laid very considerably

Hola. ¿Cómo se traduce al castellano "laid" en el texto siguiente?: "Let the ghost rest for to-night, there´s a good soul," I entreated; the idea of the ghost being, if I may say so, laid very considerably by the discovery of that secret staircase, but he would listen to no remonstrance.
Este texto procede de la novela The haunted house at Latchford, publicada en 1872.
Gracias.

Creo que seria algo como relajado, calmo, despreocupado.
Esperemos a ver que dicen otros amigos!

Si Diego, creo que seria algo asi. Tal vez "disminuido" como, "the discovery of the secret staircase diminishes the idea of a ghost"

"...the idea of the ghost being,...laid (diminished)...by the discovery of that secret staircase..."

¿Que opinas?


Other English options for "laid" which is similar to "allayed" in this context

lessened, made less credible, reduced, quieted, allayed

Allay:

1.to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet.


2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate:

Si Vicente! Tendríamos que ver que antecede al párrafo citado. Quizá no interpretè bien, pero no es el fantasma el que descubre el secreto?
No entiendo bien esta parte que explicas "Tal vez "disminuido" como, "the discovery of the secret staircase diminishes the idea of a ghost"

Diego, asi es el problema con la traduccion de un libro o historia. No sabemos el contexto entero. Ya que no puedo explicarme bien te contare en inglés.

It is my interpretation that the writer knows there is no ghost and he is telling someone to let the ghost rest for tonight, i.e., placating the other person because the writer knows that the secret staircase probably means that there is another living human in the house and can move around secretly making ghost-like noises and movements and creating the fear that the house is haunted.

The discovery of the staircase diminished or allayed that fear for the writer.

This is only my guess, since we don't have full context.

Now I understand your point of view!
Yet, after reading once and again, I cannot understand fully this part:
" I entreated; the idea of the ghost being, if I may say so, laid very considerably by the discovery of that secret staircase...."
I entreated and semi colon. Then comes the idea of the ghost being .....laid
First: what did the person entreat?
Second:the idea of the ghost being laid (the ghost is laid or the person?

If I have it right...

"Let the ghost rest for to-night, there´s a good soul," I entreated; (here the writer is entreating (asking or pleading) the other person to forget about the ghost for tonight.)
He then writes that the idea of a ghost being in the house has been "considerably" diminished, or made less credible, by the presence of a secret staircase.


The semi-colon could just as well have been a period...and probably should have been.

Now i get it Vicente! I think that you right concerning "diminish"

This "olde English" is sometimes very hard to understand even for a native English speaker, and even harder to translate!!:rolleyes:

Hola, vicente y diegonel. Os pongo el párrafo anterior por si os sirve de ayuda, aunque creo que vicente tiene razón:
After this my friend, whose name was Tuft, and who is at the present moment distinguishing himself by designing various edifices each more ugly, and more uncomfortable, and more thoroughly according to the ethics of modern art than its predecessor, was, like meny another busy man, taken with a notion that he must inspect once more the ghost´s battle-field.