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Q72: About a drawn & dated Zodiacal sign

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Harrock n roll
Moderator
#11 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 13:07
Sorry, I checked again and realised I made a mistake and missed a day - which makes it the 22nd of June in the English edition.

p.49 .. 8 July ('15 days later')

The caption (frame D1) reads ‘a fortnight later’ in my copy.
yamilah
Member
#12 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 13:36
The wikisite (see above) does mention both dates for the start of Cancer Sign:
- 21st (French).
- 22nd (English).

In French, p.49 reads 'quinze jours plus tard' (= 15 days later ...which differs from a 'quinzaine' (= 2 weeks, i.e. 14 days).
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#13 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 19:07
'quinze jours plus tard' (...) quinzaine

I’m no expert but according to my French/English dictionary ‘quinze’ means fifteen, whereas as ‘dans quinze jours’ means ‘in a fortnight(’s time), two weeks(’ time).’

So, does the phrase ‘quinze jours plus tard’ mean in fifteen days or fourteen?
yamilah
Member
#14 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 19:28
Strictly speaking, it means 15 days, but when you give someone a rendez-vous 'dans quinze jours' and the day is a Monday, it usually means the rendez-vous is expected to take place on the second following Monday, i.e. after 14 days instead of 15, likely because 'quinze' sounds easier than 'quatorze'.
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#15 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 19:52
I think the confusion has come about because of counting days inclusively instead of exclusively; e.g. if you were to meet somebody on a Monday in a fortnight it would be 15 days if you counted from the first Monday and fourteen in you excluded it. So it’s the same thing; ‘quinze jours’ literally means ‘fifteen days’ but is the same as a fortnight.

In which case the crab scene in Rackham might be the 22nd of June in the French version too.
yamilah
Member
#16 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 20:00
Harrock n roll
'quinze jours' literally means 'fifteen days' but is the same as a fortnight.
In which case the crab scene in Rackham might be the 22nd of June in the French version too.


It can be both, just like the beginning of the Crab Zodiac Sign!
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#17 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 20:43
It can be both, just like the beginning of the Crab Zodiac Sign.

But you did also say “this sign starts on the 21st in the concerned Tintin book, be it an English version or not.”

I believe this whole theory of astrology in Tintin would have been better placed in a thread outside of the trivia challenge. For a start the dates are open to debate, secondly it doesn't allow for any debate placing it here where the threads are closed pretty quickly.

I also think it’s questionable whether it really is a ‘drawn & dated zodiacal sign’ and not just a crab and that in itself makes it too ambiguous for a good trivia-type question. Personally I have no problem with the theory itself, but I think (and a number of others too) that it would be better if we kept ‘theories’ out of the quiz.

Most of your questions do tend to take about a week to resolve so could you please - for the sake of keeping the quiz flowing and good relations with your forum members ;-) - try to make them a bit easier!
yamilah
Member
#18 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 20:50
Harrock n roll
;-) - try to make them a bit easier!

I'll try and do the best I can!
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#19 · Posted: 27 Oct 2006 22:13
I'll try and do the best I can!

Thank-you yamilah!

I guess that means the floor is open for anyone, except yamilah, to set a question. In order to keep things rolling along I’ve posted the next quiz question here.

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