Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Bubu]

Hallo!

what is the meaning of this sentence?

A LAWYER in whom an instinct of justice had survived the wreck of his ignorance of law was retained for the defence of a burglar whom the police had taken after a desperate struggle with someone not in custody

Thanks

[helen1]

Hi Bubu - where do you find these sentences???? They're just amazing and so formal - please don't misunderstand and think I'm saying you shouldn't read them - they're fantastic!

OK I'm going to have a go at explaining the meaning and then later Bud or Obelix will explain anything I've got wrong



I'd say this needs to be split into three parts:

[Bubu]

Dear Helen,

I have started reading classics and when I find a sentence extremely complicated I post it. But this one is from a fable.[well..quite a formidable one for a fable!]

By the way, just for your amusement let me paste the comment some one has made on this sentence we are discussing now. I got this in another site.

"At a guess, someone desperately trying to sound clever and failing utterly because of verbose prolix circumlocution designed to effect obfuscation in the interlocutor."

I did not understand a word of it but figured out that the writer is being critical on this style of writing.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[bud]

I have nothing to add to Helen's response. As for the other responder, he sounds like a person who is quite impressed with his own intelligence! I also agree with Helen that it is very good writing.