Re: brouhaha

Jim,

You say that what's absurd is the example. Of course, I said that too (I
said that was the point). You say that I cut too selectively, which you've
said before, so I think I'll stop cutting. To be saying this I suppose you
must think you answered me (and answered me well) in passages I didn't
quote. I, apparently, didn't see where you were doing that. So either I'm
an idiot or it isn't as obvious to the rest of us as it to you. I'll let
you decide on that. Either way, keep your pistol holstered.

I'm keeping these brief, as you know, and won't follow the old method of
replying line-by-line.

I probably have many fewer rules than you do. This is because I think that
a rule is -- well, a rule. If it isn't a rule I won't call it one.

I'm not arguing about whether an understanding of Hamlet can differ from
Shakespeare's. Of course Homer (or, if you insist, Homers) wouldn't have
anticipated the paragraph you quoted, and this doesn't invalidate the
paragraph.

I am only (only!) suggesting that it is not unreasonable -- nothing more
than this, but that it is not unreasonable -- to allow preference for
readings on the basis of "specific cultural references, etc., meaningful to
the author," even without justifying this practice. I suggest that this is
valid for that reason -- whatever the Hell that reason is -- that we (both
of us) think those absurd examples I gave to be absurd. I rubbed my chin
for a few minutes but couldn't think of a reason apart from preference for
what was "meaningful to the author," for why we ought to dismiss such
reading. Or a reason why we ought to be disappointed if we find that
Homer's Greek doesn't match a translator's English in some specific point
that we put a lot of weight in.

Maybe there is another reason. Then all of this can be discarded. But I
myself haven't yet thought of it.

That's it. I'm saying it's not unreasonable. That's really it. Give me a
reason for the absurdity of the example (I agree that the example is absurd)
aside from this, and I'll take it back.

-robbie

-
* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH
Received on Tue Apr 22 02:44:00 2003