backlight (in photography, etc.); illumination (of the subject) from behind
palatial residence; stately mansion
rain and wind; driving rain
poor; needy; lacking (quantity and quality-wise); poor; scanty
inconsistency; discord; conflict; discrepancy; contradiction; failure
husband and wife; married couple
for dear life; barely escaping alive
love story; romance; love affair
living in peace; living a quiet life; being content with one's present position; being satisfied with one's lot
row of houses; every house; each house; all; totally
resignation; stepping down; retirement; retreat; decamping; withdrawal
ruin; fall; collapse; downfall; bankruptcy
unification; bringing together; generalization; control; supervision
edge of town; outskirts of a village
judging from; on the basis of; from the point of view of
lightly; easily; carelessly
attentive; cautious; careful; watchful
awareness of things around one; ability to understand what is going on around oneself; judgment; judgement; discretion
with a shiver (down one's spine); with a sudden chill
permission; allowance; acceptance; tolerance; pardon
privatization; privatisation
lapse of memory; forgetting completely; (consigning to) oblivion
beyond; across; the other side; the distance
taciturn; reticent; quiet; silent; untalkative
to be bloodcurdling; to be ghastly
prevailing view; common opinion; commonly accepted theory
patron (of the arts, an artist, etc.); patroness; sugar daddy; man who provides for a woman (e.g. a geisha); patron; master
crime syndicate; criminal syndicate
making a direct connection
foundation; root; basis; root and trunk