Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
"That is all I know: I do not believe, and am without a better answer myself"
I have a question about the meaning of the clause "That is all I know" in boldface in the text below (which is itself a translation from another language). My question is: Does the clause "That is all I know" refer to what is said in the previous sentences (e.g., the texts marked blue), or what is said in the clauses after the colon (the texts marked red)?
If it were true that I had the ability to guide the young -- whether I guide them right or wrong -- I would assuredly not hide it, but unfortunately I do not even have a compass for myself, and I am still blundering even now. If I blunder into a deep abyss, I have only myself to blame, but what if I lead other people on? This is the reason I'm afraid of mounting a lecturer's podium and spouting nonsense. I remember an attack on preachers in a story which related how a country woman complained to a preacher about her hard life and asked him for help. When he had listened to her, the preacher answered, "Be patient. If the Lord makes you suffer in this life you will be rewarded in the afterlife." In fact, how could the sayings of sages and philosophers past and present even be wiser than this? Isn't what they call the "future" the same as what the preacher called the "afterlife"? That is all I know: I do not believe, but I am without a better answer myself.
If it were true that I had the ability to guide the young -- whether I guide them right or wrong -- I would assuredly not hide it, but unfortunately I do not even have a compass for myself, and I am still blundering even now. If I blunder into a deep abyss, I have only myself to blame, but what if I lead other people on? This is the reason I'm afraid of mounting a lecturer's podium and spouting nonsense. I remember an attack on preachers in a story which related how a country woman complained to a preacher about her hard life and asked him for help. When he had listened to her, the preacher answered, "Be patient. If the Lord makes you suffer in this life you will be rewarded in the afterlife." In fact, how could the sayings of sages and philosophers past and present even be wiser than this? Isn't what they call the "future" the same as what the preacher called the "afterlife"? That is all I know: I do not believe, but I am without a better answer myself.
Top answer
My understanding is that the word that in "That is all I know" references the blue texts. The red texts after the colon (:) tells how he thinks about the things being pointed to. Am I right?
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My understanding is that the word that in "That is all I know" references the blue texts. The red texts after the colon (:) tells how he thinks about the things being pointed to. Am I right?
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The colon means that it refers to the red, but should read 'This', not 'that'. What the writer really meant to reference by 'that', I do not know.
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I agree with Micawber. Also, "I do not believe" is an incomplete sentence.
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Thank you both for your replies.
Now I can see two different ways to read this clause and the whole sentence (i.e., "That is all I know: I do not believe, but I am without a better answer myself"):
(1) [This] is all I know [All I know is this]: I do not believe [it], but am without a better answer [for it] myself.
(2) That is all I know [about the matter from what they
Now I can see two different ways to read this clause and the whole sentence (i.e., "That is all I know: I do not believe, but I am without a better answer myself"):
(1) [This] is all I know [All I know is this]: I do not believe [it], but am without a better answer [for it] myself.
(2) That is all I know [about the matter from what they
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