"casualty"

[Paul Frank]

I didn't quote more context, though it was an interesting article, to
save bandwidth. And I quoted the bit I quoted because of the use of
the word "casualty."

Paul

Paul Frank
Translator
German, French, Italian > English
Chinese > English
Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Tel. +41 77 4096132
paulfrank at post.harvard.edu
paul.frank at bfs.admin.ch


On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 1:52 PM, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

>
> An excellent example of taking a passage out of context can make it seem silly. Immediately preceding this sentence at the end of the previous paragraph is, " But research in the past 15 years has shown that they can be left on for two hours without causing permanent harm to limbs. Now every soldier carries a tourniquet and is instructed to put one on any severely bleeding limb and not think of taking it off."
>
> In context, it's clear the reporter is not claiming that tourniquets are a new invention. What is new are their  use for prolonged periods and that individual soldiers have been issued them.
>
> I admit the last sentence isn't the greatest, and the copy editor (assuming the Post has any left) should have amended it to is, "Issuing tourniquets as part of the first-aid kit carried by every soldier is a big part..." But it's not as dumb as it seems at first glance.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Paul Frank
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 2:55 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: "casualty"
>
> >From yesterday's Washington Post:
>
> "Tourniquets have saved at least 1,000 lives, and possibly as many as
> 2,000, in the past eight years. This soldier is almost certainly one
> of them. They're a big part of why only about 10 percent of casualties
> in these wars have died, compared with 16 percent in Vietnam."
>
> Paul
>
> Paul Frank
> Translator
> German, French, Italian > English
> Neuchâtel, Switzerland
> Tel. +41 77 4096132
> paulfrank at post.harvard.edu
> paul.frank at bfs.admin.ch
>
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>
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