V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 461 - "Mene, mene tekel, upharsin"

[bandwraith at aol.com]

Daniel was a vegetarian, does that mean he
didn't eat... just wonderin'. Daniel didn't buy
that old maxim- When in Babylon, etc., still,
he knew a good thing when he tasted it.

My take is that Daniel knew how to be a
good guest while at the same time using
his own tongue for good effect.


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Wed, Feb 9, 2011 9:09 pm
Subject: Re: V2, Chap 15 (Sahha), I, p 461 - "Mene, mene tekel,
upharsin"


Michael Bailey wrote:
>
> Translating Rachel's patois as "Mene, mene tekel, upharsin" makes
> Benny the interpreter of the message (like Daniel interpreting the
> original MMTU into colloquial Babylonian Yiddish?)
>

sorry, that was trying for a cheap giggle.  Daniel would most likely
speak unaccented Babylonian at least at the court (reserving more
creative mixed language for at home)

>
> Wiser heads may be aware of further implications of using the Daniel
> story, or pertinent particulars?
>






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"the life of a person is worth more than the history of a country" -
Carlos Fuentes (_The Old Gringo_)