Recovery, Growth, and Sacrifice

Paragraph 7

A short while later, I saw that the wound had healed.

To my amazement, a little arm started to grow back, and she started to become active again.

I started to compare my life to life in the unforgiving sea.

I thought of what was valuable in life.

I began to
spend more time with my family and friends, and I even started to
dive with my young son.

He became just as interested in her as I was.

As the octopus’s arm became more functional, I felt things in my life were improving too.

To my amazement, a little arm started to grow back, and she started to become active again.

To my amazement는 <to one's + 감정명사> 구문으로, 해당 문장은 I was amazed that a little arm ~ to become active again.으로 바꾸어 쓸 수 있다.

I started to compare my life to life in the unforgiving sea.

<compare A to B>는 ‘A를 B와 비교하다’라는 뜻으로, 이 문장에서는 my life와 life in the unforgiving sea가 비교 대상이다.

I thought of what was valuable in life.

<think of>는 ‘~을 생각하다’라는 뜻으로, 전치사 of의 목적어는 what이 이끄는 절이다.

what은 관계대명사로, the thing that[which]로 바꿔 쓸 수 있다.

He became just as interested in her as I was.

<as + 형용사구 + as>는 ‘~만큼 ⋯한’이라는 뜻으로, 내가 관심을 가진 것처럼 그도 그녀에게 관심을 가졌다는 뜻이다.

As the octopus’s arm became more functional, I felt things in my life were improving too.

As the octopus’s arm became more functional은 시간을 나타내는 부사절로, as는 ‘~하면서’라는 뜻이다.