Plain English

I need someone to translate this paragraph into plain English. Many thanks in advance.

We are now perhaps in a position to distinguish the idea of country from certain other kindred notions —state, nation, society. The state is simply a collectivity gathered under a sovereign authority or government which rules over the territory inhabited by that collectivity. It may include several nations or parts of nations. To understand that the State is not only a different notion from that of country but may not correspond with it at all, we have but to think of Poland, Ireland, and Alsace-Lorraine in 1914. For most of the people of those three territories their country was something wholly different from the State or States of which they formed a part. A country, a patrie, is the long growth of centuries, a State may be formed over night. The distinction between country (patrie, fatherland) and nation is perhaps not so easy to make plain. Commonly they are the same entity but looked at from a different point of view. The nation is a nation whether looked at by friend or foe, citizen or foreigner; it is a patrie only to the individuals who compose it and perhaps not to all of these. In the Ireland of not so long ago there were individuals not a few who, though undoubtedly Irish by nationality, spoke of "this country" and "our country" and meant— Great Britain. There were Czechs and Poles of that type in the Austria of before the last War. I am not blaming but merely calling attention to a fact. Again there are emigrants, thoroughly loyal citizens of their new country, who still look back with longing and regret to the "old country," their true fatherland, which they have quitted forever. And again there are those whose love and loyalty go both to their "petite patrie" (Brittany, the Basque Country, Bavaria) and to the greater country of which it forms a par

The link:http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/...fm?recnum=1125

[henry]

Originally Posted by Hong Kong Chinese

I need someone to translate this paragraph into plain English. Many thanks in advance.

The link:http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/...fm?recnum=1125

Hi HK Chinese
I think your paragraph is quite plain. There is nothing you can't understand, I guess, if you understood the context first. Or are there some particular sentences which seem complicated to you, then underline the sentences.
I can then help you.
:? Henry

[RonBee]

I have found only one thing that I would change.

In the Ireland of not so long ago there were individuals not a few who, though undoubtedly Irish by nationality, spoke of "this country" and "our country" and meant— Great Britain.

Say:

• In the Ireland of not so long ago there were more than a few individuals who, though undoubtedly Irish by nationality, spoke of "this country" and "our country" and meant— Great Britain.

All in all, it is not bad (although it seems to end in the middle of a word).

• http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/...fm?recnum=1125

(URL reposted so it is a hyperlink.)

:)

Henry and Sir Ronbee, Thank very much!

<<<The state is simply a collectivity gathered under a sovereign authority or government which rules over the territory inhabited by that collectivity.
>>>
What does collectivity mean?

<<<we have but to think of Poland, Ireland, and Alsace-Lorraine in 1914>>>
What does ‘but’ mean?

&lt;&lt;<A country, a patrie, is the long growth of centuries, a State may be formed over night.>&gt;&gt;

What does ‘long’ mean?

&lt;&lt;<I am not blaming but merely calling attention to a fact.>&gt;&gt;
I am not blaming anyone except only calling attention to a fact. Do I interpret this sentence correctly?

&lt;&lt;&lt;and to the greater country of which it forms a par&gt;&gt;&gt;
I can’t catch the meaning of this phrase!
Greater country = country, comparative with "petite patrie"?
It forms a par = it forms an equal status?

I get lost after spending at least two hours on reading ‘what is patriotism’.

P.s. Sir Ronbee, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for your encouragement from the other thread!

[RonBee]

By a collectivity the writer no doubt means a collective or group.

Re:

• we have but to think of Poland, Ireland, and Alsace-Lorraine in 1914

We only have to think of those examples to remind ourselves that there were nations that existed without being separate countries.

What long means depends on context. It could refer to either duration or length.

I am not blaming anyone except only calling attention to a fact. Do I interpret this sentence correctly?

&lt;&lt;&lt;and to the greater country of which it forms a par&gt;&gt;&gt;
I can’t catch the meaning of this phrase!
Greater country = country, comparative with "petite patrie"?
It forms a par = it forms an equal status?

That should be, no doubt, the greater country of which it forms a part. In other words, it is part of a larger country.

You're welcome, as always. Let me know if you have any more questions.

:)

Thank you! I get the meanings of this paragraph closer now.
I should not have put so many “arrows” on my previous posting for some of the contents have gone missing.

OK, I am doing it in another way.

A country, a patrie, is the long growth of centuries, a State may be formed over night.

What does ‘long’ mean?

I am not blaming but merely calling attention to a fact.

I am not blaming anyone except only calling attention to a fact. Do I interpret this sentence correctly?

and to the greater country of which it forms a par

It was my mistake. Sir Ronbee you are correct. It should be read as ‘and to the greater country of which it forms a part’.

[RonBee]

Quote:

• A country, a patrie, is the long growth of centuries, a State may be formed over night.

What does ‘long’ mean?

It means there of extended duration. In other words, it took place over quite a few years--centuries, as the author notes.

Quote:

• I am not blaming but merely calling attention to a fact.

I am not blaming anyone except only calling attention to a fact. Do I interpret this sentence correctly?

Yes, quite so. :)

Quote:

• and to the greater country of which it forms a par

It was my mistake. Sir Ronbee you are correct. It should be read as ‘and to the greater country of which it forms a part’.

You are right.

:wink:

I need someone to translate this paragraph into plain English.

after that,can u translate it to chinese?

Hey shopping20,
how did you got that picture on this forum?

Quote:
I need someone to translate this paragraph into plain English.


And do you also want that in dutch?

Originally Posted by sanny

Hey shopping20,
how did you got that picture on this forum?

use this code: [img] your photo link [/img]
like you found a picture here, http://www.beautiful-london.co.uk/london/the-tower.jpg then if u use the code [img] the link [/img] the result will be

you can use it in reply and Signature