GR translation: syringe and spike

[Michael Bailey]

Not to belabor the point, but my reason for pointing out that “syringe and
spike” denotes a 2-word phrase describing a setup for giving people shots,
is to opine that “spike” is being used as a noun.

Usage of “spike” as a verb here doesn’t meet grammar or sense requirements
nearly as well. One could make a case for secondary meanings or
connotations, but for the primary meaning within the narrative flow, it’s a
noun.


Also, my secondary purpose is to remind that “syringe” by itself isn’t
always equipped with a needle, and that saying “syringe and spike”
imitates doctors’
cant: both descriptive rigor and rude colloquialism - in keeping with the
prose style in GR.



On Thu, Jun 30, 2022 at 8:43 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> We can all agree on the general scenario, there's little doubt about that.
> The question is whether "spike" is used as a noun or a verb. I originally
> thought it meant "rise suddenly", although in hindsight it doesn't seem
> quite right either. The published translation treated it as the needle. It
> probably doesn't matter too much in the end, since it doesn't really change
> what happens here.
>
> Thanks for the reply, Michael.
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 11:04 PM Michael Bailey <
> michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I think I read all the posts on this; apologies if somebody already
>> mentioned this, but -
>>
>> The syringe is the tube thingie - a big one can be used without a needle
>> to
>> wash out one’s earwax, or we used to have a little one to refill ink
>> cartridges for a fountain pen.
>>
>> But it can also be fitted with a needle (or in rough parlance, a spike) to
>> give injections
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/Shintop-Syringe-Needles-Experiments-Industrial/dp/B074M4RB86
>>
>>
>> Spiking away into the night does sound like fun, though - a foolish
>> pleasure; the allusion isn’t that far fetched, but in context he’s taking
>> the kit & caboodle (or in this case, the syringe and needle) away from the
>> doctorly convo in the little office off the ward and into the night, in
>> order to sedate a “Fox” ie a presumably howling & raving patient.
>> --
>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>
>