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Question: attribute to
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I have a question about the sentence as below:
Let me assure you, you gentlemen who sit comfortably in your armchairs and attribute no worthy motives to us climbers, that there is something more than self-satisfaction in placing our feet upon a summit where no foot has ever trod before.
I didn’t understand the part “attribute no worthy motives to us climbers” of it very well. To attribute is a difficult word for Japanese because we hardly say in such a way. If I take a part of them which I didn’t understand as a full sentence, it is that “You attribute no worthy motives to us climbers.” I name it as (A).
From the cite of Longman Dictionary,
attribute something to somebody/something:
to believe or say that someone or something has a particular quality.
There is an example sentence, (B)“One should not attribute human motives to animals.” I didn’t understand this meaning, but I assumed that this example is used in the same way as the above sentence (A).
Could you say (A) or (B) in other easy words?
Let me assure you, you gentlemen who sit comfortably in your armchairs and attribute no worthy motives to us climbers, that there is something more than self-satisfaction in placing our feet upon a summit where no foot has ever trod before.
I didn’t understand the part “attribute no worthy motives to us climbers” of it very well. To attribute is a difficult word for Japanese because we hardly say in such a way. If I take a part of them which I didn’t understand as a full sentence, it is that “You attribute no worthy motives to us climbers.” I name it as (A).
From the cite of Longman Dictionary,
attribute something to somebody/something:
to believe or say that someone or something has a particular quality.
There is an example sentence, (B)“One should not attribute human motives to animals.” I didn’t understand this meaning, but I assumed that this example is used in the same way as the above sentence (A).
Could you say (A) or (B) in other easy words?
Even as a native English speaker, this word is difficult for me to understand. I hope someone can give you a clear answer, and I'm sorry I can't help!
I am glad you were interested in my journal.
> ... seem to be a phrase and should have an apostrophe.
You mean, when I cite something from somewhere and write in my journals, I should have apostrophes with the citations not to avoid a confusion.
Great question! An easier way to think about "attribute" is kind of like an adjective-verb, or an "adverb." So it's a thing that someone can have, but it's also a description. So you could say, "I have many great attributes" which means "I have many great things about me." An attribute is a certain characteristic about someone or something. Then the verb, which is "to attribute" means to think a certain way about something, but it's very specific. For instance, "I attribute loyalty with dogs." A dog's loyalty is a quality that about dogs that is known by the whole world, so you can attribute that quality to them.
So let's analyze the passage you quoted! "Let me assure you, you gentlemen who sit comfortably in your armchairs and attribute no worthy motives to us climbers, that there is something more than self-satisfaction in placing our feet upon a summit where no foot has ever trod before."
The man is saying that "the gentlemen who sit in their armchairs" don't think highly of men that climb mountains, because the gentlemen in armchairs "attribute no worthy motives to climbers." The armchair gentlemen don't think the climbers have a good reason to climb mountains. They attribute this feeling of doubt to the climbers.
I'm sorry for such a wordy response, but I hope it helps!!
Your explanation is very helpful to understand such a complicated sentence.
> I attribute loyalty with dogs.
According to your explanation, can I say "I believe that dogs have loyalty to humans" in other words?
> The armchair gentlemen don't think the climbers have a good reason to climb mountains. They attribute this feeling of doubt to the climbers.
It made me clear.
The armchair gentlemen don't believe the climbers have a good reason to climb mountains.
To tell you the truth, that I asked the question how I should have understood the sentence I didn't understand in English, was so challenging, but I am glad I understood it. Thank you again!
I hope this helps clarify a bit more:
As discussed above, attribute as a noun (pronounced AT-ri-byoot, with the emphasis on the first syllable) is like a character trait--something like a good sense of humor or big feet.
As an adverb (pronounced uh-TRIB-byoot), it's basically to bestow or give those qualities to something through your opinion/personal understanding. For example, "I attribute the smell of mold and soggy paper to old books."
> to bestow or give those qualities to something through your opinion/personal understanding
Yes, it's easy to understand the meaning of "attribute" as a verb.
I imagined that a king gave a sword to a knight. I as a queen, (because I'm a woman, just a kidding ;P) bestow a quality to something or someone through what I am feeling now.
I'll try to rewrite both sentences in simpler English:
(A) "If you are sitting at home doing nothing, and you think that nobody climbs a mountain for any really good reason, that we do it just to satisfy ourselves, I'm telling you there's more to it than that when you reach the top of a mountain where nobody's ever been before."
(B) "You shouldn't think that animals do things for the same reasons people do."
> "You shouldn't think that animals do things for the same reasons people do."
I hadn't understood this meaning even though I understood the meaning of the verb "to attribute," but now I finally understood the meaning of the second sentence.
Here's another famous adage using this word:
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
It's a little complicated sentence too.
I construed it.
This sentence is an imperative form.
"Never look for malice in things foolish people can easily explain," I assumed.
However, I'm not sure of the bold typed words "to malice THAT WHICH can be ..."
"Which" is a relative pronoun and it indicates "malice," doesn't it? How about "that"?
Or should I think "that which" as one relative pronoun, which is used in formal sentences?
If you explain this sentence in other easy words, what do you do?
The words "that" and "which" in that sentence are both relative pronouns, used together. Together, "that which" means something along the lines of "something that", "anything that", or "whatever". In this sentence, "that which" introduces a relative clause, "that which can be adequately explained by stupidity". The entire relative clause is the direct object of the verb "attribute", so the thing (any thing) that can be adequately explained by stupidity is the thing that should not be attributed to malice. Here are some other ways to say approximately the same thing:
"Never attribute to malice something that can be adequately explained by mere stupidity."
"Never reach for malice as an explanation for anything that might have just been the result of stupidity."
Here are some more examples with two relative pronouns together:
"Rather than speculate idly, let us fall back upon that which we know for certain."
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet."
"Your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen."
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
"That that is, is; that that is not, is not."
> "that which" means something along the lines of "something that", "anything that", or "whatever".
I see. This was my first time to recognize the way to use "that which," even though I already met it somewhere else, but both "that" and "which" are common words, so I never had thought of the meaning of it.
I found the former example "Nver attribute to malice ..." in Wikipedia and there was a good explanation of this sentence.
> "That that is, is; that that is not, is not."
LOL. Another funny example! This is also explained in Wikipedia!
Be assured, Let me assure you, you gentlemen who sit comfortably in your armchairs and who attribute no worthy motives to us climbers, that there is something more than mere self-satisfaction in placing our one's feet upon a summit where no foot has ever trod before.
I don't know the source of the sentence, but I think it reads better as changed. The first clue to the need for change was the fact "you (object)" was placed next to "you (subject)," a fairly serious breach of the rules of written English.
I didn’t understand the part “attribute no worthy motives to us climbers” part of it very well.
"Attribute," when used as a verb, means to "ascribe" a characteristic to something, or to impress a characteristic upon something.
In your sentence, one might "attribute" a worthy motive to, say, charity -- that is, giving something as the motive to help the poor is worthy. However, if those who sit in their comfortable armchairs do not appreciate the rigors of mountain climbing, they may "attribute" no worthy motive to the those who climb.
The absence of a worthy motive might imply they are doing it for selfish reasons, for example. Thus, it would be a subtle insult to the climbers to which the sentence is a response.
To "attribute" is a difficult word for Japanese, because we hardly rarely say in it in such a way.
If I take a the part of them which I didn’t understand as a full sentence, it is that “You attribute no worthy motives to us climbers.” I name it as (A).
There is an example sentence, (B)“One should not attribute human motives to animals.” I didn’t understand this meaning, but I assumed that this example is used in the same way as the above sentence (A).
Human motives may be jealousy, envy, greed, generosity, charity, etc. People sometimes watch animals interact with them or with other animals, and conclude the animal is "jealous," or "greedy," or generous," or "loving." To make that conclusion one must attribute human motives to the animal.
Whether an animal has such or similar motives as humans is unknown. I don't see why they wouldn't, since they are driven by the same needs as humans, who are also animals.
Could you say (A) or (B) in other easy words?
Your sentence, "You attribute no worthy motives to us climbers” can be reworded, without loss of meaning, to read, for example,
"You recognize no worthy motives in us climbers," or
"You see no worthy motives in us climbers," or
"You acknowledge no worthy motives in us climbers."
Notice I changed the "to" to "in." To "attribute" is to do something "to." But the verbs "acknowledge, see, or recognize" are all actions I take. So, when doing so, I am concluding the characteristic exists in the climbers. I am not applying it to them, as I would to "attribute" something to them.
Interesting question. I hope I made sense in my comments.
You can also think of it this way: If someone did or said something really stupid, you might consider him or her to be a fool. If so, you "attribute" foolishness, or the characteristic of a fool, to him/her.
One also might "attribute" great skill, if not some talent, to an athlete who wins Gold at the Olympics. If so, you are saying that the athlete has great skill and, perhaps, not a little talent.
You could also "recognize" (existing) skill or talent, or "acknowledge" (existing) skill or talent, or even "see" (existing) skill or talent.
I thought I could read easily if I read a lot of complicated sentences.
> The absence of a worthy motive might imply they are doing it for selfish reasons
I agree with your opinion.
I want to be able to understand it at a glance.
Lawyers are skilled at writing things to mean something they don't appear to. I have a lot of practice at that. So I should recommend that you be careful to work through portions of a sentence that apparently contradict each other, or the use of meanings that seem to contradict themselves.
Whne I see my dog Charlie, I think he feels the same as my children. When I care about my daughter, he comes to me and wants me to caress. He feels jealous.
However, I don't think wild animals feel like humans.
Living with humans attribes human-like feelings to animals.
"Them" indicates climbers.
"It" indicates what you explained in this comment.
I don't know the way to use ", as .. would."
The sentece following "as" is a subjunctive mood, isn't it?
> "You recognize no worthy motives in us climbers,"
I like this translation.
> One also might "attribute" great skill, if not some talent, to an athlete who wins Gold at the Olympics. If so, you are saying that the athlete has great skill and, perhaps, not a little talent.
I knew this meaning, but I didn't know the following meaning:
> You could also "recognize" (existing) skill or talent, or "acknowledge" (existing) skill or talent, or even "see" (existing) skill or talent.
The Japanese tragedy
http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2012/08/lost-decades?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/japanesetragedy
I haven't read this article yet, but I found "attributable to" in the last paragraph. I want to read articles and books, so I have to master how to use "attribute."
The article offers three alternative reasons to "attribute" to the Lost Decade (I tend to think it was poor forecasting.) In other words, it discusses reasons for the Lost Decade.
The article concludes with a claim that this period is probably attributable to "macroeconomic policy failures." The word "macroeconomic" refers to the economy on a national basis. "Microeconomics" refers to the local or personal economy, including price theory, etc.
So, the author thinks the reason or cause "attributable" to the Lost Decade rests with national economic policy failures.
The USA is right now experiencing its own national economic policy failures attributable to an inept administration.
It is slightly different in context from agreeing that someone is skilled, for example.
One might say "his win is attributable to his running style," which means the reason for his win was his running style. Alternatively, you could also say "he won the race because he's a great runner."
There were a few economic jargons, but I almost understood it.
> (I tend to think it was poor forecasting.
I accept that Japan has lost the economic progress for two decades. It is indicated by some specific figures such as GDP and purchasing power parity, but it is easy to criticize someone instead of offering another way to improve.
> The USA is right now experiencing its own national economic policy failures attributable to an inept administration.
There is no right answer for the real economic policy.
The noun attribution is familiar to me because it is a kind of computer jargon.
> It is slightly different in context from agreeing that someone is skilled, for example.
I have to read more English to accustom myself to it.
Thank you for your kindness!
はなさん、おひさしぶりですね！
> I attribute loyalty with dogs.
A better way to say this is 'I associate dogs with the idea of loyalty'. You attribute something TO something. You associate something WITH something :)
>“One should not attribute human motives to animals.”
There is an even more complicated word for that - "anthropomorphise'!:) eg: 'One should not anthropomorphise animal behaviour'. But this word doesn't get used very often
> You attribute something TO something. You associate something WITH something :)
I see.
> But this word doesn't get used very often
That's why this was written in the dictionary! ;P