virus: Emerson translation.

Tony Hindle (t.hindle@joney.demon.co.uk)
Sun, 30 Mar 1997 06:25:02 +0100


I have had a go at translating the Ralph Waldo Emerson bit from
VotM ch6. I would apreciate comments from all.

original:
Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of
its members. Society is a joint stock company in which the members
agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to
surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most
requests is conformity.

my attempt at paraphrasing:
Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of
its members [all societies are collections of people plotting against
all individuals].
Society is a joint stock company in which the members agree,
for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender
the liberty and culture of the eater. (I've got no distinction memes for
this jargon so I'll translate it as)
[ middle men sacrificing liberty & culture of everyone in order
to guarantee well being of everyone]
The virtue in most requests is conformity. [since most requests
are questions, they also contain a packet of memes that say "to agree to
this request is to be virtuous"]

Tony Hindle.