Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[wangfeel]

Previous sentences were talking about the beauty and history of Centre Pompidou in French, when I come to below sentence, I can't understand the word "deny" and I can't understand the sentence then.

"Visitors entering the fourth floor find themselves in the midst of the contemporary collection from 1960 to the present. There is a new emphasis on installations, while architecture, design and photography are given a pride of place denied them in the museum's previous incarnation."

what is "they" refering to?
a pride of place is give to something? I guess I need my imagination now.
incarnation? I am totally confused.
Anyone can cure me? I sure take you to dinner when you come to china, I guess.

Anyone can speak chinese , that would be my god helper. But anyone can tell me and take me out of the confusing mud pit, I would appriciate it.
_________________
"Watch flower flowering and searing
Stay or leave has no sense
Clouds curling and stretching
Like or dislike is no surprising " from old Chinese saying

[obelix]

"Visitors entering the fourth floor find themselves in the midst of the contemporary collection from 1960 to the present. There is a new emphasis on installations, while architecture, design and photography are given a pride of place denied them in the museum's previous incarnation."

They or, more accurately, them refers to architecture, design and photography.

These three things are given pride of place (the most important or dominant position) at the Centre Pompidou which they were denied (which means refused or not given) at the museum's previous incarnation (this word means literally, embodiment in flesh but
here the writer means at its previous location, or if it is in the same building, prior to its remodelling or rearrangement.

[wangfeel]

Thank you very much for your reply.
I thought it through and I think if cut "them" out of the sentence , it would be a correct sentence. Because I think "deny " is used to describe "pride of place", and "them" is a repeat of it. Am I right?
_________________
"Watch flower flowering and searing
Stay or leave has no sense
Clouds curling and stretching
Like or dislike is no surprising " from old Chinese saying

[bud]

Hi Wangfeel,

You are probably correct that your deletion would work, but I'm not absolutely sure. Regardless, though, I think the sentence reads better in its original form.

'Them,' as Obelix wrote, is referring to architectue, design and photography.

Hope that helps.

[wangfeel]

There is a new emphasis on installations, while architecture, design and photography are given a pride of place denied them in the museum's previous incarnation."

Bud , tell you the truth. I didn't understand.

I want to understand original sentence.

Does this sentence omit "which" refering to "pride of place" between "place" and "denied"?

If them is object, I think we need a subject right?

I really blunder on my learning road, sorry about that!
_________________
"Watch flower flowering and searing
Stay or leave has no sense
Clouds curling and stretching
Like or dislike is no surprising " from old Chinese saying

[bud]

It's a very complex sentence, Wangfeel, so don't feel bad. I wish I could explain the grammar to you, but that is certainly not a strength of mine.

You could insert 'which WAS' where you suggest. It doesn't change the meaning, but the grammar might be clearer to you. You are correct that 'which' would refer to 'pride of place.' Here's an inelegant rewrite, in case it helps:

There is now an emphasis on installations. Also, architecture, design and photography are now given a pride of place. Prior to renovations, architecture, design and photography were denied such a pride of place.

Hope that helps, but if not, please feel free to ask more questions.

[wangfeel]

Thank you, bud. That helped a lot .
_________________
"Watch flower flowering and searing
Stay or leave has no sense
Clouds curling and stretching
Like or dislike is no surprising " from old Chinese saying