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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 91 |
I'm translating a book, in which there is one sentence:
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Here is the cosmic joke:there is usually very little difference in talent between the person who earns $50,000 per year and the one who earns $100,000 per year. The only difference is that one has settled at a lower level while the other has refused to settle for less than $100,000.
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Here, what does "cosmic joke" mean?
I first thought it's a slip of the pen and should be taken as comic joke, or facetious remarks. But when I searched in Google the phrase "cosmic joke", it returned many results. So I think there might be such phrases.
Is there such a usage? And if yes, what does it mean?
Thanks very much.
Do inform me if you see any corrections needed in my written English. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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When they look at the world or the universe many people think God must have a (rather strange) sense of humour. Anything that ties in with this is called a 'cosmic joke'.
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Could one say that "the cosmic joke" is equivalent to the "cosmic law"?
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veteran
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veteran
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BUSH TO DELIBERATE AMERICAN RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN A-BOMB EXPLOSION AP: 10/9/06 12:48 AM "The President will receive some advice to the effect that it is better not to wait, that there will not be a clearer trigger point than what we have now," said Dr Huisken, senior fellow at the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.Uh...is that us? And is Faldage the senior fellow "Doctor Huisken"?  Pray.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Why we won't attack DPRK:
A) They really do have WMD
and
2) They ain' got no oil.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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formerly known as etaoin...
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journeyman
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OP
journeyman
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Posts: 91 |
So, could I understand it as the law of nature?
That might make the translation lose the "joke" feeling. I once tried to keep the humorous tone.
We here mention much less "God" than you do, you know. And when speaking of God, we do in full awe; never dare think the God is humorous or can joke with us. So we have no such saying as "cosmic joke", a joke played by God.
Do inform me if you see any corrections needed in my written English.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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well, I really hate to bring irony into this discussion (he said, bringing irony into the discussion); but then you have the Great Cosmic Ironies of Kurt Vonnegut.
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veteran
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veteran
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Such is the nature of irony that entire religions followed by millions have been established on less substance than the whimsical great cosmic ironies of Kurt Vonnegut.
Two come to mind as I massage my two feet.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Calli, where are you from? What language are you working in?
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