yes and no

[avva]

Длинная и интересная дискуссия у verba о проблеме изнасилования в современном американском уголовном праве. Главная проблема, конечно, в том, как определить, when no means no.

Вот небольшая забавная подборка английских поэтов (обоих полов!) о непостоянстве женского yes и no. Прямого отношения к той дискуссии не имеет, и никакой позиции я этим не хочу высказать, так просто, отозвалось.

Особенно мне третья цитата нравится.

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• "Yes," I answered you last night;
          "No," this morning, sir, I say:
  Colors seen by candle-light
          Will not look the same by day.
  
  from: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, The Lady's "Yes"
  
  
• To say why gals act so or so,
  Or don't, 'ould be presumin';
  Mebby to mean yes an' say no
  Comes nateral to women.
  
  from: James Russell Lowell, The Biglow Papers, Series II
  
  
• You gave me the key to your heart, my love;
  Then why do you make me knock?
  "Oh, that was yesterday; Saints above,
  Last night I changed the lock!"
  
  John Boyle O'Reilly, Constancy
  
  
• And if I loved you Wednesday,
  Well, what is that to you?
  I do not love you Thursday —
  So much is true.
  
  And why you come complaining
  Is more than I can see.
  I loved you Wednesday, yes - but what
  Is that to me?
  
  Edna St. Vincent Millay, Thursday