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

[Mike Jing]

Right, the kabbalist is not in a position to be modified by the clause.
That's what I meant when I said it doesn't make sense grammatically.



On Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM Mike Weaver <mike.weaver at zen.co.uk> wrote:

> 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.
> >> --
> >> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
> >
> >
> > --
> > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>