| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: minute accuracy for the sake of clearness and sense. But he is not
therefore at liberty to omit words and turns of expression which the
English language is quite capable of supplying. He must be patient and
self-controlled; he must not be easily run away with. Let him never allow
the attraction of a favourite expression, or a sonorous cadence, to
overpower his better judgment, or think much of an ornament which is out of
keeping with the general character of his work. He must ever be casting
his eyes upwards from the copy to the original, and down again from the
original to the copy (Rep.). His calling is not held in much honour by the
world of scholars; yet he himself may be excused for thinking it a kind of
glory to have lived so many years in the companionship of one of the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Koran: (LVIII. Medinah.)
GOD has heard the speech of her who wrangled with you about her
husband, and complained to God; and God hears your gossip; verily, God
both hears and sees.
Those among you who back out of their wives they are not their
mothers their mothers are only those who gave them birth and,
verily, they speak a wrong speech and a false.
Verily, God both pardons and forgives. But those who back out of
their wives and then would recall their speech,- then the
manumission of a captive before they touch each other; that is what ye
are admonished, and God of what ye do is well aware!
The Koran |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: was returning with Maxime to the group; and forgetting the presence of
a stranger whose discretion was not known to them like that of Leon
and Bixiou, he took Canalis by the hand in a very significant manner.
"Well," he said, "I consent to what Monsieur de Trailles proposes.
I'll put the question to you in the Chamber, but I shall do it with
great severity."
"Then we shall have the house with us, for a man of your weight and
your eloquence is certain to have the ear of the Chamber," said
Canalis. "I'll reply to you; but I shall do it sharply, to crush you."
"You could bring about a change of the cabinet, for on such ground you
can do what you like with the Chamber, and be master of the
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