James JoyceWriting in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why.
About This Quote
In a nutshell, this quote is saying that the English language is a terrible translator for good deeds. It is much better to do a bad deed in another language and then translate it into English. The English reading public has explained this to be the result of sins committed in previous lives. In other words, if you have been a bad person in past lives, the English language will make you feel worse about yourself.
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More Quotes By James Joyce
- His heart danced upon her movements like a cork upon a tide. He heard what her eyes said to him from beneath their cowl and knew that in some dim past, whether in life or revery, he had heard their tale before.
- You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not...
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- Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why.