to escape to breakneck pursuit

[Flubber]

Hi there

Could you tell me whether the sentence is correct?

It’s she who forced me to escape to breakneck pursuit of fate.

Flubber

 

[Rover_KE]

In what context did you encounter that problematical sentence?

 

[Flubber]

Two guys are talking about the fight in one hamlet:
- Why do you involve peasants in your affairs?
- Me? It’s she who forced me to escape to breakneck pursuit of fate.
- But why here?...

'She' is the girl he's fighting with. She was chasing him for several years, they want to fight finally in that hamlet.

 

[bhaisahab]

Two guys are talking about the fight in one hamlet:
- Why do you involve peasants in your affairs?
- Me? It’s she who forced me to escape to breakneck pursuit of fate.
- But why here?...

'She' is the girl he's fighting with. She was chasing him for several years, they want to fight finally in that hamlet.

What is the source of this material?

 

[Flubber]

Hmmm... Me The rest is just approximately, it's not original. I just want to know whether

forced me to escape to breakneck pursuit of fate.

Is correct. Please.

 

[BobK]

Hmmm... Me The rest is just approximately, it's not original. I just want to know whether

Is correct. Please.

No. A pursuit can be breakneck, but only if it's very fast; and there's nothing in your context to suggest this one is. (Perhaps you believe, mistakenly, that 'breakneck' is just a fancy word for 'dangerous'.)

And I've no idea why anyone would pursue fate, or why anyone should 'escape' to a pursuit.

So generally I'm afraid it doesn't make much sense. ;-)

b

 

[Flubber]

But it is fast 'breakneck' is a good word, but I'm not sure of the structure of the sentence.

Forced me to the escape, a breakneck pursuit with fate.

OK. Maybe now it's better?

 

[bhaisahab]

OK. Maybe now it's better?

Not really, no.

 

[Flubber]

You're right. I have to translate one Polish dialogue into English but it doesn't really make much sense even in my language... I'm going to ignore this. Or maybe to think of something totally different? Hmmm...

It's she who put me to flight.

It's clear now :] Or maybe I should use present perfect? Because it happened in the past and since that time he's been ruining away? On the other hand, he's deciding to stop this during the talk... I don't know...

 

[bhaisahab]

You're right. I have to translate one Polish dialogue into English but it doesn't really make much sense even in my language... I'm going to ignore this. Or maybe to think of something totally different? Hmmm...



It's clear now :] Or maybe I should use present perfect? Because it happened in the past and since that time he's been ruining away? On the other hand, he's deciding to stop this during the talk... I don't know...

"It's she who put me to flight." This is fine.

 

[BobK]

:up: Other possible variations are 'She's the one who put me to flight' (depends on the period; 'it was she' makes it sound a bit older, as I think the less correct 'It was her...' puts it squarely in the 20th/21st century), or the more poetic 'She it was who put me to flight'. But, as bhai said, yours is fine.

b