Re: agony column...

Yes, as Einde wrote, the author is an American (the creator of Chinese
detective Chalie Chan) and this rather short novel titled 'The Agony Column'
was published in 1916...three years later his first novel which I had
traslated.

It's quite interesting detective novel which also have some romance, wit and
humor.
You can read the novel through

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1814
http://www.archive.org/details/agonycolumn00biggrich

Yes, the man in the book is also American.
I guess there are some delicate things which can be understood between
almost only (English) native speakers, like 'gray--grey', etc.

Here's summary of the novel--

The story begins in a rather light-hearted way with an American visiting
London and being quite taken by an American girl he sees breakfasting with
her father at a London Hotel. Since arriving in London he has been
fascinated by The Agony Column. He has seen numerous ads placed by persons
who saw someone that interested them in passing and requested a meeting.
Wondering what he has to loss, he places an ad to the girl he saw at
breakfast.

After a few days she replies that, since she is interested in mystery and
romance, he may write her one letter every day for a week.

When he sees her reply he thinks to himself: "We must have mystery and
romance. But where - where shall we find them?"
(from gutenberg.org)

Thanks a lot,

Han Donghoon


"Han Donghoon" <madrabbit7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:f57tjm$g1g$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks for you guys, especially John Ramsay, Leszek L., Einde O'Callaghan
around news groups, I had translated an english nevel to ours, and tossed
to
a publisher.

Again, I started a rather short novel (same author), and I got a some
headache sentences.
Background is London, 1914.

A newspaper named 'Mail' have their own column knowned as 'agony column'.
About that column the writer tells like this,

---------
Tragedy and comedy mingle in the Agony Column. Erring ones are
urged to return for forgiveness; unwelcome suitors are warned that
"Father has warrant prepared; fly, Dearest One!" Loves that would
shame by their ardor Abelard and Heloise are frankly published--at
ten cents a word--for all the town to smile at. The gentleman in
the brown derby states with fervor that the blonde governess who
got off the tram at Shepherd's Bush has quite won his heart. Will
she permit his addresses? Answer; this department. For three
weeks West had found this sort of thing delicious reading. Best of
all, he could detect in these messages nothing that was not open
and innocent. At their worst they were merely an effort to
side-step old Lady Convention; this inclination was so rare in
the British, he felt it should be encouraged. Besides, he was
inordinately fond of mystery and romance, and these engaging twins
hovered always about that column.

---------
From 'Best of all, he could...' to 'old Lady Convention', I coundn't
figure
out what it means. 'old Lady Convention'? What on earth!

And one request of the column as...

---
WATERLOO: Wed. 11:53 train. Lady who left in taxi and waved,
care to know gent, gray coat? --SINCERE.

---
What a short, quite abrupt sentence... I can understand some rather
dignified request, but this seems to me too short, and ungrammatical one.

If you help me again, I will very appriciate you guys.

Donghoon...




.

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