AtD translation: the title

[Mike Jing]

Thanks for the reminder, David. I'll definitely keep that in mind.


On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 1:55 PM David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>>>
>>