“I nearly had you there,” says Brother Thaddeus. “Nearly. I did.”
Father William doesn’t reply. There isn’t really anything to say in response to an observation that runs so starkly counter to any kind of accuracy. He allows something that approximates to a smile to gleam in his eyes, register in his features, hoping he at least looks friendly. He looks into the fire, takes a sip of small beer from his mug.
Thaddeus broods, frowning at the gently burning logs, the settling ash that veils the crimson glow. “So often,” he says, “so often, there is no more than a hare’s breath between success and victory.”
“What?” Father William glances at him. “Aren’t they the same thing?”
Thaddeus nods sagely at this. “In the grand scheme of things, of course we could say they were. What does it matter if we win or lose? Surely the crucial thing, for a man of God, is how we play the game. Even then, I think most practical men would say success and victory are opposite — oh. I see what you mean. I meant to say success and failure. Or losing and winning. Or victory and defeat. Or triumph and downfall. Or —”
“Yes, Thaddeus. Yes, I get it.” William stifles a sigh, worried he sounded too testy. “Sometimes words get muddled up, don’t they,” he adds, trying to infuse his words with appropriate gentleness.
This torture happens every week, playing chess with Brother Thaddeus. It never improves, resisting William’s best efforts to explain the moves and communicate the central concepts of strategy and anticipation. Yet despite Thaddeus’s comprehensive inability to conquer even the rudiments of the game, William has to admire his eagerness, his optimism, his willingness to try again. And after his inevitable defeat, there is always this time of puzzled reflection, trying to discern through the mists of obscurity what it could be that went wrong.
“Well, anyway, as I said,” Thaddeus now reiterates, “there is but a hare’s breath between being bested and worsted.”
Oh God. William closes his eyes. He can’t be bothered.
“Why do we call it a hare’s breath?” Thaddeus is in philosophical mode now. “It’s such an odd expression. I suppose a hare is only a little animal. Bigger than a rabbit, of course, but even so. There’s something fey and moonlit about a hare. I suppose its breath must be the most insubstantial thing, just a tiny vanishing cloud on the frosty air. Just a hare’s breath. Almost nothing. It’s a lovely expression, really — don’t you think?”
William slowly lifts his gaze from the fire to contemplate his brother in Christ, wondering if it’s more unkind to make him feel stupid by telling him, or leave him to roam the world unenlightened, free to make a fool of himself with somebody else.
He hesitates: then, “Thaddeus,” he says, trying to sound neutral, conversational, not dismissive or superior, “it’s not . . . well . . . the expression is a hair’s breadth. Hair like a hair that grows on your head — or for that matter, out of your nose or in your eyebrows. And it’s breadth — as in width — not breath.”
“What?” says Thaddeus. “Are you serious? Well I’m jiggered! Are you sure that’s right?” He thinks for a minute. “I suppose that explains it. There isn’t much breadth to a hair, is there? When you think about it.”
William has no idea what expression his face is supposed to be wearing. Never was a man so glad to hear the bell ring for Compline.
21 comments:
Delightful! I love how Francis and William manage Thaddeus and his enthusiasms.
❤️ He is their brother. xx
I think this is a case where the auto-translator doesn't help much. But in general, I can guess what it's about. I sympathise with both of them.
Ты прав! Этот пост действительно о лингвистических шутках. В английском языке «заячье дыхание» (hare's breath) и «ширина волоса» (hair's breath) звучат практически одинаково.
«Hair's breadth» традиционно используется для обозначения очень тонкого разделения или разделения, иногда почти ускользающего.
Еще есть (в посте) шутка про «bested и worsted». Звучит так, как будто они должны быть противоположными, но на самом деле они означают одно и то же (побежденных).
«Лучший» и «худший» (прилагательные) действительно противоположны, но и «лучший», и «худший» (глаголы) означают выйти победителем — как мы говорим по-английски, что вы «got the better of» их (одолели их).
Мне жаль, что эта маленькая история настолько сложна для человека, для которого английский является вторым языком. хх
Thanks for the explanation! Now I understand. What I don't understand is why Thaddeus is so eager to play if he loses all the time. Yes, by the way, there's a hair's breadth expression in Russian too, but it's hard to confuse it with anything else. That's the kind of thing that's hardest to translate.
Отец Франциск и отец Уильям тоже не понимают, почему брат Фаддей продолжает играть в шахматы. Но у нас есть такое выражение на английском языке: «Надежда вечна в человеческой груди» ("Hope springs eternal in the human breast").
Таддеус – вечный оптимист. Он также человек с воображением. Для него шахматные фигуры живы, битва реальна. Это чудесное облегчение от ежедневной практики святого смирения.
Даже если он не выиграет.
We have a saying, ‘hope dies last’. I think it's a similar expression.
Is Thaddeus not interested in watching Francis play with William? It's not enough for his imagination?
Нисколько. Он хочет вступить в бой. Он хочет выйти победителем.
It's a really difficult situation. I like to watch others play, but of course you can't win :)
Я думаю, у тебя есть преимущество перед братом Фаддеусом: ты осознал важность интереса к стратегии.
Pen, I think I've morphed into Thaddeus as a result of this Long Covid as I blithely went along with his explanation!!! Thank goodness Fr William was able to set me right 😂😂😂❤️. I hope that whatever ails you is easing a little xxx
Yes, no doubt. But I don't understand anything about strategy. I don't have a strategic mind. That's why I don't play games that require it. In real life, others develop the strategy, I just follow the instructions. That's the strength of the community - you don't have to know how to do everything yourself :)
О да, действительно — в сообществе есть сила. x
Hi San — boo to long Covid. Every day we pray for you. xxx
I pray for you too xxx
❤️ It makes a difference. Very gradually I am finding what to do to re-establish and create health. Thank you. xx
I'd put a heart, but I don't know how :)
🩷🩷
Мария —
Я думаю, вы можете скопировать и вставить одно из сердечек, которые появляются в ветке комментариев, или поискать в Интернете «сердечные смайлы» и найти одно для копирования.
Или просто используйте знаки препинания, например:
<3
хх
Oh, right! ❤️ How did it not occur to me?
I didn't know about <3, in my youth there were only :) and :( well and ;) its my favourite.
:0D
also
:0b
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