GR translation: Damp woolen aides

[Mike Jing]

On Wed, Apr 20, 2022 at 5:31 AM Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
wrote:

> It’s a metonymy, like calling a businessman a suit - in this case maybe
> they were out in the rain or snow (or they sweat a lot) and their suit is
> made of wool?
>

That's what I thought. I was asking because the published translation
interpreted the word "damp" as "depressed", no doubt looked up in an
English-Chinese dictionary. The OED has this:

2. Affected with or showing stupefaction or depression of spirits; dazed,
stupefied. *Obsolete or archaic.*

but I don't feel it fits here.

There may be more to it - harkening back to the “second sheep” mentioned in
> the opening passage of the book?
>

I don't think that's likely, but who knows.