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Life is a test. It's only a test. Had this been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.I understand the grammatical structure of it, but still I don't really understand what the author is trying to say by the sentence in blue.Would anybody interpret it for me?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi Taka,

Life is a test. It's only a test. Had this been a real life you would have been instructed where to go and what to do.

I understand the grammatical structure of it, but still I don't really understand what the author is trying to say by the sentence in blue.

It's intended humorously. Here's the idea.

Life is not real, it's just a test.

If this were a real life, someone or some force would have given you detailed instructions on how to live.

You didn't get such instructions when you were born, so this proves that life is not real, it's just a test.

It's a parody of the kind of thing that is actually said after certain kinds of test, eg a fire drill or a planned test of the back-up procedures for your computer network.

It's reasonably funny, except that I've read this several times before.

Now that you understand, I hope, do you as a Japanese find such humour amusing?

Best wishes, Clive

CalifJim · Answer

It's a cultural thing -- not a grammatical one. It's a play on the fact that in the U.S. radio and television broadcasters are required to test their 'emergency communication procedures' (in the event of a nation-wide terrorist attack, say, or of a collision of an errant asteroid with Kansas). I think it may be once a month.

They play a strange, loud buzzer sound and then say, "This is a test. It is only a test." Then a weird whining sound is heard for about 30 seconds. Then, "Had this been a real emergency you would have been instructed where to go and what to do. This has been a test of the federal emergency communications system. And now back to our regular programming." (or something very similar).

As it is, it is a sort of accusation that the listener does not have a real life, or that his/her life is somehow as trivial and ineffective as a perfunctory practice run of a public service announcement. The accusation is tempered by the semi-humorous reference to this announcement, so is not necessarily a very stinging indictment of the listener's life or life style.

CJ
[2]

Taka · Answer

Now I understand it! Thank you, Clive and CJ!

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