James: as ... as
Marius Hancu
I'm trying to figure out the particular meaning the two "as" have here
and it seems "that" doesn't quite fit in:
"It worked out as BECAUSE he was anxious there—it worked out as for
this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming."
It would fit for:
"It worked out _that_ BECAUSE he was anxious there—it worked out
_that_ for this reason Waymarsh was so blooming.
but then I'd have to remove the "that" before "Waymarsh" in the
original.
---
[Stether's been failed by his old friend Waymarsh, who "told" on his
actions to those back home.]
It came to him in fact that just here was his usual case: he was for
ever missing things through his general genius for missing them, while
others were for ever picking them up through a contrary bent. And it
was others who looked abstemious and he who looked greedy; it was he
somehow who finally paid, and it was others who mainly partook. Yes,
he should go to the scaffold yet for he wouldn't know quite whom. He
almost, for that matter, felt on the scaffold now and really quite
enjoying it. It worked out as BECAUSE he was anxious there—it worked
out as for this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming.
Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 296
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
-----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hello:
>
>I'm trying to figure out the particular meaning the two "as" have here
>and it seems "that" doesn't quite fit in:
>
>"It worked out as BECAUSE he was anxious there�it worked out as for
>this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming."
>
>It would fit for:
>
>"It worked out _that_ BECAUSE he was anxious there�it worked out
>_that_ for this reason Waymarsh was so blooming.
>
>but then I'd have to remove the "that" before "Waymarsh" in the
>original.
>
I am not a literary genius so I have trouble understanding the writings
of literary genii. However...
It begins to make sense if "worked out as" is interpreted as "worked out
as it did", "worked out like that" or something similar.
It worked out as [it did] because he was anxious there�it worked out
as [it did] for this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming."
ICBW.
>---
>[Stether's been failed by his old friend Waymarsh, who "told" on his
>actions to those back home.]
>
>It came to him in fact that just here was his usual case: he was for
>ever missing things through his general genius for missing them, while
>others were for ever picking them up through a contrary bent. And it
>was others who looked abstemious and he who looked greedy; it was he
>somehow who finally paid, and it was others who mainly partook. Yes,
>he should go to the scaffold yet for he wouldn't know quite whom. He
>almost, for that matter, felt on the scaffold now and really quite
>enjoying it. It worked out as BECAUSE he was anxious there�it worked
>out as for this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming.
>
>Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 296
>http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
>-----
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
Jerry Friedman
I think it's "It could be calculated as". I can almost imagine
saying, "You have to calculate how many bricks you need. It works out
as about ten tons." (Though I think I'd say "to" instead of "as".)
So when he figured it out, the answer proved to be that his anxiety on
the scaffold was the reason that Waymarsh was so blooming.
--
Jerry Friedman
CDB
had by inserting "being", a form of a word that is often left out,
after 'as". "It worked out as [being] BECAUSE he was anxious there�it
worked out as [being] for this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming."
Since "for this reason" is a repetition in other words of "because he
was anxious there"; I would have preferred another dash after
"reason".
Marius Hancu
> Jerry Friedman wrote:
> > I think it's "It could be calculated as". I can almost imagine
> > saying, "You have to calculate how many bricks you need. It works
> > out
> > as about ten tons." (Though I think I'd say "to" instead of "as".)
Me too.
> > So when he figured it out, the answer proved to be that his anxiety
> > on
> > the scaffold was the reason that Waymarsh was so blooming.
> I agree, but I think the closest sensible parsing of the phrase can be
> had by inserting "being", a form of a word that is often left out,
> after 'as". "It worked out as [being] BECAUSE he was anxious there—it
> worked out as [being] for this reason that Waymarsh was so blooming."
> Since "for this reason" is a repetition in other words of "because he
> was anxious there"; I would have preferred another dash after
> "reason".
Seems _as_ a good take to me:-)
So, here I was plugging along comfortably four hundred pages of other
of his "as," and James pops this one on me:-)
Thanks.
Marius Hancu