Nature

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Taka

#268926 Mon, 18 Sep 06 06:28 PM

Milky wrote:
Just a side note: around.

?? What do you mean??

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,351)

Annvan

#268958 Mon, 18 Sep 06 07:43 PM

Yes, English is my mother tongue. I think "the fixation of time in the natural environment" simply means time, the passing of time. It's 'fixed' (... unless you've learnt to time travel!)

Annvan

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

The Philippines

Regular Member (614)

Marius Hancu

#268960 Mon, 18 Sep 06 07:52 PM

I initially read:
fixed in nature= immutable, of a fixed nature
but I have to recognize, it could well mean
permanent in the nature around us
It's confusing.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

nona the brit

#268967 Mon, 18 Sep 06 08:07 PM

I still read it in the 'fixed in nature=immutable' sense. The other meaning doesn't make sense.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,450)

The name says it all.

Taka

#269948 Wed, 20 Sep 06 05:49 PM

Nona The Brit wrote:
I still read it in the 'fixed in nature=immutable' sense. The other meaning doesn't make sense.

Just out of cuirosity, nona, why do you think the other meaning doesn't make sense?

Taka

nona the brit

#270058 Wed, 20 Sep 06 09:01 PM

People think that time is fixed in the natural environment? Well, that doesn't make much sense to me.

1. It suggests that people would think that time isn't fixed in other environments.

2. Who thinks that time is fixed in the natural environment anyway? As opposed to what? Not exactly a common belief...I can't even get my head round it.

nona the brit

Grammar Geek

#270062 Wed, 20 Sep 06 09:04 PM

It's not that time is fixed, it's that the always-moving-forward, can't-go-back and can't-stand-still ASPECT of time is a "given" in our environment.

But this is one of the cases when over-analyzing isn't really helping, I think. We all understand the meaning of the sentence, even if we aren't sure what sense of the word he meant.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (16,094)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Taka

#270194 Thu, 21 Sep 06 03:02 AM

Nona The Brit wrote:
People think that time is fixed in the natural environment? Well, that doesn't make much sense to me.

1. It suggests that people would think that time isn't fixed in other environments.

Exactly.

Grammar Geek wrote:
We all understand the meaning of the sentence, even if we aren't sure what sense of the word he meant.

But Annvan, whose first language is English and who is a teacher of English, seems to have a different idea.

Taka

Grammar

Grammar Geek

#270199 Thu, 21 Sep 06 03:29 AM

But I think that regardless of which definition of "nature" you pick, the essense of the sentence is people they they just have to accept that [the passing of] time is a factor in our lives that we can't do anything about. Whether it's "fixed in our environment" or "unchanging in its nature," either way, time is something we just have to accept "as-is."

Who else has another interpretation of the the entire sentence?

Grammar Geek

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