AtD translation: the title

[David Morris]

All that Monte says is true about "against that day" as an idiomatic phrase
APART FROM ITS SPECIFIC USE IN THE BIBLE, but in the Bible  "that day" is a
day of judgement.  If found unprepared, the consequences will be dire.  So
"against" here would be in opposition to a dire fate.

Pynchon chose a KJV phrase for a reason.

David Morris

On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 10:54 AM Monte Davis <montedavis49 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd go with those Bible translators --"'until that day' or  'be ready for
> that day.' I agree with David M. that "against" BY ITSELF "primarily
> denotes opposition, an active fight against something or someone." But AS
> PART OF THE IDIOMATIC PHRASE "against the day," its primary sense is
> "making preparation or provision for a day to come."
>
> AS THE TITLE of this novel full of photography and relativity and
> electrification, it takes on the secondary, spatial sense of contre-jour:
> something silhouetted by the sun or bright sky behind/beyond it, the
> details of what you're looking at lost because of the extreme contrast...
>
> ... which in combination with the primary sense, might prompt further
> connotations relevant to the ideologies and politics of the book's period
> and characters -- e.g. that looking forward to a bright future may make it
> harder to discern what's right in front of you today. Which circles back to
> inflect the primary sense.
>
> It seems unlikely a priori (a putonghuari?) that an acceptably short
> phrase in *any* other language would point in all those directions at once,
> so my recommendation would be to concentrate on the primary sense --
> "something is coming in the future, get ready for it."
>
> On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 12:18 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Well, in that case, the bible translations do not offer much help at all.
>> That sense is completely lost in translation. That's what makes this so
>> difficult.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 11:10 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Remember, "against" primarily denotes opposition, an active fight
>> against
>> > something or someone.  Other meanings are secondary.
>> >
>> > On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 10:03 PM Mike Jing <
>> gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
>
>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Thanks, David. That helps a lot.
>> >>
>> >> It's various versions of "until that day" or "be ready for that day".
>> >> Although it cannot be directly adopted word for word, the important
>> idea is
>> >> there, and that's something I can work with.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 10:51 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> See how your Bible scholars have translated these KJV verses.
>> >>>
>> >>> David Morris
>> >>>
>> >>> On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 9:48 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> [image: Unchecked Copy Box] 2Ti 1:12
>> >>>> <https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/2ti/1/12/s_1126012>
>> >>>> For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
>> >>>> ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is
>> >>>> able to keep thatwhich I have committed unto him against that day.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> [image: Unchecked Copy Box] Est 3:14
>> >>>>>>> <https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/est/3/14/s_429014>
>> >>>>>>> The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every
>> >>>>>>> province was published unto all people, that they should be ready
>> against
>> >>>>>>> that day.
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>
>> --
>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>
>