затаив дыхание

• ЗАТАИВ ДЫХАНИЕ{{}}

[Verbal Adv; Invar; adv; fixed WO]

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1. ждать, следить за кем-чем и т.п. затаив дыхание (to wait, watch etc s.o. or sth.) anxiously, worriedly, intently (often when one is in danger, is afraid of frightening s.o. or sth. away, is awaiting s.o.'s reaction to an important question etc):

- holding one's breath;

- with bated breath;

- scarcely (hardly) daring to breathe.

     ♦ ...Рогатая мать-олениха всё смотрела и смотрела на мальчика. Затаив дыхание, мальчик вышел из-за камня... (Айтматов 1). ...She [the Horned Mother Deer] still looked and looked at the boy. Holding his breath, the boy came out from behind the rock... (1a).

     ♦ Шла обычная жизнь с обычными ночными обысками и арестами, ловлей "повторников" и прочими радостями. Люди трудились, затаив дыхание... (Мандельштам 2). This was just business as usual for us: night searches and arrests, the tracking down of people who had been in prison before, and other such joys. Everybody got on with his work, scarcely daring to breathe... (2a).

2. слушать кого-что, следить за кем-чем и т.п. (to listen to, watch s.o. or sth.) very attentively, with great interest:

- with bated breath;

- with rapt attention.

     ♦ Сцену смерту Клеопатры и финальные сцены все слушают, затаив дыхание... (Гладков 1). We all listened with bated breath to the part about Cleopatra's death and the closing scenes (1a).