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Rubenadriaan Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary
Question about sentence (Pride and Prejudice)
Hi,
Does anybody know what the underlined sentence means? It's about Miss Lucas teasing Elizabeth into singing
[Miss Lucas]: "I am going to open up the instrument [piano], Eliza[beth], and you know what follows."
``You are a very strange creature by way of a friend!--always wanting me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! -- If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable.
Thanks and kind regards
Does anybody know what the underlined sentence means? It's about Miss Lucas teasing Elizabeth into singing
[Miss Lucas]: "I am going to open up the instrument [piano], Eliza[beth], and you know what follows."
``You are a very strange creature by way of a friend!--always wanting me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! -- If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable.
Thanks and kind regards
Top answer
If I were vain about my piano-playing, you would be a very good friend for always asking me to play in public.
- If I were vain about my piano-playing, you would be a very good friend for always asking me to play in public.
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9 Answers
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If I were vain about my piano-playing, you would be a very good friend for always asking me to play in public.
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Thanks! Do others agree with this explanation?
It's Elizabeth's answer by the way, she sings.
Thanks a bunch
It's Elizabeth's answer by the way, she sings.
Thanks a bunch
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Hi
It's a brilliant piece of writing by Jane A, and therefore difficult to explain ...
- I am embarrassed to sing in public
- People will think that I'm vain, a show-off
- In fact, secretly, I do like to show off in public
- But I'll use the conditional tense, to make it look as if I'm only doing it because you've asked me to
- That makes you a friend to me and I'
It's a brilliant piece of writing by Jane A, and therefore difficult to explain ...
- I am embarrassed to sing in public
- People will think that I'm vain, a show-off
- In fact, secretly, I do like to show off in public
- But I'll use the conditional tense, to make it look as if I'm only doing it because you've asked me to
- That makes you a friend to me and I'
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Rubenadriaan Do others agree with this explanation?Yes. Mr M's answers can always be relied on.
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... indeed, they can be relied on, but it'd be a poor show if EF wasn't a forum
Dave
Dave
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dave_anon it'd be a poor show if EF wasn't a forumI wasn't suggesting otherwise.
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Thanks all!
I have an other question regarding the same text. It's about this line:
The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner's shop just over the way.
I have an other question regarding the same text. It's about this line:
The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner's shop just over the way.
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To pay one's duty = to pay one's respect, in this case to visit a close older relative regularly. The joke is that they 'must' also visit the hat shop.
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