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HSS Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
In What Passes for your Mind
Two people are discussing why one of them is refusing the other's offer.
A: "Now in what passes for your mind the only conceivable reason I wouldn't accept it is that my wife might find out about it. And if I don't worry about that, I'll jump at it."
B: "I don't want to make too big a thing of it."
A: "But there isn't any other reason I wouldn't do it."
B: "Than her finding out? I doubt it."
A: "My feeling for her would of course not stop me."
How would you paraphrase this dialogue? Would the following somehow be a rephrase of the above dialogue? The reason I'm posting this question is I can't see why A says "But there isn't any other reason I wouldn't do it" after A says his first utterance of "Now ... I'll jump at it." I paraphrased it with the following to see if it helps me make sense out of it.
A: In whoever's mind that could possibly at least function as such, there would be no other reason I wouldn't accept it than because my wife might find out on it. If I don't worry about her finding, I'll take your offer.
B: I want this offer to be no big deal.
A: I 'would' accept it.
B: Except she might find out about it? I don't think so.
A: I don't love her so much as to stop myself.
A: "Now in what passes for your mind the only conceivable reason I wouldn't accept it is that my wife might find out about it. And if I don't worry about that, I'll jump at it."
B: "I don't want to make too big a thing of it."
A: "But there isn't any other reason I wouldn't do it."
B: "Than her finding out? I doubt it."
A: "My feeling for her would of course not stop me."
How would you paraphrase this dialogue? Would the following somehow be a rephrase of the above dialogue? The reason I'm posting this question is I can't see why A says "But there isn't any other reason I wouldn't do it" after A says his first utterance of "Now ... I'll jump at it." I paraphrased it with the following to see if it helps me make sense out of it.
A: In whoever's mind that could possibly at least function as such, there would be no other reason I wouldn't accept it than because my wife might find out on it. If I don't worry about her finding, I'll take your offer.
B: I want this offer to be no big deal.
A: I 'would' accept it.
B: Except she might find out about it? I don't think so.
A: I don't love her so much as to stop myself.
Top answer
in what passes for your mind = in your very small and useless mind. The rest of your dialogue confuses me. It would be better simply to underline the original phrases which you do not understand.
- in what passes for your mind = in your very small and useless mind.
- The rest of your dialogue confuses me.
- It would be better simply to underline the original phrases which you do not understand.
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5 Answers
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in what passes for your mind = in your very small and useless mind.
The rest of your dialogue confuses me. It would be better simply to underline the original phrases which you do not understand.
The rest of your dialogue confuses me. It would be better simply to underline the original phrases which you do not understand.
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Thanks, MM. I was about to edit my post, crossing 'out of it' out of 'make sense out of it,' when you answered.
I was thinking A thought B did not think the possibility that A's wife might find out is the reason. But A thinks B thinks so, right? If it is right, the rest of my paraphrase does not matter. I thought A thought it would be rediculous B might think so.
Hiro
I was thinking A thought B did not think the possibility that A's wife might find out is the reason. But A thinks B thinks so, right? If it is right, the rest of my paraphrase does not matter. I thought A thought it would be rediculous B might think so.
Hiro
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Thanks, MM! Hope the rest of the three day weekend will be good for you.
Hiro
Hiro
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Thanks... except that I worked Saturday and today. I hope you fared better.
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