what is the meaning of the sentence?

[eagleflych]

I saw a sentence in a novel. The sentence is "It was strange to her to see Peter looking as he looked now", but I can't understand the meaning of the sentence.

The novel and the sentence can be found in the webpage:

ÄÉÄáÑÇ´«Ææ9E2:9EʨÍõ4B¡¢ÑýÆźʹóÒ¹ñ(9E174B)

Please help me. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[billmcd]

It means that, to the woman, Peter looked differently than he had looked previously. He might have looked healthy previously and now he looked sickly or overweight previously and thinner now. It does not mean that Peter himself was looking.

 

[tedtmc]

I saw a sentence in a novel. The sentence is "It was strange to her to see Peter looking as he looked now", but I can't understand the meaning of the sentence.

The novel and the sentence can be found in the webpage:

ÄÉÄáÑÇ´«Ææ9E2:9EʨÍõ4B¡¢ÑýÆźʹóÒ¹ñ(9E174B)

Please help me. Thanks a lot in advance.

to see Peter as he looked now - to see how Peter's appearance had vastly changed compared to before, at that point in time when she saw him again

not a teacher

 

[eagleflych]

Thank you for your replies.

If I don't misunderstand, in the sentence, the three words of "see", "looking" and "looked" have the same time quality. That is to say, "see", "looking" and "looked" exist at the same time.

Supposing the time is A time, then "to see Peter looking as he looked now" can be transformed into "at A time, to see that A time's appearance of Peter is the same as A time's appearance of Peter".

It seems to be illogical, doesn't it?

 

[billmcd]

Thank you for your replies.

If I don't misunderstand, in the sentence, the three words of "see", "looking" and "looked" have the same time quality. That is to say, "see", "looking" and "looked" exist at the same time.

Supposing the time is A time, then "to see Peter looking as he looked now" can be transformed into "at A time, to see that A time's appearance of Peter is the same as A time's appearance of Peter".

It seems to be illogical, doesn't it?

I think I understand and agree with your statement that "see, looking and looked exist at the same time". But I don't understand your second statement. To, perhaps, make you more confused the statement could also have been expressed as, "...to see Peter looking as he looks now". In fact, it might have been better stated that way.

 

[eagleflych]

I think I understand and agree with your statement that "see, looking and looked exist at the same time". But I don't understand your second statement. To, perhaps, make you more confused the statement could also have been expressed as, "...to see Peter looking as he looks now". In fact, it might have been better stated that way.

Thanks for your reply.

If you agree that "see, looking and looked exist at the same time" and "to see Peter looking as he looks now" is a better expression, then the phrase of “Peter looking as he looks now” can be transformed into "the present appearance of Peter is the same as the present appearance of Peter".

It is illogical for me.

How about your opinion?

 

[tedtmc]

Thanks for your reply.

If you agree that "see, looking and looked exist at the same time" and "to see Peter looking as he looks now" is a better expression, then the phrase of “Peter looking as he looks now” can be transformed into "the present appearance of Peter is the same as the present appearance of Peter".

It is illogical for to me.

How about your opinion?

The story is in the past and is told in the past tense. 'Now' in the context refers to that particular point in time in the past. You can't change that to to the present, 'as he looks'.

 

[billmcd]

Yes. The statement about the woman's experience seeing Peter is about what she experienced in the past, but "as he looks now" in this context can refer to a general period of time that can include the recent past. Consider the following, "It was amazing for the researchers to see the modern civilization looking as it looks now."