के मना करने पर भी वो मन ही मन प्रार्थना करने लगीं जबकि घरवाले चाहते थे की वो उनसे बात करे। फिर उन्होंने शांतिपूर्ण तरीके से इस दुनिया से विदा लिया। उनका अंतिम संस्कार हुआ। घर वालों के अलावा वे पंछि भी उनके जाने से दुखी थीं। जब कथाकार की माता ने उन पंछियों को खाना दिया तो उन्होंने उसे स्वीकार नहीं किया।
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