On the right-hand wall

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Marius Hancu - 02 Jan 2009 10:46 GMT

Hello:

Re
"on the right-hand wall"

Shouldn't this be
"close to the right-hand wall"
or
"alongside the right-hand wall"
?

I mean, a tree up on the wall?

--------
The holidays disturbed but little of the even tenor of the Berghof
ways. A well-grown fir tree had been set up a few days beforehand on
the right-hand wall of the dining-room, the side wall next the " bad "
Russian table;

The Magic Mountain
by Thomas Mann, Tr. Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter, p. 291
--------

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Nick Spalding - 02 Jan 2009 11:03 GMT

Marius Hancu wrote, in
<bfd67e6c-bb1c-4d09-844d-5575541e1cfa@v4g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>
on Fri, 2 Jan 2009 02:46:20 -0800 (PST):

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> I mean, a tree up on the wall?

Your translator has a genius for the infelicitous turn of phrase. I
would prefer either of your alternatives, or perhaps "on the right-hand
side of the dining-room".

> --------
> The holidays disturbed but little of the even tenor of the Berghof
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

Signature

Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE

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Marius Hancu - 02 Jan 2009 11:17 GMT

> > Re
> > "on the right-hand wall"
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> would prefer either of your alternatives, or perhaps "on the right-hand
> side of the dining-room".

Thanks.

> > The holidays disturbed but little of the even tenor of the Berghof
> > ways. A well-grown fir tree had been set up a few days beforehand on
> > the right-hand wall of the dining-room, the side wall next the " bad "
> > Russian table;

Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

On the right-hand wall