Re: Typos in the manual

[Mark Harig]

> >>> --- a/doc/ref/compiler.texi
> >>> +++ b/doc/ref/compiler.texi
> >>> @@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ for more information about the Brainfuck 
language
> itself.
> >>>  At this point, we break with the impersonal tone of the rest of 
the
> >>>  manual, and make an intervention. Admit it: if you've read this 
far
> >>>  into the compiler internals manual, you are a junkie. Perhaps a 
course
> >>> -at your university left you unsated, or perhaps you've always 
harbored
> >>> +at your university left you unsatisfied, or perhaps you've 
always harbored
> >>>  a sublimated desire to hack the holy of computer science holies: 
a
> >>>  compiler. Well you're in good company, and in a good position. 
Guile's
> >>>  compiler needs your help.
> >>
> >> "unsated" is fine in English too, and I hesitate to tinker with 
Andy's
> >> fine prose.  So I'd prefer to leave this as is.
> >
> > Yeah, that one can be attributed to my not being a native speaker.
> >
>
> Reading the quoted text I can't help but wonder what a "sublimated
> desire" is. According to wiktionary "sublimated" is the past tense of
> "sublimate" which has 3 meanings[1] none of which I recognize as the
> intended meaning. Perhaps "subliminal desire"[2] is meant, that is, a
> desire that is so faint that it is not discernible by the conscious
> mind, but that usage is said to be reserved for stimuli and one may
> consider it a stretch to include a desire under stimuli. If my 
analysis
> so far seems correct I tentatively propose "secret desire" or "furtive
> desire" as corrections.

Likewise, "make an intervention" implies that the author intends to
intervene or stop or prevent something.  But the author is not hoping
to stop compiler junkies from continuing their habit of writing code
for compilers -- to the contrary.  Given the text that follows this
phrase, "make an interjection" is probably what was intended.
Alternatively, "make an entreaty" would describe the type of
interjection that is to follow.

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