gentleman-agriculturist

[ded_maxim]

"Most of what I know of Henry Wentworth Akeley was gathered by correspondence with his neighbours, and with his only son in California, after my experience in his lonely farmhouse. He was, I discovered, the last representative on his home soil of a long, locally distinguished line of jurists, administrators, and gentlemen-agriculturists. In him, however, the family mentally had veered away from practical affairs to pure scholarship; so that he had been a notable student of mathematics, astronomy, biology, anthropology, and folklore at the University of Vermont. I had never previously heard of him, and he did not give many autobiographical details in his communications; but from the first I saw he was a man of character, education, and intelligence, albeit a recluse with very little worldly sophistication."

(H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness)

Man, I wish I were a gentleman-agriculturist.

Comments

[kouzdra.livejournal.com]

Как это будет сказат по-русски? Джентельмен-агри-культурист?

[ded-maxim.livejournal.com]

Не знаю. По-видимому, Лавкрафт имел в виду некий американский аналог английского сельского джентльмена. Разница в том, что англичанин это такой типичный персонаж романов Джейн Остен -- живет в сельской местности, но непосредственно к агрикультуре никакого отношения не имеет. А Лавкрафт имел в виду что-то вроде джентльмена, живущего натуральным хозяйством, типа джефферсоновский идеал.

[ala-ina.livejournal.com]

Well, location-wise you are well on your way. Off-topic, I've been meaning to ask why do you keep on writing here, rather than a more English-oriented location?

[ded-maxim.livejournal.com]

Because, being a stereotypical Russian madman, I have a profound need to hang out with various other Russian madmen.

[ala-ina.livejournal.com]

But don't you need to spread the light of your madness to those lucky enough to consider themseves sane?

[ded-maxim.livejournal.com]

What, and deprive my precious madness of all uniqueness and sacrality?