Definitions of the word 'love'

Question

Dear allHope here's the right place to ask your help about this.  I'm now trying to translate (just for fun) a definition of love of some dictionary.   The followings are my first try: ______________________________________(Love is such a state) When a pair of man and woman get attracted by each other, and, putting  everyone else aside, consider the one as the most wonderful being, and  come to feel that they cannot do without meeting each other, for even  one day.   (Love is such a state) When  one comes to feel some special affection to some particular member of  another sex, and, wishing to be together alone, to be together also  physically (if possible), suffer heavily (because one's wish is  fulfilled not always), or be delighted (when one's wish is fulfilled in  rare cases).(note: the latter is from their second edition, so here're two definitions in the above.)______________________________________Would you kindly take time to look at the two sentences above and check if they are consistent as one sentence?  I don't mind their clumsiness, if they are consistent and understandable.  And, please advise me if there are better expressions/constructions.................................................................Thank you for your time and trouble, in advance.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

Hello Anonymous,

They are understandable and you have gotten the main part of it, but they do have mistakes, and (to use your word) are a bit clumsy.

The one thing that seems inconsistent (which you asked us to look at) is the use of the word "one" in the second definition - in the first, you say "a man and a woman" and in the second you say "one."

The second one is not as good - people in love wish to be together, but do not wish to suffer. This definition would be better as two sentences. People in love may suffer deeply (because...) or feel delight (because...)

Do you want an edited version, or is this enough to let you know that you are making good progress?

PS - Why not sign up? You don't have to be anonymous that way!

Feathers · Answer

Dear GG,

Thank you so much for your help. (That anon was me, sorry for my posting anonymously.)

Grammar GeekDo you want an edited version, or is this enough to let you know that you are making good progress?

Actually, I'd love to have your help a bit further, if you don't mind. Although I'm doing this translation just for fun, as I said, I'm eager to learn English stylistics and related matters, inch by inch, through trial and error. I'll be grateful if you visit this thread, too, when you have a spare time.

Grammar GeekThe one thing that seems inconsistent (which you asked us to look at) is the use of the word "one" in the second definition - in the first, you say "a man and a woman" and in the second you say "one."

Yes, but it's due to the change in the original text. The editor of the dictionary chose "a pair" as a subject at first, but, during the revision, changed it to some general singular person (which seems fairly reasonable, I think). So I used "one" as a subject. Please ignore that discrepancy. The use of "one" in the second sentence is still that improper? Or tolerable? I didn't have better idea then, but "people" could be a better choice?

Grammar GeekThe second one is not as good - people in love wish to be together, but do not wish to suffer. This definition would be better as two sentences. People in love may suffer deeply (because...) or feel delight (because...)

Then I failed in making clear what I wanted to say. The original sentence defines the word love in one sentence, as: [Love is such a state when people come to feel~, get tormented or delighted easily, wishing~.]

You know, I wanted to put everything into when-clause which modifies a state. I'm at a loss, I don't even know where to put a conjunction 'and.'
May I ask your favor, GG? If you were to write this definition, what would you do? Are there any general tips in stylistics...?

PS. A wild rose? Wow... Beautiful!

Nona the brit · Answer

Shall I be awkward and point out that romantic love does not necessarily involve a man and a woman?

Feathers · Answer

Nona The BritShall I be awkward and point out that romantic love does not necessarily involve a man and a woman?

Hi Nona

Well, my apologies for any politically correct or incorrect expressions. I know several great people who are not heterosexual, so I'm sorry if there's anyone who gets hurt. My excuse is I'm just translating literally what the fastidious scholar-lexicographer was trying to say (so there's no wonder...).

That he is fastidious is obvious from the fact that he continued to change the definition after the second revision (mentioned above). With your permission, I'd like to translate those definitions, too... (may I?):
_______________________________________________

(To love is) To put oneself in a state in which one feels some special affection to some particular member of another ***, feeling high, comes to wish that they are together alone, sharing mental unity (and aching also for physical unity, if possible), but tends to get downhearted because one's wish is not always fulfilled (or gets exhilarated when one's wish is fulfilled in rare cases).
_______________________________________________

In the latest edition, we read:

(To love is) To put oneself in a state in which one feels such strong affection to some particular member of another *** that one is convinced that one won't regret anything even if one has to sacrifice everything else for that person, and, thinking always about the one, wishes to be together alone, to share their own world, gets exhilarated when one's wish is fulfilled, or gets anxious when there appears a slightest doubt between them.

(I cannot help wondering what has happened with the scholar...)
_______________________________________________

I've never concerned before where to put conjunctions and, or, but like this time.

I'd like to ask your favour. If you don't mind, please take a look at those sentences. Are they hard to understand? Consistent? Any change? Any comment will be useful for me.

Nona the brit · Answer

He seems to have a slightly unrealistic and overblown impression of love - I wonder if he was ever in love with someone?

1) To put oneself in a state (this sounds like a conscious effort, which I wouldn't agree with. To be in a state...) in which one feels some special affection to some particular member of another (the other, another makes it sound as though there is more than one other) ***, feeling high, comes to wish that they are alone together, sharing mental unity (and aching also for physical unity, if possible), but tends to get downhearted because one's wish is not always fulfilled (or gets exhilarated when one's wish is fulfilled in rare cases).

You are mixing up tenses too much in one sentence: one feels, feeling, comes to, sharing, tends to get...)

The last part is strange - is he taking about the wish for physical unity or just the wish that the other returns your love (which needs to be made clear if this is the case). Also, is it really 'rare' that people love you back? Overall, this sounds less like 'love' and more of a 'crush' on someone - when you have feelings attracting you towards someone but you are not in a relationship with them/know them all that well. Yearning for, rather than actually loving someone. Odd.

2) To put oneself in a state (as above) in which one feels such strong affection to some particular member of another (as above) *** that one is convinced that one won't regret anything even if one has to sacrifice everything else for that person (hmmm. this sounds like obsession not love. Lots of people in love still wouldn't sacrifice everthing without any regrets), and, thinking always about the one (the one sounds odd, that person would be better), wishes to be alone together, to share their own world, gets exhilarated when one's wish (what wish?) is fulfilled, or gets anxious when there appears a slightest doubt between them. (I would have thought that true love is not so fragile that you have to feel anxious when there is a slight doubt or disagreement).

Feathers · Answer

Dear Nona

Thank you so much for your comments, they are very helpful for me. There's also included your personal opinion on those definitions, and I read it with interest. Thank you for that, too! I understand what you mean (I agree, they cannot be considered as the definition of the English term 'love'). I like those definitions -- they make me feel it's not so dull to live one's life in this world.... non?

Nona The Brit1) To put oneself in a state (this sounds like a conscious effort, which I wouldn't agree with. To be in a state...)

Then how about:
(To fall in love is) To find oneself in a state ~
??

Nona The BritYou are mixing up tenses too much in one sentence: one feels, feeling, comes to, sharing, tends to get...)

You are right. I don't think, though, it's all that wrong... It's a general statement in which I have to cram several different states lovers tend to experience. Maybe it's my choices of the expressions that seems not so good.

Nona The BritThe last part is strange - is he taking about the wish for physical unity or just the wish that the other returns your love (which needs to be made clear if this is the case). Also, is it really 'rare' that people love you back?

Nona! I guess that's why the scholar revised this edition...

Nona The BritOverall, this sounds less like 'love' and more of a 'crush' on someone - when you have feelings attracting you towards someone but you are not in a relationship with them/know them all that well. Yearning for, rather than actually loving someone. Odd.

I didn't know the word 'crush.' Thank you.

Nona The Brit2) To put oneself in a state (as above) in which one feels such strong affection to some particular member of another (as above) *** that one is convinced that one won't regret anything even if one has to sacrifice everything else for that person (hmmm. this sounds like obsession not love. Lots of people in love still wouldn't sacrifice everthing without any regrets), and, thinking always about the one (the one sounds odd, that person would be better), wishes to be alone together, to share their own world, gets exhilarated when one's wish (what wish?) is fulfilled, or gets anxious when there appears a slightest doubt between them. (I would have thought that true love is not so fragile that you have to feel anxious when there is a slight doubt or disagreement).

I'd better change the part which precedes your underlined comment to "one wouldn't regret even if one had to~," to emphasize its hypothetical status...? Would this change make the definition better?

Thank you again for your thorough comment and for your time...!

Nona the brit · Answer

Hi Feathers,

strange dictionary this one!

Yes, I think that 'To find oneself in a state of' is much better than 'to put oneself in a state of.'

I still think you should try to be consistent in tense and style within a sentence even if you are expressing a number of ideas.

Crush - teenagers invariably get them on movie stars or pop singers! They feel desperately 'in love' but of course they are not really...3 months down the line and they are 'in love' with another star.

Yes, I prefer the hypothetical approach to the regrets.

Feathers · Answer

Hi Nona, thank you again, for your help. I continue my effort to learn, to make those definitions better...

Strange, huh... This dictionary is one of those ordinary learners' dictionaries, but there appear sometimes rather 'subjective' definitions. I like, by the way, the definition of travel:

[Travel ]
... Leave home and live for a certain period in some other land inconveniently (but peacefully).

;-)

Nona the brit · Answer

That's funny.

It reminds me of Dr Johnson's dictionary (have you heard of this? The first major dictionary of the English language, written by a very witty man 250 years ago).

His definition of oats: "a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." (he famously hated Scotland!)

In one entry he defined "patron" as "Commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is paid with flattery". His bitterness was the product of a row with the fourth Earl of Chesterfield, who had agreed to be the patron of the dictionary but then failed to produce financial backing, giving Johnson a measley £10.

Dull -example of use: "To make dictionaries is dull work."

Definitions of the word 'love'

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