Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
righteous power
English answer:
the gun's righteous power+
Added to glossary by
axies
May 8, 2009 15:04
15 yrs ago
English term
righteous power
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Hello all; it seems I'm having a bit of trouble deciphering what exactly is intended by "righteous power" in the excerpt below:
"That was something he never thought he'd feel and so whole-heartedly appreciate -- the righteous power of a loaded firearm".
I'm a bit puzzled about where exactly the righteousness fits in here: is it the rough/rude power of the gun, or does holding a gun induce a feeling of....righteousness?:) [its purpose here is self-protection]
Thank you for your input.
"That was something he never thought he'd feel and so whole-heartedly appreciate -- the righteous power of a loaded firearm".
I'm a bit puzzled about where exactly the righteousness fits in here: is it the rough/rude power of the gun, or does holding a gun induce a feeling of....righteousness?:) [its purpose here is self-protection]
Thank you for your input.
Responses
Change log
Oct 26, 2009 05:35: axies Created KOG entry
Responses
21 hrs
Selected
the gun's righteous power+
I tend to believe that the righteous power is that of the gun or firearm
The genuine powerful capacity of the gun when it is loaded. What a gun can do is what the author is aiming at pointing out to us; but there is no doubt that there is a ''play of words'' at work. ''he never thought he'd feel... 'feel in the sense of holding the gun, the firearm with the righteous power in itself. On the other extreme there was his/her own right for the possession of that firearm! I believe that is what the author, very cleverly is trying to tell us.
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Note added at 1 day22 hrs (2009-05-10 13:15:32 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you, k33pwalkin! Manuel
The genuine powerful capacity of the gun when it is loaded. What a gun can do is what the author is aiming at pointing out to us; but there is no doubt that there is a ''play of words'' at work. ''he never thought he'd feel... 'feel in the sense of holding the gun, the firearm with the righteous power in itself. On the other extreme there was his/her own right for the possession of that firearm! I believe that is what the author, very cleverly is trying to tell us.
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Note added at 1 day22 hrs (2009-05-10 13:15:32 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you, k33pwalkin! Manuel
Note from asker:
| Thank you, this rhymes with my first instinct (the raw power of the gun), which, they say, is more often then not, right:). The target-language word for "righteous" narrows its meaning to "justifyiable" , which I believe wouldn't work that well in the context. |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
9 mins
Yasutomo Kanazawa
Japan
Japan
Works in field
Japan
Scientia est potentia
Native in: Japanese 
Works in: English to Japanese, German to Japanese, Italian to Japanese, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
40
rough/rude power of the gun and inducing the feeling of righteousness of holding a gun
I think it's a mixture of both of what you've written above. The person in question appreciates the power of the gun, and at the same time, has a feeling of righteousness to have a gun, meaning that one has the right to arm oneself, so what he's doing right now is correct in a situation for self-defense.
+3
12 mins
Kathryn Litherland
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
Versatile technical translator/editor
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
36
power exercised with firm conviction that you are right
I'm not sure if I'm getting my sense across with my "target term" above, but I interpret it as meaning a feeling of power coupled with a strong conviction that whatever you're using that power for (fight a war, defend your property, capture a criminal) is "in the right"--that your position is right and justified, and that the person the weapon is pointed at is wrong and bad.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Samantha Payn
1 hr
|
| agree |
Richard McDorman
4 hrs
|
| agree |
B D Finch
: Yes, with the implication that the person with the weapon will tend to rationalise whatever they do as justifiable. Closely connected to history being written by and so justifying the winners, not the losers.
16 hrs
|
7 hrs
he has the same power as someone who is holding a loaded gun
He is saying he feels as powerful as he would if he had a loaded gun in his hands, "he can control anything", "his will is his command", "what he says goes", "there is only him, god and his gun", "cross my path and I will blow you away, for I am the almighty"
All refer to having righteous power. It doesn't necessarily mean he has a gun, sometimes knowledge is your weapon, especially when you have a bullet in your chamber (secret knowledge of something) when you are in a discussion/court room.
In your text, I do believe though, he has a gun in his hands and he feels its power envelope his body with a sense of the indestructible power to do any dam thing he pleases.
All refer to having righteous power. It doesn't necessarily mean he has a gun, sometimes knowledge is your weapon, especially when you have a bullet in your chamber (secret knowledge of something) when you are in a discussion/court room.
In your text, I do believe though, he has a gun in his hands and he feels its power envelope his body with a sense of the indestructible power to do any dam thing he pleases.
23 hrs
power to administer justice
with fairness, or, with unfairness... this is not given to know! ;)
well, I just think that it means, eventually, the winners are always right...
the 'righteous power' is just the power to assert one's will by means of a gun, and since most of the people retain to be right it it is possible to conclude that who can oblige/scare others has (--gains/owns) the right to do it
I hope I explained it clearly! ;)
well, I just think that it means, eventually, the winners are always right...
the 'righteous power' is just the power to assert one's will by means of a gun, and since most of the people retain to be right it it is possible to conclude that who can oblige/scare others has (--gains/owns) the right to do it
I hope I explained it clearly! ;)
Discussion
I'll get to the bottom of this eventually. In the meantime, thank you all for helping.