Marble on Urth

David Stockhoff · 03 Jun 2011, 00:58 · from 2011-June.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:58:33 -0400
Subject: (urth) Marble on Urth
In-Reply-To: <4DE77CE8.9080805 at gmail.com>
References: <BANLkTinXcJr6aK+XjMj4v8WwjDzWhm8EtA at mail.gmail.com>	<4DE57004.5080703 at gmail.com>	<006401cc2090$e0468840$d8cd4a0c@rclackey>	<4DE6B587.8060700 at gmail.com>	<183166.20392.qm at smtp817.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
	<4DE77CE8.9080805 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4DE831B9.9080903 at verizon.net>



On 6/2/2011 8:07 AM, James Wynn wrote:
> I really think you ar e both misreading this. It's "enormous darkness 
> OVERHEAD blotting the sundrenched fields". If the darkness is 
> overhead, then it can't blot the sun-drenched fields which --on Urth-- 
> are below. I think you guys are thinking of "blot out" which is a 
> different picture. If it is the shadow of a transport "blotting the 
> fields" then it can't be overhead. What we are to envision is the 
> blackness of the Nightside against the "sun-drenched fields" of the 
> Dayside. 

Your reading is not illogical, in fact it's brilliant, but I think it's 
counterintuitive. And I read "blot" differently:

   1. Mark or stain (something)
          * - the writing was messy and /blotted/

   2. Obscure a view
          * - a dust shield /blotting/ out the sun

I think your sense is #2, the obvious one, but I see it as #1. The 
darkness above, since it creates a shadow, "stains" the sun-drenched 
field below it. It does not blot it out.


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