two lamps burning and no ship at sea: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  British EnglishLiterary EnglisharchaicliteraryproverbialMachine
  • To keep vigil or maintain readiness in expectation of someone or something that will not arrive; to wait in vain.
  • Figuratively, to foster hope or preparation for an anticipated event that fails to occur, often implying wasted effort or misplaced expectation.

  Examples

  Beta

  • She kept two lamps burning and no ship at sea, waiting for a call that never came.

    Ella mantuvo dos lámparas encendidas sin ningún barco en el mar, esperando una llamada que nunca llegó.

  • The villagers stayed up all night with two lamps burning and no ship at sea, hoping for news of the lost fishermen.

    Los aldeanos se quedaron despiertos toda la noche con dos lámparas encendidas y sin ningún barco en el mar, esperando noticias de los pescadores perdidos.

  • It felt like two lamps burning and no ship at sea when he waited for her arrival that was endlessly delayed.

    Se sentía como tener dos lámparas encendidas sin ningún barco en el mar cuando esperaba su llegada que se retrasaba sin fin.