Quotation
Quote by Martino Martini
For what would the people think, seeing a Mandarin, one who ought to be dignified, leave his chair to talk to a man dressed like a tramp?
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The speaker is worried about how the public would judge a respected official who left his chair to speak with someone dressed as a tramp. The question contrasts expected dignity and social rank with the other man’s poor appearance. It shows that public opinion and outward status are being treated as reasons to keep the two people apart.
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- Cambridge University Press, Comparative Studies in Society and History
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- Article
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The Dictionary of Useful Words
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