Ethan B.
asked • 06/18/23Is this an accurate translation?
"He dove deep into thought."
"He began thinking very hard."
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2 Answers By Expert Tutors
I would mostly expect to see a quote like that in a work of fiction or poetry. The translation is not meant to define each word in a basic or surface way. The closer translation would focus on words like "deep thought" as metaphorical. The reader is supposed to imagine being all encompassed in their thoughts rather than having no depth. For example, being "wrapped up" in one's thoughts could relate to real life events such as an occupation, a relationship, or a course of study where you feel that you are (not literally surrounded), but similar to when you dive into water as you have immersed your mind in the activity fully.
Ethan B.
So thinking is like the levels of the ocean? The deeper you dive, the more immersed you become, and the more you're able to focus and discover. Like you can't focus or discover much at the surface. Am i understanding the metaphore correctly?
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06/19/23
Karen S.
tutor
Yes. Be careful not to spell metaphor with an e at the end. A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses a known word symbolically to suggest another. It gives a non-literal comparison. For example, life is a highway. Life is being compared to a highway, but not literally. It suggests that you think of life as having similar characteristics as a highway. Life can be long or short, have twists and turns, be sometimes uphill or downhill, have forks or even bumps in the 'road'. Forks in the road could be decisions made in life. I hope this helps. 😀
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06/19/23
Not really. It is a basic literal translation. The quote means more than that. It is a metaphor. Here's what it means: He was so within his thinking or his thoughts were so meaningful for him that he was unaware of anything else and experienced his thoughts as if he were in swimming silently under deep water.
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Harris D.
HI Ethan. Yes. This means the same things. Diving deep into thought is used to add some shine to the fact that somebody SUDDENLY began thinking very hard, usually as a response to something. If you schedule a lesson with me, I can help you understand this, and similar subtleties in the language!06/22/23