tough adj.

2023-07-07 Uncategorized

TR3. 85 Crĭséyde ăl thís ăspíĕd wél y̆nóugh,
TR3. 86 Fŏr shé wăs wís, ănd lóved hy̆m névere thĕ lássĕ,
TR3. 87 Ăl nére hĕ málăpért, ŏr máde ĭt tóugh,
TR3. 88 Ŏr wás tŏ bóld, tŏ sýnge ă fóol ă mássĕ.
TR3. 89 Bŭt whán hĭs shámĕ gán sŏmwhát tŏ pássĕ,
TR3. 90 Hĭs résŏns, ás Ĭ máy my̆ rýmĕs hóldĕ,
TR3. 91 Ĭ yów wŏl télle, ăs téchĕn bókĕs óldĕ.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Criseyde observed all this well enough, for she was understanding and loved him none the less, even though he was not presumptuous, nor too self-assured, nor too bold in using flattering words. But, if I can keep up my rhymes, I shall tell you (as old books teach) what he said when he to some extent got over his embarrassment.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): クリセイデはこれを十分見て取り理解した。というのは、彼女は賢かったし、やはり彼が好きだったからだ。彼は厚顔であったわけでなく、うるさくせがんだわけでもなく、ずうずうしく、おべっかを使ったわけでもなかったけれども。しかし恥ずかしさが幾分去り始めた時、彼の言いたかったことを、私は韻律詩を続けられる限り、むかしの本が教える通りに、貴方がたに語りましょう。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 克丽西德是个聪明人，一见他这情状就都明白了，但并不因此减少了爱他的心，他没有对她粗鲁，或装腔作势，或大胆地拿出一套花言巧语来愚弄她。等他羞惭过了，他才说出话来，让我依照古书所记载讲给你听，只消我的韵律能够达意。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Narrator
Addressee: N/A
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: Others (it)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 127): Al nere he malapert, or made it tough: Even though he was not presumptuous (malapert), nor too pressing (made it tough)
Fisher (1989: 449): made it towgh: aggressive
Benson (1987: 515): Al nere he malapert, or made it tough: Even though he was not presumptuous, nor was he too self assured, arrogant
Davis et al. (1979): be pressing (s.v. tough, adj.)
Donaldson (1975: 814): Al nere he malapert or made it tough: Even if he was not forward and did not behave brashly.
Baugh (1963: 127): Al nere he malapert, or made it tough, / Or was to bold, to synge a fool a masse: These two lines present four difficulties: (1) the usual meaning of Al nere he is “although he were not,” whereas we should expect “because he was not”; (2) the meaning of made it tough varies in different contexts; (3) the force of to synge a fool a masse, although the phrase is apparently proverbial, is unknown; and (4) the relation of this phrase to the rest of the sentence is ambiguous. Without dogmatism I paraphrase the two lines: “all the more because he did not behave insolently, or haughtily, or overboldly to accomplish no useful purpose.” For a different interpretation see Professor Robinson’s note to the passage.

Possible Definitions

make it ~: to show off, to make things difficult, to be pressing

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘bold’ (adj., Tr3.88).