How would you interpret this sentence? How would you interpret this sentence “that’s splendid”? Did the speaker mean it was splendid that the other’s friend was a good man? Or did the speaker mean it

Wu Ting

How would you interpret this sentence? How would you interpret this sentence “that’s splendid”? Did the speaker mean it was splendid that the other’s friend was a good man? Or did the speaker mean it was splendid that the other’s friend was a doctor? Thanks. It’s from A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. the context: We looked at Rinaldi talking with the other nurse. "What is her name?" "Ferguson. Helen Ferguson. Your friend is a doctor, isn't he?" "Yes. He's very good." "That's splendid. You rarely find any one any good this close to the front. This is close to the front, isn't it?" "Quite." "It's a silly front," she said. "But it's very beautiful. Are they going to have an offensive?" "Yes."

2016年1月14日 14:43

回答 · 6

That's splendid that he's a good doctor because good doctors are rare so close to the fighting.

2016年1月14日

"He's very good" here means "he is a very good doctor." It doesn't mean he is a virtuous man, although he may be. "That's splendid" means that it is splendid to have a good doctor so close to the front. He implies that doctors who are close to the front are usually not very good.

2016年1月14日

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