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Stenka25 Posted 5 years ago
Vocabulary

Meaning of a sentence

Meaning of a sentence


The passage below is from The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree


The pace of (book) acquisitions was dazzling. Agents travelled throughout the Greek territories purchasing books on an industrial scale. Less creditably, scrolls were forcibly removed for copying from any ship entering the port. Many ships’ captains would have needed to continue their journey before the originals were returned.


This passage was about agents’ effort of collecting books for the ancient Alexandria Library.

I cannot grasp the exact meaning of the 3rd sentence in this context.


Let me paraphrase this sentence first as follows:

It was less creditable that agents took scrolls for copying from any ship visiting the port with force.

(Is my paraphrasing all right?)


Now my understanding of this as follows:

Agents forcibly took scrolls from any ship coming in the port telling it they would return them when they finished copying, but the promise was easier said than done, because many of the ships deprived of the scrolls has no time to wait for scrolls returning. They had to leave for their trade without scrolls.


(Is my understanding right?)


Thanks in advance.

  

Top answer

) I can't see what you found difficult about the original sentence, so I am not sure I understand your paraphrase the way you intend. The agents bought books. That was laudable.

— Anonymous

  • ) I can't see what you found difficult about the original sentence, so I am not sure I understand your paraphrase the way you intend.
  • The agents bought books.
  • That was laudable.
  • The port authorities seized books.
  • That was not creditable.
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2 Answers
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Stenka25(Is my paraphrasing all right?)

I can't see what you found difficult about the original sentence, so I am not sure I understand your paraphrase the way you intend. The agents bought books. That was laudable. The port authorities seized books. That was not creditable. The writer employed understatement with "less creditable", meaning "not creditable"

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Stenka25It was less creditable that agents took scrolls for copying from any ship visiting the port with force. (Is my paraphrasing all right?)

It seems that you have understood the meaning correctly (though, in the context, "It was less creditable" joins less smoothly with the previous sentence, and "with force" is awkwardly positioned in your sentence, an

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