To Owe A to B
Feb 04th 2012 15:06
how-to-interpret
The effect of the commercial cinema is very much of a vicious circle. Much of the attraction of films lies in their power to offer substitutes for the excitements, achievement and glamour which most people do not find in modern living. Such compensation is, however, inadequate and often harmful. It tends to create false values, and through years of cinema-going the acceptance of such values becomes part of the concept of living. Millions of people probably owe mainly to the cinema the ideas that the acquisition of wealth is far more important than the acquisition of knowledge; that physical beauty is the passport to romantic happiness; that the ideal life is one in which there is no necessity to work and pure pleasure is the main pursuit.
(N. Crosby)
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I'd like to know the nuance of "owe" in this sentence.
I think "to owe A to B" often means B's good effect on A.
However, this "owe" obviously doesn't mean that, but rather the bad effect of "the ideas that ~".
Is this something like a sarcasm?
(N. Crosby)
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I'd like to know the nuance of "owe" in this sentence.
I think "to owe A to B" often means B's good effect on A.
However, this "owe" obviously doesn't mean that, but rather the bad effect of "the ideas that ~".
Is this something like a sarcasm?
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The effects of the commercial cinema are very much of a vicious cycle. [The phrase "very much" modifies the verb "is", not the noun phrase "a vicious circle." The sentence is awkward, but I can't think of any small change to improve it. The change from "The effect ... is" to "The effects ... are" is not required, but "The effect... is" suggests that films have only one effect. Alternatives: The ready availability of commercial films results in a vicious cycle. The ready availability of commercial films produces a vicious cycle.]
It tends to create false values, and through years of cinema-going the acceptance of such values become a part of the concept of living. [Is it the acceptance which you are saying becomes a part of life, or the values themselves? The phrase "the concept of living" seems unnecessarily abstract; why not "a part of life"?]
Crosby) [(恥) I didn't realize that this was a quotation. I have to say that I think it is poorly written.]
I think "to owe A to B" often means that B has a good effect on A. [I think the expression you are thinking of is "A owes [quality] to B"-- can you give me an example of a sentence in the form you are talking about?]
There is a difference between the usage of "owe" in the following two sentences; I think you are confusing these two usages.
"I owe you a lot for making my current happiness possible."
"I owe my current happiness to your assistance."
In the first sentence, "a lot" is what is owed, what the speaker feels he or she must repay. In the second sentence, "my current happiness" is an effect produced by the other person's assistance. In the first sentence, it would be strange to replace "making my current happiness possible" by something the speaker did not desire.
"I owe my current misery to your unwarranted interference."
This is just as natural as the second sentence above.
"The effect of the commercial cinema is very much of a vicious circle.
Millions of people probably owe mainly to the cinema the ideas that the acquisition of wealth is far more important than the acquisition of knowledge; that physical beauty is the passport to romantic happiness; that the ideal life is one in which there is no necessity to work and pure pleasure is the main pursuit."