0
Taka Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

interpretation needed

0 01i00To have been to certain spots on the earth's surface is socially correct; and having been there, one is superior to those who have not. Moreover, traveling gives one something to talk about when one gets home. 01font00The subjects of conversation are not so numerous that one can neglect an opportunity of adding to one's store.02br
02br
02font02i01font00Now, how would you interpret the sentence in red? Is it:02br
02br
00(1) The subjects someone brings back home from his/her trip are not so numerous anyway and you wouldn't really have much opportunity to increase your knowledge by them.02br
02br
00or 02br
02br
00(2) The subjects of daily conversation are basically not so numerous. Therefore, if you don't travel somewhere, you won't have much opportunity to increase your knowledge.02br
02br
00or, is it something else?02br
02font00 0-
  

Top answer

)02b 02i 02font 00 0-

— Marius Hancu

  • )02b 02i 02font 00 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

12 Answers
0
0 01font00A changed (2), IMO:02br
02br
01i00The subjects of daily conversation are basically not so numerous 01b00so02b00 that01font00,02font00 if you don't travel somewhere, you won't have much opportunity to increase/expand on01b00 your repertory/range (of c
0
0
0Yes, my read is the same as Marius's: There are only so many things to talk about. If you don't travel, you are depriving yourself of necessary subjects for conversation. 02br
02br
00(Of course, I don't necessarily 01i00agree02i00. It's lovely to be able to travel, but to make it a 01i00requirement02i00 to be socially acceptable
0
0
0 MH,02br
02br
00A grammar question. About 'that' of 00'not so numerous that', do you think it's originally the abbreviation of 'so that'? Or is it just your revision?0-
0
0
0 No, I scanned too fast the sentence initially, you don't need the 2nd "so." 0-
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Marius Hancu12cite10No, I scanned too fast the sentence initially, you don't need the 2nd "so." 12br
12blockquote
10Hmm...Then it confuses me.02br
02br
00He is not so poor that he cannot lend you a few dollars.02br
00=>He might be poor, but not to the extent that he c
0
0
0 He is not so poor that he cannot lend you a few dollars.02br
00 =>He might be poor, but not to the extent that he cannot lend you a few dollars. 01font00Right02font02br
02br
00The subjects of conversation are not so numerous that one can neglect an opportunity of adding to one's store.02br
00=>The subj
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Marius Hancu12cite12br
10I'd say:12br
11font10=>The subjects of conversation 11b10aren't numerous enough so that12b10 one can neglect an opportunity of adding to one's store. 12font12br
12br
12blockquote
10Yes.
0
0
0It might be easier with the positive version:02br
02br
001. The subjects of conversation are so numerous that one can neglect an opportunity of adding to one's store 00→02br
02br
002. X are so numerous that Y 00→02br
02br
003. X are numerous to such an extent, that Y. 02br
02br
00"So numerous" here implies "
0
0
0A similar example:02br
02br
00«The essential Saltes of Animals may be SO prepared and preserved, THAT an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the lyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape o
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10MrPedantic12cite10"So numerous" here implies "readily available in such numbers"; while Y ("one can neglect...store") implies "one need not take any trouble to collect more".12br
12blockquote
10So going back to the original interpretation question, is the literal meaning of the sentence something like
0

Related Questions