as if | Idiomator

Meaning: As though; in a manner suggesting.The old man stumbled,as ifhe were about to fall.It looksas ifit's going to rain.She jumped all of a sudden,as ifstung.1881–1882,Robert Louis Stevenson,Treasure Island, London; Paris:Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883,→OCLC:I remember himas ifit were yesterday, as he came plodding to the inn door, his sea-chest following behind him in a hand-barrow — a tall, strong, heavy, nut-brown man,[…]1918,W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXV, inThe Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.:The Bobbs-Merrill Company,→OCLC,page203:“[…]They talk of youas ifyou were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.1963,Margery Allingham, chapter 9, inThe China Governess: A Mystery, London:Chatto & Windus,→OCLC:Eustace gaped at him in amazement. When his urbanity dropped away from him, as now, he had an innocence of expression which was almost infantile. It wasas ifthe world had never touched him at all.2011October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, inBBC Sport‎[1]:Scotland needed a victory by eight points to have a realistic chance of progressing to the knock-out stages, and for long periods of a ferocious contest lookedas ifthey might pull it off.; Inmimicryof.When the teacher’s back was turned, the class clown would hold his stomachas ifhe were ill.; Indicating something that the speaker deems very unlikely, or is adamant that he or she would not do (see also interjection sense below).How can you even think that?As ifI would inform on you to the police!

Examples:

EN: Balduin runs away as if he had seen the Devil...
ES: Balduin huye como si hubiese visto al diablo...
EN: I do not want members of the Senate to be watched by my soldiers as if they were enemies.
ES: No quiero que los miembros del Senado sean vigilados por mis soldados como si fueran enemigos.
EN: "CHRETIEN FORGEAT!" Back at home, I would examine my case, overnight, as if I was my own judge.
ES: ¡Chrétien Forgeat! Al llegar a casa examiné mi caso como si hubiera sido mi propio juez.
EN: Motherhood impressed no duty on her, and her son only served as an amusement to her, as if he were a nice animated toy.
ES: La maternidad no le imponía ningún deber y su hijo sólo le servía como distracción, como si fuese un juguete animado.
EN: And, as if struck by a thunderbolt, she fell never to get up again, taking the secret of my misfortune to her grave.
ES: Y como fulminada por un rayo, cae para no levantarse más, llevándose a la tumba el secreto de mi desventura.
EN: And when he's kneeling, and looks at the young monarch, he feels as if the child's mother was standing there, and whispered, that he should praise the Creator, for their son will find comfort in glory.
ES: Y cuando se arrodilló y miró al pequeño príncipe, sintió que la madre estaba junto a él y le susurraba que debía dar gracias al Todopoderoso.
EN: Alba feels confusion as if the whole universe is love...
ES: Alba siente confusamente que el universo entero es Amor...
EN: Both felt as if they had sat on the bench of shame in the church.
ES: Ambos se sentían como si se hubieran sentado en el banco de la vergüenza en la iglesia.
EN: "It seems as if he is part of the old line!
ES: "Parece como si fuera parte de la vieja línea!
EN: "... it is as if this terrible time, all the happy feelings of the world would come to depend ..."
ES: "... y es cómo si en esta terrible época, todos los sentimientos de felicidad del mundo tuvieran que depender ..."
EN: Tell me, what's the matter, girl, that you frighten a life weary sleeper as if you were a nocturnal ghost?
ES: "¿Dime, cómo es, niña poco infantil, que atemorizas como un espectro nocturno a los que duermen cansados de la vida?"
EN: "I feel as if I have attended the execution of an innocent person!"
ES: "¡Tengo la impresión de haber asistido a la ejecución de un justo!"
EN: After the raising of lazarus from the dead, - - Jesus is hailed everywhere as if he were a king.
ES: Después que resucitó a Lázaro de entre los muertos, por todos sitios le saludan como si fuese un rey.
EN: Judas had spent a sleepless night, harassed by the doubts put in his head by the Pharisee. But towards noon he felt as if a will stronger than his own directed his steps towards the Golden Gate.
ES: Judas pasó la noche sin dormir, atormentado por la duda que los fariseos habían infundido en su espíritu, pero hacia el mediodía, una fuerza misteriosa, pero hacia el mediodía parecía empujar sus pasos hacia la Puerta del Oro
EN: for Isabella and Manuel the weeks passed as if in children"s play. and the day came when Manuel must resume his duties in the war.
ES: Las semanas pasaban como un juego, para Isabel y el Conde Manuel, pero llegó el día en el que este tuvo que volver al ejército.

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