Garden path?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="I">I</span> <span word="guess">guess</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="believing">believing</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="pensions">pensions</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="secure">secure</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="suspects">suspects</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="cheated">cheated</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="pension">pension</span> <span word="plans">plans</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="believing">believing</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="pensions">pensions</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="secure">secure</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="duped">duped</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="believing">believing</span> <span word="so">so</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span>, <span word="alas">alas</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pensions">pensions</span> <span word="weren">weren</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="safe">safe</span>.</p><p><span word="Question">Question</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="why">why</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="equivalent">equivalent</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="cheated">cheated</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="deceived">deceived</span>?</p><p><span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="involving">involving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="ponds">ponds</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="lakes">lakes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="man">man</span>-<span word="made">made</span> <span word="mountains">mountains</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="inner">inner</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="east">east</span>-<span word="west">west</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="north">north</span>-<span word="south">south</span>. <span word="Garden">Garden</span> <span word="paths">paths</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="winding">winding</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="zigzag">zigzag</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="woods">woods</span>, <span word="now">now</span> <span word="round">round</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pond">pond</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mountain">mountain</span>. <span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="end">end</span>. <span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="forks">forks</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="two">two</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="three">three</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="forth">forth</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="add">add</span> <span word="intrigue">intrigue</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mystery">mystery</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="advantage">advantage</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="scenery">scenery</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="visitor">visitor</span>, <span word="though">though</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="confusion">confusion</span> – <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span>-<span word="time">time</span> <span word="visitor">visitor</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="anywhere">anywhere</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="many">many</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="confusion">confusion</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="paths">paths</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="welcome">welcome</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="anyway">anyway</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="origin">origin</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="down">down</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>) <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="path">path</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="deceived">deceived</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="cheated">cheated</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span>.</p>
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