Oct 8, 2019 08:47
4 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
with a patience that at first terrified and then bored
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Context:
No enchanter’s circle, no mystic’s mandala was ever drawn with such painfully meticulous care as the conclusions being played out on the floor. Hour after hour it went on, *with a patience that at first terrified and then bored*. It was the warfare of clerks, and it harried the enemy through many columns and files. Moist could read words that weren’t there but the clerks found the numbers that weren’t there, or were there twice, or were there but going the wrong way. They didn’t hurry. Peel away the lies, and the truth would emerge, naked and ashamed and with nowhere else to hide.
More context, please click:
https://archive.org/stream/TheNewDiscworldCompanion/Book 33 ...
--quoted from Going Postal (2004, fantasy fiction) by Terry Pratchett
I’m confused by it's grammar. It seems something is omitted in this sentence.
Thank you!
No enchanter’s circle, no mystic’s mandala was ever drawn with such painfully meticulous care as the conclusions being played out on the floor. Hour after hour it went on, *with a patience that at first terrified and then bored*. It was the warfare of clerks, and it harried the enemy through many columns and files. Moist could read words that weren’t there but the clerks found the numbers that weren’t there, or were there twice, or were there but going the wrong way. They didn’t hurry. Peel away the lies, and the truth would emerge, naked and ashamed and with nowhere else to hide.
More context, please click:
https://archive.org/stream/TheNewDiscworldCompanion/Book 33 ...
--quoted from Going Postal (2004, fantasy fiction) by Terry Pratchett
I’m confused by it's grammar. It seems something is omitted in this sentence.
Thank you!
Responses
20 mins
AJ Ablooglu
Türkiye
Türkiye
Türkiye
Expert biomedical scientist, Ph.D. (NYU)
Native in: Turkish 
Works in: English to Turkish, Turkish to English, Turkish, and 1 more.
Selected
grammatically it is correct
I think grammatically it is correct.
My Explanation:
The clerical process is tedious and is slow and the amount of work that they were facing was overwhelming. That is why the author explains it as “terrified” at first, but once you delve into the clerical work you get used to it and it becomes boring because it is a repetitive work now.
My Explanation:
The clerical process is tedious and is slow and the amount of work that they were facing was overwhelming. That is why the author explains it as “terrified” at first, but once you delve into the clerical work you get used to it and it becomes boring because it is a repetitive work now.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Mark Robertson
: It is the observer that is first terrified and then bored, not the clerks..
25 mins
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| neutral |
B D Finch
: Yes, it is grammatically correct, but Mark's comment is also correct; it is the observer who is first terrified, then bored, not the clerks.
52 mins
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| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: yes, with Mark: it's the observer who is terrified then bored
1 hr
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| neutral |
Charlotte Fleming
: Agree with Mark.
4 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
-2
22 mins
Roberta Broccoletti
Italy
Italy
Specializes in field
Italy
Specialized in: Tourism & Literature
Native in: Italian (Variants: Standard-Italy, Florentine, Tuscan / Toscano)
Works in: German to Italian, Italian to German, Spanish to Italian, and 12 more.
Immense patience..immeasurable patience
I think it' s an oxymoron....terrify and bored thar may be You can translate with...immense patience or a patience that terrify...immeasurable patience.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Mark Robertson
: If is was an oxymoron, which it isn't, it should still be translated.
25 mins
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I Think the Asker required just an explication. In fact on the Top is written from english to english.
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| disagree |
B D Finch
: I think you have failed to understand the sentence in question. It is certainly not an oxymoron and your rephrasing, besides being grammatically incorrect, destroys the sense of the ST.
49 mins
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| disagree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: no, you haven't understoood this or rephrased correctly. English to English
1 hr
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I'm sorry Mdme, I have answered using my mobile and I misunderstand the term "than" with "that". I' very sorry. Roberta
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Discussion