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Old 12-Jul-2005, 15:00
Mah Mah is offline
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Default It's a fine doctor would

Hello.

I was reading The Story of Doctor Dolittle and stumbled upon this sentence, "It's a fine doctor would have his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice!"

Guessing from the context, it probably means that a fine doctor wouldn't have his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice, doesn't it?

Is this sentence grammatically correct? It seems something is missing.
Would you please rewrite the sentence so I can understand it easily?


Then his sister, Sarah Dolittle, came to him and said,
"John, how can you expect sick people to come and see you
when you keep all these animals in the house?
It's a fine doctor would have his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice!
That's the fourth personage these animals have driven away.
Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they wouldn't come near your house
again--no matter how sick they are. We are getting poorer every day.
If you go on like this, none of the best people will have you for a doctor."


Thank you.
Mah
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Old 12-Jul-2005, 16:08
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Default Re: It's a fine doctor would

"It's a fine doctor [who] would have etc etc..."

= ironical mode. (he's not a fine doctor because etc etc...)
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Old 13-Jul-2005, 02:46
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Default Re: It's a fine doctor would

Mah, it is, as Pieanne says, ironical and the way you rewrote it works fine:
No fine doctor would have his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice!
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Old 14-Jul-2005, 00:06
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Default Re: It's a fine doctor would

Pieanne and Tdol,

Thank you very much for your help. It is very clear now.

Mah
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Old 14-Jul-2005, 02:14
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Default Re: It's a fine doctor would

Enjoy the rest of the book.
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