Touching the Void -- Irena -- 20150921 We talked about the documentary "Touching the Void". Corrections: recount the event: Better than "review what happened along the line". tease you to get interested in the story vs. give you a teaser: Both are ok when trying to describe "piquing one's interest". fatal vs. nearly fatal: They had an nearly fatal experience. "Fatal" pretty much means "ended". Since Joe and Simon survived, one says their experience was "nearly fatal". some challenges: Note that it is the plural form, not "some challenge". "Challenge" is indeed countable. has got vs. has gotten: he had already gotten tired (not "has got tired", which I think I've mistakenly used for a long time). set of muscles: The set of muscles used for climbing up mountains is different from it is for climbing down mountains. conclude their adventure: a better way to say "end their journey". (They were trying to conquer the Siula Grande.) perpendicular: not "perpencular", note the "di" sound. sat: not "sitted". Simon sat at a higher point of the mountain. Saint Mary: Not "Saint Maria". be stuck vs. get stuck: "I am stuck" (a condition). "I got stuck" (an action at a moment). much overhanging ice: not "many overhanging ice". pass through: A better way than saying "go through his camp". Vocabularies: ascent vs. ascend: The former is a noun, while the latter is a noun. ascent vs. descent: rising vs. falling. axes: Prusik knot. monologue. bone chilling. delirious state vs. delirium condition latrine area mountaineering Phrases: bit by bit he would have lowered him down the mountain: "bit by bit" is a better way to say "slowly/gradually". Simon was also being pulled to death: Note the difference between this and "Simon was pulled to death". That was a stroke of luck. choose to have his life in hands: a better way to say "he choose to count on himself". Without water, he would die nevertheless. Pronunciation: documentary: the emphasis is on "men", not on "do". crevasse: "vasse" as in "vest", not as in "vast". immediately: Note to not drop "te". That's an entire syllable. overhanging: "gi" in "ging" has to be pronounced. sixth: when "s" and "th" are together, one can pronounce "th" as "t", so "sixth" can be "sixt".