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Author Topic:   its being received,
nima
Junior Member (Idle past 3351 days)
Posts: 7
Joined: 01-12-2015


Message 1 of 10 (747821)
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, "we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
Would you possibly in a more simple way show me what the highlighted parts might readily or simply mean, especially the italic ones?-- although I can translate them in my language but failed to get what is their concept.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by mike the wiz, posted 01-20-2015 10:09 AM nima has not replied
 Message 3 by ringo, posted 01-20-2015 10:54 AM nima has not replied
 Message 5 by Jon, posted 01-20-2015 10:14 PM nima has not replied
 Message 6 by nwr, posted 01-21-2015 1:12 AM nima has not replied
 Message 7 by NoNukes, posted 01-21-2015 2:43 AM nima has not replied

  
mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


(1)
Message 2 of 10 (747838)
01-20-2015 10:09 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by nima
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


Where there is a duality the whole is not elemental.
It was a time they are describing, that was striking by it's contrasts, expressed with many metaphors. Seemingly diametrically opposed, events.
While one thing positive was happening, something negative was happening in another area. Like a day. It was the brightest of days, but the darkest of nights. so I could confuse you with the word, "day" by changing it to, "it was the lightest of days, it was the darkest of days."
Once you realize the language makes no particular logical sense, it's sense must be in it's general expression.
Like a poem. Poems can make no sense, so the art of the poem is in it's expression IMHO.
Example:
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us
"We" could mean group A and group B.
In a season there can be light and dark. In a year there can be spring and winter. In an age there can be foolishness and wisdom.
Whether it is an area of space or a passage of time, there is room for all, so there is no genuine contradiction, only stark contrasts.
EXAMPLE: My football is black, my football is white.
Yes - because 50% is painted white and 50% is painted black.
Edited by mike the wiz, : No reason given.

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ringo
Member (Idle past 411 days)
Posts: 20940
From: frozen wasteland
Joined: 03-23-2005


(1)
Message 3 of 10 (747847)
01-20-2015 10:54 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by nima
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


Things never change; only our perception of them changes.

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Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 4 of 10 (747905)
01-20-2015 4:51 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by mike the wiz
01-20-2015 10:09 AM


I read it as meaning that opinion was polarized. Like you can find people saying Obama is the best president of recent times or the worst. "He was the best of presidents, he was the worst of presidents. He was the savior of capitalism, he was a communist mole. He was the nemesis of Osama and a Secret Muslim Traitor and craven appeaser." Etc, etc.

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Jon
Inactive Member


Message 5 of 10 (747923)
01-20-2015 10:14 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by nima
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


... authorities insisted on its being viewed/understood/regarded, etc.
Not that any of the sentence is overly understandable.

Love your enemies!

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nwr
Member
Posts: 6408
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.1


(1)
Message 6 of 10 (747927)
01-21-2015 1:12 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by nima
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


Any help would be greatly appreciated
It is a poetic way of saying nothing much at all.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

This message is a reply to:
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NoNukes
Inactive Member


Message 7 of 10 (747931)
01-21-2015 2:43 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by nima
01-20-2015 5:59 AM


Has anyone read "A Tale of Two Cities".
I'm sure many have done so, but nobody visiting here would get an impression that many here have read the book.
Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

Je Suis Charlie
Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. Frederick Douglass

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Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by Jon, posted 01-21-2015 7:50 AM NoNukes has replied
 Message 10 by Dr Adequate, posted 01-21-2015 12:52 PM NoNukes has seen this message but not replied

  
Jon
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 10 (747937)
01-21-2015 7:50 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by NoNukes
01-21-2015 2:43 AM


I'm sure many have done so, but nobody visiting here would get an impression that many here have read the book.
Is the phrase in question explained on page two?

Love your enemies!

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NoNukes
Inactive Member


Message 9 of 10 (747940)
01-21-2015 9:07 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by Jon
01-21-2015 7:50 AM


Is the phrase in question explained on page two?
I don't recommend that you attempt to read the book.

Je Suis Charlie
Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison. Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (1846)
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. Frederick Douglass

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by Jon, posted 01-21-2015 7:50 AM Jon has seen this message but not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 10 of 10 (747961)
01-21-2015 12:52 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by NoNukes
01-21-2015 2:43 AM


I haven't. All the Dickens I've read is the Pickwick Papers, which I disliked --- in fact, IIRC, I may have stopped reading it halfway through, which is very rare for me --- and Hard Times, which I thought was quite good. But I don't really like his style. Lots of people do, so I can't say that it's bad, but it's not for me.

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