Notes for The Signalman (modern version) ► DailyStep English

signal box = a building from which railway signals are operated
given the nature of the landscape = because of the shape of the terrain
he would have had no problem identifying the direction my voice came from = he would easily be able to tell where I was from the direction of my voice
on top of the steep cutting = at the top of a sharply angled passage cut into the earth for the railway (note: we never actually say it like this!)
looked down the line = looked along the railway tracks
struck me as a bit odd = suddenly seemed to me to be rather strange
I couldn’t put my finger on (idiom) = I was unable to decide the exact reason for
it was odd enough to attract my attention = it was strange enough for me to notice it
I could barely see him = I found it very difficult to see him
the deep trench = the long narrow hole cut far into the ground (note: we never actually say it like this!)
I had to shield my eyes from the glare of the sunset = I needed to put my hand up to my face to protect my eyes from the sunlight that shone into them as the sun was setting
a violent rumbling = a continuous and forceful low sound
something approached at speed = something was moving rapidly towards me
When the steam and smoke … had dispersed = after the water vapour and smoke had moved away
as the train sped by = while the train quickly moved past
headed over (phrasal verb) to that spot = walked towards that place
it became more and more slippery underfoot = conditions on the ground I was walking on were increasingly wet and dangerous
I asked him to point out (phrasal verb) the path to me = I asked if he could show me where the path was
He was so focused and expectant that I stopped for a moment = he fixed his attention in anticipation of something happening in such an intense way that I briefly did not move
he was a dark, sallow man = he had dark hair and yellowish skin
a very lonely and dismal place = an isolated and unpleasant location
a dripping wet wall of jagged stone = an irregularly-angled rock face that oozed moisture
which obscured all but a small strip of the sky = which prevented you from seeing virtually all of the sky except for a small thin piece
a long, crooked dungeon = a long, bent confined space like a prison
gave the place a dark, depressing and forbidding atmosphere = made the place feel dingy, sad and extremely unpleasant
it smelt earthy and deathly damp = there was an odour of mud and extremely unpleasant wetness in the place
making me feel as if I had left the natural world = that gave me the impression that I was no longer on this planet
staring intently into my eyes = looking into my eyes with a fixed expression
I don’t imagine that you get many visitors down here = I wouldn’t have thought that many people would come to visit you down in this place
I got the impression that he just saw me as some pen pusher = It seemed to me that he believed I was just a person with a boring office job
was overly keen to get involved with (phrasal verb) the workings of this great railway = was very eager to understand more about the workings of the railways (note: when the original version of this story was written, the railways were a new and very exciting innovation, using advanced technology; many people were excited at the possibility of working for railway companies)
Besides, I never really like initiating conversation = In any case, I do not really enjoy starting to chat to people I do not really know
as if there was something that should be there but that was missing = as though something was not there when it had been expected
that this was some kind of ghost rather than a man = that he was not a real person, but a ghost
as though he were frightened of me = as if he found me scary
What would I be doing there? = Why would I choose to stand there?
He became more talkative = He began to chat more freely
from time to time (idiom) = every now and then
anti-social hours that he had to work = long shifts that meant he could not socialise with other people
which I had assumed would be very hard to put up with (phrasal verb) = that I thought he might not continue to accept
take in (phrasal verb) the sunshine = enjoy being in the sunlight
I’ve always got to listen out (phrasal verb) for the sound of the electric bell = I have to listen carefully for the sound of the electric bell all the time
hoping that I would not offend him = not wanting to embarrass or annoy him
in the workhouses = in large buildings where poor people are forced to work (note: in the 19th century, many poor people in Britain were forced to live in large factories and other buildings where they worked in exchange for food and shelter)
run wild (idiom) as young man = behaved in a very uncontrolled way when he was a young adult
He had gone down (phrasal verb) in the world = he had lost his money and position in society
he only had himself to blame (idiom) = he was the cause of his own downfall
He had made his bed and now he had to lie in it (idiom) = He must now suffer the consequences of his bad behaviour in the past
it was far too late to change direction (idiom) = he would no longer have the opportunity to improve his life again
he was resigned to the situation = he realised that this situation was never going to change
he was very careful and vigilant in his work = he was always attentive and looked out (phrasal verb) for possible danger when he was working
he was an extremely safe and conscientious employee = he always worked in a very careful way, using a lot of effort
in the same very strange mood as when he had first seen me from a distance = with the same peculiar expression that he had when had originally seen me from a long way away
I am a worried and deeply troubled man = I am an anxious man with many difficulties
he immediately regretted letting those words slip out (phrasal verb) = straight after he said those words, he was sorry that he had said them
I just shouted out (phrasal verb) something like that to attract your attention = I only shouted some words like that so that you would notice me
why else would I have used them? = for what other reason would I have shouted those words?
You didn’t feel that they’d been communicated to you in some kind of supernatural way? = it didn’t seem to you as if a ghostly force was telling you what to say?
No, of course not (short form, using only auxiliary) = No, I certainly did not feel as if they had been communicated to me in that way
It was easier going up (phrasal verb) than coming down (phrasal verb) = I found it easier to walk up the path than it had been to walk down it
Sure, go ahead (phrasal verb) = Certainly, go on (phrasal verb)
I have made up my mind (idiom) = I have decided
I will tell you what is bothering me, so you won’t have to ask me again = I will explain why I am so anxious and then you will not need to ask me about it again
Yesterday I mistook you for someone else = yesterday I thought you were someone else when I first saw you
gesticulating passionately with his arm = moving his arm rapidly as if to communicate something very important
One moonlit night = One night when the moon was shining
saw a figure standing by the red light near the tunnel = saw something that looked like a person standing by the danger light at the entrance to the tunnel
The voice was hoarse from shouting = His voice had become rough because he was shouting so much
it cried out (phrasal verb) again = the figure shouted again
I wondered why it shielded its eyes with its sleeve = I could not understand why it held up its arm in front of its face
I ran right up to the figure with my hand stretched out = I moved quickly towards the figure with my arm held out in front of me
I carried on (phrasal verb) into the tunnel = I continued walking into the tunnel
I knew that there must be a rational explanation for what he had seen = I knew that it must be possible to reasonably explain what he had observed
the figure must have been the result of the light playing tricks on his eyes = he only believed that he saw a human-shape because of an optical illusion
as if he had been hallucinating = as though he were on some kind of drug
the infamous and terrible accident on this railway line happened = the well known horrendous accident occurred on this section of the railway
the dead and wounded were brought through the tunnel = rescuers brought the people who had been killed and injured through the tunnel
I did my best (idiom) to ignore it = I tried very hard not to pay any attention to (idiom) it
I had more or less (idiom) recovered from the shock of the accident = I had virtually forgotten my horror at the unpleasant events
It leaned against the gantry that supports the light = It was resting on the metal frame that held up (phrasal) the danger-light
as if he were in mourning = as though he were in a state of great sadness after someone had died (note: we never actually say it like this!)
what looked like a confusion of hands and heads in one of the carriage windows = what appeared to be a jumble of peoples arms and heads through a window of the train as it passed
He shut off (phrasal verb) the engine and slammed on the brakes = He stopped the train running and hit the brakes hard
My mouth was dry as a bone (idiom) = My mouth felt extremely dry
the lonely lamenting wail of the wind whistling through the telegraph wires = the sad, desolate sound made by the wind as it blew past the telegraph wires
The spectre came back a week ago = the ghost reappeared a week ago
It won’t leave me alone = It keeps pestering me
swear to you that it did not ring at all = promise you that the bell was not sounding
apart from when the station was trying to get in touch with (idiom) you = except when the station genuinely wanted to contact you
The ghost’s ring makes a strange vibration but the bell itself does not appear to move = When the bell rings oddly because of the ghost, it does not seem to actually move
I was wondering how to continue making my point (idiom) = I considered how I might keep restating my argument
as if there were no question between us about the truth of what he was saying = as though I agreed with him that the ghost was ringing the bell (when I clearly did not)
I did not feel I could then continue to assert that he had imagined it all = I thought I would be unable to keep arguing that the ghost was entirely a product of his imagination
whilst turning the facts over in his head (idiom) = while considering the events that had taken place (note: ‘whilst’ and ‘while’ are often interchangeable, although ‘whilst’ is archaic and sounds more formal)
There is some threat on this railway line = There is a suggestion that an unpleasant event will take place on this section of railway
considering what has happened before = because of previous events
he went on (phrasal verb) as he wiped the palms of his hands = he continued speaking while he cleaned the dirt off his hands
I would only get myself into trouble = I would just get into an awkward situation with my employers
it wouldn’t do any good (idiom) = I would not be able to do anything to improve the situation
They’d think that I’d gone mad = They would believe that I was insane
They’d think that I’d gone round the bend (idiom) = they would believe that I had become mentally confused
They’d give me the sack (idiom) and who could blame them? = they would have good reason to fire me from my job
It was terrible to see how tormented he was = I felt awful when I saw the way he was suffering
It was mental torture for such a conscientious man to be burdened by such an incomprehensible responsibility = The thought of having to be personally responsible for a future event inflicted terrible suffering on a person who worked as carefully and diligently as he did
a matter of life and death (idiom) = a situation in which people’s lives could be endangered
Why can’t it give me a more specific warning now? = Why is the figure not able to tell me more precise details about the terrible event that will happen?
Why not warn somebody who is in a better position to do something about it? = It would be better to tell somebody about this who was more able to prevent the awful event from happening
When I saw the state the poor man was in = When I understood the terrible position the man was in
and instead tried to reassure him that he was carrying out his duties to the best of his abilities = and, rather than what I had been saying, attempted to make him feel better by telling him how well he did his job
trying to change his mind about what he had seen = attempting to make him understand that he had not seen a real person
He seemed to calm down (phrasal verb) a bit = He appeared to become rather more relaxed
as the night went on (phrasal verb) he became more and more occupied by the demands of his job = as it got later, he was increasingly busy with the tasks he needed to perform for his job
he insisted that that would not be necessary = he stated strongly that I would not need to stay
I have to admit that as I climbed the pathway I couldn’t help but look back (phrasal verb) repeatedly at the red light = I must confess that when I made my way back up the path I found myself looking back again and again at the red light
I couldn’t get the images of the accident and the dead girl out of my head (idiom) = I was unable to forget the accident and the death of the girl on the train that he had described
what troubled me most was how to respond to what I had just been told = My most difficult decision was what to do as a consequence of what he had told me
how long would he continue to be so when you considered the state of his mind? = for how long would he stay vigilant and careful, given the fact that he was mentally disturbed?
he still had quite a lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders = his job was nevertheless a rather important duty
to stake their lives on (idiom) = to risk their personal safety with
whether I’d trust my own safety to his care (idiom) = if I would let him take responsibility for my own safety
to go straight to his bosses in the company = to speak immediately to his superiors at the railway company
without first offering him another option = without letting him choose another course of action first
For the moment I would not tell anybody what he had told me = For now I decided not to tell anyone else what he had said
The time of his shift would be different the following night = His working hours would be different the night after
I can hardly describe the terrible shock I got = I was so shocked that it is difficult to explain it
As that heart-stopping moment passed = Once the immediate feeling of shock and astonishment had gone away (phrasal verb)
I was suddenly struck by fear and guilt = I immediately felt afraid and responsible for doing something wrong
I should have sent somebody to check that he was doing his job properly! = I ought to have informed his bosses so that they could make sure he was continue to work in a competent manner
respectfully taking off (phrasal verb) his hat = removing his hat as a sign of respect (note: traditionally, people used to take off their hats as a sign of respect to people that had died, or if a funeral procession went past)
He had his back turned as the engine came out of the tunnel = He was facing in the opposite direction when the train emerged from the tunnel
As I came round the curve in the tunnel = When I was driving the train, following the curved track through the tunnel
there was no time to slow down (phrasal verb) but I knew he was a very careful man = it was impossible to stop the train in time to avoid hitting him, but I was aware that he was very cautious and attentive
He didn’t seem to take any notice of the whistle = He appeared to be ignoring the train whistle (that I had blown to warn him)
I carried on (phrasal verb) shouting to him = I continued to shout out (phrasal verb) to warn him
right at the end I had to cover my eyes with this arm = just before the accident happened, I felt compelled to put my arm up in front of my face so that I couldn’t see
it was no good (idiom) = I could do nothing to improve the situation
I don’t want to drag the story out (phrasal verb) any more = I do not wish to make the story any longer than necessary
I would like to point out (phrasal verb) = I want to make it clear
as he had imitated the way the ghostly figure had waved its arm = while he had copied the waving arms of the ghostly figure

The End

Notes for The Signalman

by Charles Dickens

Written in modern style by Brendan O’Connell.

Read by Ross Armstrong for DailyStep English