English XXI

In 1849, Edgar Allan Poe published the poem "Eldorado". (We don't actually do poems, but it has a great example of two things we DO. This is the first of four stanzas of the poem. You can read the entire poem and some more information about it here.

The first two words in this poem are "gaily bedight". Maybe it's just because I am a boring, old fuddy duddy, but I can't remember the last time I did anything "gaily bedight". I have some coworkers who get "gaily bedight" at least once a year, at Mardi Gras. "Gaily bedight" is probably best 'translated' as "brightly costumed". "Gaily" is a word that has a different common meaning than it did in 1849. "Bedight" is a word that we generally don't use any more.

These are two words that cause me personally a great deal of struggle. They are great examples of words which we don't normally use any more. If I read them in the context of a story, I can usually tell what they mean, but not always. So our readers don't have to try to figure out the context or look up the definition on the internet, we will change them to a close, common synonym.

In case you aren't familiar with these two words, "sanguine" means happy, cheerful, confident, or something along those lines. "Languid" means something like dull, lazy, or sluggish.

This is a phrase that we wouldn't use these days. If you think about it for a second, you can probably come up with this one. It came from "Anne's House of Dreams" by Lucy Maud Montgomery, published in 1917. This short phrase, all simple three letter words, is just a little archaic. We would say something like, "and she didn't tell him no".

This is not the most complicated of examples, but it will do just fine to show this point. It also comes from "The Prisoner of Zenda", in chapter 8. Sometimes older writers would structure their sentences in such a way that the thoughts seem broken up and can be hard to follow for our more "linear" way of thinking. We changed this to read, "On the next day, Sapt instructed me in my duties for three hours: what I ought to do and what I ought to know."

The first, and easiest, thing in this snippet is the word "should". It was often used in the sense that we use "would" or "could".

In Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice versa. The strait has been associated with the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily. The idiom 'between Scylla and Charybdis' has come to mean being between two dangers, choosing either of which brings harm.

For things like this, rather than trying to change the wording to make it easier to read, we use popups to give you more information. The rectangle below shows how we would give you this particular statement. To see the additional information, put your mouse pointer over the red words and let it sit there for a moment.

I intend to do neither of these things. I would be between the Scylla of dreariness and the Charybdis of recklessness, and I feel that I would do far better to confine myself strictly to the underground drama which was being played beneath the surface of Ruritanian politics.

In a lot of older books, especially those written outside the United States, measurements will be different than most of us know. For example, do you know how far a "league" is? How long is a "furlong"? Whenever possible, we will convert to better known measurements.

By the way, depending on the country, a league is between 2.4 and 4.6 miles. The generally accepted conversion is 3 miles. A furlong is about 220 yards (or 40 rods or 10 chains {see my smiling face?}). That's why we will try to convert these.

Original:

While Isaac thus stood an outcast in the present society, like his people among the nations, looking in vain for welcome or resting place, the pilgrim who sat by the chimney took compassion upon him, and resigned his seat, saying briefly, "Old man, my garments are dried, my hunger is appeased, thou art both wet and fasting." So saying, he gathered together, and brought to a flame, the decaying brands which lay scattered on the ample hearth; took from the larger board a mess of pottage and seethed kid, placed it upon the small table at which he had himself supped, and, without waiting the Jew's thanks, went to the other side of the hall;--whether from unwillingness to hold more close communication with the object of his benevolence, or from a wish to draw near to the upper end of the table, seemed uncertain.

Edited:

While Isaac in this way stood an outcast in the present company, like his people amount the nations, uselessly looking for welcome or resting place, the pilgrim who sat by the chimney took compassion upon him, and gave up his seat, saying briefly, "Old man, my garments are dried, my hunger is satisfied, you are both wet and hungry." So saying, he gathered together and brought to a flame the dying embers which lay scattered on the large hearth; took from the large table a meal of stew and boiled goat, placed it upon the small table at which he had himself eaten, and without waiting the Jew's thanks, went to the other side of the hall; whether from unwillingness to hold more close communication with the object of his kindness, or from a wish to draw near to the upper end of the table, seemed uncertain.