| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: euphonic, most economical of breath, in the case of one of two competing
sounds; but these expressions do not add anything to our knowledge. We may
try to grasp the infinity of language either under the figure of a
limitless plain divided into countries and districts by natural boundaries,
or of a vast river eternally flowing whose origin is concealed from us; we
may apprehend partially the laws by which speech is regulated: but we do
not know, and we seem as if we should never know, any more than in the
parallel case of the origin of species, how vocal sounds received life and
grew, and in the form of languages came to be distributed over the earth.
iii. Next in order to analogy in the formation of language or even prior
to it comes the principle of onomatopea, which is itself a kind of analogy
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: washing arrangements.
"It's out hyeh, seh," he informed me gravely, but with strong
Southern accent. Internal mirth seemed often to heighten the
local flavor of his speech. There were other times when it had
scarce any special accent or fault in grammar.
A trough was to my right, slippery with soapy water; and hanging
from a roller above one end of it was a rag of discouraging
appearance. The Virginian caught it, and it performed one
whirling revolution on its roller. Not a dry or clean inch could
be found on it. He took off his hat, and put his head in the
door.
The Virginian |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: will say 'the many can kill us,' that makes no difference; but a good life,
in other words, a just and honourable life, is alone to be valued. All
considerations of loss of reputation or injury to his children should be
dismissed: the only question is whether he would be right in attempting to
escape. Crito, who is a disinterested person not having the fear of death
before his eyes, shall answer this for him. Before he was condemned they
had often held discussions, in which they agreed that no man should either
do evil, or return evil for evil, or betray the right. Are these
principles to be altered because the circumstances of Socrates are altered?
Crito admits that they remain the same. Then is his escape consistent with
the maintenance of them? To this Crito is unable or unwilling to reply.
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