spans

English translation: (matched) pairs of horses

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	spans
Selected answer:	(matched) pairs of horses
Entered by:	Jenni Lukac (X)

11:00 Dec 23, 2012

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Poetry & Literature

English term or phrase: spans

Now, the game having risen to leeward, he and the other three German boats that soon followed him, had considerably the start of the Pequod's keels. There were eight whales, an average pod. Aware of their danger, they were going all abreast with great speed straight before the wind, rubbing their flanks as closely as so many ------------spans ------------of horses in harness. They left a great, wide wake, as though continually unrolling a great wide parchment upon the sea.

Thank you!

Michael Kislov KudoZ activity Questions: 834 (none open) (2 without valid answers) (33 closed without grading) Answers: 2655 Russian Federation
Local time: 22:06

(matched) pairs of horses

Explanation:
www.lemen.com/imageSpan8.html - Traducir esta páginaCompartirSpan. RETURN TO DICTIONARY. A span of horses. A matched pair of horses -- called a span -- pulling a sleigh.

Selected response from:

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 21:06

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +6

(matched) pairs of horses

Jenni Lukac (X)

a number of horses harnessed abreast

B D Finch

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

(matched) pairs of horses

Explanation:
www.lemen.com/imageSpan8.html - Traducir esta páginaCompartirSpan. RETURN TO DICTIONARY. A span of horses. A matched pair of horses -- called a span -- pulling a sleigh.

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 167

1 day 51 mins confidence:

a number of horses harnessed abreast

Explanation:
Horses can be harnessed abreast (side by side) or in tandem (one behind the other). This is not about matching horses, as one uses an equaliser bar when harnessing abreast to compensate for differences in strength between the horses. Matching a team of horses is, in any case, primarily about aesthetic considerations of colour, size and conformation and only after that about strength.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 21:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 84

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

spans

English translation: (matched) pairs of horses

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

spans

English translation: (matched) pairs of horses

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language