Re: GR translation: but it’s never discussed except in a general way

Mike Weaver mike.weaver at zen.co.uk
Mon Nov 24 17:47:37 UTC 2025


Gotta disagree Joseph. It's the kabbalists's study not the kabbalist 
which is mentioned and the study knows no more magic than the warehouse 
exhibits stoicism.

cheers Mike

On 24/11/2025 17:11, J Tracy wrote:
> I don’t think “who’s supposed to know magic” refers to the bulb. First  it’s in a different sentence ( Others…) and there it makes most sense within the commas surrounding the kabbalist and makes fine sense as a  description of the Kabbalist. It too is a bulb in the Kabbalist’s study.  So there are 3 bulbs that show the generality that light bulbs can be among the tales of the immortals.
>
> You are right about the second instance where it clearly refers to the bulb as  facing the arctic whiteness . P even compares that bulb’s stoicism  to other more southerly bulbs.  It would be dumb to compare a warehouse to other more southerly bulbs.
>> On Nov 24, 2025, at 10:46 AM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> V650.1-7, P663.4-10   Byron soon enough becomes a Permanent Old-Timer.
>> Others can recognize his immortality on sight, but it’s never discussed
>> except in a general way, when folklore comes flickering in from other parts
>> of the Grid, tales of the Immortals, one in a kabbalist’s study in Lyons
>> who’s supposed to know magic, another in Norway outside a warehouse facing
>> arctic whiteness with a stoicism more southerly bulbs begin strobing
>> faintly just at the thought of.
>>
>> My understanding of this part is that Byron's immortality is never
>> discussed except when tales of other Immortals come in, and even then it's
>> only discussed in a general way, is that correct?
> I agree
>> Secondly, the clause "who’s supposed to know magic" refers to the
>> lightbulb, right? The published translation treated it as if it's about
>> the kabbalist, which doesn't make sense grammatically.
>>
>> Thirdly, the phrase "facing arctic whiteness with a stoicism . . ." is a
>> whole, and its subject is the other light bulb. The published translation
>> thinks the phrase "facing arctic whiteness" modifies "warehouse", which
>> seems obviously wrong.
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>
>
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