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Shana
Hi!! Could you please confirm the literal meaning of the following sentence? GPT told me that the sentence is quite metaphorical, and it also provided me with its rephrased version. I'm very curious about the uses of "flint decades" and "individual gem", are they meaning the ways what GPT has interpreted?? I see "gem" has been frequently used in media. If it were used metaphorically here, then is this its only one figurative meaning?🙏🏻🙏🏻
"In the flint decades of the twentieth century, the individual gem could not be seen, but could be worked with fruitfully."
GPT: In the hard and harsh decades of the twentieth century, the single precious object (the individual gem) couldn't be clearly seen (maybe due to chaos or overshadowing), but people could still work with it in meaningful ways.
19 апр. 2025 г., 8:11
Ответы · 8
"Flint" is a type of rock whose softness (for a rock, at least) allows it to be used to start fires. By rubbing against a rough surface, you can create sparks.
I interpret "flint decades" to refer to troubled times when there was much tension within societies and between countries. Always there was danger that "sparks" might set off trouble. (I am trying hard to avoid words that iTalki will ban me for using!).
Nonetheless, during those troubled times, there were things of beauty (gems) that could be found. Beautiful art was created. Marvelous scientific discoveries were made including spectacular advances in medicine. Wonderful literature and poetry such as you are now studying now came into being.
19 апреля 2025 г.
It seems to me that flint is just a typo of first.
I don’t know what individual gem is supposed to mean? Is it referring to people?
Not very clear and the Chat GPT makes no sense at all.
19 апреля 2025 г.
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Shana
Языковые навыки
китайский (путунхуа), китайский (кантонский), английский, японский
Изучаемый язык
английский, японский
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