[EVA] Eva Manga Stage 72

[M]

> I still fail to see the why.

Because you are trying to selectively apply the conditional of the  
second sentence to only part of the first sentence in order to create  
the meaning you want instead of what the Japanese actually says.

Let me explain...


> Eva and me are made of the same body
> for we both are born from Adam
> [thus]

This first part is straightforward.  No problems here.

However, the next two lines are actually one complex sentence related  
by "because/so" in the manner of {A because B}:

"If no soul, can join/merge"  => A
"Because soul has shut itself away"  => B

Here, sentence "A" is comprised of the following relational:

"If no soul (A1), can join/merge (A2)"  => (If A1, then A2)

So the grammar structure becomes:  {(If A1, then A2) because B}

The problem is that you are trying to apply "B" only to "A2" in the  
manner of {A2 because B} (Can join/merge because soul has shut itself  
away).  However, this changes the overall meaning of the sentences.

Thus, in order for your interpretation to be correct:
1a- We must apply a new and questionable meaning to the word "douka  
(join/merge)".
1b- We must assume that "soul shutting itself away" is the same as  
"no soul".
2- We must ignore the grammar and misapply the relational.
3- We must invoke the "coolness" factor to help explain away the  
discrepancy.

Sir William Ockham would not be pleased. ^^;;;

In contrast, my argument is that:
1a/1b- Words mean what they mean.
2- Grammar structures have specific purposes, and are used for a reason.
3- "Coolness" cannot be used as an argument without clear evidence.

I think that the main reason people read Kaworu's line as "If I did  
not have a soul" is because that is what they want or expect to  
read.  In other words, the interpretation is rooted in preconceived  
bias.

Now, if you want to argue that Gainax/Sadamoto screwed up the dialog  
and really wanted to say [your interpretation], then of course the  
possibility cannot be ruled out, but it would also be moot since it  
would be 100% speculation.

"M"


> if there is NO (soul) [in an Eva unit], I CAN (join/merge) [with  
> that Eva
> unit]
>
> [and that's what I've done with this unit, for you see I'm  
> controlling it
> without even touching, and this 'merging' thing is the babble the  
> author
> has put into the show just to justify this very cool scene, ya know]
>
> this Eva unit is shutting its soul away
>
> [and that's the reason why this Unit count as 'soul-less' now, even it
> there's actually a soul in it]
>
> ***
>
> This is my reading/interpretation of the scene overall. :-)