Message-Id: <199502220057.AA06291@nfs2.digex.net> Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 21:32:21 +0000 From: ucleaar Subject: Re: Existence and occurrence of events (was: ago24 & replies) X-From-Space-Date: Tue Feb 21 19:59:32 1995 X-From-Space-Address: LOJBAN%CUVMB.BITNET@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU Jorge: > And & pc: > > > > The only way in which "try" implies "fail" is 'Gricean'. > > > > I may be missing something, but to me it seems obvious that if > > > > I try for an event and it turns out to be real then I have > > > > succeeded. I cannot see how it could be otherwise. > > > Well, it might just come to pass without my effort being at all > > > relevant to its coming to pass. If an earthquake moves a stone from my > > > path after my best efforts have failed, I cannot claim to have either > > > managed or succeeded in moving the stone, even though I tried to and the > > > stone is indeed moved. > > I take your point. > But what is the event here? Is the event I tried for that "the earthquake > move the stone", or that "I move the stone"? > In Lojban "I try to move the stone" is {mi troci le nu mi muvgau le rokci}. > If the event I try for occurs, then I've succeeded. If some other related > event occurs, but not the one I've tried for, then I've failed. You're right if you translate it as {mi troci lo nu mi muvgau lo rokci}. If you translate it as {mi troci lo nu lo rokci cu muvdu} then you're wrong. --- And