Pedants' Paradise

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  • french frank
    Administrator/Moderator
    • Feb 2007
    • 30235

    Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
    ... I think amplification is indeed something that is required to make the sentence a bit more comfortable. To my ears it is painfully elliptic. I think it is saying something along the lines of -

    ‘Bath council encourages busking as being [something that is] appreciated by casual tourists’

    Ha! Just a moment (don't go away)
    It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

    Comment

    • french frank
      Administrator/Moderator
      • Feb 2007
      • 30235

      I cite:

      The other translatours..left out that title altogither, as being no part of the text and word of God

      or, as you might say: The other translatours..left out that title altogither, as being [something that is] no part of the text and word of God.


      The whole Work will be spoiled; as being smaller than the proposed Diameter.

      or, as you might say: The whole Work will be spoiled; as being [something that is] smaller than the proposed Diameter.

      So: As being = because it is, expressing the reason why.

      If you have pain in your ears, perhaps it is wax? Have you tried Earol?
      It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

      Comment

      • vinteuil
        Full Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 12782

        Originally posted by french frank View Post
        I cite:

        The other translatours..left out that title altogither, as being no part of the text and word of God
        .
        The whole Work will be spoiled; as being smaller than the proposed Diameter.
        ... I note the punctuation in your interesting and instructive citations.

        Perhaps the text under consideration might be helped by a similar approach:


        ‘Bath council encourages busking, as being appreciated by casual tourists’

        I still cannot praise it for elegance...

        Comment

        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 30235

          Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
          ... I note the punctuation in your interesting and instructive citations.

          Perhaps the text under consideration might be helped by a similar approach:

          ‘Bath council encourages busking, as being appreciated by casual tourists’
          I will fly and amend it at once :-)

          I still cannot praise it for elegance...



          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

          Comment

          • Eine Alpensinfonie
            Host
            • Nov 2010
            • 20570

            It's getting a bit too academic. It probably isn't even true about the tourists. Tourists who visit Baaarth are not, IMO, the most likely ones to be particular keen on amplified buskers. Busking of this nature is like offensive graffiti.

            Comment

            • french frank
              Administrator/Moderator
              • Feb 2007
              • 30235

              Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
              It probably isn't even true about the tourists.
              You and your fancy Yorkshire ways!

              "Busking and other forms of street entertainment are part of the Bath ‘experience’, creating an enhanced atmosphere and providing pleasure to many people, both local residents and visitors. " From the BANES website. http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/e...lution/busking
              It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

              Comment

              • Eine Alpensinfonie
                Host
                • Nov 2010
                • 20570

                Originally posted by french frank View Post
                You and your fancy Yorkshire ways!
                I'm a Lancashire-born emigrant.


                Originally posted by french frank
                "Busking and other forms of street entertainment are part of the Bath ‘experience’, creating an enhanced atmosphere and providing pleasure to many people, both local residents and visitors. "
                That's what they say in Scarborough too, but with even more suspect sentence construction (and similarly aggressive amplification.

                Comment

                • jean
                  Late member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 7100

                  Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
                  ‘Bath council encourages busking as being [something that is] appreciated by casual tourists’
                  As being something that is? Tautologous or what?

                  I think the original was fine - as far as its syntax goes, anyway; its meaning is another matter.

                  Comment

                  • french frank
                    Administrator/Moderator
                    • Feb 2007
                    • 30235

                    Originally posted by jean View Post
                    I think the original was fine - as far as its syntax goes, anyway; its meaning is another matter.
                    Context is all, as Gongers is wont to remark!
                    It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                    Comment

                    • vinteuil
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 12782

                      Originally posted by jean View Post

                      I think the original was fine - as far as its syntax goes, anyway.
                      ... I defer to the judgment of both French Frank and Jean here.

                      Must be my ears that are out of kilter...

                      Comment

                      • Pabmusic
                        Full Member
                        • May 2011
                        • 5537

                        I'll add my two penn'orth-worth (old tautologous idiomatic expression - did you notice that, Dad?):

                        It's quite all right, but it might have been better as, "‘Bath council encourages busking because it is popular with tourists".

                        Comment

                        • jean
                          Late member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 7100

                          I think there's a subtle difference in meaning. Both of course give the reasons why the council encourages buskers, but while with

                          Bath council encourages busking because it is popular with tourists

                          they affirm the absolute objective truth of the tourists' approval of the busking,

                          Bath council encourages busking as being appreciated by casual tourists

                          allows that the council might possibly have arrived at an incorrect assessment of the tourists' reactions. This is because being is not itself an indicative main verb and so does not make a statement; it could be expanded by means of a modal, for example.

                          (What's a casual tourist, I wonder? One who simply forgot to get off the train at Bristol? And do they [sic] deserve more consideration than the ones who really, really meant to go to Bath in the first place?)

                          .
                          Last edited by jean; 23-09-14, 10:29.

                          Comment

                          • Pabmusic
                            Full Member
                            • May 2011
                            • 5537

                            Originally posted by jean View Post
                            ...(What's a casual tourist, I wonder? One who simply forgot to get off the train at Bristol? And do they [sic] deserve more consideration than the ones who really, really meant to go to Bath in the first place?)
                            I agree, it's a distinction, rather than a difference (what's a "full-time" or "committed tourist"?). I don't disagree with your main point (just).

                            Comment

                            • jean
                              Late member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 7100

                              Originally posted by Pabmusic View Post
                              ...I don't disagree with your main point (just).
                              I've just edited it to make it even less disagreeable-with.

                              Comment

                              • Eine Alpensinfonie
                                Host
                                • Nov 2010
                                • 20570

                                I suggest a casual tourist is rather like a spokesperson - a source of evidence that cannot be confirmed; i.e. a supposition.

                                Comment

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