Re: Opinion from mother-tongue

From: [email protected]
Date: Thu Apr 05 2001 - 23:56:00 CEST


I love it when people use words that I have to look up in the dictionary.
 
exegesis: interpetation or explanation or elaboration of a passage or phrase.

I took it to mean that he wanted neither replies from people offering to
research the problem for pay nor to be told to contact you (both likely
occurances on many lists.) I can see how a person (especially a non-native
speaker) could think the phrasing irritating or insulting or implying that
you only respond when paid, but I don't think that he had any of those things
in mind. I don't think I would have seen any of those things if I hadn't
been "warned" that there was something odd about the sentence. I think he
was trying (perhaps too hard) to be humble in a request for help.
 
htom

In a message dated 4/5/01 2:09:47 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected]
writes:

<< Can a english-speaking on the list help me on the right
 interpretation of the following text (15-16 exegesis are enough,
 thx!).
 
 A such "Thomas E. Lenon" sent that on the "[email protected]"
 (I have got some CC):
 
 ====================================================================
 What I hope to find is a load able module that will work with
 muLinux kernel version 2.0.36. I have sent an inquiry to the author/team
 leader/project manager
 Michele Andveoli, but he has a job, and a life, and I'm asking for
 free help.
 ====================================================================
 
 My problem is with the sentence "and I'm asking for free help", because,
 using my poor installed english, it sounds a little irriting.
 To be more precise, it sounds as I asked money to answer the proposed
 question. This is because "for free" sounds like "a gratis".
 
 In summing up:
        asking for [free help]
        asking [for free] help ?
 
 
 What's the right exegesis of this sentence?
 
 Michele
>>

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