{"id":27891,"date":"2022-05-23T01:00:32","date_gmt":"2022-05-22T19:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbselibrary.com\/?p=27891"},"modified":"2023-11-10T10:31:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T05:01:15","slug":"merchant-of-venice-act-3-scene-5-translation-meaning-annotations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbselibrary.com\/merchant-of-venice-act-3-scene-5-translation-meaning-annotations\/","title":{"rendered":"Merchant of Venice Act 3, Scene 5 Translation Meaning Annotations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Merchant of Venice Act 3, Scene 5 Modern English Translation Meaning Annotations – ICSE Class 10 & 9 English<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

English<\/a>Maths<\/a>Physics<\/a>Chemistry<\/a>Biology<\/a><\/p>\n

ICSE Solutions<\/a>Selina ICSE Solutions<\/a>ML Aggarwal Solutions<\/a><\/p>\n

Original Text<\/strong><\/span>
\nAct III Scene V<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span>
\nAct III Scene V<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Yes, honestly ; because, look, the sins of the father are tobe laid on the children; so, I promise you, I\u2019m afraid you. I was always honest with you, and so now, I speak my annoyance over the matter; so be cheerful, because I honestly think you are dammed. There is only one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is only a kind of bastard hope.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> And what hope is that, please?<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Damn it, you may partly hope that your father had not fathered you, that you are not the Jew\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children :<\/strong> this is a reference to one of the teachings of the Christian religion, which says that \u201cthe sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children.\u201d Punishment for a man\u2019s sins may fall upon his family, fear you :<\/strong> I fear on your behalf, be of good chee; for, truly, I think you are damned :<\/strong> it seems a strange combination of ideas to tell Jessica to be cheerful because she is condemned to the punishment of Hell because of her sins. But we can never analyse Launcelot\u2019s remarks as if they were the words of an ordinary person; it may be an attempt at grim humour, or he may only mean be careful! What he says is so very often different from what he intends to say.<\/p>\n

Original Text<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

Modern English Reading<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> That\u2019s a kind of bastard hope indeed; so the sins of my mother should be laid on me.<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Honestly, then I\u2019m afraid you are dammed both by father and mother; when I keep away from the Sea Monster, your father, I fall into an equal evil, your mother; well, you are gone both ways.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> I shall be saved by my husband; he has made me a Christian.<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Honestly, he\u2019s all the more to blame; we were Christians enough before, even as many as could well live one by another. This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we won\u2019t shortly have a slice of bacon on the coals for money.
\n[Enter Lorenzo.]<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> I\u2019ll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into comers.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> No, you don\u2019t need to fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are arguing; he tells me flatly there\u2019s no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew\u2019s daughter; and he says you are no good member of the community, because in converting Jews to Christians, youraise the price of pork.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> I shall answer that better to the community than you can explain the swelling of the negro\u2019s belly; the Moor is pregnant by you, Launcelot.<\/p>\n

Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Rasher :<\/strong> the name applied to a slice of bacon or pork, on the coals :<\/strong> placed on the fire to cook. Launcelot and I are out :<\/strong> \u201cLauncelot and I have quarrelled.\u201d flatly :<\/strong> plainly; without; any softening of the news.<\/p>\n

Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> It is important that the Moor should be more than reason; but if she is less than an honest woman, she is indeed more than I took her for.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> How every fool can play on the word! I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence, and conversation grow commendable in no one except parrots. Go in, servant; bid them prepare for dinner.<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> That is done, sir; they have all stomachs.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you! Then bid them prepare dinner.<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> That is done too, sir, only \u2018cover\u2019 is the word.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> Will you cover, then, sir?<\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> Yet more quarrelling with purpose! Will you show the whole wealth of your wit al at once? Please understand a plain man in his plain meaning: let your fellows come on, bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we\u2019ll come in to dinner.<\/p>\n

Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

How every fool can play upon the word :<\/strong> Lorenzo alludes to Launcelot\u2019s habit of quibbling upon double meanings of words, the best grace of wit :<\/strong> \u201cThe most dignified wit will soon be to etc.\u201d They have all stomachs :<\/strong> they are all ready for their dinner. This is Launcelot\u2019s idea of humour, that a man prepares for dinner when he is ready to eat it. Lorenzo had meant that the servants should prepare dinner for himself .and Jessica. Bid them prepare dinner :<\/strong> Lorenzo says, \u201cWhat a witty man you are! Well, tell them to prepare our dinner.\u201d But Launcelot again takes a different sense for the word \u201cprepare.\u201d Lorenzo had meant \u201cPlace it ready on the table\u201d, but Launcelot takes it to mean \u201ccook,\u201d and says, \u201cThe dinner has been cooked; what you mean now is \u2018cover the table\u2019. But when Launcelot says, \u201cAll right, you may cover\u201d, Launcelot at once flies off to another meaning of cover, to remain with the head covered, and says, \u201cNo sir, I know my duty to my master too well to remain covered (wearing my hat) in his presence.\u201d quarrelling with occasion :<\/strong> \u201cdisputing as to whether the word is exactly suitable to the particular occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why, let it be as sense and meaning shall determine.
\nExit Clown.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> Oh, dear judgment, how his words are suited! The fool has planted in his memory an army of good words; and I know many fools that stand in a better place, dressed like him, except that a tricky word defies definition. How are you, Jessica? And now, good sweetheart, tell me your opinion, how do you like Lord Bassanio\u2019s wife?<\/p>\n

Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered :<\/strong> Launcelot becomes mixed in expression, and changes the words \u201cserved\u201d and \u201ccovered\u201d. He means to say \u201cThe table shall be covered and the meat served etc.\u201d humours and conceits :<\/strong> the word \u201chumour” was applied by writers of the time to characteristic temperaments or moods of men, mostly odd and uncommon, o dear discretion, how his words are suited :<\/strong> O, Spirit of discretion, how strangely unsuitable his words are! a many :<\/strong> it was customary at one time to use this expression, stand in better place :<\/strong> are of higher social rank, garnish\u2019d like him :<\/strong> supplied as he is, with words, tricksy word :<\/strong> a word which enables a trick to be played with meaning; a word capable of double meaning, defy the matter :<\/strong> \u201cignore what is the obvious and intended meaning.\u201d Or pretend to think a word means something different from the speaker\u2019s obvious sense, how cheer\u2019st thou :<\/strong> \u201cHow are you?\u201d Literally, \u201cOf what face or mood are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

\"Merchant<\/p>\n

Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> So much I can\u2019t express it. It is very proper the Lord Bassanio live an upright life, because, having such a blessing in his lady, he finds the joys of heaven here on earth; and if he doesn\u2019t merit it on earth, it stands to reason he should never enter heaven. Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match, and place a bet on two earthly women, and Portia is one of them, there must be something else to bet on with the other, because the poor rude world does not have her equal.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> You have such a husband in me as she is for a wife.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> No, but ask my opinion too about that.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> I\u2019ll ask later; first let\u2019s go in to dinner.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> No, let me praise you while I want to.<\/p>\n

LORENZO :<\/strong> No, please, let it serve for dinner conversation; then, no matter what you say, I shall digest it with the other things I\u2019m eating up.<\/p>\n

JESSICA :<\/strong> Well, I\u2019ll point you in the right direction.
\nExeunt.<\/p>\n

Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And, if on earth he do not mean it, then :<\/strong> this depends on the sense given to the word \u201cmean.\u201d If we take it as \u201cintend\u201d then we must understand, \u201cif Bassanio is really sincere in his upright life.\u201d Then we might take the sense to be, \u201cIf on earth, he does not follow the mean or middle-way in conduct,\u201d taking the sense of \u201cmean\u201d as \u201cthe average.\u201d Again the sense of \u201cmean\u201d might be \u201cto demean himself or keep himself humble,\u201d and this gives us, \u201cIf he does not humble himself on this earth, he need never expect heaven, if he has already enjoyed, heavenly happiness on earth.\u201d heavenly match :<\/strong> a competition between heavenly or divine beings, pawn\u2019d :<\/strong> put up as a stake; wagered by the other of the two competitors, fellow :<\/strong> equal or match. Anon :<\/strong> in a moment; at once, while I have a stomach :<\/strong> again a double meaning, (i) while I have the desire to do so, and (ii) while I have an appetite for dinner, table-talk :<\/strong> talk over the dinner table, then, howso\u2019er thou speak\u2019st, \u2018mong other things, I shall digest it :<\/strong> then, no matter how you speak, I shall be able to digest your words along with dinner, set you forth :<\/strong> set forth your praises.<\/p>\n

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