Hi, I have come across the expression ‘to measure one’s voice and feelings against’ in the following sentence:
‘…he should have phoned, if only to talk, to measure his voice and feelings against a stranger’s.’
Please could you tell me what it means?
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It’s difficult to tell from this short passage but apparently at least he could have called a person who he hadn’t known before to compare his own voice to that of that stranger as well his own reaction (his own feelings). Let me know if this makes sense. Спасибо большое.
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Thank you, Torsten, for the explanation.
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This is a very short extract and difficult to follow if you don’t know the background or situation. Can you provide more info.
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Yes, sure, here it is:
‘He loses his way, and thinks again of the phone. By daylight, will it seem negligent not to have called the emergency services? Will it be obvious that there was nothing to be done, that there wasn’t time? His crime was to stand in the safety of his bedroom, wrapped in a woollen dressing gown, without moving or making a sound, half dreaming as he watched people die. Yes, he should have phoned, if only to talk, to measure his voice and feelings against a stranger’s.’
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Sorry Irina. It’s still got me completely foxed.
Alan
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