Comprehension

[jiang]

Dear teachers,

I don't quite understand the following two sentences. Could you please kindly explain them to me?

No.1
The least I can do is to drive everybody else closer to the issue.

No.2
It's very common for new fathers to be jealous after the birth of a baby.
'jealous' according to my dictionary means 'unhappy and slightly angry because you wish you had someone else's qualities, advantages or success'. I think a father should feel happy instead of 'jealous'.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear teachers,

I don't quite understand the following two sentences. Could you please kindly explain them to me?

No.1
The least I can do is to drive everybody else closer to the issue.

No.2
It's very common for new fathers to be jealous after the birth of a baby.
'jealous' according to my dictionary means 'unhappy and slightly angry because you wish you had someone else's qualities, advantages or success'. I think a father should feel happy instead of 'jealous'.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Jiang

1. "The least I can do" acknowledges that the action is unlikely to make a huge impact, but the speaker still feels that it is necessary. In this case, the speaker doesn't think he can get everyone to agree on a solution, but he may be able to get them to notice the problem.

2. A father can be jealous because the baby is consuming his wife's attention and affection.

[jiang]

Dear Mike,
I understand No.1.
No.2 is beyond me. I think parents love their children. Why doesn't new mother feel jealous but new fathers are?

Jiang

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

1. "The least I can do" acknowledges that the action is unlikely to make a huge impact, but the speaker still feels that it is necessary. In this case, the speaker doesn't think he can get everyone to agree on a solution, but he may be able to get them to notice the problem.

2. A father can be jealous because the baby is consuming his wife's attention and affection.

[jiang]

Oh, is this cultural difference? My parents love me very much. I don't see my father is jealous when I was born because he always tells me how happy he was when I was born.

Jiang

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

1. "The least I can do" acknowledges that the action is unlikely to make a huge impact, but the speaker still feels that it is necessary. In this case, the speaker doesn't think he can get everyone to agree on a solution, but he may be able to get them to notice the problem.

2. A father can be jealous because the baby is consuming his wife's attention and affection.

[Fitness Lover]

Originally Posted by jiang

No.2
It's very common for new fathers to be jealous after the birth of a baby.
'jealous' according to my dictionary means 'unhappy and slightly angry because you wish you had someone else's qualities, advantages or success'. I think a father should feel happy instead of 'jealous'.

well, take these definitions of jealous:

jeal‧ous /"dželës/

1 feeling angry and unhappy because someone has something that you wish you had

jealous of

e.g. Why are you so jealous of his success?

e.g. You're just jealous of her.

! Do not say 'jealous about' someone or something or 'jealous with' someone. Say jealous of someone or something.

2 feeling angry and unhappy because someone you like or love is showing interest in another person, or another person is showing interest in them:

---> e.g. She gets jealous if I even look at another woman.

e.g. He was talking to Nina to make me jealous.

jealous husband/wife/lover etc

3 jealous of something formal wanting to keep or protect something that you have because you are proud of it:

e.g. a country jealous of its heritage

Good Luck

[jiang]

Hi,
Thank you very much for your correction.

To be jealous of other people is easy to understand. But to be jeaous of one's baby is not easy to understand.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Fitness Lover

well, take these definitions of jealous:

jeal‧ous /"dželës/

1 feeling angry and unhappy because someone has something that you wish you had

jealous of

e.g. Why are you so jealous of his success?

e.g. You're just jealous of her.

! Do not say 'jealous about' someone or something or 'jealous with' someone. Say jealous of someone or something.

2 feeling angry and unhappy because someone you like or love is showing interest in another person, or another person is showing interest in them:

---> e.g. She gets jealous if I even look at another woman.

e.g. He was talking to Nina to make me jealous.

jealous husband/wife/lover etc

3 jealous of something formal wanting to keep or protect something that you have because you are proud of it:

e.g. a country jealous of its heritage

Good Luck

[Fitness Lover]

Originally Posted by jiang

Hi,
Thank you very much for your correction.

To be jealous of other people is easy to understand. But to be jeaous of one's baby is not easy to understand.

Jiang

You are welcome

[Humble]

Hi, Jiang,
After the birth of a baby mothers give all their love, attention and time to it. Some husbands (I think , actually, very few of them) feel deprived of TLC they used to have. The child has stolen it, that's why they are jealous.
Cheers

[jiang]

Dear Humble,
I seems to understand what you explained. He is jealous because it seems his wife loves their baby more than she loves him. That's funny.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Humble

Hi, Jiang,
After the birth of a baby mothers give all their love, attention and time to it. Some husbands (I think , actually, very few of them) feel deprived of TLC they used to have. The child has stolen it, that's why they are jealous.
Cheers

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear Mike,
I understand No.1.
No.2 is beyond me. I think parents love their children. Why doesn't new mother feel jealous but new fathers are?

Jiang

To explain the difference between men and women would require several volumes. The easy answer is "hormones". Mothers under the influense of certain hormones become completely enraptured by babies. Men's hormones don't change just because of the delivery. They love the child but often they feel neglected by the wife.