A sentence in Virginia Woolf's short story "Memoris of a Novelist"

[chialingsheh]

"There was never to be a greater saint than she was, by the simple device of saying, before she spoke or acted, is this right?"

This is from a short story, "Memoirs of a Novelist," written by Virginia Woolf.

I am translating this short story into Chinese. But I have some doubt. I am not sure how this sentence really connects. Does it go like this: "By the simple device of saying, before she spoke or acted, there was never to be a greater saint than she was. Is this right?" I suspect that before the sentence "Is this right?", we need a period to put a stop to the previous sentence instead of using a comma here. Am I correct? Why is the sentence connected with a comma in the original text?

 

[jutfrank]

No, you've misunderstood. It means she was a saint because she always asked herself whether what she said or did was the right thing to do before she said or did it. She always thought first before doing or saying anything.

Always tell us the source of any language you ask about.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks a lot. You solved my the mystery.

Note my corrections above. There is no need to write a new post to thank anyone. Simply use the "Like" or "Thanks" icon, just as you have done already.

 

[Tdol]

Is the writer being sarcastic or sincere?

 

[chialingsheh]

Note my corrections above. There is no need to write a new post to thank anyone. Simply use the "Like" or "Thanks" icon, just as you have done already.

You make me feel so frustrated. I need your support and empathy. Please always show support when you are with language users who use English as their foreign language. Your support would be what I really need. We are here to share our love for language, and that is what language forums are for, I think. This is very important for me. In life, we share our love with other people. This is very important for me as a life-long English language learner. As a translator, I hope to express and receive love on this journey of English learning.

 

[emsr2d2]

You make me feel so frustrated. I need your support and empathy. Please always show support when you are with language users who use English as their foreign language. Your support would be what I really need.

I support learners of English here by correcting their mistakes. That's entirely the point of the forum.

 

[Tarheel]

@chialingsheh Say: "You make me feel frustrated."

English can be somebody's second language, but "their foreign language" doesn't work.

How did this thread become about your feelings?

 

[Tarheel]

@chialingsheh Did you mean to say "by the simple act of thinking before she spoke or acted"?