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Thread: ".., whatever his reasons for wanting it to be that way."

  1. #1
    Почтенный гражданин oldboy's Avatar
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    ".., whatever his reasons for wanting it to be that way."

    She sighed and punched up a star map on the visiscreen so she could make it simple for him, whatever his reasons for wanting it to be that way.
    © The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

    I can't understand whether is there dropping the verb "be" there? I mean being completed this part looks like this:

    whatever his reasons for wanting it to be that way were.

    Yes?
    Thanks for correcting me.

  2. #2
    Завсегдатай sperk's Avatar
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    ...whatever his reasons were for wanting it to be that way.
    Кому - нары, кому - Канары.

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    Почтенный гражданин oldboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sperk View Post
    ...whatever his reasons were for wanting it to be that way.
    ???...
    So is "for wanting it to be that way" attribute of "reasons" or adverbial modifier?
    I mean:
    - What is his reasons for?
    - for wanting it to be that way.
    Thanks for correcting me.

  4. #4
    Почтенный гражданин bitpicker's Avatar
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    No, it's not "whatever his reasons were for, wanting" but "whatever his reasons were for (wanting)". He has reasons for something. The whole "for" phrase could be replace by a dependent clause: whatever his reasons were, which made him want it to be that way.

    In Russian maybe something like несмотря на то, какие у него причины, чтобы хочеть, что вещи так будут. Or something like that, which may not be the way you'd actually put it.
    Спасибо за исправления!

    Вам нравится этот форум, и вы изучаете немецкий язык? Вот похожий форум о немецком языке.

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    Старший оракул CoffeeCup's Avatar
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    несмотря на то, какие у него причины, чтобы хотеть этого.
    или
    Какие бы ни были у него причины, чтобы хотеть этого. (... чтобы хотеть, чтобы было так.)
    So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

  6. #6
    Почтенный гражданин oldboy's Avatar
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    Thanks a lot, sperk and bitpicker.
    Thanks for correcting me.

  7. #7
    Почтенный гражданин bitpicker's Avatar
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    Thanks, I knew something was wrong there but couldn't put my finger on it...
    Спасибо за исправления!

    Вам нравится этот форум, и вы изучаете немецкий язык? Вот похожий форум о немецком языке.

  8. #8
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    Not that I qualify to restrike a phrase penned by the great Douggie Adams, but..

    .. it might also be said: "She sighed and punched up a star map on the visiscreen so she could make it simple for him, regardless of what reasons he had for wanting it to be that way."

    .. it might also be said: "She sighed and punched up a star map on the visiscreen so she could make it simple for him, no matter why he wanted it to be that way."

    This may have already been explained, but I think the quirky way he wrote that was to denote that: she sighed, punched up the map on the screen to make it simple for him, despite being unconcerned with *why* he wanted it to be made easy for him.

    God, I love those books.
    luck/life/kidkboom
    Грязные башмаки располагают к осмотрительности в выборе дороги. /*/ Muddy boots choose their roads with wisdom. ;

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