For now he need not feel

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Marius Hancu - 28 Dec 2008 14:18 GMT

Hello:

Is
"need not"
in
"For now he need not feel that it so beat of its own accord"
a subjunctive?

Something like
"shouldn't need to feel?"
or
"shouldn't (have to) feel?"
or is it just plain indicative:
"need not feel" = "don't/doesn't have to feel?"

-----
[It's about his heart]

One thing there was which pleased him: when he lay listening to the
beating of his heart - his corporeal organ - so plainly audible in the
ordered silence of the rest period, throbbing loud and peremptorily,
as it had done almost ever since he came, the sound no longer annoyed
him. For now he need not feel that it so beat of its own accord,
without sense or reason or any reference to his non-corporeal part. He
could say, without stretching the truth, that such a connexion now
existed, or was easily induced: he was aware that he felt an emotion
to corresond with the action of his heart. He needed only to think of
Madame Chauchat - and he did think of her - and lo, e felt within
himself the emotion proper to the heartbeats."

The Magic Mountain: Der Zauberberg
by Thomas Mann, Tr. Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter
-----

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Pat Durkin - 28 Dec 2008 15:16 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> or is it just plain indicative:
> "need not feel" = "don't/doesn't have to feel?"

The indicative.

> -----
> [It's about his heart]
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> as it had done almost ever since he came, the sound no longer annoyed
> him. For now he need not feel that it so beat of its own accord,

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Marius Hancu - 31 Dec 2008 03:42 GMT

> > Is
> > "need not"
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> > as it had done almost ever since he came, the sound no longer annoyed
> > him. For now he need not feel that it so beat of its own accord,

Interesting. I thought that both "need" and "beat" are subjunctive
here.

Thank you.
Marius Hancu

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CDB - 31 Dec 2008 13:51 GMT

>>> Is "need not" in
>>> "For now he need not feel that it so beat of its own accord"
>>> a subjunctive?

>>> Something like "shouldn't need to feel?" or "shouldn't (have to)
>>> feel?
>>> or is it just plain indicative: "need not feel" = "don't/doesn't
>>> have to feel?"

>> The indicative.

>>> [It's about his heart]

>>> One thing there was which pleased him: when he lay listening to
>>> the beating of his heart - his corporeal organ - so plainly
>>> audible in the ordered silence of the rest period, throbbing loud
>>> and peremptorily, as it had done almost ever since he came, the
>>> sound no longer annoyed him. For now he need not feel that it so
>>> beat of its own accord,

> Interesting. I thought that both "need" and "beat" are subjunctive
> here.

"Need" as an auxiliary followed by the bare infinitive doesn't take
the third-person "-s" in the present tense, but this seems to be the
simple past form; I say so in spite of the translator's use of "for
now", because the whole paragraph is set in the past, and because
"beat" here can only be the past indicative; so proper sequence of
tenses demands a corresponding past tense in the main verb.

It's a kind of implied indirect speech: HK would have thought "For now
I need not feel that it so beats...". The translator may have kept
the "now" for immediacy, or may be reflecting some usage in the
original text.

Speaking of sequence of tenses: 'I thought that both "need" and "beat"
*were* subjunctive here.'

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / December 2008

For now he need not feel