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Sang B Yoon Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Which translation is semantically correct?
Someone said that the last sentence of the following paragraph can have two structures, leading to different meanings. The first structure is "In their view, farming communities(S) grew(V1), and when local agriculture could no longer support a rapidly growing population, families, or grown children of farmers, moved(V2) on.", which means "farming communities" is the subject of the verb "moved". The second one is "In their view, farming communities(S1) grew(V1), and when local agriculture could no longer support a rapidly growing population(A), families, or grown children of farmers(S2), moved(V2) on.", which means "families, or grown children of farmers" is the subject of the verb "moved" I think, semantically the second one is correct, and the first one is wrong. What do you think about it? Are both the two sentences correct semantically? Thanks in advance.
In the 1970s, Cavali-Sforza and archaeologist Albert Ammerman of Colgate University hypothesized that agriculture spread not by cultural diffusion but by farmers moving from one place to another, taking their practices along with their luggage. Plotting sites, they started in the Middle East as Ground Zero for the invention of agriculture and then mapped in all directions. In their view, farming communities grew, and when local agriculture could no longer support a rapidly growing population, families, or grown children of farmers, moved on.
In the 1970s, Cavali-Sforza and archaeologist Albert Ammerman of Colgate University hypothesized that agriculture spread not by cultural diffusion but by farmers moving from one place to another, taking their practices along with their luggage. Plotting sites, they started in the Middle East as Ground Zero for the invention of agriculture and then mapped in all directions. In their view, farming communities grew, and when local agriculture could no longer support a rapidly growing population, families, or grown children of farmers, moved on.
Top answer
I see that in the previous thread on this topic, Subject identification? ,I gave two contradictory answers. I think both readings are possible.
- I see that in the previous thread on this topic, Subject identification?
- ,I gave two contradictory answers.
- I think both readings are possible.
- To be clear, the sentences need to be rewritten, in my opinion.
- ", "In their view, farming communities grew .
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5 Answers
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I see that in the previous thread on this topic, Subject identification?,I gave two contradictory answers.
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The first interpretation doesn't make sense. It could be expanded into this: "In their view, farming communities grew, and when local agriculture could no longer support a rapidly growing population OR families or grown children of farmers, moved on." The word "population" patently encompasses the latter terms, so that can't be correct.
Granted, the sentence is not exactly sleek, but ther
Granted, the sentence is not exactly sleek, but ther
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As you mentioned, the sentence can have two structures, but semantically just either of them is correct. So I wanted to know which one is correct. In fact, I think the second one is logical. But a person who used the paragraph said that the first one is OK in meaning. That's why I asked the question. I want to get the reason that the first one is illogical. Thank you anyway. ;-)
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The sentence does not mean that the entire population moved on, leaving behind an empty landscape, it means that the original farmers stayed put and their children went off to find more land. That is obvious, and that is the meaning that a brisk reading yields. I had to read the thread a few times before I even understood the other interpretation, which is not suggested by the existing structure o
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