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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary

Help to express the idea.

Can anyone correct the last sentence. I feel it sounds strange, but can't come up with an idea how to change it.

So what if the language dies? We break one more glass to behold the world through.
  

Top answer

Hi, Why do you find it strange? It's written as colourful, enigmatic and metaphorical English. I'd prefer So what if the language dies?

— Clive

  • Hi, Why do you find it strange?
  • It's written as colourful, enigmatic and metaphorical English.
  • I'd prefer So what if the language dies?
  • We break one more glass tthrough which we can behold the world.
  • Clive
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5 Answers
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Hi,

Why do you find it strange? It's written as colourful, enigmatic and metaphorical English.

I'd prefer So what if the language dies? We break one more glass tthrough which we can behold the world.

Clive
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Hi

Just by way of comparison, the Bible has "For now we see through a glass darkly..." (I Corinthians 13:12)

Interestingly, translators are not sure whether St Paul meant glass as a lens or glass as a mirror. Depending on which you take, your sentence might mean..

- A language acts as a mirror, reflecting life. If the language dies, it is like breaking a mirror and we
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Hi Clive,

Your version sounds better.

I'm a bit confused about the use of "behold". Can we say like this: to behold smth?

Natalya
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Hi,

Yes. But it's a fancy, literary word that is uncommon in everyday English.

Clive
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