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Paco2004 Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Maugham's "forgive"
Hello Teachers
Men are passionate, men are weak, men are stupid, men are pitiful; to bring to bear on them anything so tremendous as the wrath of God seems strangely inept. It is not very difficult to forgive other people their sins. When you put yourself into their shoes it is generally easy to see what has caused them to do things they should not have done, and excuses can be found for them. There is a natural instinct of anger when some harm is done one that leads one to revengeful action, and it is hard in what concerns oneself to take up an attitude of detachment; but a little reflection enables one to look upon the situation from the outside, and with practice it is no more difficult to forgive the harm that is done one than any other. It is much harder to forgive people the harm one has done them; that indeed requires a singular power of mind.
This is a paragraph in The Summing Up, an essay written by Somerset Maugham and published in 1938. What I feel hard to get here is the sence of the sentence"It is much harder to forgive people the harm one has done them". He wrote also "People will sometimes forgive you the good you have done them, but seldom the harm they have done you" (The Moon and Sixpence, 1919). I feel this writer seems to have used the verbal phrase "forgive someone something" in a way a bit out of standard usage. But I am not sure how to paraphrase it in other words. Could you tell me any idea about this?
paco
This is a paragraph in The Summing Up, an essay written by Somerset Maugham and published in 1938. What I feel hard to get here is the sence of the sentence
paco
Top answer
Hi, paco. I must admit that I have enjoyed your series of good questions, most of which I could have asked; that I am just like you, an English learner. And I thank you for your comments on my question--belated though.
- Hi, paco.
- I must admit that I have enjoyed your series of good questions, most of which I could have asked; that I am just like you, an English learner.
- And I thank you for your comments on my question--belated though.
- Here is my two cents: The verb 'forgive' can take either one or two objects.
- Here are some other verbs used this way: cost, save, forgive, spare, pardon.
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4 Answers
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Hi, paco.
I must admit that I have enjoyed your series of good questions, most of which I could have asked; that I am just like you, an English learner. And I thank you for your comments on my question--belated though.
Here is my two cents:
The verb 'forgive' can take either one or two objects. Here are some other verbs used this way: cost, save, forgive, spare, pardon. W
I must admit that I have enjoyed your series of good questions, most of which I could have asked; that I am just like you, an English learner. And I thank you for your comments on my question--belated though.
Here is my two cents:
The verb 'forgive' can take either one or two objects. Here are some other verbs used this way: cost, save, forgive, spare, pardon. W
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Komountain san
Thank you a lot for your comment. I understand "forgive" is sometimes used in a ditransitive construct (S forgives IO DO). What is mysterious to me is what Maugham meant by the verb. I think most native speakers would use the verb the way like "forgive a person(IO) his crime(DO)" or "forgive a person(IO) his debt(DO)". The direct object(DO) of the ditransitive "forgive"
Thank you a lot for your comment. I understand "forgive" is sometimes used in a ditransitive construct (S forgives IO DO). What is mysterious to me is what Maugham meant by the verb. I think most native speakers would use the verb the way like "forgive a person(IO) his crime(DO)" or "forgive a person(IO) his debt(DO)". The direct object(DO) of the ditransitive "forgive"
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Hello Paco san
Maugham really means:
1. When we have harmed people, we feel guilt and resentment towards them.
2. We then blame those people for the guilt and resentment we feel.
3. It is difficult to forgive them for awaking these f
It is much harder to forgive people the harm one has done them; that indeed requires a singular power of mind.
Maugham really means:
1. When we have harmed people, we feel guilt and resentment towards them.
2. We then blame those people for the guilt and resentment we feel.
3. It is difficult to forgive them for awaking these f
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Hello Mr P
Thank you for the thoughtful interpretation. I think what you Maugham said and what you interpreted well pointed out something which we tend to have in our mind when we harmed other people. But I'm wondering whether common readers like me could make out it from the Magham's simple paradoxical sentence as easily as you did. I admire your linguistic abilities.
paco
Thank you for the thoughtful interpretation. I think what you Maugham said and what you interpreted well pointed out something which we tend to have in our mind when we harmed other people. But I'm wondering whether common readers like me could make out it from the Magham's simple paradoxical sentence as easily as you did. I admire your linguistic abilities.
paco
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