aloof

Aloof is a sailing word. To keep a-loof was to steer towards the wind and away from a shore you did not want to touch — deliberate distance, held on purpose, by someone who knows exactly where the shore is. That is still the word. The drawing has a man drinking tea inside a velvet rope he has put around himself, at his own party. Nobody excluded him. This is the part people get wrong: aloof is not shy and it is not lonely. A shy person wants to come closer and cannot. An aloof person could come closer and has decided not to.

Aloof viene de la náutica: mantenerse a-loof era virar contra el viento para alejarse de una costa. Distancia deliberada. En el dibujo, un hombre toma té dentro de un cordón que él mismo colocó. No es timidez: el tímido quisiera acercarse y no puede; este podría y no quiere.

Aloof vem da navegação: manter-se a-loof era virar contra o vento para se afastar da costa. Distância deliberada. No desenho, um homem toma chá dentro de um cordão que ele mesmo pôs. Não é timidez: o tímido queria aproximar-se e não consegue; este poderia e não quer.

Aloof est un mot de marine : tenir a-loof, c'était remonter au vent pour s'écarter d'une côte. Une distance voulue. Sur le dessin, un homme boit son thé derrière un cordon qu'il a posé lui-même. Ce n'est pas la timidité : le timide voudrait s'approcher et ne peut pas.

Aloof berasal dari istilah pelayaran: menjaga a-loof berarti mengarahkan kapal melawan angin, menjauh dari pantai. Jarak yang disengaja. Di gambar, seorang pria minum teh di dalam tali pembatas yang ia pasang sendiri. Bukan pemalu — pemalu ingin mendekat tapi tak bisa.

Aloof bir denizcilik sözcüğüdür: a-loof durmak, rüzgâra dönüp kıyıdan uzaklaşmaktı. Bilerek korunan mesafe. Resimde adam, kendi çektiği kordonun içinde çayını içiyor. Utangaçlık değil: utangaç yaklaşmak ister ama yapamaz; bu adam yapabilir, istemiyor.

aloof は航海の言葉です。a-loof を保つとは、風上に舵を切って近づきたくない岸から離れること——意図的な距離です。絵の男は、自分で張ったロープの内側で紅茶を飲んでいます。人見知りとは違います。人見知りは近づきたくてもできない。この人はできるのに、しない。