Translating a 西西 story

[Lu]

I'm translating a very nice story by 西西, Sunday morning, and most of it I can translate all right, but I have a few problems:

钟响七下: The English translation says 'the clock strikes seven', but where does 下 go? Part of 'strikes'?

一片孤寂: I translated this as 'loneliness', but I think I'm not entirely right, what does 一片 mean here?

一朵盛放的莲: The English translation says 'a lotus in full bloom', is there any additional meaning to this?

出现了两只斗鸡眼: what are 斗鸡眼?

Thanks a lot for any help!

[roddy]

1) Yes, I'd leave it at 'strikes'. You could perhaps have it as 'the clock strikes seven times'. I've only scanned the piece, but I kind of feel that fits.

2) I get the idea of someone looking in the mirror and finding themself small and solitary in a great big reflection. A tract, a stretch, an expanse?

3) None I know of.

4) Cross-eyed. Google Image Search illustrates.

[Guoke]

This is 斗鸡眼 ：

[Lu]

Thanks, both! I made 一片寂寞 'a lonely emptiness' (sounds slightly better in Dutch), not an exact translation but it fits, I think.