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HL #3564 Rewrite Your Script
Posted August 21st, 2010 by Luus
I have a question about the following sentence and I must ask it, for as long as I don't know the answer, I will not put my mind at rest.
"What you once were, what you once suffered do not have to stick to you."
In every other language that I know it would not be do but does. And even if the sentence would read: "What you once were and what you once suffered ...," it would still be singular.
Is do correct or does it have to be does?
I would vote for do
Luus, my opinion would be to leave the form as do. To me the question turns on whether “what you once were” and “what you once suffered” are two different things or whether they are one thing described with two different phrases. My feeling is that these are actually two different aspects of our past and it is being said that we do not need to be held prisoner by either. This, to me, carries a deeper insight than does.
Loving you, all your work and that of all translators…..Chuck
Thank you, Chuck. I already
Thank you, Chuck. I already suspected that this would be the explanation. As a foreigner, we will never know details like this one.
It's my pleasure to translate and I'm happy to see that every month more new Dutch subscribers come.
Blessings,
Luus
And so are we thrilled,
And so are we thrilled, beloved Luus.
I think it would be fair to add an and between the two clauses and make it clear that there are two thoughts here.
Thank you, Luus, and Chuck!