
what it means
A zealot is someone whose belief has pushed the rest of the furniture out of the room. The belief itself is not what makes them one — plenty of people hold strong views and are perfectly good company. A zealot is the person for whom the belief has become the only subject: every conversation bends toward it, strangers get recruited at lunch, and whether anyone wanted to talk about it never comes up. The word is nearly always a criticism, and the criticism is not that they are wrong. It is the loss of proportion, and what it is like to sit next to.
Un zealot es alguien cuya creencia se llevó por delante los demás muebles. No lo define la creencia: mucha gente tiene ideas fuertes y es buena compañía. Lo define que ya no hay otro tema — la conversación se dobla hacia allí, y nadie lo pidió. La crítica no es que se equivoque: es la pérdida de proporción.
Um zealot é alguém cuja crença já empurrou o resto dos móveis para fora. Não é a crença que o define: muita gente tem ideias fortes e é ótima companhia. É não haver mais outro assunto — a conversa se dobra para lá, e ninguém pediu. A crítica não é estar errado: é a falta de proporção.
Un zealot est quelqu'un dont la croyance a poussé tout le reste du mobilier hors de la pièce. Ce n'est pas la croyance qui le définit : beaucoup ont des convictions fortes et sont d'excellente compagnie. C'est qu'il n'y a plus d'autre sujet — la conversation s'y plie, sans que personne l'ait demandé. Le reproche porte sur la démesure.
Zealot adalah orang yang keyakinannya sudah mendorong seluruh perabot lain keluar ruangan. Bukan keyakinannya yang membuatnya begitu — banyak orang berpendirian kuat dan tetap enak diajak bicara. Yang membuatnya begitu: tidak ada topik lain lagi; obrolan selalu dibelokkan ke sana. Yang dikritik bukan salahnya, melainkan hilangnya takaran.
Zealot, inancı odadaki bütün öteki eşyayı dışarı itmiş kişidir. Onu tanımlayan inancın kendisi değildir; güçlü görüşleri olup da hoş sohbet olan çok insan vardır. Onu tanımlayan, başka konu kalmamasıdır: konuşma hep oraya kıvrılır ve kimse istememiştir. Eleştirilen yanlışlık değil, ölçünün kaçmasıdır.
zealot とは、信念が部屋のほかの家具を全部押し出してしまった人のことです。信念そのものが問題なのではありません。強い考えを持ちながら、一緒にいて楽しい人はいくらでもいます。問題は、話題がもうそれしかないこと。会話は必ずそちらへ曲がり、しかも誰も頼んでいません。批判されているのは正しさではなく、釣り合いのなさです。
noun
someone whose belief is so strong that nothing else gets room
“The fitness zealot tried to convert every colleague at lunch.”
adjective
zealous — full of eager, active belief; usually not an insult
“She was a zealous defender of the small library.”
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