【No. 1324】The World's Shortest Love Letter Part 1
Aug 3, 2018 16:19
Today, I would like to introduce you to the episode of the world's shortest love letter.
In 1956, the first Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition was sent to Shōwa Station in Antarctica.
And eleven of them tried to overwinter in Antarctica, but the unimaginable severity of nature hindered it.
According to records, their tents were blown off by blizzard, two-thirds of the food washed into drift ice, and they lived by eating seals and seagulls.
In that era, there was neither internet nor telephone -- the only communication means was a telegram.
It was a very precious time for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
To be continued.
In 1956, the first Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition was sent to Shōwa Station in Antarctica.
And eleven of them tried to overwinter in Antarctica, but the unimaginable severity of nature hindered it.
According to records, their tents were blown off by blizzard, two-thirds of the food washed into drift ice, and they lived by eating seals and seagulls.
In that era, there was neither internet nor telephone -- the only communication means was a telegram.
It was a very precious time for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
To be continued.
世界一短いラブレター Part 1
今日は、世界一短いラブレターのエピソードを紹介します。
1956年、第1次南極地域観測隊が、昭和基地に派遣されました。
そして11名の隊員が、南極での越冬を試みるも、想像を絶する大自然の厳しさが襲い掛かります。
テントは飛ばされ、食糧は流氷に流され、アザラシやカモメを食べながらの生活を送ったようです。
この時代、インターネットも電話もなく、唯一の連絡手段は電報でした。
彼らにとって、電報を使った家族との交流は、なによりも楽しみなものでした。
続く。
今日は、世界一短いラブレターのエピソードを紹介します。
1956年、第1次南極地域観測隊が、昭和基地に派遣されました。
そして11名の隊員が、南極での越冬を試みるも、想像を絶する大自然の厳しさが襲い掛かります。
テントは飛ばされ、食糧は流氷に流され、アザラシやカモメを食べながらの生活を送ったようです。
この時代、インターネットも電話もなく、唯一の連絡手段は電報でした。
彼らにとって、電報を使った家族との交流は、なによりも楽しみなものでした。
続く。
Corrections (2)
No. 1 Will
- Today, I would like to introduce you to the episode of the world's shortest love letter.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- In 1956, the first Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition was sent to Shōwa Station in Antarctica.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- And eleven of them tried to overwinter in Antarctica, but the unimaginable severity of nature hindered it.
-
And eleven of them tried to overwinter in Antarctica, but the unimaginable severity of nature hindered it.
Usually, we don't start sentences with "and". You can remove it.
- According to records, their tents were blown off by blizzard, two-thirds of the food washed into drift ice, and they lived by eating seals and seagulls.
-
According to the records, their tents were blown away by a blizzard, two-thirds of the food was washed into drift ice, and they lived by eating seals and seagulls.
1) "the records" because you are talking about some specific records.
2) "blown away" is the correct phrase. If you use "blown off", you have to say WHAT it was blown off, for example "the tents were blown off the mountain".
3) "blizzard" is countable, so you need the article "a".
4) Something washed the food. The food didn't do the washing. Use the passive voice.
- In that era, there was neither internet nor telephone -- the only communication means was a telegram.
- In that era, there was neither internet nor telephone -- the only means of communication was by telegram.
- It was a very precious time for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
-
It was a very precious time for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
I don't understand what you mean by precious. What are you trying to say?
- To be continued.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
Well written and interesting!
Toru
Thank you so much for the corrections. :)
> 4) Something washed the food. The food didn't do the washing. Use the passive voice.
Since there was the expression "His boat washed into the river," I used the active voice, but is this expression wrong too?
> I don't understand what you mean by precious. What are you trying to say?
Sorry, I needed to explain more.
The time to communicate with their families using telegrams (private usage) was extremely limited. Therefore, the limited communication time was very important to them.
Thank you so much for the corrections. :)
> 4) Something washed the food. The food didn't do the washing. Use the passive voice.
Since there was the expression "His boat washed into the river," I used the active voice, but is this expression wrong too?
> I don't understand what you mean by precious. What are you trying to say?
Sorry, I needed to explain more.
The time to communicate with their families using telegrams (private usage) was extremely limited. Therefore, the limited communication time was very important to them.
Will
4) Yes, you need to change that expression to "his boat was washed into the river," because it is the river that is doing the action of the verb. So you could also say "The river washed his boat away." But it is never the boat that does the washing.
Okay, so you need to explain that the time was limited in the sentence, so you could say:
"They had a limited time to communicate with their families using telegrams. This time was precious to them."
4) Yes, you need to change that expression to "his boat was washed into the river," because it is the river that is doing the action of the verb. So you could also say "The river washed his boat away." But it is never the boat that does the washing.
Okay, so you need to explain that the time was limited in the sentence, so you could say:
"They had a limited time to communicate with their families using telegrams. This time was precious to them."
Toru
Thank you for the comment. :)
According to the following dictionary site, the verb "wash" can means "to become carried along on water" when it is used as an intransitive verb.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wash
Additionally, the following dictionary site says that "wash" can mean "to be carried or driven by water," and there is an example sentence, "The boat had washed ashore in the night."
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/wash
Since I would like to mean "the food was carried by water" rather than "the food was cleansed by water," I think I should use "wash" as an active voice but does my thought wrong?
Thank you for the comment. :)
According to the following dictionary site, the verb "wash" can means "to become carried along on water" when it is used as an intransitive verb.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wash
Additionally, the following dictionary site says that "wash" can mean "to be carried or driven by water," and there is an example sentence, "The boat had washed ashore in the night."
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/wash
Since I would like to mean "the food was carried by water" rather than "the food was cleansed by water," I think I should use "wash" as an active voice but does my thought wrong?
Will
1st definition: The verb in this case does not explain the action of moving from land (or somewhere not in the water) into the water. It is already in the water and just moves along the water. Also it is very rare to use the verb like this. It sounds strange to me.
2nd definition: Here, the movement is from the water to land (or more water), but not from land to water.
I supposed that you wanted to say that the food started on land then taken away by the water and lost. In this case you should use the passive voice.
Maybe if you said "the food washed AWAY into drift ice" it sounds better, but I'm not sure.
I never knew the word "wash" could be so complicated!
1st definition: The verb in this case does not explain the action of moving from land (or somewhere not in the water) into the water. It is already in the water and just moves along the water. Also it is very rare to use the verb like this. It sounds strange to me.
2nd definition: Here, the movement is from the water to land (or more water), but not from land to water.
I supposed that you wanted to say that the food started on land then taken away by the water and lost. In this case you should use the passive voice.
Maybe if you said "the food washed AWAY into drift ice" it sounds better, but I'm not sure.
I never knew the word "wash" could be so complicated!
Toru
Thank you for the explanation!
I would like to try to use various expressions. :)
Thank you for the explanation!
I would like to try to use various expressions. :)
No. 2 David
- It was a very precious time for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
-
It was a very precious means/method for them to communicate with their families using telegrams.
time --> means/method
On a side note, I don't have any issue with "... the only communication means was a telegram."
A synonym for 'means' is 'method.' Consider:
The only communication method was a telegram.
The only method of communication was a telegram.
To me, these are equivalent sentences,.
Toru
Thank you so much for the correction. :)
> time --> means/method
Here, I wanted to say something like the following:
Since the time to communicate with their families using a telegram was extremely limited, such a time was very precious for them.
Thank you so much for the correction. :)
> time --> means/method
Here, I wanted to say something like the following:
Since the time to communicate with their families using a telegram was extremely limited, such a time was very precious for them.
David
Your modified sentence is much better.
I think I understand the feeling you want to express through your use of 'precious.' Good word. However, I still have a bit of a problem with it because it focuses on time.
Communicating via telegraph is asynchronous. A message is sent and then a response might not be received for hours or days. There isn't really any 'time' to feel precious about using this method of communication. If something like a phone or shortwave radio were used then there would be a real time conversation. The time that the conversation took would be precious.
You could use 'precious' related to a telegraph message like this.
Since the length of the messages that can be passed using a telegram are so short each word was very precious to them.
Or something like that. ;o)
Your modified sentence is much better.
I think I understand the feeling you want to express through your use of 'precious.' Good word. However, I still have a bit of a problem with it because it focuses on time.
Communicating via telegraph is asynchronous. A message is sent and then a response might not be received for hours or days. There isn't really any 'time' to feel precious about using this method of communication. If something like a phone or shortwave radio were used then there would be a real time conversation. The time that the conversation took would be precious.
You could use 'precious' related to a telegraph message like this.
Since the length of the messages that can be passed using a telegram are so short each word was very precious to them.
Or something like that. ;o)
David
Each message passed by telegram was precious to them.
Each message passed by telegram was precious to them.
David
Each short message passed by telegram was precious to them.
Each short message passed by telegram was precious to them.
Toru
Thank you so much for the explanation. :)
I understand well.
Thank you so much for the explanation. :)
I understand well.